Genesis 14
Lot’s Capture and Rescue
1 Now it came to pass in the reign of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations,
2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
4 Twelve years they served Chedor- laomer, and in the thirteenth they rebelled.
5 Now in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings with him came and cut down the giants in Ashteroth Karnaim and strong nations with them: the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6 and the Horites in the mountains of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness.
7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and cut down all the princes of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
8 Now the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell in there; but those left fled to the mountains.
11 Then they took all the cavalry of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.
12 They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13 Then one who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who at that time dwelt by the oak of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
14 Now when Abram heard his brother Lot was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants, born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
15 So he divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
16 So he brought back all the cavalry of Sodom, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
The Blessing of Melchizedek
17 Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings with him.
18 Now Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.†
19 He blessed Abram and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth;†
20 and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands.” Then Abram gave him a tithe of all.
21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and keep the cavalry for yourself.”†
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
23 that I will take nothing of yours, from a thread to a sandal strap, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—
24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”
Psalms 17
18 He will deliver me from my strong enemies, and from those who hate me, Because they were too strong for me.
19 They overran me in the day of my misfortune, But the Lord became my support,
20 And He led me into a wide place; He will deliver me, because He willed it for me. He will deliver me from my strong enemies and from those who hate me.
21 The Lord will reward me according to my righteousness; And according to the purity of my hands He will recompense me,
22 Because I kept the ways of the Lord And did not act impiously against my God;
23 For all His judgments are before me, And I did not remove His ordinances from me.
24 I will also be blameless before Him, And I will keep myself from my lawlessness.
25 The Lord will reward me according to my righteousness, According to the purity of my hands before His eyes.
26 With the holy You will be holy; And with the innocent man You will be innocent;
27 And with the elect You will be elect; And with the crooked You will be crooked.
28 For You will save a humble people, And You will humble the eyes of the arrogant.
29 For You will light my lamp, O Lord; O my God, You will enlighten my darkness.
30 For in You I shall be delivered from ordeals, And in my God I shall leap over a wall.
31 My God, His way is blameless; The teachings of the Lord are tried by fire; He is the shield of all who set their hope on Him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is God besides our God?
Proverbs of Solomon 3
The Instruction of Wisdom
11 My son, do not despise the instruction of the Lord, Neither grow weary under His reproof.
12 For whom the Lord loves He instructs, And chastises every son He receives.
13 Blessed is a man who finds wisdom, And a mortal who sees discernment;
14 For the profits gained from wisdom are better Than the treasures of gold and silver.
15 And wisdom is more valuable than precious stones, And nothing evil will withstand her;
16 She is well known to all who come near her, And no honor is worthy of her.
Matthew 10
The Twelve Chosen
1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.†
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Mission and Instructions
5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.†
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,
10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.
12 And when you go into a household, greet it.†
13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Persecution and Martyrdom
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.†
17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.