the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
February 5 - Old & New Testament
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Genesis 46,47,48
Jacob Leaves for Egypt
1 Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba,(a) and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision:(b) "Jacob, Jacob!" He said.
And Jacob replied, "Here I am."
3 God said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.(c) 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back.(d) Joseph will put his hands on your eyes."[a](e)
5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him,(f) along with their children and their wives. 6 They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his children went with him to Egypt.(g) 7 His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.
Jacob's Family
8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt:(h)
Jacob's firstborn: Reuben.
9 Reuben's sons:(i) Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon's sons:(j) Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 Levi's sons:(k) Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Perez's sons:(l) Hezron and Hamul.
13 Issachar's sons:(m) Tola, Puvah,[b] Jashub,[c] and Shimron.
14 Zebulun's sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were Leah's sons born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons:[d] 33.
16 Gad's sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher's sons:(n) Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
Beriah's sons were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—that she bore to Jacob: 16 persons.
19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. They were born to him by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, a priest at On.[e]
21 Benjamin's sons:(o) Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were Rachel's sons who were born to Jacob: 14 persons.
23 Dan's son:[f] Hushim.
24 Naphtali's sons:(p) Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel.(q) She bore to Jacob: seven persons.
26 The total number of persons belonging to Jacob—his direct descendants,[g] not including the wives of Jacob's sons—who came to Egypt: 66.
27 And Joseph's sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.
All those of Jacob's household who had come to Egypt: 70[h] persons.(r)
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival[i] at Goshen.(s) When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.(t)
30 Then Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive!"
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.(u) 32 The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock. They have brought their sheep and cattle and all that they have. 33 When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?' 34 you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our fathers, have raised livestock[j] from our youth until now.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians."(v)
Pharaoh Welcomes Jacob
1 So Joseph went and informed Pharaoh: "My father and my brothers, with their sheep and cattle and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen."(a)
2 He took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.(b) 3 Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, "What is your occupation?"
And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds."(c) 4 Then they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants' sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe.(d) So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen."
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 6 the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land.(e) They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."(f)
7 Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many years have you lived?"[a]
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, "My pilgrimage(g) has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard,(h) and they have not surpassed the years of my fathers during their pilgrimages."(i) 10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from Pharaoh's presence.
11 Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses,(j) as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food for their dependents.(k)
The Land Becomes Pharaoh's
13 But there was no food in that entire region, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were exhausted by the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were purchasing, and he brought the money to Pharaoh's palace.(l) 15 When the money from the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die here in front of you? The money is gone!"
16 But Joseph said, "Give me your livestock. Since the money is gone, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses, the herds of sheep, the herds of cattle, and the donkeys. That year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came the next year and said to him, "We cannot hide from our lord that the money is gone and that all our livestock belongs to our lord. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die here in front of you—both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh's slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won't become desolate."
20 In this way, Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph moved the people to the cities[b] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 The only land he didn't acquire was the priests' portion, for it was given to them by Pharaoh. They lived off[c] the rations Pharaoh had given them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land. 24 At harvest, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh,(m) and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your households, and your dependents."
25 And they said, "You have saved our lives. We have found favor in our lord's eyes and will be Pharaoh's slaves." 26 So Joseph made it a law, still in effect today in the land of Egypt, that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. Only the priests' land does not belong to Pharaoh.
Israel Settles in Goshen
27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property in it and became fruitful and very numerous.(n) 28 Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years. 29 When the time drew near for him to die,(o) he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh(p) and promise me that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness.(q) Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I rest with my fathers, carry me away from Egypt and bury me in their burial place."(r)
Joseph answered, "I will do what you have asked."
31 And Jacob said, "Swear to me." So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in thanks at the head of his bed.[d](s)
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
1 Some time after this, Joseph was told, "Your father is weaker." So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty(a) appeared to me at Luz(b) in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as an eternal possession(c) to your future descendants.'(d) 5 Your two sons(e) born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine.(f) Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6 Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way,(g) some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath," (that is, Bethlehem).
8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?"
9 And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons God has given me here."
So Jacob said, "Bring them to me and I will bless them."(h) 10 Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly[a] see.(i) Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them.(j) 11 Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring." 12 Then Joseph took them from his father's knees and bowed with his face to the ground.(k)
Ephraim's Greater Blessing
13 Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel's left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel's right—and brought them to Israel. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh's head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.(l) 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said:
The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,(m)
the God who has been my shepherd(n) all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm(o)—
may He bless these boys.
And may they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,(p)
and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought it was a mistake[b] and took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's. 18 Joseph said to his father, "Not that way, my father! This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head."
19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe,[c] and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation."[d] 20 So he blessed them that day with these words:
The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying,
"May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,"
putting Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.(q) 22 Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope[e] that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and bow."(r)
Matthew 23:1-22
Chapter 23
Religious Hypocrites Denounced
1 Then(a) Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:(b) 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. [a](c) 3 Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don't do what they do,[b] because they don't practice what they teach.(d) 4 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry[c] and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger[d] to move them.(e) 5 They do everything[e] to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries [f](f) and lengthen their tassels. [g](g) 6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,(h) 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi' by people.
8 "But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,' because you have one Teacher,[h] and you are all brothers.(i) 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.(j) 10 And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master,[i] the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(k) 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (l)
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those entering to go in. (m)
[14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and make long prayers just for show.[j] This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.] [k]
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte,(n) and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell[l] as you are!
16 "Woe to you, blind guides,(o) who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath(p) by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.'[m] 17 Blind fools![n] For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold? 18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.'[o] 19 Blind people![p] For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?(q) 20 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21 The one who takes an oath by the sanctuary takes an oath by it and by Him who dwells(r) in it. 22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God's throne(s) and by Him who sits on it. (t)
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