Bible Reading February 12, 13
(World English Bible)
Genesis
43
Gen
43:1 The famine was severe in the land.
Gen
43:2 It happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had
brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy
us a little more food."
Gen
43:3 Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us,
saying, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'
Gen
43:4 If you'll send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy you
food,
Gen
43:5 but if you'll not send him, we'll not go down, for the man said
to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'
"
Gen
43:6 Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly, telling the
man that you had another brother?"
Gen
43:7 They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves,
and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive?
Have you another brother?' We just answered his questions. Is there
any way we could know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?' "
Gen
43:8 Judah said to Israel, his father, "Send the boy with me,
and we'll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we,
and you, and also our little ones.
Gen
43:9 I'll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him.
If I don't bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear
the blame forever,
Gen
43:10 for if we hadn't delayed, surely we would have returned a
second time by now."
Gen
43:11 Their father, Israel, said to them, "If it must be so,
then do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags,
and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey,
spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
Gen
43:12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money
that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an
oversight.
Gen
43:13 Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man.
Gen
43:14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may
release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of
my children, I am bereaved."
Gen
43:15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their
hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before
Joseph.
Gen
43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of
his house, "Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal,
and make ready; for the men will dine with me at noon."
Gen
43:17 The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men
to Joseph's house.
Gen
43:18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's
house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in
our sacks at the first time, we're brought in; that he may seek
occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with
our donkeys."
Gen
43:19 They came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they
spoke to him at the door of the house,
Gen
43:20 and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first
time to buy food.
Gen
43:21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and
behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in
full weight. We have brought it back in our hand.
Gen
43:22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We
don't know who put our money in our sacks."
Gen
43:23 He said, "Peace be to you. Don't be afraid. Your God, and
the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I
received your money." He brought Simeon out to them.
Gen
43:24 The man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them
water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.
Gen
43:25 They made ready the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for
they heard that they should eat bread there.
Gen
43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was
in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the
earth.
Gen
43:27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father
well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?"
Gen
43:28 They said, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is
still alive." They bowed the head, and did homage.
Gen
43:29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his
mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom
you spoke to me?" He said, "God be gracious to you, my
son."
Gen
43:30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he
sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there.
Gen
43:31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and
said, "Serve the meal."
Gen
43:32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the
Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians
don't eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the
Egyptians.
Gen
43:33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his
birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men
marveled one with another.
Gen
43:34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin's
portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were
merry with him.
Genesis
44
Gen
44:1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the
men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's
money in his sack's mouth.
Gen
44:2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the
youngest, with his grain money." He did according to the word
that Joseph had spoken.
Gen
44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they
and their donkeys.
Gen
44:4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off,
Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you
overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?
Gen
44:5 Isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he
indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.' "
Gen
44:6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
Gen
44:7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as
these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!
Gen
44:8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we
brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we
steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?
Gen
44:9 With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we
also will be my lord's bondservants."
Gen
44:10 He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he
with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be
blameless."
Gen
44:11 Then they hurried, and every man took his sack down to the
ground, and every man opened his sack.
Gen
44:12 He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the
youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Gen
44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey,
and returned to the city.
Gen
44:14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was
still there. They fell on the ground before him.
Gen
44:15 Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have
done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"
Gen
44:16 Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we
speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity
of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and
he also in whose hand the cup is found."
Gen
44:17 He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man
in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for
you, go up in peace to your father."
Gen
44:18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord,
please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let
your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.
Gen
44:19 My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a
brother?'
Gen
44:20 We said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child
of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone
is left of his mother; and his father loves him.'
Gen
44:21 You said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may
set my eyes on him.'
Gen
44:22 We said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he
should leave his father, his father would die.'
Gen
44:23 You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes
down with you, you will see my face no more.'
Gen
44:24 It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told
him the words of my lord.
Gen
44:25 Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'
Gen
44:26 We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with
us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man's face, unless
our youngest brother is with us.'
Gen
44:27 Your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife
bore me two sons:
Gen
44:28 and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is
torn in pieces;" and I haven't seen him since.
Gen
44:29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him,
you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.'
Gen
44:30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the
boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's
life;
Gen
44:31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he
will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your
servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.
Gen
44:32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father,
saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to
my father forever.'
Gen
44:33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the
boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his
brothers.
Gen
44:34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with
me?--lest I see the evil that will come on my father."
Matthew 22
Mat 22:1
Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying,
Mat 22:2
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a
marriage feast for his son,
Mat 22:3
and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the
marriage feast, but they would not come.
Mat 22:4
Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are
invited, "Behold, I have made ready my dinner. My cattle and my
fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage
feast!" '
Mat 22:5
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm,
another to his merchandise,
Mat 22:6
and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and
killed them.
Mat 22:7
When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Mat 22:8
"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those
who were invited weren't worthy.
Mat 22:9
Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you
may find, invite to the marriage feast.'
Mat 22:10
Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as
many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with
guests.
Mat 22:11
But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who
didn't have on wedding clothing,
Mat 22:12
and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here not wearing
wedding clothing?' He was speechless.
Mat 22:13
Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him
away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the
weeping and grinding of teeth will be.'
Mat 22:14
For many are called, but few chosen."
Mat 22:15
Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in
his talk.
Mat 22:16
They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God
in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone.
Mat 22:17
Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to
Caesar, or not?"
Mat 22:18
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test
me, you hypocrites?
Mat 22:19
Show me the tax money." They brought to him a denarius.
Mat 22:20
He asked them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"
Mat 22:21
They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Give
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the
things that are God's."
Mat 22:22
When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
Mat 22:23
On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection)
came to him. They asked him,
Mat 22:24
saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no
children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed for his
brother.'
Mat 22:25
Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died,
and having no seed left his wife to his brother.
Mat 22:26
In like manner the second also, and the third, to the seventh.
Mat 22:27
After them all, the woman died.
Mat 22:28
In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven?
For they all had her."
Mat 22:29
But Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the
Scriptures, nor the power of God.
Mat 22:30
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are like God's angels in heaven.
Mat 22:31
But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read that
which was spoken to you by God, saying,
Mat 22:32
'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob?' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
Mat 22:33
When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
Mat 22:34
But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the
Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
Mat 22:35
One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
Mat 22:36
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Mat 22:37
Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
Mat 22:38
This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39
A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.'
Mat 22:40
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
Mat 22:41
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a
question,
Mat 22:42
saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?"
They said to him, "Of David."
Mat 22:43
He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call him
Lord, saying,
Mat 22:44
'The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your
enemies a footstool for your feet?'
Mat 22:45
"If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
Mat 22:46
No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask
him any more questions from that day forth.
