Bible Readings for January 7, 2011

Today our passages are Genesis 16:1 – 18:19; Matthew 6:1-24; Psalm 7:1-17; and Proverbs 2:1-5. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Genesis 16-18:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 16

Hagar and Ishmael

1Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, 2and Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine." [a] Abram agreed, 3and Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. 4Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and was hateful to Sarai. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's all your fault! [b] I gave you my slave woman, but she has been hateful to me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You have done me wrong, and you will have to answer to the LORD for this." 6Abram said, "All right! She's your slave, and you can do whatever you want with her." But Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

7Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the LORD came to her 8and asked, "Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

She answered, "I'm running away from Sarai, my owner."

9The angel said, "Go back to Sarai and be her slave. 10-11I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael, [c] because I have heard your cry for help. And later I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all. 12But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him." 13Hagar thought, "Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?" [d] So from then on she called him, "The God Who Sees Me." [e] 14That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me." [f] 15-16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.

Genesis 17

God's Promise to Abraham

1Abram was ninety-nine years old when the LORD appeared to him again and said, "I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, 2I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted." 3Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:

4-5I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham. [g] 6I will give you a lot of descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings. 7I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. 8I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.

9Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me. 10-11As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family. 12-13From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last forever. 14Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his promise to me and cannot be one of my people.

15Abraham, your wife's name will now be Sarah instead of Sarai. 16I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.

17Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing. 18Then he asked God, "Why not let Ishmael [h] inherit what you have promised me?" 19But God answered:

No! You and Sarah will have a son. His name will be Isaac, [i] and I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants. 20I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation. 21But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.

22God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.

23-27On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was ninety-nine years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was thirteen.

Genesis 18

The LORD Promises Abraham a Son

1One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the LORD appeared to him. 2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, 3and said, "Please come to my home where I can serve you. 4I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under the tree. 5Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you."
"Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer."

6Abraham quickly went to his tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread." 7After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. 8He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat.

While they were eating, he stood near them under the trees, 9and they asked, "Where is your wife Sarah?"

"She is right there in the tent," Abraham answered.

10One of the guests was the LORD, and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son."

Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. 12So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?" [j] 13The LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? 14I am the LORD! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son."

15Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, "I didn't laugh."

"Yes, you did!" he answered.

Abraham Prays for Sodom

16When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.

17The LORD said to himself, "I should tell Abraham what I am going to do, 18since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all other nations on earth. [k] 19I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. Then I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised."

Footnotes:
Genesis 16:2 Sleep. . . mine: It was the custom for a wife who could not have children to let her husband sleep with one of her slave women. The children of the slave would belong to the wife.
Genesis 16:5 It's. . . fault: Or "I hope you'll be punished for what you did to me!"
Genesis 16:10 Ishmael: In Hebrew "Ishmael" sounds like "God hears."
Genesis 16:13 Have. . . it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Genesis 16:13 The God Who Sees Me: Or "The God I Have Seen."
Genesis 16:14 The Well. . . Me: Or "Beer-Lahai-Roi" (see 25.11).
Genesis 17:4 Abraham: In Hebrew "Abraham" sounds like "father of many nations."
Genesis 17:18 Ishmael: Ishmael was the son of Sarah's slave Hagar (see 16.1-16).
Genesis 17:19 Isaac: In Hebrew "Isaac" sounds like "laugh."
Genesis 18:12 know such happiness: Either the joy of making love or the joy of having children.
Genesis 18:18 that will be. . . on earth: Or "and all other nations on earth will ask me to bless them as I have blessed his family."


Matthew 6:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 6

Giving

1When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven.

2When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

3When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it. [a] 4Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Prayer
(Luke 11.2-4)

5When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

6When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you.

7When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. 8Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask.

9You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor
your name.
10Come and set up
your kingdom,
so that everyone on earth
will obey you,
as you are obeyed
in heaven.

11Give us our food for today. [b] 12Forgive us for doing wrong,
as we forgive others.
13Keep us from being tempted
and protect us from evil. [c] 14If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. 15But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Worshiping God by Going without Eating

16When you go without eating, [d] don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. 17Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. 18Then others won't know that you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12.33,34)

19Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. 20Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

Light
(Luke 11.34-36)

22Your eyes are like a window for your body. When they are good, you have all the light you need. 23But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.

