Genesis 2
1 Thus heaven and earth and all their adornment were finished.†
2 And on the seventh day God finished the works He made, and He rested on the seventh day from all the works He made.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His works God began to make.
4 This is the book of the genesis of heaven and earth when they were made, in the day the Lord God made heaven and earth,
5 before any plant of the field was on earth and before any herb of the field sprang up. For God had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
6 but a fountain came up from the ground and watered the whole face of the earth.
7 Then God formed man out of dust from the ground, and breathed in his face the breath of life; and man became a living soul.†
The Garden of Eden
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man He formed.†
9 Besides this, God caused every tree beautiful to the sight and good for food to grow from the ground. Also, in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of learning the knowledge of good and evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it separated into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pishon. It circles all the land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 And the gold of that land is good. The carbuncle and the emerald are there as well.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon. It circles all the land of Ethiopia.
14 The name of the third river is Tigris. It flows over against the Assyrians. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
15 Then the Lord God took the man He formed and put him in the garden to tend and keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, “You may eat food from every tree in the garden;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not eat; for in whatever day you eat from it, you shall die by death.”
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”†
19 Also, God formed out of the ground all the wild animals of the field and all the birds of heaven, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. Thus whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
20 So Adam gave names to all the cattle, to all the birds of heaven, and to all the wild animals of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 Thus God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh in its place.
22 Then the Lord God built the rib He took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to him.
23 So Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.”
25 Now the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Psalms 3
1 A psalm by David, when he fled from the face of his son, Absalom. †
2 O Lord, why do those who afflict me multiply? Many are those who rise up against me.
3 Many are those who say to my soul, “There is no salvation for him in his God.” (Pause)
4 But You, O Lord, are my protector, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
5 I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. (Pause)
6 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me.
7 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who set themselves against me all around.
8 Arise, O Lord, and save me, O my God, For You struck all those who were foolishly at enmity with me; You broke the teeth of sinners.
9 Salvation is of the Lord, And Your blessing is upon Your people.
Psalms 4
1 For the End; in psalms; an ode by David. †
2 You heard me when I called, O God of my righteousness. You strengthened my heart when I was in distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
3 How long, O you sons of men, Will you be slow of heart? Why do you love vain things And seek after lies?
4 Know that the Lord made His Holy One wondrous; The Lord will hear me when I cry to Him.
5 Be angry, and do not sin; Have remorse upon your beds For what you say in your hearts. (Pause)
6 Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, And hope in the Lord.
7 There are many who say, “Who will show us good things?” O Lord, the light of Your face was stamped upon us.
8 You put gladness in my heart; From their season of wheat, wine, and oil they were multiplied.
9 I will both sleep and rest in peace, For You alone, O Lord, cause me to dwell in hope.
Proverbs of Solomon 1
Wisdom Begets the Fear of God
6 He will understand both a parable and a hidden saying, Both wise words and riddles.†
7 The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, And there is good understanding in all who practice it;†
8 And godliness toward God is the beginning of perception, But the ungodly despise wisdom and instruction.
9 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not reject the laws of your mother.†
10 For you will receive a crown of grace on your head And a gold chain around your neck.
Matthew 2
Gentiles Worship the Christ Child
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,†
2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”†
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.†
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.†
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Refuge in Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,†
15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” †
The Holy Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.†
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:†
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”
Return from Exile
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,†
20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.†
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”†