Daily Readings for January 11

Daily Readings for January 11
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Genesis 20

1.Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar. 2.Abraham said about Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3.But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken. For she is a man's wife."

4.Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, "Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5.Didn't he tell me, 'She is my sister?' She, even she herself, said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this."

6.God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn't allow you to touch her. 7.Now therefore, restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don't restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours."

8.Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared. 9.Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!" 10.Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you have done this thing?"

11.Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife's sake.' 12.Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13.It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

14.Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him. 15.Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you." 16.To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated."

17.Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. 18.For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Genesis 21

1.Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken. 2.Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3.Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.⁹ 4.Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5.Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him. 6.Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me." 7.She said, "Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."

8.The child grew, and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9.Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10.Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this handmaid and her son! For the son of this handmaid will not be heir with my son, Isaac."

11.The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. 12.God said to Abraham, "Don't let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your handmaid. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For from Isaac will your seed be called. 13.I will also make a nation of the son of the handmaid, because he is your seed." 14.Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15.The water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16.She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, "Don't let me see the death of the child." She sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. 17.God heard the voice of the boy.

The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Don't be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18.Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation."

19.God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink. 20.God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. 21.He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

22.It happened at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do. 23.Now, therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner."

24.Abraham said, "I will swear." 25.Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26.Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this thing. You didn't tell me, neither did I hear of it, until today."

27.Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant. 28.Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29.Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?"

30.He said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well." 31.Therefore he called that place Beersheba,¹⁰ because they both swore there. 32.So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33.Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God. 34.Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.

Psalm 23

1.Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. 2.He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3.He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. 6.Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh's house forever.

Psalm 24

1.The earth is Yahweh's, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein. 2.For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods.

3.Who may ascend to Yahweh's hill? Who may stand in his holy place? 4.He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. 5.He shall receive a blessing from Yahweh, righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6.This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face--even Jacob. Selah.

7.Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. 8.Who is the King of glory? Yahweh strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle. 9.Lift up your heads, you gates; yes, lift them up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. 10.Who is this King of glory? Yahweh of Armies is the King of glory! Selah.

Psalm 25

1.To you, Yahweh, do I lift up my soul. 2.My God, I have trusted in you. Don't let me be shamed. Don't let my enemies triumph over me. 3.Yes, no one who waits for you shall be shamed. They shall be shamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4.Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths. 5.Guide me in your truth, and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation, I wait for you all day long. 6.Yahweh, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old times. 7.Don't remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness' sake, Yahweh. 8.Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way. 9.He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way. 10.All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11.For your name's sake, Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. 12.What man is he who fears Yahweh? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose. 13.His soul shall dwell at ease. His seed shall inherit the land. 14.The friendship of Yahweh is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant.

15.My eyes are ever on Yahweh, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 16.Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. 17.The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. 18.Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. 19.Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. 20.Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. 21.Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. 22.Redeem Israel, God, out all of his troubles.

Matthew 13

1.On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside. 2.Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach. 3.He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, "Behold, a farmer went out to sow. 4.As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. 5.Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth. 6.When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. 7.Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. 8.Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 9.He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10.The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

11.He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. 12.For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. 13.Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand. 14.In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive: 15.for this people's heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.'[64]

16."But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17.For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them.

18."Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. 19.When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. 20.What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it; 21.yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22.What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23.What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty."

24.He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25.but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds⁶⁵ also among the wheat, and went away. 26.But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also. 27.The servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel come from?'

28."He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'

"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?'

29."But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them. 30.Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

31.He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; 32.which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

33.He spoke another parable to them. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures⁶⁶ of meal, until it was all leavened."

34.Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn't speak to them, 35.that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world."[67]

36.Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field."

37.He answered them, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38.the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one. 39.The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40.As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age. 41.The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity, 42.and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43.Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

44."Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

45."Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46.who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47."Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, 48.which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49.So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous, 50.and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." 51.Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"

They answered him, "Yes, Lord."

52.He said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."

53.It happened that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there. 54.Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55.Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas⁶⁸? 56.Aren't all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?" 57.They were offended by him.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house." 58.He didn't do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.