The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday January 18, 2021 (NIV)

Genesis 37-38

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,(A) the land of Canaan.(B)

This is the account(C) of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph,(D) a young man of seventeen,(E) was tending the flocks(F) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah(G) and the sons of Zilpah,(H) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report(I) about them.

Now Israel(J) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,(K) because he had been born to him in his old age;(L) and he made an ornate[a] robe(M) for him.(N) When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him(O) and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream,(P) and when he told it to his brothers,(Q) they hated him all the more.(R) He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves(S) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”(T)

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”(U) And they hated him all the more(V) because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream,(W) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars(X) were bowing down to me.”(Y)

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers,(Z) his father rebuked(AA) him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”(AB) 11 His brothers were jealous of him,(AC) but his father kept the matter in mind.(AD)

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,(AE) 13 and Israel(AF) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.(AG) Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers(AH) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.(AI)

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.(AJ)’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.(AK)

19 “Here comes that dreamer!(AL)” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns(AM) and say that a ferocious animal(AN) devoured him.(AO) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”(AP)

21 When Reuben(AQ) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.(AR) 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern(AS) here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.(AT)

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe(AU) he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern.(AV) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites(AW) coming from Gilead.(AX) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm(AY) and myrrh,(AZ) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.(BA)

26 Judah(BB) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?(BC) 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,(BD) our own flesh and blood.(BE)” His brothers agreed.

28 So when the Midianite(BF) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern(BG) and sold(BH) him for twenty shekels[b] of silver(BI) to the Ishmaelites,(BJ) who took him to Egypt.(BK)

29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.(BL) 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”(BM)

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(BN) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(BO) 32 They took the ornate robe(BP) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal(BQ) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(BR)

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(BS) put on sackcloth(BT) and mourned for his son many days.(BU) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(BV) but he refused to be comforted.(BW) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(BX) in the grave.(BY)” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites[c](BZ) sold Joseph(CA) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.(CB)

Judah and Tamar

38 At that time, Judah(CC) left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam(CD) named Hirah.(CE) There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.(CF) He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.(CG) She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.(CH) She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.(CI) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.(CJ) But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;(CK) so the Lord put him to death.(CL)

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”(CM) But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.(CN)

11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law(CO) Tamar,(CP) “Live as a widow in your father’s household(CQ) until my son Shelah(CR) grows up.”(CS) For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.

12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua,(CT) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,(CU) to the men who were shearing his sheep,(CV) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite(CW) went with him.

13 When Tamar(CX) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”(CY) 14 she took off her widow’s clothes,(CZ) covered herself with a veil(DA) to disguise herself, and then sat down(DB) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.(DC) For she saw that, though Shelah(DD) had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute,(DE) for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing(DF) that she was his daughter-in-law,(DG) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”(DH)

“And what will you give me to sleep with you?”(DI) she asked.

17 “I’ll send you a young goat(DJ) from my flock,” he said.

“Will you give me something as a pledge(DK) until you send it?” she asked.

18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”

“Your seal(DL) and its cord, and the staff(DM) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.(DN) 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes(DO) again.

20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite(DP) in order to get his pledge(DQ) back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute(DR) who was beside the road at Enaim?”

“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has,(DS) or we will become a laughingstock.(DT) After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”(DU)

25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”(DV)

26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I,(DW) since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.(DX)” And he did not sleep with her again.

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.(DY) 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife(DZ) took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist(EA) and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out,(EB) and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[d](EC) 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist,(ED) came out. And he was named Zerah.[e](EE)

Footnotes:

  1. Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.
  2. Genesis 37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
  3. Genesis 37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites
  4. Genesis 38:29 Perez means breaking out.
  5. Genesis 38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.

