Bible Reading
February 18
The World English Bible
Feb.
18
Genesis
49
Gen
49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves
together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the
days to come.
Gen
49:2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to
Israel, your father.
Gen
49:3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning
of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
Gen
49:4 Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up
to your father's bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
Gen
49:5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of
violence.
Gen
49:6 My soul, don't come into their council. My glory, don't be
united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In
their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
Gen
49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for
it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in
Israel.
Gen
49:8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be
on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down before
you.
Gen
49:9 Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse
him up?
Gen
49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff
from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will
the obedience of the peoples be.
Gen
49:11 Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice
vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of
grapes.
Gen
49:12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
Gen
49:13 "Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be
for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
Gen
49:14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the
saddlebags.
Gen
49:15 He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it
was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a
servant doing forced labor.
Gen
49:16 "Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of
Israel.
Gen
49:17 Dan will be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, That
bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
Gen
49:18 I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
Gen
49:19 "A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their
heel.
Gen
49:20 "Asher's food will be rich. He will yield royal dainties.
Gen
49:21 "Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
Gen
49:22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring.
His branches run over the wall.
Gen
49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, shot at him, and
persecute him:
Gen
49:24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made
strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel),
Gen
49:25 even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the
Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and
of the womb.
Gen
49:26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the
blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient
hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head
of him who is separated from his brothers.
Gen
49:27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will
devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoil."
Gen
49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what
their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone
according to his blessing.
Gen
49:29 He instructed them, and said to them, "I am to be
gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in
the field of Ephron the Hittite,
Gen
49:30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before
Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field
from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.
Gen
49:31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they
buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
Gen
49:32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased
from the children of Heth."
Gen
49:33 When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up
his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to
his people.
Feb. 18, 19
Matthew 25
Mat 25:1 "Then the
Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and
went out to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 Five of them
were foolish, and five were wise.
Mat 25:3 Those who were
foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
Mat 25:4 but the wise
took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 Now while the
bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 But at
midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out
to meet him!'
Mat 25:7 Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 The foolish
said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going
out.'
Mat 25:9 But the wise
answered, saying, 'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go
rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'
Mat 25:10 While they
went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went
in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterward the
other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'
Mat 25:12 But he
answered, 'Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you.'
Mat 25:13 Watch
therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son
of Man is coming.
Mat 25:14 "For it
is like a man, going into another country, who called his own
servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
Mat 25:15 To one he
gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according
to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
Mat 25:16 Immediately
he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made
another five talents.
Mat 25:17 In like
manner he also who got the two gained another two.
Mat 25:18 But he who
received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's
money.
Mat 25:19 "Now
after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled
accounts with them.
Mat 25:20 He who
received the five talents came and brought another five talents,
saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have
gained another five talents besides them.'
Mat 25:21 "His
lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have
been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Mat 25:22 "He also
who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two
talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.'
Mat 25:23 "His
lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have
been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Mat 25:24 "He also
who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that
you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering
where you did not scatter.
Mat 25:25 I was afraid,
and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what
is yours.'
Mat 25:26 "But his
lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I
reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.
Mat 25:27 You ought
therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my
coming I should have received back my own with interest.
Mat 25:28 Take away
therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten
talents.
Mat 25:29 For to
everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from
him who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away.
Mat 25:30 Throw out the
unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Mat 25:31 "But
when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
Mat 25:32 Before him
all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from
another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Mat 25:33 He will set
the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then the King
will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father,
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world;
Mat 25:35 for I was
hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.
Mat 25:36 I was naked,
and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison,
and you came to me.'
Mat 25:37 "Then
the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we
see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?
Mat 25:39 When did we
see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'
Mat 25:40 "The
King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you
did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
Mat 25:41 Then he will
say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into
the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
Mat 25:42 for I was
hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you
gave me no drink;
Mat 25:43 I was a
stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me;
sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
Mat 25:44 "Then
they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or
thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't
help you?'
Mat 25:45 "Then he
will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you
didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.'
Mat 25:46 These will go
away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
