Genesis 22:1 – 24:49
Abraham Offers Isaac
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your beloved son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split firewood for the whole burnt offering, and arose and went to the place God told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 Thus Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the firewood of the whole burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. Then he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 Then Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the firewood, but where is the sheep for a whole burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the sheep for a whole burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. 9 They came to the place where God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the firewood in order; and he bound Isaac his son hand and foot and laid him on the altar, upon the firewood.
10 Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 He then replied, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him, for now I know you fear God, since for My sake you have not spared your beloved son.” 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him a ram was caught in a thicket by its horns. So he brought it for a whole burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 Thus Abraham called the name of the place The-Lord-Has-Appeared; as it is said to this day, “In the mountain the Lord was seen.”
15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you did this thing, and for My sake did not spare your beloved son, 17 I will certainly bless you, and assuredly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his servants, and they rose and went together to the Well of Oath; and Abraham dwelt at the Well of Oath.
The Children of Nahor
20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed, Milcah also has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.
The Death and Burial of Sarah
1 Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. 2 Then Sarah died in the city of Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a sojourner and a stranger among you. Give me therefore a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 So the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying, 6 “Hear us, my Lord, you are a king from God among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold his burial place from you, to bury your dead there.” 7 Then Abraham stood and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 Thus he spoke with them, saying, “If you have it in mind for me to bury my dead out of my sight, then listen to me, and speak on my behalf to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as a burial place among you.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, and of all who entered at the gate of the city, saying, 11 “No, my Lord, hear me, I give you both the field and the cave within it; I give it to you in the presence of all my fellow citizens. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land, 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you are for me, hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron then answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me, the land is worth four hundred silver drachmas; but what is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 So Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron, which he had mentioned in the hearing of the sons of Heth, the four hundred silver drachmas, currency of the merchants.
17 Thus the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was opposite Mamre, the field and the cave in it, and all the trees in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as his possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the city. 19 Then after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which was opposite Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.
Isaac and Rebekah
1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my land where I was born, and to my tribe, and take from there a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land you came from?” 6 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, who took me from my father’s house and from the land where I was born, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To you and your seed I give this land,’ He will send His Angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his lord’s camels and some of all his goods and departed, and he went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, “O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, give me success this day, and show mercy to my lord Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the virgin to whom I say, ‘Let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know You have shown mercy to my lord.”
15 Thus it happened, before he finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the virgin was very beautiful to behold, and she was a virgin, for no man had known her. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” 18 So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 When she finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they finish drinking.” 20 Thus she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 So it was, when the camels finished drinking, the man took golden earrings, each a drachma in weight, and two bracelets for her wrists, ten pieces of gold in their weight, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” 24 So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.” 26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. 27 And he said, “Blessed is the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has not allowed His righteousness and His truth to forsake my lord. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my lord’s brethren.” 28 So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and he ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the earrings and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man, as he stood by the camels at the well. 31 Laban said to him, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.” 32 Then the man came to the house and unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him. 33 Bread was then set before them to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.”
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my lord’s wife bore a son to my lord when he was old; and to him he has given all he has. 37 Now my lord made me swear an oath, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I sojourn; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my lord, ‘Perhaps the woman will not return with me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His Angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my tribe and from my father’s house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive at my tribe; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
42 “So I came to the well today and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, if You will now prosper the way I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the daughters of the men come to draw water, and the virgin to whom I will say, “Give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for His own servant Isaac; and in this I will know You have dealt mercifully with my lord Abraham.’ 45 But before I finished speaking in my mind, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water And I said to her, ‘Let me drink.’ 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the earrings on her and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 “Thus being well pleased I worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who led me in the way of truth, to take the daughter of my lord’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal mercifully and justly with my lord, tell me. But if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
Psalms 9:1-17
For the End; concerning the hidden things of the Son; a psalm of David.
2 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your wondrous things;
3 I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
4 When my enemy turns backward,
They shall be feeble and perish before Your face.
5 For You maintain my judgment and my right;
You sit upon the throne, judging in righteousness.
6 You rebuke the nations, and the ungodly man destroys himself;
You blotted out their name, in their lifetime and unto ages of ages;
7 The swords of the enemy are completely forsaken,
And You pulled down their cities;
Their memory was destroyed with a noise.
8 But the Lord abides forever;
He prepared His throne in judgment,
9 And He shall judge the world in righteousness;
He shall judge the peoples in uprightness.
10 The Lord is also a refuge for the poor man,
A helper in seasons of affliction;
11 And let those who know Your name put their hope in You;
For You, O Lord, do not forsake those who seek You.
12 Sing to the Lord who dwells in Zion.
Proclaim His dealings among the nations,
13 For He who avenges blood remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the poor.
14 Have mercy on me, O Lord, and see how my enemies have humbled me,
You who raise me up from the gates of death,
15 That I may proclaim all Your praises
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.
16 The nations are trapped in the destruction they caused;
Their foot is caught in the trap they hid.
17 The Lord is known in the judgments He makes;
The sinner is caught in the works of his hands.
(Pause)
Proverbs 1:30-35
For it shall be, when you shall call upon me,
I will not listen to you;
31 Evil men will seek me, but not find me,
For they hate wisdom, and choose not the fear of the Lord.
32 Neither do they wish to follow my counsels,
But despise my reproofs.
33 Therefore, they shall eat the fruits of their own way
And be filled with their own ungodliness.
34 For since they wrong the simple, they shall be killed,
And a close examination shall destroy the ungodly.
35 But he who obeys me shall dwell in hope,
And shall be at rest without fear from every evil.”
Matthew 6:1-18
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3 “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 “that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
The Model Prayer
(Luke 11:2–4)
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 “In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 “so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.