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Daily Readings for January 23
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Genesis 38
1.It happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2.Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her, and went in to her. 3.She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er. 4.She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan. 5.She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him. 6.Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7.Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him. 8.Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother." 9.Onan knew that the seed wouldn't be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. 10.The thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he killed him also. 11.Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;" for he said, "Lest he also die, like his brothers." Tamar went and lived in her father's house.
12.After many days, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite. 13.It was told Tamar, saying, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." 14.She took off of her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn't given to him as a wife. 15.When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16.He turned to her by the way, and said, "Please come, let me come in to you," for he didn't know that she was his daughter-in-law.
She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
17.He said, "I will send you a young goat from the flock."
She said, "Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?"
18.He said, "What pledge will I give you?"
She said, "Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand."
He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. 19.She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20.Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, but he didn't find her. 21.Then he asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?"
They said, "There has been no prostitute here."
22.He returned to Judah, and said, "I haven't found her; and also the men of the place said, 'There has been no prostitute here.'" 23.Judah said, "Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven't found her."
24.It happened about three months later, that it was told Judah, saying, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute; and moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution."
Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burnt." 25.When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man, whose these are, I am with child." She also said, "Please discern whose are these--the signet, and the cords, and the staff."
26.Judah acknowledged them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, because I didn't give her to Shelah, my son."
He knew her again no more. 27.It happened in the time of her travail, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28.When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This came out first." 29.It happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out, and she said, "Why have you made a breach for yourself?" Therefore his name was called Perez.26 30.Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.27
Psalm 41
1.Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil. 2.Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies. 3.Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness. 4.I said, "Yahweh, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you." 5.My enemies speak evil against me: "When will he die, and his name perish?" 6.If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it. 7.All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me. 8."An evil disease," they say, "has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more." 9.Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.
10.But you, Yahweh, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. 11.By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn't triumph over me. 12.As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
13.Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.
Psalm 42
1.As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God15. 2.My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3.My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, "Where is your God?" 4.These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day. 5.Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence. 6.My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. 7.Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.
8.Yahweh16 will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life. 9.I will ask God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" 10.As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, "Where is your God?" 11.Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 43
1.Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men. 2.For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3.Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, To your tents. 4.Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God. 5.Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.
Matthew 25
1."Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2.Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3.Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, 4.but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5.Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6.But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!' 7.Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.121 8.The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9.But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10.While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11.Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' 12.But he answered, 'Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you.' 13.Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
14."For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them. 15.To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. 16.Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17.In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two. 18.But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19."Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them. 20.He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.'
21."His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
22."He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.'
23."His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
24."He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. 25.I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'
26."But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter. 27.You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. 28.Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29.For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away. 30.Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
31."But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32.Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33.He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34.Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35.for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. 36.I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'
37."Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? 38.When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? 39.When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'
40."The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers122, you did it to me.' 41.Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 42.for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 43.I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
44."Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?'
45."Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.' 46.These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."