May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples. Genesis 28:3
Genesis 28-29
Genesis 28
Jacob Flees to Laban
1Â Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, âYou shall not take a wife from the women of Canaan. 2Â Get up, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your motherâs father. Take a wife from there from the women of Laban, your motherâs brother. 3Â May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples, 4Â and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.â
5Â Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacobâs and Esauâs mother.
Essau Marries Mahalath
6Â Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to find a wife from there, and that as Isaac was blessing Jacob, he commanded him, saying, âYou shall not take a wife from the women of Canaan,â 7Â and he saw that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and went to Paddan Aram.
8Â Esau realized that his father, Isaac, was displeased with the Canaanite women. 9Â Esau went to Ishmael and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abrahamâs son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
Jacob’s Ladder
10Â Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11Â He came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place and put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.
12Â He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. The angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13Â The LORD stood above it and said, âI am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give you the land on which you are lying, to you and to your offspring. 14Â Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. Through you and through your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15Â I am with you and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you back into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken to you.â
16Â Jacob awakened from his sleep, and he said, âSurely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.â 17Â He was afraid and said, âHow awesome this place is! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.â
Jacob Commits to Give a Tenth
18Â Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19Â He called the place Bethel, even though the name of the city had been named Luz.
20 Jacob made a vow, saying, âIf God will be with me, and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come back to my fatherâs house in peace, and the LORD will be my God, 22 then this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be the house of God. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.â
Genesis 29
Jacob Meets Rachel
1Â Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the descendants of the east. 2Â He looked, and there was a well in the field, and he saw three flocks of sheep lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the wellâs opening was large. 3Â There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the wellâs opening and watered the sheep and put the stone back on the wellâs opening in its place. 4Â Jacob said to them, âMy relatives, where are you from?â
They said, âWe are from Haran.â
5Â He said to them, âDo you know Laban, the son of Nahor?â
They said, âWe know him.â
6Â He said to them, âIs all well with him?â
They said, âIt is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.â
7Â He said, âIt is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep and go and feed them.â
8Â They said, âWe canât, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the wellâs opening. Then we will water the sheep.â
9Â While Jacob was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her fatherâs sheep, for she kept them. 10Â When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his motherâs brother, and the sheep of Laban, he went near and rolled the stone from the wellâs opening and watered the flock of Laban his motherâs brother. 11Â He kissed Rachel and raised his voice and wept. 12Â He told Rachel that he was her fatherâs relative and that he was Rebekahâs son, and she ran and told her father.
13Â When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sisterâs son, he ran to meet Jacob and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
14Â Laban said to him, âSurely you are my own flesh and blood.â Jacob stayed with him for a month. 15Â Laban said to Jacob, âBecause you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?â
16Â Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Â Leah’s eyes were tender, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. 18Â Jacob loved Rachel. He said, âI will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.â
19Â Laban said, âIt is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.â
20Â Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.
21Â Jacob said to Laban, âGive me my wife that I may sleep with her, for my commitment is fulfilled.â
22Â Laban gathered together all the men of the place and gave a feast. 23Â In the evening, he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her. 24Â Laban gave Zilpah his servant to his daughter Leah as a servant. 25Â Then morning came and behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, âWhat is this you have done to me? Didnât I serve you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?â
26Â Laban said, âIt is not the custom of this place to give the younger daughter before the firstborn. 27Â Fulfill the wedding week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will provide me with for seven more years.â
28Â Jacob agreed and completed Leah’s week, and Laban gave Jacob his daughter, Rachel, as his wife. 29Â Laban gave Bilhah, his servant, to his daughter Rachel to be her servant. 30Â Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He served Laban seven more years.
Reuben, Simon, Levi, and Judah
31Â The LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32Â Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, âBecause the LORD has looked at my affliction, for now my husband will love me.â
33Â She conceived again and bore a son and said, âBecause the LORD has heard that I am unloved, he has therefore given me this son also.â She named him Simeon. 34Â She conceived again and bore a son. She said, âNow this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.â Therefore he was called Levi. 35Â She conceived again and bore a son. She said, âThis time I will praise the LORD.â Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
Matthew 9:18-38
The Healing Touch of Jesus
18Â While he told these things to them, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, âMy daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.â 19Â Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. 20Â A woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years came behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21Â for she thought to herself, âIf I just touch his garment, I will be made well.â
22Â But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, âDaughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.â And the woman was made well from that hour.
23Â When Jesus came into the rulerâs house and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24Â he said to them, âMake room, because the girl isnât dead, but sleeping.â They were ridiculing him. 25Â But when the crowd was put out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26Â The report of this went out into all that land.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27Â As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, âHave mercy on us, son of David!â
28Â When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, âDo you believe that I am able to do this?â
They told him, âYes, Lord.â
29Â Then he touched their eyes, saying, âAccording to your faith be it done to you.â
30Â Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, âSee that no one knows about this.â 31Â But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.
Jesus Heals a Mute Man
32Â As they went out, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. 33Â When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, âNothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!â
34Â But the Pharisees said, âBy the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.â
The Sheep and the Harvest
35Â Jesus went around all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
36Â But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Â Then he said to his disciples, âThe harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38Â Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.â
Psalm 11
In the LORD I Take Refuge
For the Chief Musician. By David.
1Â In the LORD, I take refuge.
How can you say to me, âFlee like a bird to your mountainâ?
2Â For the wicked bend their bows.
They set their arrows on the strings,
that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3Â If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
4Â The LORD is in his holy temple.
The LORD is on his throne in heaven.
His eyes observe.
His eyes examine the children of men.
5Â The LORD examines the righteous,
but he hates the wicked and those who love violence.
6Â On the wicked he will rain blazing coals.
Fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7Â For the LORD is righteous.
He loves righteousness.
The upright shall see his face.
Proverbs 3:11-12
11Â My son, do not despise the LORDâs discipline,
nor be weary of his correction,
12Â for whom the LORD loves, he corrects,
as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.