Month: January 2024

⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.^{(A) 53} Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing^(B) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts^(C) to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way^(D) to my master.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;^(E) then you^[a] may go.”

⁵⁶ But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success^(F) to my journey. Send me on my way^(G) so I may go to my master.”

⁵⁷ Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”^{(H) 58} So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”^(I) she said.

⁵⁹ So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,^(J) along with her nurse^(K) and Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed^(L) Rebekah and said to her,

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her attendants^(O) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

⁶² Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,^(P) for he was living in the Negev.^{(Q) 63} He went out to the field one evening to meditate,^[b](R) and as he looked up,^(S) he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel^{(T) 65} and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil^(U) and covered herself.

⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought her into the tent^(V) of his mother Sarah,^(W) and he married Rebekah.^(X) So she became his wife, and he loved her;^(Y) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.^(Z)

The Death of Abraham^(AA)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran,^(AB) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,^(AC) Ishbak and Shuah.^{(AD) 3} Jokshan was the father of Sheba^(AE) and Dedan;^(AF) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah,^(AG) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

⁵ Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.^{(AH) 6} But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines^(AI) and sent them away from his son Isaac^(AJ) to the land of the east.^(AK)

⁷ Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.^{(AL) 8} Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,^(AM) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.^{(AN) 9} His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him^(AO) in the cave of Machpelah^(AP) near Mamre,^(AQ) in the field of Ephron^(AR) son of Zohar the Hittite,^{(AS) 10} the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.^[c](AT) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,^(AU) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.^(AV)

Ishmael’s Sons^(AW)

¹² This is the account^(AX) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar^(AY) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.^(AZ)

¹³ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth^(BA) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,^(BB) Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah,^(BC) Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema,^(BD) Jetur,^(BE) Naphish and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers^(BF) according to their settlements and camps.^{(BG) 17} Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.^{(BH) 18} His descendants^(BI) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,^(BJ) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward^[d] all the tribes related to them.^(BK)

Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ This is the account^(BL) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old^(BM) when he married Rebekah^(BN) daughter of Bethuel^(BO) the Aramean from Paddan Aram^[e](BP) and sister of Laban^(BQ) the Aramean.^(BR)

²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^(BS) The Lord answered his prayer,^(BT) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.^(BU)

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth,^(BX) there were twin boys in her womb.^{(BY) 25} The first to come out was red,^(BZ) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^(CA) so they named him Esau.^{[f](CB) 26} After this, his brother came out,^(CC) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^(CD) so he was named Jacob.^[g](CE) Isaac was sixty years old^(CF) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,^(CG) a man of the open country,^(CH) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,^(CI) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.^(CJ)

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,^(CK) Esau came in from the open country,^(CL) famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!^(CM) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.^[h])^(CN)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.^(CO)”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear^(CP) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright^(CQ) to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.^(CR) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelek^(CS)

26 Now there was a famine in the land^(CT)—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines^(CU) in Gerar.^{(CV) 2} The Lord appeared^(CW) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;^(CX) live in the land where I tell you to live.^{(CY) 3} Stay in this land for a while,^(CZ) and I will be with you^(DA) and will bless you.^(DB) For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands^(DC) and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.^{(DD) 4} I will make your descendants^(DE) as numerous as the stars in the sky^(DF) and will give them all these lands,^(DG) and through your offspring^[i] all nations on earth will be blessed,^{[j](DH) 5} because Abraham obeyed me^(DI) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees^(DJ) and my instructions.^(DK)” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.^(DL)

⁷ When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,^(DM)” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

⁸ When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines^(DN) looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. ⁹ So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?^(DO)”

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

¹⁰ Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us?^(DP) One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

¹¹ So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms^(DQ) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”^(DR)

¹² Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,^(DS) because the Lord blessed him.^{(DT) 13} The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.^{(DU) 14} He had so many flocks and herds and servants^(DV) that the Philistines envied him.^{(DW) 15} So all the wells^(DX) that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,^(DY) filling them with earth.

