Genesis 31
Jacob Flees from Laban
1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from our father’s property he acquired all this wealth.”
2 So Jacob saw Laban’s countenance, and indeed, it was not favorable toward him as before.
3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to your father’s land and to your family, and I will be with you.”
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where the flocks were,
5 and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 Now you know that with all my might I served your father.
7 Yet your father deceived me and changed my wages ten times with respect to the male lambs, but God did not allow him to harm me.
8 If he said thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. But if he said thus, ‘The white shall be your wages,’ then all the sheep bore white.
9 So God has taken away all your father’s cattle and given them to me.
10 Now it came to pass, when the flocks conceived, I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats and the rams that were speckled, spotted, and ash-colored speckled were mating with the sheep and the goats.
11 Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ Thus I said, ‘Here I am.’†
12 So He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the male goats and the rams mating with the sheep and the goats are speckled, spotted, and ash-colored speckled; for I have seen everything Laban is doing to you.
13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a vow to Me. Now then, arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your nativity, and I will be with you.’ ”†
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he sold us, and also completely consumed our money.
16 For all the riches and glory God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
17 Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels.
18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions acquired in Mesopotamia, everything belonging to him, to go to his father Isaac in Canaan.
19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen her father’s idols.
20 But Jacob had hidden from Laban the Syrian his intention of running away.
21 So he fled with all that he had, and crossed the river, and headed for the mountains of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22 Then Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 So he took all his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey; and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.
24 But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak evil things to Jacob at any time.”†
25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.
26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and robbed me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?
27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?
28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.
29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you do not speak evil things to Jacob at any time.’†
30 Now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”
31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters and all my possessions from me by force.’
32 With whomever you find your gods, let him not live in the presence of our brethren. Identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know Rachel had stolen them.
33 Thus Laban went in and searched Leah’s tent, but found nothing. Then he searched Jacob’s and those of the handmaidens, but found nothing. Then he entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them.
35 Then she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” So he searched the entire tent but did not find the idols.
36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my injustice? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?
37 Although you searched all my things, what part of your household goods have you found? Set them here before my brethren and your brethren, so they may judge between us.
38 These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.
39 That which was caught by wild animals I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of any stolen by day or by night.
40 There I was. In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.
41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times with respect to the female lambs.
42 Unless the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.Ӡ
Jacob’s Pact with Laban
43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these sons are my sons, and these sheep are my sheep; all you see belongs to me and my daughters. But what can I do for them today or for the children they bore?
44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” Then he said, “Look, there is no one with us. God Himself is witness between you and me.”
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.†
46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate and drank there on the heap; and Laban said to him, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.”†
47 Laban called it the Heap of Testimony, but Jacob called it the Witness Heap.
48 Then Laban said, “This heap and this pillar are a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called This-Heap-Witnesses,†
49 and also The Vision, because he said, “May God watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.
50 If you humble my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me.”
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Listen, this heap and pillar are a witness.
52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us.” Thus Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren; and they ate bread and drank and stayed all night on the mountain.
Psalms 31
1 By David; concerning understanding. †Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, And whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not take into account, And in whose mouth there is no deceit.
3 Because I kept silent, my bones grew old From my groaning all the day long;
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; I became miserable when the thorn pierced me. (Pause)
5 I made known my sin, And I did not hide my transgression; I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord,” And You forgave the ungodliness of my sin. (Pause)
6 For this cause, everyone who is holy will pray to Him in a well-fitted time; Surely they will not draw near to Him in a flood of many waters.
7 You are my refuge from the oppression of those who surround me; O my exceeding joy, redeem me from those who encircle me. (Pause)
8 “I will give you understanding, and I will teach you in the way you should walk; I will fix My eyes on you.
9 Do not be like the horse and the mule, which have no understanding; You squeeze their jaws with bit and bridle, Lest they come near you.”
10 Many are the scourges of the sinner, But he who hopes in the Lord, mercy shall encircle him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice greatly, O righteous ones, And boast, all you upright in heart.
Proverbs of Solomon 6
A Lawless Spirit
17 A man who is without discernment and is lawless does not walk in good ways. But he winks with an eye; he makes a sign with his foot, And teaches with the wave of his hand.†
18 And with a perverse heart, he constantly schemes evil things; Such a man causes trouble in a city.
19 Therefore his destruction comes suddenly, A deep and incurable wound.
Matthew 20
Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,†
18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,
19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Leaders as Servants
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.†
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.†
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Two Blind Men Confess Jesus as Lord
29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.
30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”†
31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.