Bible Readings for January 23, 2015

Today our passages are Genesis 46:1–47:31; Matthew 15:1-28; Psalm 19:1-14; and Proverbs 4:14-19. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

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Genesis 46-47:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 46

Jacob and His Family Go to Egypt

 ¹Jacob packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped. ²That night, God spoke to him and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"    "Here I am," Jacob answered.
    ³God said, "I am God, the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation. ⁴I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die."
    ^5-7Jacob and his family set out from Beersheba and headed for Egypt. His sons put him in the wagon that the king ^[a] had sent for him, and they put their small children and their wives in the other wagons. Jacob's whole family went to Egypt, including his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters. They took along their animals and everything else they owned. ^8-15When Jacob went to Egypt, his children who were born in northern Syria ^[b] also went along with their families. Jacob and his wife Leah had a total of thirty-three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan.
   Their oldest son Reuben took his sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
   Their son Simeon took his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite.
   Their son Levi took his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
   Their son Judah took his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. Judah's son Perez took his sons Hezron and Hamul.
   Their son Issachar took his sons Tola, Puvah, Jashub, ^[c] and Shimron. Their son Zebulun took his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
   Their daughter Dinah also went.
    ^16-18Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of sixteen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
   Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
   Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel.
   Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went.
    ^19-22Jacob and Rachel had fourteen children and grandchildren.
   Their son Joseph was already in Egypt, where he had married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of Heliopolis. ^[d] Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob and Rachel's son Benjamin took his sons Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
    ^23-25Jacob and Bilhah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Rachel, had seven children and grandchildren.
   Their son Dan took his son Hushim.
   Their son Naphtali took his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
    ²⁶Sixty-six members of Jacob's family went to Egypt with him, not counting his daughters-in-law. ²⁷Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of seventy members of Jacob's family in Egypt.
    ²⁸Jacob had sent his son Judah ahead of him to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen. ²⁹So Joseph got in his chariot and went to meet his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father around the neck and cried for a long time. ³⁰Jacob said to Joseph, "Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die."
    ³¹Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them:
   I must go and tell the king ^[e] that you have arrived from Canaan. ³²I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. ³³The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living. ³⁴When he does, be sure to say, "We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep." If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen. Joseph wanted them to say this to the king, because the Egyptians did not like to be around anyone who raised sheep.
   

Genesis 47

 ^1-2Joseph took five of his brothers to the king and told him, "My father and my brothers have come from Canaan. They have brought their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else they own to the region of Goshen."    Then he introduced his brothers to the king, ³who asked them, "What do you do for a living?"
   "Sir, we are shepherds," was their answer. "Our families have always raised sheep. ⁴But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen."
    ⁵The king said to Joseph, "It's good that your father and brothers have arrived. ⁶I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats."
    ⁷Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing, ⁸and the king asked him, "How old are you?"
    ⁹Jacob answered, "I have lived only a hundred thirty years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine." ¹⁰Then Jacob gave the king his blessing once again and left. ¹¹Joseph obeyed the king's orders and gave his father and brothers some of the best land in Egypt near the city of Rameses. ¹²Joseph also provided food for their families.
   

A Famine in Egypt

 ¹³The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly. ¹⁴So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the money ^[f] in the king's treasury. ¹⁵But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, "Give us more grain! If you don't, we'll soon be dead, because our money's all gone." ¹⁶"If you don't have any money," Joseph answered, "give me your animals, and I'll let you have some grain." ¹⁷From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain.    Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt. ¹⁸Then the people came to him and said:
   Sir, there's no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land. ¹⁹Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king. ^[g] We'll become his slaves. ²⁰The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king ²¹and made everyone the king's slaves, ^{[h] 22}except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land. ²³Then Joseph said to the people, "You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant, ²⁴but one-fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families." ²⁵"Sir, you have saved our lives!" they answered. "We are glad to be slaves of the king." ²⁶Then Joseph made a law that one-fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land.
   

Jacob Becomes an Old Man

 ²⁷The people of Israel made their home in the land of Goshen, where they became prosperous and had large families. ²⁸Jacob himself lived there for seventeen years, before dying at the age of one hundred forty-seven. ²⁹When Jacob knew he did not have long to live, he called in Joseph and said, "If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt. ³⁰Instead, bury me in the place where my ancestors are buried."    "I will do what you have asked," Joseph answered.
    ³¹"Will you give me your word?" Jacob asked.
   "Yes, I will," Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.
   

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 46:5 the king: See the note at 12.15.
2. Genesis 46:8 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
3. Genesis 46:8 Jashub: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text "Iob."
4. Genesis 46:19 Heliopolis: See the note at 41.45.
5. Genesis 46:31 the king: See the note at 12.15.
6. Genesis 47:14 money: See the note at 42.25.
7. Genesis 47:19 the king: See the note at 12.15.
8. Genesis 47:21 made. . . slaves: One ancient translation and the Samaritan Hebrew Text; the Standard Hebrew Text "made everyone move to the cities."