¹⁶ Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us;^(DZ) you have become too powerful for us.^(EA)”

The Cost of Following Jesus^(A)

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.^{(B) 19} Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^(C) has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me,^(D) and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm^(E)(F)

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith,^(G) why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.^(H)

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men^(I)

²⁸ When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,^[a] two demon-possessed^(J) men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ “What do you want with us,^(K) Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”^(L)

³⁰ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³ Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.^(M)

Psalm 10^[a]

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. ² She died at Kiriath Arba^(A) (that is, Hebron)^(B) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.^(C)

³ Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.^[a](D) He said, ⁴ “I am a foreigner and stranger^(E) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.^(F)”

⁵ The Hittites replied to Abraham, ⁶ “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince^(G) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

⁷ Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. ⁸ He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar^(H) on my behalf ⁹ so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,^(I) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

¹⁰ Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites^(J) who had come to the gate^(K) of his city. ¹¹ “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give^[b](L) you the field, and I give^[c] you the cave that is in it. I give^[d] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

¹² Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land ¹³ and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels^[e] of silver,^(M) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

¹⁶ Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,^(N) according to the weight current among the merchants.^(O)

¹⁷ So Ephron’s field in Machpelah^(P) near Mamre^(Q)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded ¹⁸ to Abraham as his property^(R) in the presence of all the Hittites^(S) who had come to the gate^(T) of the city. ¹⁹ Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah^(U) near Mamre (which is at Hebron^(V)) in the land of Canaan.^{(W) 20} So the field and the cave in it were deeded^(X) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.^(Y)

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,^(Z) and the Lord had blessed^(AA) him in every way.^{(AB) 2} He said to the senior servant^(AC) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,^(AD) “Put your hand under my thigh.^{(AE) 3} I want you to swear^(AF) by the Lord, the God of heaven^(AG) and the God of earth,^(AH) that you will not get a wife for my son^(AI) from the daughters of the Canaanites,^(AJ) among whom I am living,^{(AK) 4} but will go to my country and my own relatives^(AL) and get a wife for my son Isaac.^(AM)”

⁵ The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?^(AN) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?^(AO)”

⁶ “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”^(AP) Abraham said. ⁷ “The Lord, the God of heaven,^(AQ) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land^(AR) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^[f](AS) I will give this land’^(AT)—he will send his angel before you^(AU) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath^(AV) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”^{(AW) 9} So the servant put his hand under the thigh^(AX) of his master^(AY) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰ Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels^(AZ) loaded with all kinds of good things^(BA) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim^[g](BB) and made his way to the town of Nahor.^{(BC) 11} He had the camels kneel down near the well^(BD) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.^(BE)

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,^(BF) make me successful^(BG) today, and show kindness^(BH) to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(BI) 14} May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,^(BJ) and I’ll water your camels too’^(BK)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.^(BL) By this I will know^(BM) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying,^(BN) Rebekah^(BO) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel^(BP) son of Milkah,^(BQ) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(BR) 16} The woman was very beautiful,^(BS) a virgin;^(BT) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

¹⁷ The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”^(BU)

¹⁸ “Drink,^(BV) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels^(BW) too,^(BX) until they have had enough to drink.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.^{(BY) 21} Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.^(BZ)

²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring^(CA) weighing a beka^[h] and two gold bracelets^(CB) weighing ten shekels.^{[i] 23} Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?^(CC) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?^(CD)”

²⁴ She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.^(CE)” ²⁵ And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,^(CF) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,^{(CG) 27} saying, “Praise be to the Lord,^(CH) the God of my master Abraham,^(CI) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness^(CJ) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey^(CK) to the house of my master’s relatives.”^(CL)

²⁸ The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.^{(CM) 29} Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,^(CN) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. ³⁰ As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,^(CO) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. ³¹ “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”^(CP) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

³² So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder^(CQ) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.^{(CR) 33} Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.^{(CS) 35} The Lord has blessed^(CT) my master abundantly,^(CU) and he has become wealthy.^(CV) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.^{(CW) 36} My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,^(CX) and he has given him everything he owns.^{(CY) 37} And my master made me swear an oath,^(CZ) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,^{(DA) 38} but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’^(DB)

³⁹ “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’^(DC)

⁴⁰ “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,^(DD) will send his angel with you^(DE) and make your journey a success,^(DF) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.^{(DG) 41} You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’^(DH)

⁴² “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success^(DI) to the journey on which I have come. ⁴³ See, I am standing beside this spring.^(DJ) If a young woman^(DK) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”^{(DL) 44} and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’^(DM)

⁴⁵ “Before I finished praying in my heart,^(DN) Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder.^(DO) She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’^(DP)

⁴⁶ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’^(DQ) So I drank, and she watered the camels also.^(DR)

