Today's Reading

¹Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

²Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

³Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.

⁴He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

⁵Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between me and you."

⁶But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

⁷The angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

⁸He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."

⁹The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands."

¹⁰The angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude."

¹¹The angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction.

¹²He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."

¹³She called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?"

¹⁴Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

¹⁶Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

¹When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.

²I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

³Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,

⁴"As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

⁵Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

⁶I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

⁷I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

⁸I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."

⁹God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

¹⁰This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.

¹¹You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.

¹²He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

¹³He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

¹⁴The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."

¹⁵God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.

¹⁶I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

¹⁷Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"

¹⁸Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

¹⁹God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

²⁰As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

²¹But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

²²When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

²³Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.

²⁴Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁵Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁶In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.

²⁷All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

¹The Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

²He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

³and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not go away from your servant.

⁴Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

⁵I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

⁶Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."

⁷Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

⁸He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

⁹They said to him, "Where is Sarah, your wife? He said, "See, in the tent."

¹⁰Then he said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹²Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

¹³The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'

¹⁴Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."

¹⁵Then Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

¹⁶The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

¹⁷The Lord said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

¹⁸seeing that Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

¹⁹For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the Lord may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."

²⁰The Lord said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

²¹I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."

²²The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.

²³Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?

²⁵Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"

²⁶The Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."

²⁷Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.

²⁸What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

²⁹He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."

³⁰He said, "Oh do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."

³¹He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

³²He said, "Oh do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."

³³The Lord went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

¹"Be careful that you do not do your acts of charity before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

²Therefore when you do merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from people. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

³But when you do merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does,

⁴so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵"And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

⁶But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷And in praying, do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

⁸Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

⁹Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

¹⁰Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us today our daily bread.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

¹³Let us not come into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.]'

¹⁴"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶"Moreover when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

¹⁸so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

¹⁹"Do not lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break through and steal;

²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon.

²⁵Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

²⁶See the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than they?

²⁷"And which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin,

²⁹yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

³¹"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?'

³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

³³But seek first his Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

¹ Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, neither discipline me in your wrath.

²Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint. Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

³My soul is also in great anguish. But you, Lord-how long?

⁴Return, Lord. Deliver my soul, and save me for your loving kindness' sake.

⁵For in death there is no memory of you. In Sheol, who shall give you thanks?

⁶I am weary with my groaning. Every night I flood my bed. I drench my couch with my tears.

⁷My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows old because of all my adversaries.

⁸Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

⁹The Lord has heard my supplication. The Lord accepts my prayer.

¹⁰May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed. They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.

¹My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

²You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

⁴Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

⁷which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

⁸provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

⁹How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

¹³who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

¹⁴in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

¹⁵Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

¹⁶There are six things which the Lord hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

²⁰My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

²¹Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

²⁴to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife's tongue.

²⁵Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

²⁶For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

³¹but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

³²He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

³³He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.