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Matthew 15:1-28 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 15

The Teaching of the Ancestors

(Mark 7.1-13)

 ¹About this time some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem. They asked Jesus, ²"Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? They don't even wash their hands ^[a] before they eat." ³Jesus answered:    Why do you disobey God and follow your own teaching? ⁴Didn't God command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? ⁵But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they have has been offered to God. ^{[b] 6}Is this any way to show respect to your parents? You ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. ⁷And you are nothing but show-offs! Isaiah the prophet was right when he wrote that God had said, ⁸"All of you praise me
   with your words,
   but you never really
   think about me.
    ⁹It is useless for you
   to worship me,
   when you teach rules
   made up by humans."
   

What Really Makes People Unclean

(Mark 7.14-23)

 ¹⁰Jesus called the crowd together and said, "Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. ¹¹The food that you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean."     ¹²Then his disciples came over to him and asked, "Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?"
    ¹³Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."
    ¹⁵Peter replied, "What did you mean when you talked about the things that make people unclean?"
    ¹⁶Jesus then said:
   Don't any of you know what I am talking about by now? ¹⁷Don't you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? ¹⁸But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. ¹⁹Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. ²⁰These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.
   

A Woman's Faith

(Mark 7.24-30)

 ²¹Jesus left and went to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Suddenly a Canaanite woman ^[c] from there came out shouting, "Lord and Son of David, ^[d] have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons." ²³Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away. ²⁴Jesus said, "I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep."     ²⁵The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, "Please help me, Lord!"
    ²⁶Jesus replied, "It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs." ^{[e] 27}"Lord, that's true," the woman said, "but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table."
    ²⁸Jesus answered, "Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want." At that moment her daughter was healed.
   

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 15:2 wash their hands: The Jewish people had strict laws about washing their hands before eating, especially if they had been out in public.
2. Matthew 15:5 has been offered to God: According to Jewish custom, when people said something was offered to God, it belonged to him and could not be used for anyone else, not even for their own parents.
3. Matthew 15:22 Canaanite woman: This woman was not Jewish.
4. Matthew 15:22 Son of David: See the note at 9.27.
5. Matthew 15:26 feed it to dogs: The Jewish people sometimes referred to Gentiles as dogs.

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Psalm 19:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 19

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The Wonders of God and the Goodness of His Law

 ¹The heavens keep telling    the wonders of God,
   and the skies declare
   what he has done.
    ²Each day informs
   the following day;
   each night announces
   to the next.
    ³They don't speak a word,
   and there is never
   the sound of a voice.
    ⁴Yet their message reaches
   all the earth,
   and it travels
   around the world.
   In the heavens a tent
   is set up for the sun.
    ⁵It rises like a bridegroom
   and gets ready like a hero
   eager to run a race.
    ⁶It travels all the way
   across the sky.
   Nothing hides from its heat.
    ⁷The Law of the LORD is perfect;
   it gives us new life.
   His teachings last forever,
   and they give wisdom
   to ordinary people.
    ⁸The LORD's instruction is right;
   it makes our hearts glad.
   His commands shine brightly,
   and they give us light.
    ⁹Worshiping the LORD is sacred;
   he will always be worshiped.
   All of his decisions
   are correct and fair.
    ¹⁰They are worth more
   than the finest gold
   and are sweeter than honey
   from a honeycomb.
    ¹¹By your teachings, Lord,
   I am warned;
   by obeying them,
   I am greatly rewarded.
    ¹²None of us know our faults.
   Forgive me when I sin
   without knowing it.
    ¹³Don't let me do wrong
   on purpose, Lord,
   or let sin have control
   over my life.
   Then I will be innocent,
   and not guilty
   of some terrible fault.
    ¹⁴Let my words and my thoughts
   be pleasing to you, LORD,
   because you are my mighty rock ^[a] and my protector.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 19:14 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 4:14-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴Don't follow the bad example
   of cruel and evil people.
    ¹⁵Turn aside and keep going.
   Stay away from them.
    ¹⁶They can't sleep or rest
   until they do wrong
   or harm
   some innocent victim.
    ¹⁷Their food and drink
   are violence and cruelty.
    ¹⁸The lifestyle of good people
   is like sunlight at dawn
   that keeps getting brighter
   until broad daylight.
    ¹⁹The lifestyle of the wicked
   is like total darkness,
   and they will never know
   what makes them stumble.

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Verse of the Day

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking.” - James 1:5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher, B.F. Skinner wrote, “The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.”