⁴⁷ “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’^(DS)

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel^(DT) son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’^(DU)

“Then I put the ring in her nose^(DV) and the bracelets on her arms,^{(DW) 48} and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.^(DX) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,^(DY) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.^{(DZ) 49} Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness^(EA) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel^(EB) answered, “This is from the Lord;^(EC) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.^{(ED) 51} Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.^(EE)”

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy^(A)

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a](B) came and knelt before him^(C) and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.^(D) But go, show yourself to the priest^(E) and offer the gift Moses commanded,^(F) as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion^(G)

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,^(H) suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(I) 9} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.^{(J) 11} I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,^(K) and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(L) 12} But the subjects of the kingdom^(M) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^(N)

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”^(O) And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many^(P)

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

¹⁶ When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.^{(Q) 17} This was to fulfill^(R) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

Sarah Rescued from Abimelech

20 From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,^{(A) 2} Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.”^(B) So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”^[a]

⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? ⁵ Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience^[b] and clean^[c] hands.”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience.^[d] I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,^(C) and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸ Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally^[e] told them all these things, and the men were terrified.

⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”^{(D) 10} Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What made you do this?”

¹¹ Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place.^(E) They will kill me because of my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ So when God had me wander from my father’s house,^(F) I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me, ‘He’s my brother.’”^(G)

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took flocks and herds and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵ Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you.^(H) Settle wherever you want.”^{[f] 16} And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother one thousand pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor^[g] to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God,^(I) and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, ¹⁸ for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord came to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.^{(J) 2} Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him.^{(K) 3} Abraham named his son who was born to him—the one Sarah bore to him—Isaac.^{(L) 4} When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.^{(M) 5} Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.^(N)

⁶ Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.”^{[h](O) 7} She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him^[i] in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

⁸ The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. ⁹ But Sarah saw the son mocking—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham.^{(P) 10} So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!” ^(Q)

¹¹ This was very distressing to^[j] Abraham because of his son. ¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed^[k] about the boy and about your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac,^{(R) 13} and I will also make a nation of the slave’s son^(S) because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴ Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. ¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes ¹⁶ and went and sat at a distance, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” While she sat at a distance, she^[l] wept loudly.^(T)

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying, and the^[m] angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy crying from the place where he is. ¹⁸ Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation.” ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes,^(U) and she saw a well. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰ God was with the boy, and he grew; he settled in the wilderness and became an archer. ²¹ He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech

²² At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army,^(V) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.^{(W) 23} Swear to me by God here and now, that you will not break an agreement with me or with my children and descendants. As I have been loyal to you, so you will be loyal to me and to the country where you are a resident alien.”

²⁴ And Abraham said, “I swear it.” ²⁵ But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.^(X)

²⁶ Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”

²⁷ Abraham took flocks and herds and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.^{(Y) 28} Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock. ²⁹ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”

³⁰ He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from me so that this act^[n] will serve as my witness that I dug this well.” ³¹ Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba^[o](Z) because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. ³² After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.

³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.^{(AA) 34} And Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for many days.

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22 After these things God tested Abraham^(AB) and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love,^(AC) go to the land of Moriah,^(AD) and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

³ So Abraham got up early in the morning,^(AE) saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day^(AF) Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac.^(AG) In his hand he took the fire and the knife,^(AH) and the two of them walked on together.

⁷ Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”

And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”

Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide^[p](AI) the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

⁹ When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac^[q] and placed him on the altar^(AJ) on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He replied, “Here I am.”

¹² Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”^{(AK) 13} Abraham looked up and saw a ram^[r] caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. ¹⁴ And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide,^[s] so today it is said, “It will be provided^[t] on the Lord’s mountain.”

¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven ¹⁶ and said, “By myself I have sworn,”^(AL) this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, ¹⁷ I will indeed bless you^(AM) and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky^(AN) and the sand on the seashore.^(AO) Your offspring will possess the city gates of their^[u] enemies.^{(AP) 18} And all the nations of the earth will be blessed^[v] by your offspring^(AQ) because you have obeyed my command.”

¹⁹ Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.