Cross references:

  1. Genesis 37:1 : S Ge 17:8
  2. Genesis 37:1 : S Ge 10:19
  3. Genesis 37:2 : S Ge 2:4
  4. Genesis 37:2 : S Ge 30:24
  5. Genesis 37:2 : Ge 41:46; 2Sa 5:4
  6. Genesis 37:2 : Ge 46:32; 1Sa 16:11; 17:15; Ps 78:71; Am 7:15
  7. Genesis 37:2 : Ge 35:25
  8. Genesis 37:2 : Ge 35:26
  9. Genesis 37:2 : 1Sa 2:24
  10. Genesis 37:3 : S Ge 17:5
  11. Genesis 37:3 : S Ge 25:28
  12. Genesis 37:3 : Ge 43:27; 44:20
  13. Genesis 37:3 : ver 23, 31, 32; 2Sa 13:18-19
  14. Genesis 37:3 : Ge 43:34; 45:22; 1Sa 1:4-5; Est 2:9
  15. Genesis 37:4 : S ver 24; S Ge 27:41; Ac 7:9
  16. Genesis 37:5 : S Ge 20:3; S 28:12
  17. Genesis 37:5 : ver 10
  18. Genesis 37:5 : ver 8
  19. Genesis 37:7 : Ru 2:7, 15
  20. Genesis 37:7 : ver 9, 10; Ge 27:29; 42:6, 9; 43:26, 28; 44:14; 50:18; 2Sa 1:2; 9:6
  21. Genesis 37:8 : Ge 41:44; 42:10; 44:16, 18; 48:22; 49:26; Dt 33:16
  22. Genesis 37:8 : ver 5
  23. Genesis 37:9 : S ver 7; Ge 28:12
  24. Genesis 37:9 : Rev 12:1
  25. Genesis 37:9 : Dt 4:19; 17:3
  26. Genesis 37:10 : ver 5
  27. Genesis 37:10 : Ru 2:16; Ps 9:5; 68:30; 106:9; 119:21; Isa 17:13; 54:9; Zec 3:2
  28. Genesis 37:10 : S ver 7; S Ge 9:25; S 33:3
  29. Genesis 37:11 : Ge 26:14; Ac 7:9
  30. Genesis 37:11 : Lk 2:19, 51
  31. Genesis 37:12 : S Ge 12:6
  32. Genesis 37:13 : S Ge 17:5
  33. Genesis 37:13 : Ge 33:19
  34. Genesis 37:14 : 1Sa 17:18
  35. Genesis 37:14 : S Ge 13:18
  36. Genesis 37:17 : 2Ki 6:13
  37. Genesis 37:18 : 1Sa 19:1; 2Ch 24:21; Ps 31:13, 20; 37:12, 32; S Mt 12:14; Mk 14:1; Ac 23:12
  38. Genesis 37:19 : S Ge 28:12
  39. Genesis 37:20 : ver 22; Jer 38:6, 9
  40. Genesis 37:20 : ver 33; Lev 26:6, 22; Dt 32:24; 2Ki 17:25; Eze 34:25
  41. Genesis 37:20 : ver 31-33; S Ge 4:10
  42. Genesis 37:20 : Ge 50:20
  43. Genesis 37:21 : S Ge 29:32
  44. Genesis 37:21 : Ge 42:22
  45. Genesis 37:22 : S ver 20
  46. Genesis 37:22 : ver 29-30
  47. Genesis 37:23 : ver 3
  48. Genesis 37:24 : S ver 4; Ge 49:23; Jer 38:6; 41:7; Eze 22:27
  49. Genesis 37:25 : S Ge 16:11
  50. Genesis 37:25 : S Ge 31:21; S SS 4:1
  51. Genesis 37:25 : Jer 8:22; 22:6; 46:11
  52. Genesis 37:25 : Ge 43:11; Ex 30:23; Ps 45:8; Pr 7:17; SS 1:13; Mt 2:11
  53. Genesis 37:25 : ver 28; Ge 39:1; Ps 105:17
  54. Genesis 37:26 : S Ge 29:35
  55. Genesis 37:26 : S Ge 4:10
  56. Genesis 37:27 : Ge 42:21
  57. Genesis 37:27 : S Ge 29:14
  58. Genesis 37:28 : S Ge 25:2
  59. Genesis 37:28 : Jer 38:13
  60. Genesis 37:28 : Ex 21:16
  61. Genesis 37:28 : Lev 27:5; Mt 26:15
  62. Genesis 37:28 : S Ge 16:11
  63. Genesis 37:28 : ver 36; Ge 39:1; 45:4-5; Ps 105:17; Jer 12:6; Ac 7:9
  64. Genesis 37:29 : ver 34; Ge 44:13; Nu 14:6; Jos 7:6; 2Sa 1:11; 2Ki 2:12; 5:7; 11:14; 22:11; Job 1:20; 2:12; Isa 36:22; 37:1; Jer 36:24; 41:5; Joel 2:13
  65. Genesis 37:30 : ver 22
  66. Genesis 37:31 : S ver 3
  67. Genesis 37:31 : Rev 19:13
  68. Genesis 37:32 : S ver 3
  69. Genesis 37:33 : S ver 20
  70. Genesis 37:33 : Ge 42:13, 38; 44:20, 28
  71. Genesis 37:34 : S ver 29
