Monday, 05 February

1.   Now the famine was severe in the land. 2.   And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food." 3.   But Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’" 4.   "If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5.   "But if you will not send him , we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’" 6.   And Israel said, "Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?" 7.   But they said, "The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘ Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?" 8.   Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9.   "I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10.   "For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time." 11.   And their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man––a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12.   "Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13.   "Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14.   "And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!" 15.   So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16.   When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon." 17.   Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18.   Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, " It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and fall upon us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys." 19.   When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20.   and said, "O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21.   "but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22.   "And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks." 23.   But he said, "Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24.   So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25.   Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. 26.   And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27.   Then he asked them about their well–being, and said, " Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" 28.   And they answered, "Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. 29.   Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, " Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." 30.   Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. 31.   Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, "Serve the bread." 32.   So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33.   And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34.   Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

1.   Then Job answered and said: 2.   "I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all! 3.   Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? 4.   I also could speak as you do , If your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you; 5.   But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief . 6.   "Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased? 7.   But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company. 8.   You have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me ; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness to my face. 9.   He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me. 10.   They gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me. 11.   God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked. 12.   I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, 13.   His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground. 14.   He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior. 15.   "I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust. 16.   My face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death; 17.   Although no violence is in my hands, And my prayer is pure. 18.   "O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place! 19.   Surely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high. 20.   My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God. 21.   Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor! 22.   For when a few years are finished, I shall go the way of no return.

1.   "My spirit is broken, My days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me. 2.   Are not mockers with me? And does not my eye dwell on their provocation? 3.   "Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself. Who is he who will shake hands with me? 4.   For You have hidden their heart from understanding; Therefore You will not exalt them . 5.   He who speaks flattery to his friends, Even the eyes of his children will fail. 6.   "But He has made me a byword of the people, And I have become one in whose face men spit. 7.   My eye has also grown dim because of sorrow, And all my members are like shadows. 8.   Upright men are astonished at this, And the innocent stirs himself up against the hypocrite. 9.   Yet the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger. 10.   "But please, come back again, all of you, For I shall not find one wise man among you. 11.   My days are past, My purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart. 12.   They change the night into day; ‘The light is near,’ they say , in the face of darkness. 13.   If I wait for the grave as my house, If I make my bed in the darkness, 14.   If I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’ 15.   Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see it? 16.   Will they go down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we have rest together in the dust?"

1.   Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2.   saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3.   "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4.   "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5.   "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6.   "They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7.   "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8.   "But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9.   "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10.   "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11.   "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12.   "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 13.   "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves , nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14.   "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15.   "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16.   "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it .’ 17.   "Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18.   "And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it .’ 19.   "Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20.   "Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21.   "He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22.   "And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.