Rebekah’s Family

²⁰ Now after these things Abraham was told, “Milcah also has borne sons to your brother Nahor:^{(AR) 21} Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, ²² Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³ And Bethuel fathered Rebekah.^(AS) Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ²⁴ His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

¹⁵ “Be on your guard against false prophets^(A) who come to you in sheep’s^(B) clothing^(C) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.^{(D) 16} You’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(E) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?^{(F) 17} In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(G) 20} So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(H)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(I) but only the one who does the will^(J) of my Father in heaven.^{(K) 22} On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons^(L) in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’^{(M) 23} Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’^[a][b](N)

The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore,^(O) everyone who hears these words^(P) of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(Q) the crowds were astonished at his teaching,^{(R) 29} because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Psalm 9

Celebration of God’s Justice

For the choir director: according to Muth-labben. A psalm of David.

Sarah Rescued from Abimelech

20 From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,^{(A) 2} Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.”^(B) So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”^[a]

⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? ⁵ Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience^[b] and clean^[c] hands.”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience.^[d] I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,^(C) and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸ Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally^[e] told them all these things, and the men were terrified.

⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”^{(D) 10} Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What made you do this?”

¹¹ Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place.^(E) They will kill me because of my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ So when God had me wander from my father’s house,^(F) I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me, ‘He’s my brother.’”^(G)

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took flocks and herds and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵ Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you.^(H) Settle wherever you want.”^{[f] 16} And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother one thousand pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor^[g] to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God,^(I) and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, ¹⁸ for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord came to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.^{(J) 2} Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him.^{(K) 3} Abraham named his son who was born to him—the one Sarah bore to him—Isaac.^{(L) 4} When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.^{(M) 5} Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.^(N)

⁶ Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.”^{[h](O) 7} She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him^[i] in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

⁸ The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. ⁹ But Sarah saw the son mocking—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham.^{(P) 10} So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!” ^(Q)

¹¹ This was very distressing to^[j] Abraham because of his son. ¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed^[k] about the boy and about your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac,^{(R) 13} and I will also make a nation of the slave’s son^(S) because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴ Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. ¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes ¹⁶ and went and sat at a distance, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” While she sat at a distance, she^[l] wept loudly.^(T)

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying, and the^[m] angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy crying from the place where he is. ¹⁸ Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation.” ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes,^(U) and she saw a well. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰ God was with the boy, and he grew; he settled in the wilderness and became an archer. ²¹ He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech

²² At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army,^(V) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.^{(W) 23} Swear to me by God here and now, that you will not break an agreement with me or with my children and descendants. As I have been loyal to you, so you will be loyal to me and to the country where you are a resident alien.”

²⁴ And Abraham said, “I swear it.” ²⁵ But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.^(X)

²⁶ Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”

²⁷ Abraham took flocks and herds and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.^{(Y) 28} Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock. ²⁹ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”

³⁰ He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from me so that this act^[n] will serve as my witness that I dug this well.” ³¹ Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba^[o](Z) because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. ³² After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.

³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.^{(AA) 34} And Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for many days.

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22 After these things God tested Abraham^(AB) and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love,^(AC) go to the land of Moriah,^(AD) and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

³ So Abraham got up early in the morning,^(AE) saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day^(AF) Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac.^(AG) In his hand he took the fire and the knife,^(AH) and the two of them walked on together.

⁷ Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”

And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”

Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide^[p](AI) the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

⁹ When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac^[q] and placed him on the altar^(AJ) on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He replied, “Here I am.”

¹² Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”^{(AK) 13} Abraham looked up and saw a ram^[r] caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. ¹⁴ And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide,^[s] so today it is said, “It will be provided^[t] on the Lord’s mountain.”

¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven ¹⁶ and said, “By myself I have sworn,”^(AL) this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, ¹⁷ I will indeed bless you^(AM) and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky^(AN) and the sand on the seashore.^(AO) Your offspring will possess the city gates of their^[u] enemies.^{(AP) 18} And all the nations of the earth will be blessed^[v] by your offspring^(AQ) because you have obeyed my command.”

¹⁹ Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.

Rebekah’s Family

²⁰ Now after these things Abraham was told, “Milcah also has borne sons to your brother Nahor:^{(AR) 21} Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, ²² Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³ And Bethuel fathered Rebekah.^(AS) Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ²⁴ His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

¹⁵ “Be on your guard against false prophets^(A) who come to you in sheep’s^(B) clothing^(C) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.^{(D) 16} You’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(E) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?^{(F) 17} In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(G) 20} So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(H)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(I) but only the one who does the will^(J) of my Father in heaven.^{(K) 22} On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons^(L) in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’^{(M) 23} Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’^[a][b](N)

The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore,^(O) everyone who hears these words^(P) of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(Q) the crowds were astonished at his teaching,^{(R) 29} because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Psalm 9

Celebration of God’s Justice

For the choir director: according to Muth-labben. A psalm of David.