  72. Genesis 37:34 : 2Sa 3:31; 1Ki 20:31; 21:27; 2Ki 6:30; 19:1, 2; Job 16:15; Ps 69:11; Isa 3:24; 15:3; 22:12; 32:11; 37:1; Jer 48:37; 49:3; Joel 1:13
  73. Genesis 37:34 : Ge 50:3, 10, 11; Nu 20:29; Dt 34:8
  74. Genesis 37:35 : Job 2:11; 15:11; 16:5; 42:11
  75. Genesis 37:35 : 2Sa 12:17; Ps 77:2; Jer 31:15
  76. Genesis 37:35 : 2Sa 12:23
  77. Genesis 37:35 : Ge 42:38; 44:22, 29, 31
  78. Genesis 37:36 : S Ge 25:2
  79. Genesis 37:36 : S ver 28
  80. Genesis 37:36 : Ge 39:1; 40:3; 41:10, 12; 1Sa 22:14
  81. Genesis 38:1 : S Ge 29:35
  82. Genesis 38:1 : Jos 12:15; 15:35; 1Sa 22:1; 2Sa 23:13; 2Ch 11:7
  83. Genesis 38:1 : ver 12, 20
  84. Genesis 38:2 : ver 12; 1Ch 2:3
  85. Genesis 38:3 : ver 6; Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19
  86. Genesis 38:4 : ver 8, 9; Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19
  87. Genesis 38:5 : Nu 26:20
  88. Genesis 38:6 : ver 11, 13
  89. Genesis 38:7 : S Ge 6:5
  90. Genesis 38:7 : ver 10; Ge 46:12; Lev 10:1-2; 1Ch 2:3
  91. Genesis 38:8 : Dt 25:5-6; Ru 4:5; Mt 22:24-28
  92. Genesis 38:10 : S ver 7; Dt 25:7-10
  93. Genesis 38:11 : S Ge 11:31
  94. Genesis 38:11 : S ver 6
  95. Genesis 38:11 : Ru 1:8
  96. Genesis 38:11 : ver 14, 26
  97. Genesis 38:11 : Ru 1:13
  98. Genesis 38:12 : S ver 2
  99. Genesis 38:12 : ver 14; Jos 15:10, 57; 19:43; Jdg 14:1, 2; 2Ch 28:18
  100. Genesis 38:12 : S Ge 31:19
  101. Genesis 38:12 : S ver 1
  102. Genesis 38:13 : S ver 6
  103. Genesis 38:13 : S Ge 31:19
  104. Genesis 38:14 : ver 19
  105. Genesis 38:14 : S Ge 24:65
  106. Genesis 38:14 : Jer 3:2
  107. Genesis 38:14 : S ver 12
  108. Genesis 38:14 : S ver 11
  109. Genesis 38:15 : Jdg 11:1; 16:1
  110. Genesis 38:16 : Ge 42:23
  111. Genesis 38:16 : Lev 18:15; 20:12; Ru 1:6
  112. Genesis 38:16 : Ge 39:7, 12; 2Sa 13:11
  113. Genesis 38:16 : S Ge 30:15
  114. Genesis 38:17 : Jdg 15:1
  115. Genesis 38:17 : ver 20
  116. Genesis 38:18 : ver 25; 1Ki 21:8; Est 3:12; 8:8; SS 8:6; Isa 49:16; Jer 22:24; Hag 2:23; 2Co 1:22; Eph 1:13
  117. Genesis 38:18 : S Ge 32:10; S Ex 4:2
  118. Genesis 38:18 : S Ge 19:32
  119. Genesis 38:19 : ver 14
  120. Genesis 38:20 : S ver 1
  121. Genesis 38:20 : ver 17
  122. Genesis 38:21 : S Ge 19:5; Lev 19:29; Dt 22:21; 23:17; 2Ki 23:7; Hos 4:14
  123. Genesis 38:23 : ver 18
  124. Genesis 38:23 : Ex 32:25; Job 12:4; Jer 20:7; La 3:14
  125. Genesis 38:24 : Lev 20:10, 14; 21:9; Dt 22:21, 22; Jos 7:25; Jdg 15:6; 1Sa 31:12; Job 31:11, 28; Eze 16:38
  126. Genesis 38:25 : S ver 18
  127. Genesis 38:26 : 1Sa 24:17
  128. Genesis 38:26 : S ver 11
  129. Genesis 38:27 : Ge 25:24
  130. Genesis 38:28 : S Ge 35:17
  131. Genesis 38:28 : ver 30
  132. Genesis 38:29 : Ge 25:26
  133. Genesis 38:29 : Ge 46:12; Nu 26:20, 21; Ru 4:12, 18; 2Sa 5:20; 6:8; 1Ch 2:4; 9:4; Isa 28:21; Mt 1:3
  134. Genesis 38:30 : ver 28
  135. Genesis 38:30 : Ge 46:12; 1Ch 2:4; Ne 11:24
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Matthew 12:22-45

