Bible Readings for January 16, 2013

Today our passages are Genesis 32:13–34:31; Matthew 11:7-30; Psalm 14:1-7; and Proverbs 3:19-20. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

Genesis 32:13-34:31 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³After Jacob had spent the night there, he chose some animals as gifts for Esau: ^14-15two hundred female goats and twenty males, two hundred female sheep and twenty males, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten males.
    ¹⁶Jacob put servants in charge of each herd and told them, "Go ahead of me and keep a space between each herd." ¹⁷Then he said to the servant in charge of the first herd, "When Esau meets you, he will ask whose servant you are. He will want to know where you are going and who owns those animals in front of you. ¹⁸So tell him, `They belong to your servant Jacob, who is coming this way. He is sending them as a gift to his master Esau.' "
    ¹⁹Jacob also told the men in charge of the second and third herds and those who followed to say the same thing when they met Esau. ²⁰And Jacob told them to be sure to say that he was right behind them. Jacob hoped the gifts would make Esau friendly, so Esau would be glad to see him when they met. ²¹Jacob's men took the gifts on ahead of him, but he spent the night in camp.
   

Jacob's Name Is Changed to Israel

 ^22-23Jacob got up in the middle of the night and took his wives, his eleven children, and everything he owned across to the other side of the Jabbok River for safety. ²⁴Afterwards, Jacob went back and spent the rest of the night alone.    A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. ²⁵When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint. ²⁶They kept on wrestling until the man said, "Let go of me! It's almost daylight."
   "You can't go until you bless me," Jacob replied.
    ²⁷Then the man asked, "What is your name?"
   "Jacob," he answered.
    ²⁸The man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That's why your name will be Israel." ^[a] ²⁹Jacob said, "Now tell me your name."
   "Don't you know who I am?" he asked. And he blessed Jacob.
    ³⁰Jacob said, "I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive." So he named the place Peniel. ^[b] ³¹The sun was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip, ³²and the muscle on his hip joint had been injured. That's why even today the people of Israel don't eat the hip muscle of any animal.

Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

 ¹Later that day Jacob met Esau coming with his four hundred men. So Jacob had his children walk with their mothers. ²The two servant women, Zilpah and Bilhah, together with their children went first, followed by Leah and her children, then by Rachel and Joseph. ³Jacob himself walked in front of them all, bowing to the ground seven times as he came near his brother.     ⁴But Esau ran toward Jacob and hugged and kissed him. Then the two brothers started crying.
    ⁵When Esau noticed the women and children he asked, "Whose children are these?"
   Jacob answered, "These are the ones the LORD has been kind enough to give to me, your servant."
    ⁶Then the two servant women and their children came and bowed down to Esau. ⁷Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down; finally, Joseph and Rachel also came and bowed down.
    ⁸Esau asked Jacob, "What did you mean by these herds I met along the road?"
   "Master," Jacob answered, "I sent them so that you would be friendly to me."
    ⁹"But, brother, I already have plenty," Esau replied. "Keep them for yourself."
    ¹⁰"No!" Jacob said. "Please accept these gifts as a sign of your friendship for me. When you welcomed me and I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God. ¹¹Please accept these gifts I brought to you. God has been good to me, and I have everything I need." Jacob kept insisting until Esau accepted the gifts.
    ¹²"Let's get ready to travel," Esau said. "I'll go along with you."
    ¹³But Jacob answered, "Master, you know traveling is hard on children, and I have to look after the sheep and goats that are nursing their young. If my animals travel too much in one day, they will all die. ¹⁴Why don't you go on ahead and let me travel along slowly with the children, the herds, and the flocks. We can meet again in the country of Edom."
    ¹⁵Esau replied, "Let me leave some of my men with you."
   "You don't have to do that," Jacob answered. "I am happy, simply knowing that you are friendly to me."
    ¹⁶So Esau left for Edom. ¹⁷But Jacob went to Succoth, ^[c] where he built a house for himself and set up shelters for his animals. That's why the place is called Succoth.

Jacob Arrives at Shechem

 ¹⁸After leaving northern Syria, ^[d] Jacob arrived safely at Shechem in Canaan and set up camp outside the city. ¹⁹The land where he camped was owned by the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem. So Jacob paid them one hundred pieces of silver ^[e] for the property, ²⁰then he set up his tents and built an altar there to honor the God of Israel.

Genesis 34

Dinah Is Raped

 ¹Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the women who lived there. ²She was seen by Hamor's son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, and he grabbed her and raped her. ³But Shechem was attracted to Dinah, so he told her how much he loved her. ⁴He even asked his father to get her for his wife.     ⁵Meanwhile, Jacob heard what had happened. But his sons were out in the fields with the cattle, so he did not do anything at the time. ⁶Hamor arrived at Jacob's home ⁷just as Jacob's sons were coming in from work. When they learned that their sister had been raped, they became furiously angry. Nothing is more disgraceful than rape, and it should not be tolerated in Israel.
    ⁸Hamor said to Jacob and his sons:
   My son Shechem really loves Dinah. Please let him marry her. ⁹Why don't you start letting your families marry into our families and ours marry into yours? ¹⁰You can share this land with us. Move freely about until you find the property you want; then buy it and settle down here.
    ¹¹Shechem added, "Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want. ¹²Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah."
    ¹³Jacob's sons wanted to get even with Shechem and his father because of what had happened to their sister. ¹⁴So they tricked them by saying:
   You're not circumcised! ^[f] It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now. ¹⁵But we will let you marry her, if you and the other men in your tribe get circumcised. ¹⁶Then your families can marry into ours, and ours can marry into yours, and we can live together like one nation. ¹⁷But if you don't agree to get circumcised, we'll take Dinah and leave this place. ¹⁸Hamor and Shechem liked what was said. ¹⁹Shechem was the most respected person in his family, and he was so in love with Dinah that he hurried off to get everything done. ²⁰The two men met with the other leaders of their city and told them:
    ²¹These people really are friendly. Why not let them move freely about until they find the property they want? There's enough land here for them and for us. Then our families can marry into theirs, and theirs can marry into ours.
    ²²We have to do only one thing before they will agree to stay here and become one nation with us. Our men will have to be circumcised like their men. ²³Just think! We'll get their property, as well as their flocks and herds. All we have to do is to agree, and they will live here with us.
    ²⁴Every grown man followed this advice and got circumcised.
   