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

¹⁶ When the men^(A) got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷ Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham^(B) what I am about to do?^{(C) 18} Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,^(D) and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.^{[a] 19} For I have chosen him^(E), so that he will direct his children^(F) and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord^(G) by doing what is right and just,^(H) so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”^(I)

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom^(J) and Gomorrah is so great^(K) and their sin so grievous^{(L) 21} that I will go down^(M) and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

²² The men^(N) turned away and went toward Sodom,^(O) but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.^{[b](P) 23} Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?^{(Q) 24} What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare^[c] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?^{(R) 25} Far be it from you to do such a thing^(S)—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous^(T) and the wicked alike.^(U) Far be it from you! Will not the Judge^(V) of all the earth do right?”^(W)

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.^(X)”

²⁷ Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,^{(Y) 28} what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

³⁰ Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,^(Z) but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

³¹ Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

³² Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.^(AA) What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten,^(AB) I will not destroy it.”

³³ When the Lord had finished speaking^(AC) with Abraham, he left,^(AD) and Abraham returned home.^(AE)

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

19 The two angels^(AF) arrived at Sodom^(AG) in the evening, and Lot^(AH) was sitting in the gateway of the city.^(AI) When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.^{(AJ) 2} “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet^(AK) and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”^(AL)

³ But he insisted^(AM) so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house.^(AN) He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast,^(AO) and they ate.^{(AP) 4} Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom^(AQ)—both young and old—surrounded the house. ⁵ They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”^(AR)

⁶ Lot went outside to meet them^(AS) and shut the door behind him ⁷ and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. ⁸ Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”^(AT)

⁹ “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner,^(AU) and now he wants to play the judge!^(AV) We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

¹⁰ But the men^(AW) inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. ¹¹ Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness^(AX) so that they could not find the door.

¹² The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you?^(AY) Get them out of here, ¹³ because we^(AZ) are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great^(BA) that he has sent us to destroy it.”^(BB)

¹⁴ So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry^[d] his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!^(BC)” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.^(BD)

¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away^(BE) when the city is punished.^(BF)”

¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters^(BG) and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.^{(BH) 17} As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives!^(BI) Don’t look back,^(BJ) and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!^(BK) Flee to the mountains^(BL) or you will be swept away!”

¹⁸ But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,^[e] please! ¹⁹ Your^[f] servant has found favor in your^[g] eyes,^(BM) and you^[h] have shown great kindness^(BN) to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains;^(BO) this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. ²⁰ Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

²¹ He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request^(BP) too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. ²² But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.^[i](BQ))

²³ By the time Lot reached Zoar,^(BR) the sun had risen over the land. ²⁴ Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur^(BS) on Sodom and Gomorrah^(BT)—from the Lord out of the heavens.^{(BU) 25} Thus he overthrew those cities^(BV) and the entire plain,^(BW) destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.^{(BX) 26} But Lot’s wife looked back,^(BY) and she became a pillar of salt.^(BZ)

²⁷ Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord.^{(CA) 28} He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.^(CB)

²⁹ So when God destroyed the cities of the plain,^(CC) he remembered^(CD) Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe^(CE) that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.^(CF)

Lot and His Daughters

³⁰ Lot and his two daughters left Zoar^(CG) and settled in the mountains,^(CH) for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. ³¹ One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. ³² Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line^(CI) through our father.”^(CJ)

³³ That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.^(CK)

³⁴ The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”^{(CL) 35} So they got their father to drink wine^(CM) that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.^(CN)

³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.^{(CO) 37} The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab^[j];^(CP) he is the father of the Moabites^(CQ) of today. ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi^[k]; he is the father of the Ammonites^[l](CR) of today.

Do Not Worry^(A)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry^(B) about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.^(C) Are you not much more valuable than they?^{(D) 27} Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?^(E)

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor^(F) was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?^{(G) 31} So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.^{(H) 33} But seek first his kingdom^(I) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.^{(J) 34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Judging Others^(K)

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.^{(L) 2} For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^(M)

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock^(N)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you;^(O) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;^(P) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts^(Q) to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,^(R) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.^(S)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate.^(T) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Psalm 8^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] A psalm of David.