Jesus and Beelzebul(A)

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.(B) 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”(C)

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,(D) the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”(E)

25 Jesus knew their thoughts(F) and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan(G) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,(H) by whom do your people(I) drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God(J) has come upon you.

29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(K) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.(L) 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age(M) or in the age to come.(N)

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.(O) 34 You brood of vipers,(P) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks(Q) what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(R)

The Sign of Jonah(S)(T)

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign(U) from you.”(V)

39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(W) 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,(X) so the Son of Man(Y) will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(Z) 41 The men of Nineveh(AA) will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,(AB) and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came(AC) from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.(AD) That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

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Psalm 16

Psalm 16

A miktam[a] of David.

Keep me safe,(A) my God,
for in you I take refuge.(B)

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(C)
apart from you I have no good thing.”(D)
I say of the holy people(E) who are in the land,(F)
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods(G) will suffer(H) more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names(I) on my lips.

Lord, you alone are my portion(J) and my cup;(K)
you make my lot(L) secure.
The boundary lines(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.(N)
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(O)
even at night(P) my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,(Q) I will not be shaken.(R)

Therefore my heart is glad(S) and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,(T)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(U)
nor will you let your faithful[b] one(V) see decay.(W)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(X)
you will fill me with joy in your presence,(Y)
with eternal pleasures(Z) at your right hand.(AA)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 16:10 Or holy
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Proverbs 3:27-32

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.(A)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.(B)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.

31 Do not envy(C) the violent
or choose any of their ways.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse(D)
but takes the upright into his confidence.(E)

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