Dinah's Brothers Take Revenge

 ²⁵Three days later the men who had been circumcised were still weak from pain. So Simeon and Levi, ^[g] two of Dinah's brothers, attacked with their swords and killed every man in town, ²⁶including Hamor and Shechem. Then they took Dinah and left. ²⁷Jacob's other sons came and took everything they wanted. All this was done because of the horrible thing that had happened to their sister. ²⁸They took sheep, goats, donkeys, and everything else that was in the town or the fields. ²⁹After taking everything of value from the houses, they dragged away the wives and children of their victims. ³⁰Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "Look what you've done! Now I'm in real trouble with the Canaanites and Perizzites who live around here. There aren't many of us, and if they attack, they'll kill everyone in my household."     ³¹They answered, "Was it right to let our own sister be treated that way?"
   

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 32:28 Israel: In Hebrew one meaning of "Israel" is "a man who wrestles with God."
2. Genesis 32:30 Peniel: In Hebrew "Peniel" means "face of God."
3. Genesis 33:17 Succoth: In Hebrew "Succoth" means "shelters."
4. Genesis 33:18 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
5. Genesis 33:19 pieces of silver: Or "lambs" or "cattle."
6. Genesis 34:14 You're not circumcised: Israelite boys were circumcised when they were eight days old, and no uncircumcised man could be part of the people of Israel.
7. Genesis 34:25 Simeon and Levi: Dinah's full brothers.

Matthew 11:7-30 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷As John's followers were going away, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John:
   What sort of person did you go out into the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? ⁸What kind of man did you go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who dress like that live in the king's palace. ⁹What did you really go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was. I tell you that he was more than a prophet. ¹⁰In the Scriptures God says about him, "I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you." ¹¹I tell you that no one ever born on this earth is greater than John the Baptist. But whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
    ¹²From the time of John the Baptist until now, violent people have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force. ¹³All the Books of the Prophets and the Law of Moses ^[a] told what was going to happen up to the time of John. ¹⁴And if you believe them, John is Elijah, the prophet you are waiting for. ¹⁵If you have ears, pay attention! ¹⁶You people are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other,
    ¹⁷"We played the flute,
   but you would not dance!
   We sang a funeral song,
   but you would not mourn!"
    ¹⁸John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, "That man has a demon in him!" ¹⁹But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, "That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors ^[b] and sinners." Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.

The Unbelieving Towns

(Luke 10.13-15)

 ²⁰In the towns where Jesus had worked most of his miracles, the people refused to turn to God. So Jesus was upset with them and said:     ²¹You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are in for trouble too! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. ^[c] ²²I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will. ²³People of Capernaum, do you think you will be honored in heaven? You will go down to hell! If the miracles that took place in your town had happened in Sodom, that town would still be standing. ²⁴So I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than you.
   

Come to Me and Rest

(Luke 10.21,22)

 ²⁵At that moment Jesus said:    My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. ²⁶Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.
    ²⁷My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.
    ²⁸If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take the yoke ^[d] I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. ³⁰This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 11:13 the Books of the Prophets and the Law of Moses: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
2. Matthew 11:19 tax collectors: See the note at 5.46.
3. Matthew 11:21 sackcloth. . . ashes on their heads: This was one way that people showed how sorry they were for their sins.
4. Matthew 11:29 yoke: Yokes were put on the necks of animals, so that they could pull a plow or wagon. A yoke was a symbol of obedience and hard work. 

Psalm 14:1-7 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 14

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

No One Can Ignore the LORD

 ¹Only a fool would say,    "There is no God!"
   People like that are worthless;
   they are heartless and cruel
   and never do right.
    ²From heaven the LORD
   looks down to see
   if anyone is wise enough
   to search for him.
    ³But all of them are corrupt;
   no one does right.
    ⁴Won't you evil people learn?
   You refuse to pray,
   and you gobble down
   the LORD's people.
    ⁵But you will be frightened,
   because God is on the side
   of every good person.
    ⁶You may spoil the plans
   of the poor,
   but the LORD protects them.
    ⁷I long for someone from Zion
   to come and save Israel!
   Our LORD, when you bless
   your people again,
   Jacob's family will be glad,
   and Israel will celebrate.

Proverbs 3:19-20 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹By his wisdom and knowledge
   the LORD created
   heaven and earth.
    ²⁰By his understanding
   he let the ocean break loose
   and clouds release the rain.



Verse of the Day

“[God's Spirit and Our Own Desires]If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires.” - Galatians 5:16

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

German-language writer of novels and short stories Franz Kafka wrote, “There art two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness.”