Daily Readings for January 26
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Genesis 42

 

1.Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" 2.He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die." 3.Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4.But Jacob didn't send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm happen to him." 5.The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6.Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth. 7.Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?"

They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

8.Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him. 9.Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."

10.They said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11.We are all one man's sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies."

12.He said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!"

13.They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."

14.Joseph said to them, "It is like I told you, saying, 'You are spies!' 15.By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here. 16.Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies." 17.He put them all together into custody for three days.

18.Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this, and live, for I fear God. 19.If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20.Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won't die."

They did so. 21.They said one to another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us." 22.Reuben answered them, saying, "Didn't I tell you, saying, 'Don't sin against the child,' and you wouldn't listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required." 23.They didn't know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. 24.He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. 25.Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man's money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.

26.They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there. 27.As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28.He said to his brothers, "My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!" Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" 29.They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30."The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31.We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are no spies. 32.We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.' 33.The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way. 34.Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'"

35.It happened as they emptied their sacks, that behold, each man's bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36.Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."

37.Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons, if I don't bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again."

38.He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol³⁰."

 

Genesis 43

 

1.The famine was severe in the land. 2.It happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."

3.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'll send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy you food, 5.but if you'll not send him, we'll not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'"

6.Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?"

7.They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'"

8.Judah said to Israel, his father, "Send the boy with me, and we'll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9.I'll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don't bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever, 10.for if we hadn't delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now."

11.Their father, Israel, said to them, "If it must be so, then do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; 12.and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13.Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. 14.May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

15.The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16.When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon."

17.The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house. 18.The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time, we're brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys." 19.They came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house, 20.and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21.When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand. 22.We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don't know who put our money in our sacks."

23.He said, "Peace be to you. Don't be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money." He brought Simeon out to them. 24.The man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. 25.They prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26.When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the earth. 27.He asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?"

28.They said, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive." They bowed down humbly. 29.He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" He said, "God be gracious to you, my son." 30.Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. 31.He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, "Serve the meal."

32.They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians don't eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33.They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another. 34.He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.

 

Psalm 46

 

1.God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2.Therefore we won't be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas; 3.though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.

4.There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High. 5.God is in her midst. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn. 6.The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice, and the earth melted. 7.Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8.Come, see Yahweh's works, what desolations he has made in the earth. 9.He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire. 10."Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." 11.Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

 

Psalm 47

 

1.Oh clap your hands, all you nations. Shout to God with the voice of triumph! 2.For Yahweh Most High is awesome. He is a great King over all the earth. 3.He subdues nations under us, and peoples under our feet. 4.He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. 5.God has gone up with a shout, Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet. 6.Sing praise to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7.For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding. 8.God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne. 9.The princes of the peoples are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God. He is greatly exalted!

 

Psalm 48

 

1.Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. 2.Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King. 3.God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge. 4.For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together. 5.They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away. 6.Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail. 7.With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish. 8.As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Yahweh of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah. 9.We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the midst of your temple. 10.As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness. 11.Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments. 12.Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers. 13.Mark well her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation. 14.For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.

 

Matthew 28

 

1.Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2.Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3.His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4.For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. 5.The angel answered the women, "Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. 6.He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. 7.Go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.' Behold, I have told you."

8.They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. 9.As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"

They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

10.Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my brothers¹³³ that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."

11.Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12.When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, 13.saying, "Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14.If this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry." 15.So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until this day.

16.But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17.When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted. 18.Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19.Go,[134] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20.teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

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