Bible Reading for February 1 and 2
World English Bible
Feb.
1
Genesis
32
Gen
32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
Gen
32:2 When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's army."
He called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Gen
32:3 Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to
the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
Gen
32:4 He commanded them, saying, "This is what you shall tell my
lord, Esau: 'This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as
a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.
Gen
32:5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female
servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your
sight.' "
Gen
32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your
brother Esau. Not only that, but he comes to meet you, and four
hundred men with him."
Gen
32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided
the people who were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the
camels, into two companies;
Gen
32:8 and he said, "If Esau comes to the one company, and
strikes it, then the company which is left will escape."
Gen
32:9 Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham, and God of my
father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country, and to
your relatives, and I will do you good,'
Gen
32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and
of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just
my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two
companies.
Gen
32:11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand
of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers
with the children.
Gen
32:12 You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as
the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so
many.' "
Gen
32:13 He lodged there that night, and took from that which he had
with him, a present for Esau, his brother:
Gen
32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred
ewes and twenty rams,
Gen
32:15 thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls,
twenty female donkeys and ten foals.
Gen
32:16 He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd
by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass over before me, and
put a space between herd and herd."
Gen
32:17 He commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau, my
brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you? Where are
you going? Whose are these before you?'
Gen
32:18 Then you shall say, 'They are your servant, Jacob's. It is a
present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind us.' "
Gen
32:19 He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that
followed the herds, saying, "This is how you shall speak to
Esau, when you find him.
Gen
32:20 You shall say, 'Not only that, but behold, your servant,
Jacob, is behind us.' " For, he said, "I will appease him
with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his
face. Perhaps he will accept me."
Gen
32:21 So the present passed over before him, and he himself lodged
that night in the camp.
Gen
32:22 He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two
handmaids, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of the
Jabbok.
Gen
32:23 He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over
that which he had.
Gen
32:24 Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the
breaking of the day.
Gen
32:25 When he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the
hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as
he wrestled.
Gen
32:26 The man said, "Let me go, for the day breaks." Jacob
said, "I won't let you go, unless you bless me."
Gen
32:27 He said to him, "What is your name?" He said,
"Jacob."
Gen
32:28 He said, "Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but
Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have
prevailed."
Gen
32:29 Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." He
said, "Why is it that you ask what my name is?" He blessed
him there.
Gen
32:30 Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, he said, "I
have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Gen
32:31 The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped
because of his thigh.
Gen
32:32 Therefore the children of Israel don't eat the sinew of the
hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he
touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.
Feb.
2
Genesis
33
Gen
33:1 Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was
coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children
between Leah, Rachel, and the two handmaids.
Gen
33:2 He put the handmaids and their children in front, Leah and her
children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
Gen
33:3 He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to
the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Gen
33:4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed
him, and they wept.
Gen
33:5 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and
said, "Who are these with you?" He said, "The children
whom God has graciously given your servant."
Gen
33:6 Then the handmaids came near with their children, and they
bowed themselves.
Gen
33:7 Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves.
After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Gen
33:8 Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I
met?" Jacob said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
Gen
33:9 Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; let that which you
have be yours."
Gen
33:10 Jacob said, "Please, no, if I have now found favor in
your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen
your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me.
Gen
33:11 Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has
dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." He urged
him, and he took it.
Gen
33:12 Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I
will go before you."
Gen
33:13 Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are
tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and
if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
Gen
33:14 Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will
lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are
before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to
my lord to Seir."
Gen
33:15 Esau said, "Let me now leave with you some of the folk
who are with me." He said, "Why? Let me find favor in the
sight of my lord."
Gen
33:16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
Gen
33:17 Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made
shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called
Succoth.
Gen
33:18 Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the
land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before
the city.
Gen
33:19 He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent,
at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one
hundred pieces of money.
Gen
33:20 He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.
Feb. 1
Matthew
16
Mat
16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to
show them a sign from heaven.
Mat
16:2 But he answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It
will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'
Mat
16:3 In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is
red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the
appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!
Mat
16:4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there
will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah."
He left them, and departed.
Mat
16:5 The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take
bread.
Mat
16:6 Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the yeast of
the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Mat
16:7 They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no
bread."
Mat
16:8 Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among
yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?'
Mat
16:9 Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for
the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
Mat
16:10 Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many
baskets you took up?
Mat
16:11 How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to you
concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees."
Mat
16:12 Then they understood that he didn't tell them to beware of the
yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Mat
16:13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of
Man, am?"
Mat
16:14 They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and
others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
Mat
16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Mat
16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God."
Mat
16:17 Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who
is in heaven.
Mat
16:18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will
build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against
it.
Mat
16:19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and
whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."
Mat
16:20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one
that he is Jesus the Christ.
Mat
16:21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must
go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief
priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
Mat
16:22 Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far
be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."
Mat
16:23 But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on
the things of God, but on the things of men."
Mat
16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow me.
Mat
16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever
will lose his life for my sake will find it.
Mat
16:26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world,
and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his
life?
Mat
16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with
his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his
deeds.
Mat
16:28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who
will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming
in his Kingdom."
Feb. 2
Matthew
17
Mat
17:1 After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his
brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
Mat
17:2 He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun,
and his garments became as white as the light.
Mat
17:3 Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
Mat
17:4 Peter answered, and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for
us to be here. If you want, let's make three tents here: one for you,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
Mat
17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying,
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to
him."
Mat
17:6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were
very afraid.
Mat
17:7 Jesus came and touched them and said, "Get up, and don't
be afraid."
Mat
17:8 Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.
Mat
17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded
them, saying, "Don't tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of
Man has risen from the dead."
Mat
17:10 His disciples asked him, saying, "Then why do the scribes
say that Elijah must come first?"
Mat
17:11 Jesus answered them, "Elijah indeed comes first, and will
restore all things,
Mat
17:12 but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn't
recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the
Son of Man will also suffer by them."
Mat
17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John
the Baptizer.
Mat
17:14 When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling
down to him, saying,
Mat
17:15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and
suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into
the water.
Mat
17:16 So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure
him."
Mat
17:17 Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation! How
long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him
here to me."
Mat
17:18 Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy was
cured from that hour.
Mat
17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, "Why
weren't we able to cast it out?"
Mat
17:20 He said to them, "Because of your unbelief. For most
certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will
move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Mat
17:21 But this kind doesn't go out except by prayer and fasting."
Mat
17:22 While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The
Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
Mat
17:23 and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised
up." They were exceedingly sorry.
Mat
17:24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the
didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, "Doesn't your teacher
pay the didrachma?"
Mat
17:25 He said, "Yes." When he came into the house, Jesus
anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do
the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children,
or from strangers?"
Mat
17:26 Peter said to him, "From strangers." Jesus said to
him, "Therefore the children are exempt.
Mat
17:27 But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a
hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened
its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to
them for me and you."
A
few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the Apologetics
Press Scientists Seminar in Jacksonville, AL with three other scientists
(Drs. Branyon May, Mike Houts, and Joe Deweese) and a Hebrew scholar
(Dr. Justin Rogers). During the seminar, we had a live Q&A period
where all of the speakers lined up on the stage to field questions from
the audience. Several atheists from the local university were present,
many of whom stayed after the sessions to ask questions.
