Bible Reading February 12, 13 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading February 12, 13 

(World English Bible)

Feb. 12

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.

Feb. 13

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."

Feb. 12, 13

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.