Money
(Luke 16.13)

24You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Footnotes:
Matthew 6:3 don't let anyone know about it: The Greek text has, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
Matthew 6:11 our food for today: Or "the food that we need" or "our food for the coming day."
Matthew 6:13 evil: Or "the evil one," that is, the devil. Some manuscripts add, "The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen."
Matthew 6:16 without eating: See the note at 4.2.


Psalm 7:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 7
(Written by David. (Psalm 7 Written by David: The Hebrew text has " a shiggaion by David," which may refer to a psalm of mourning.) He sang this to the LORD because of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin.)

The LORD Always Does Right

1You, LORD God,
are my protector.
Rescue me and keep me safe
from all who chase me.

2Or else they will rip me apart
like lions
attacking a victim,
and no one will save me.

3I am innocent, LORD God!

4I have not betrayed a friend
or had pity on an enemy [a] who attacks for no reason.

5If I have done any of this,
then let my enemies
chase and capture me.
Let them stomp me to death
and leave me in the dirt.

6Get angry, LORD God!
Do something!
Attack my furious enemies.
See that justice is done.

7Make the nations come to you,
as you sit on your throne [b] above them all.

8Our LORD, judge the nations!
Judge me
and show that I
am honest and innocent.

9You know every heart and mind,
and you always do right.
Now make violent people stop,
but protect all of us
who obey you.

10You, God, are my shield,
the protector of everyone
whose heart is right.

11You see that justice is done,
and each day
you take revenge.

12Whenever your enemies refuse
to change their ways,
you sharpen your sword
and string your bow.

13Your deadly arrows are ready
with flaming tips.

14An evil person is like a woman
about to give birth
to a hateful, deceitful,
and rebellious child.

15Such people dig a deep hole,
then fall in it themselves.

16The trouble they cause
comes back on them,
and their heads are crushed
by their own evil deeds.

17I will praise you, LORD!
You always do right.
I will sing about you,
the LORD Most High.

Footnotes:
Psalm 7:4 had pity on an enemy: Or " failed to have pity on an enemy."
Psalm 7:7 sit. . . throne: Or " return to your place."


Proverbs 2:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 2

Wisdom and Bad Friends

1My child, you must follow
and treasure
my teachings
and my instructions.

2Keep in tune with wisdom
and think what it means
to have common sense.

3Beg as loud as you can
for good common sense.

4Search for wisdom
as you would search for silver
or hidden treasure.

5Then you will understand
what it means to respect
and to know the LORD God.

Bible Readings for January 6, 2011

Today our passages are Genesis 13:5 – 15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; Psalm 6:1-10; and Proverbs 1:29-33. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Genesis 13:5-15:21 (Contemporary English Version)

5Lot, who was traveling with him, also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and slaves. 6-7At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the same area, and so there wasn't enough pastureland left for Abram and Lot with all of their animals. Besides this, the men who took care of Abram's animals and the ones who took care of Lot's animals started quarreling.

8Abram said to Lot, "We are close relatives. We shouldn't argue, and our men shouldn't be fighting one another. 9There is plenty of land for you to choose from. Let's separate. If you go north, I'll go south; if you go south, I'll go north."

10This happened before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the LORD or the land of Egypt. 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself, and as he started toward the east, he and Abram separated. 12Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. But Lot settled near the cities of the valley and put up his tents not far from Sodom, 13where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the LORD.

Abram Moves to Hebron

14After Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the LORD said to Abram:
Look around to the north, south, east, and west. 15I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs forever! 16I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and someday it will be easier to count the specks of dust than to count your descendants. 17Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am giving it to you.

18Abram took down his tents and went to live near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar in honor of the LORD.

Genesis 14

Abram Rescues Lot

1About this time, King Amraphel of Babylonia, [a] King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2attacked King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, also known as the city of Zoar. 3-4King Chedorlaomer and his allies had ruled these last five kings for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year the kings rebelled and came together in Siddim Valley, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea. 5A year later King Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh-Kiriathaim. 6They also defeated the Horites in the hill country of Edom, [b] as far as El-Paran, near the desert. 7They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.

8-9At Siddim Valley, the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela fought the armies of King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar. The valley 10was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country. 11Their enemies took everything of value from Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supplies. 12They also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. They took him and his possessions and then left.

13At this time Abram the Hebrew was living near the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's friends. Someone who had escaped from the battle told Abram 14that his nephew Lot had been taken away. Three hundred eighteen of Abram's servants were fighting men, so he took them and followed the enemy as far north as the city of Dan.

