Daily Readings for January 9
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Genesis 17

 

1.When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless. 2.I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3.Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4."As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5.Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6.I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7.I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you. 8.I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."

9.God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. 10.This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11.You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. 12.He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed. 13.He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14.The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."

15.God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16.I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

17.Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?" 18.Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

19.God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac.⁷ I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20.As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21.But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

22.When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23.Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. 24.Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25.Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26.In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 27.All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

 

Genesis 18

 

1.Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2.He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3.and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant. 4.Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5.I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant."

They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

6.Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes." 7.Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. 8.He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

9.They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?"

He said, "See, in the tent."

10.He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son."

Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11.Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12.Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

13.Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?' 14.Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."

15.Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid.

He said, "No, but you did laugh."

16.The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. 17.Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do, 18.since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 19.For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him." 20.Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21.I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."

22.The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. 23.Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? 24.What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25.Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"

26.Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake." 27.Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. 28.What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?"

He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

29.He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?"

He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."

30.He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?"

He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."

31.He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?"

He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

32.He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?"

He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."

33.Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

 

Psalm 19

 

1.The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. 2.Day after day they pour forth speech, and night after night they display knowledge. 3.There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4.Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5.which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course. 6.His going forth is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends; There is nothing hidden from its heat. 7.Yahweh's law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh's testimony is sure, making wise the simple. 8.Yahweh's precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh's commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9.The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh's ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. 10.More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. 11.Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. 12.Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.

13.Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. 14.Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.

 

Psalm 20

 

1.May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high, 2.send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion, 3.remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah. 4.May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your counsel. 5.We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May Yahweh grant all your requests. 6.Now I know that Yahweh saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand. 7.Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust the name of Yahweh our God. 8.They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright. 9.Save, Yahweh! Let the King answer us when we call!

 

Psalm 21

 

1.The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation! 2.You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. 3.For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head. 4.He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever. 5.His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him. 6.For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence. 7.For the king trusts in Yahweh. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved. 8.Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9.You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them. 10.You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men. 11.For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed. 12.For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face. 13.Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.

 

Matthew 11

 

1.It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2.Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3.and said to him, "Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?"

4.Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5.the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,[54] the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.[55] 6.Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me."

7.As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8.But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses. 9.But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 10.For this is he, of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'[56] 11.Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. 12.From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.⁵⁷ 13.For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14.If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come. 15.He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16."But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions 17.and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We mourned for you, and you didn't lament.' 18.For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19.The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children.⁵⁸"

20.Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn't repent. 21."Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22.But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23.You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades.⁵⁹ For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. 24.But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you."

25.At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants. 26.Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight. 27.All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

28."Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

 

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