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Daily Readings for January 12
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Genesis 22
1.It happened after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!"
He said, "Here I am."
2.He said, "Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."
3.Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. 4.On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. 5.Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you." 6.Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. 7.Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father?"
He said, "Here I am, my son."
He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8.Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together. 9.They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10.Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
11.The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!"
He said, "Here I am."
12.He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
13.Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14.Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide11. As it is said to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain, it will be provided."
15.The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, 16.and said, "I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17.that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies. 18.In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
19.So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
20.It happened after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21.Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22.Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." 23.Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24.His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Genesis 23
1.Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah's life. 2.Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3.Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying, 4."I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
5.The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6."Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead."
7.Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8.He talked with them, saying, "If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9.that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place."
10.Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11."No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead."
12.Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 13.He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."
14.Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15."My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead."
16.Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.
17.So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded 18.to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19.After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20.The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.
Psalm 26
1.Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in Yahweh without wavering. 2.Examine me, Yahweh, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind. 3.For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth. 4.I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites. 5.I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. 6.I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh; 7.that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, and tell of all your wondrous works. 8.Yahweh, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells. 9.Don't gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men; 10.in whose hands is wickedness, their right hand is full of bribes.
11.But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me. 12.My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless Yahweh.
Psalm 27
1.Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? 2.When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. 3.Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. 4.One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to see Yahweh's beauty, and to inquire in his temple. 5.For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. 6.Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.
7.Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. 8.When you said, "Seek my face," my heart said to you, "I will seek your face, Yahweh." 9.Don't hide your face from me. Don't put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don't abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. 10.When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. 11.Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. 12.Don't deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. 13.I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. 14.Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.
Psalm 28
1.To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don't be deaf to me; lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit. 2.Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. 3.Don't draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. 4.Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve. 5.Because they don't respect the works of Yahweh, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up.
6.Blessed be Yahweh, because he has heard the voice of my petitions. 7.Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him. 8.Yahweh is their strength. He is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed. 9.Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.
Matthew 14
1.At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, 2.and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him." 3.For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. 4.For John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5.When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6.But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod. 7.Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask. 8.She, being prompted by her mother, said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer."
9.The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given, 10.and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. 11.His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother. 12.His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. 13.Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14.Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15.When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, "This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food."
16.But Jesus said to them, "They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17.They told him, "We only have here five loaves and two fish."
18.He said, "Bring them here to me." 19.He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20.They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces. 21.Those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22.Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23.After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone. 24.But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25.In the fourth watch of the night,69 Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.[70] 26.When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear. 27.But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! It is I!71 Don't be afraid."
28.Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters."
29.He said, "Come!"
Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. 30.But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31.Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32.When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33.Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"
34.When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35.When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were sick, 36.and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe72 of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.