Friday, 26 January

1.   Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2.   And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3.   Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4.   But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5.   And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." 6.   Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7.   And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. 8.   Then Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" And he said, " These are to find favor in the sight of my lord." 9.   But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself." 10.   And Jacob said, "No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11.   "Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." So he urged him, and he took it . 12.   Then Esau said, "Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you." 13.   But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14.   "Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir." 15.   And Esau said, "Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord." 16.   So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17.   And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. 18.   Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19.   And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20.   Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.

1.   Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2.   And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. 3.   His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. 4.   So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young woman as a wife." 5.   And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6.   Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7.   And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it ; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done. 8.   But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9.   "And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10.   "So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it." 11.   Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12.   "Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife." 13.   But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14.   And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15.   "But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are , if every male of you is circumcised, 16.   "then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17.   "But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone." 18.   And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19.   So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father. 20.   And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21.   "These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22.   "Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23.   " Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us." 24.   And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. 25.   Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26.   And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. 27.   The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28.   They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29.   and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses. 30.   Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I." 31.   But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a harlot?"

1.   There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2.   And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3.   Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. 4.   And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5.   So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly. 6.   Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7.   And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 8.   Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" 9.   So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10.   "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11.   "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 12.   And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person ." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. 13.   Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14.   and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15.   "when the Sabeans raided them and took them away––indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 16.   While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 17.   While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 18.   While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19.   "and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 20.   Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21.   And he said: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." 22.   In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

1.   Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2.   And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 3.   Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." 4.   So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5.   "But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 6.   And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." 7.   So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8.   And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 9.   Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10.   But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 11.   Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place––Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12.   And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13.   So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

1.   Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2.   and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3.   And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4.   Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5.   While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" 6.   And when the disciples heard it , they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7.   But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8.   When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9.   Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." 10.   And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11.   Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12.   "But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." 13.   Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. 14.   And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15.   "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16.   "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17.   Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18.   And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19.   Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20.   So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21.   "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." 22.   Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23.   "and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. 24.   When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?" 25.   He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" 26.   Peter said to Him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27.   "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."