Monday, 22 January

31.   When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32.   So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me." 33.   Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. 34.   She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. 35.   And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise the LORD." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

1.   Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!" 2.   And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, " Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" 3.   So she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her." 4.   Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5.   And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6.   Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. 7.   And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8.   Then Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called his name Naphtali. 9.   When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. 10.   And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11.   Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. 12.   And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13.   Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. 14.   Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes." 15.   But she said to her, " Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?" And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes." 16.   When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes." And he lay with her that night. 17.   And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18.   Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. 19.   Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20.   And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. 21.   Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. 22.   Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23.   And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach." 24.   So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son."

1.   After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2.   And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. 3.   Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king’s command?" 4.   Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. 5.   When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6.   But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus––the people of Mordecai. 7.   In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is , the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month , which is the month of Adar. 8.   Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. 9.   "If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries." 10.   So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11.   And the king said to Haman, "The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you." 12.   Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded––to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13.   And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. 14.   A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. 15.   The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

1.   When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2.   He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3.   And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4.   So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them . 5.   Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was . 6.   So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. 7.   And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. 8.   He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. 9.   So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. 10.   Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: 11.   "All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days." 12.   So they told Mordecai Esther’s words. 13.   And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14.   "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 15.   Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 16.   "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" 17.   So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

22.   Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23.   And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24.   But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25.   Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26.   And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27.   But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 28.   And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29.   So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30.   But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31.   And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32.   And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33.   Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." 34.   When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35.   And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36.   and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.