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai,^(A) Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.^(B) But she had an Egyptian slave^(C) named Hagar;^{(D) 2} so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.^(E) Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”^(F)

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan^(G) ten years,^(H) Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar,^(I) and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.^{(J) 5} Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”^(K)

⁶ “Your slave is in your hands,^(L)” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated^(M) Hagar; so she fled from her.

⁷ The angel of the Lord^(N) found Hagar near a spring^(O) in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.^{(P) 8} And he said, “Hagar,^(Q) slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”^(R)

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

⁹ Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” ¹⁰ The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”^(S)

¹¹ The angel of the Lord^(T) also said to her:

¹³ She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,^(AA)” for she said, “I have now seen^[c] the One who sees me.”^{(AB) 14} That is why the well^(AC) was called Beer Lahai Roi^[d];^(AD) it is still there, between Kadesh^(AE) and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar^(AF) bore Abram a son,^(AG) and Abram gave the name Ishmael^(AH) to the son she had borne. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old^(AI) when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,^(AJ) the Lord appeared to him^(AK) and said, “I am God Almighty^[e];^(AL) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.^{(AM) 2} Then I will make my covenant between me and you^(AN) and will greatly increase your numbers.”^(AO)

³ Abram fell facedown,^(AP) and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you:^(AQ) You will be the father of many nations.^{(AR) 5} No longer will you be called Abram^[f]; your name will be Abraham,^[g](AS) for I have made you a father of many nations.^{(AT) 6} I will make you very fruitful;^(AU) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.^{(AV) 7} I will establish my covenant^(AW) as an everlasting covenant^(AX) between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God^(AY) and the God of your descendants after you.^{(AZ) 8} The whole land of Canaan,^(BA) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(BB) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;^(BC) and I will be their God.^(BD)”

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,^(BE) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.^{(BF) 10} This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.^{(BG) 11} You are to undergo circumcision,^(BH) and it will be the sign of the covenant^(BI) between me and you. ¹² For the generations to come^(BJ) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,^(BK) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. ¹³ Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.^(BL) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.^{(BM) 14} Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised^(BN) in the flesh, will be cut off from his people;^(BO) he has broken my covenant.^(BP)”

¹⁵ God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai^(BQ) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.^{(BR) 16} I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.^(BS) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;^(BT) kings of peoples will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown;^(BU) he laughed^(BV) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?^(BW) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”^{(BX) 18} And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael^(BY) might live under your blessing!”^(BZ)

¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,^(CA) and you will call him Isaac.^[h](CB) I will establish my covenant with him^(CC) as an everlasting covenant^(CD) for his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.^(CE) He will be the father of twelve rulers,^(CF) and I will make him into a great nation.^{(CG) 21} But my covenant^(CH) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you^(CI) by this time next year.”^{(CJ) 22} When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.^(CK)

²³ On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household^(CL) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.^{(CM) 24} Abraham was ninety-nine years old^(CN) when he was circumcised,^{(CO) 25} and his son Ishmael^(CP) was thirteen; ²⁶ Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. ²⁷ And every male in Abraham’s household^(CQ), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham^(CR) near the great trees of Mamre^(CS) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent^(CT) in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up^(CU) and saw three men^(CV) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.^(CW)

³ He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(CX) my lord,^[i] do not pass your servant^(CY) by. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet^(CZ) and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat,^(DA) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs^[j] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”^(DB)

⁷ Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf^(DC) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸ He then brought some curds^(DD) and milk^(DE) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.^(DF) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?”^(DG) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,^(DH)” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,^(DI) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”^(DJ)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(DK) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(DL) 12} So Sarah laughed^(DM) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(DN) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(DO) 14} Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(DP) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(DQ) and Sarah will have a son.”^(DR)

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Giving to the Needy

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.^(A) If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.^(B)

Prayer^(C)

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing^(D) in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,^(E) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling^(F) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.^{(G) 8} Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need^(H) before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.^{(P) 15} But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.^(Q)

Fasting

¹⁶ “When you fast,^(R) do not look somber^(S) as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.^(T)

Treasures in Heaven^(U)

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,^(V) where moths and vermin destroy,^(W) and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(X) where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.^{(Y) 21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(Z)

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[c] your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.^(AA)

Psalm 7^[a]

A shiggaion^[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

Moral Benefits of Wisdom