Today's Reading

¹It happened after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."

²He said, "Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."

³Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him.

⁴On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.

⁵Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you."

⁶Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together.

⁷Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

⁸Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together.

⁹They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.

¹⁰Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.

¹¹The angel of the Lord called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."

¹²He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

¹³Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

¹⁴Abraham called the name of that place the Lord Will Provide. As it is said to this day, "On the Lord's mountain, it will be provided."

¹⁵The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,

¹⁶and said, "I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,

¹⁷that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.

¹⁸In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

¹⁹So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.

²⁰It happened after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:

²¹Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,

²²Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."

²³Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

²⁴His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

¹Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah's life.

²Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

³Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,

⁴"I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

⁵The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

⁶"Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead."

⁷Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

⁸He talked with them, saying, "If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

⁹that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place."

¹⁰Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

¹¹"No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead."

¹²Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

¹³He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."

¹⁴Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

¹⁵"My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead."

¹⁶Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.

¹⁷So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded

¹⁸to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.

²⁰The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.

¹Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

²Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.

³I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.

⁴But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

⁵The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"

⁶Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not bring my son there again.

⁷The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

⁸If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."

⁹The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

¹¹He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.

¹²He said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

¹³Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

¹⁴Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'-let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

¹⁵It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

¹⁶The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.

¹⁷The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."

¹⁸She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink.

¹⁹When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."

²⁰She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

²¹The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²²It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,

²³and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

²⁴She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."

²⁵She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

²⁶The man bowed his head, and worshiped the Lord.

²⁷He said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."

²⁸The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.

²⁹Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.

³⁰It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

³¹He said, "Come in, you blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

³²The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

³³Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."

³⁴He said, "I am Abraham's servant.

³⁵The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

³⁶Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.

³⁷My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,

³⁸but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'

³⁹I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'

⁴⁰He said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.

⁴¹Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'

⁴²I came this day to the spring, and said, 'The Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go-

⁴³behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink,"

⁴⁴and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"-let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.'

⁴⁵Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'

⁴⁶She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

⁴⁷I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

⁴⁸I bowed my head, and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.

⁴⁹Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

⁵⁰Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from the Lord. We can't speak to you bad or good.

⁵¹Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has spoken."

⁵²It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to the Lord.

⁵³The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.

⁵⁴They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."

⁵⁵Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."

⁵⁶He said to them, "Do not hinder me, seeing the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."

⁵⁷They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."

⁵⁸They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

⁵⁹They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.

⁶⁰They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."

⁶¹Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

⁶²Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.

⁶³Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

⁶⁴Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.

⁶⁵She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself.

⁶⁶The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

⁶⁷Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

¹And when he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

²And behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."

³And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be made clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

⁴And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

⁵And when he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him,

⁶and saying, "Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented."

⁷And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."

⁸And the centurion answered, "Lord, I'm not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

⁹For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and tell another, 'Come,' and he comes; and tell my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

¹⁰And when Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, "Truly I tell you, I have not found so great a faith with anyone in Israel.

¹¹And I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,

¹²but the sons of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

¹³And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed." And his servant was healed in that hour.

¹⁴And when Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever.

¹⁵So he touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and served him.

¹⁶And when evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick;

¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases."

¹⁸Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

¹⁹Then a scribe came, and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

²⁰And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

²¹And another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."

²²But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

²³And when he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

²⁴And behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.

²⁵They came to him, and woke him up, saying, "Save us, Lord! We are dying!"

²⁶And he said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

²⁷And the men marveled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

²⁸And when he came to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way.

²⁹And behold, they shouted, saying, "What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

³⁰Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.

³¹And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs."

³²And he said to them, "Go!" And they came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water.

³³And those who fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons.

³⁴And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.

¹ Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, who has set your glory above the heavens!

²From the lips of babes and infants you have ordained praise, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

³When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;

⁴what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?

⁵For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet:

⁷All sheep and cattle, yes, and the animals of the field,

⁸The birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

⁹Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

¹Doesn't wisdom cry out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice?

²On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.

³Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:

⁴"To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

⁵You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.

⁶Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.

⁷For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

⁹They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction rather than silver; knowledge rather than choice gold.

¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can't be compared to it.

¹²"I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.

¹³The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

¹⁴Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.

¹⁵By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

¹⁶By me princes rule; nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.

¹⁷I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.

¹⁸With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; my yield than choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice;

²¹That I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.

²²"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.

²³I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.

²⁴When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was brought forth;

²⁶while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

²⁷When he established the heavens, I was there; when he set a circle on the surface of the deep,

²⁸when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong,

²⁹when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth;

³⁰then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,

³¹Rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.

³²"Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Hear instruction, and be wise. Do not refuse it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.

³⁵For whoever finds me, finds life, and will obtain favor from the Lord.

³⁶But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death."