15That night, Abram divided up his troops, attacked from all sides, and won a great victory. But some of the enemy escaped to the town of Hobah north of Damascus, 16and Abram went after them. He brought back his nephew Lot, together with Lot's possessions and the women and everyone else who had been captured.

Abram Is Blessed by Melchizedek

17Abram returned after he had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other kings. Then the king of Sodom went to meet Abram in Shaveh Valley, which is also known as King's Valley.
18King Melchizedek of Salem was a priest of God Most High. He brought out some bread and wine 19and said to Abram:

"I bless you in the name
of God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20All praise belongs
to God Most High
for helping you defeat
your enemies."
Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

21The king of Sodom said to Abram, "All I want are my people. You can keep everything else."

22Abram answered:

The LORD God Most High made the heavens and the earth. And I have promised him 23that I won't keep anything of yours, not even a sandal strap or a piece of thread. Then you can never say that you are the one who made me rich. 24Let my share be the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre went with me, so give them their share of what we brought back.

Genesis 15

The LORD's Promise to Abram

1Later the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, "Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly."

2But Abram answered, "LORD All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own. [c] 3You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything." 4The LORD replied, "No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his." 5Then the LORD took Abram outside and said, "Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have." 6Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD was pleased with him.

The LORD Makes Another Promise to Abram

7The LORD said to Abram, "I brought you here from Ur in Chaldea, and I gave you this land."

8Abram asked, "LORD God, how can I know the land will be mine?"

9Then the LORD told him, "Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon."

10Abram obeyed the LORD. Then he cut [d] the animals in half and laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground. But he did not cut the doves and pigeons in half. 11And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away. 12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening. 13-15Then the LORD said:

Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace.

But I solemnly promise that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that doesn't belong to them. They will be forced into slavery and abused for four hundred years. But I will terribly punish the nation that enslaves them, and they will leave with many possessions.

16Four generations later, [e] your descendants will return here and take this land, because only then will the people who live here [f] be so sinful that they deserve to be punished. 17Sometime after sunset, when it was very dark, a smoking cooking pot [g] and a flaming fire went between the two halves of each animal. 18At that time the LORD made an agreement with Abram and told him: I will give your descendants the land east of the Shihor River [h] on the border of Egypt as far as the Euphrates River. 19They will possess the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Footnotes:
Genesis 14:1 Babylonia: See the note at 10.6-20.
Genesis 14:6 Edom: The Hebrew text has "Seir," another name for Edom.
Genesis 15:2 And. . . own: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Genesis 15:10 cut: In Hebrew "cut" sounds something like "agreement." What follows shows that the LORD is making an agreement with Abram.
Genesis 15:16 Four generations later: This may refer to the "four hundred years" of verses 13-15.
Genesis 15:16 people who live here: The Hebrew text has "Amorites," a name sometimes used of the people who lived in Palestine before the Israelites.
Genesis 15:17 smoking cooking pot: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The smoke and fire represent the presence of the LORD.
Genesis 15:18 Shihor River: See Joshua 13.2-7.


Matthew 5:27-48 (Contemporary English Version)

Marriage

27You know the commandment which says, "Be faithful in marriage." 28But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to end up in hell. 30If your right hand causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Divorce
(Matthew 19.9; Mark 10.11,12; Luke 16.18)

31You have been taught that a man who divorces his wife must write out divorce papers for her. [a] 32But I tell you not to divorce your wife unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin. [b] If you divorce her, you will cause her to be unfaithful, just as any man who marries her is guilty of taking another man's wife.
Promises

33You know that our ancestors were told, "Don't use the Lord's name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it." 34But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Heaven is God's throne, so don't swear by heaven. 35The earth is God's footstool, so don't swear by the earth. Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don't swear by it. 36Don't swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. 37When you make a promise, say only "Yes" or "No." Anything else comes from the devil.

Revenge
(Luke 6.29,30)

38You know that you have been taught, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." 39But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, [c] turn and let that person slap your other cheek. 40If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. 41If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. [d] 42When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.

Love
(Luke 6.27,28,32-36)

43You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." 44But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. 45Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. 46If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors [e] love their friends. 47If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that? 48But you must always act like your Father in heaven.

Footnotes:
Matthew 5:31 write out divorce papers for her: Jewish men could divorce their wives, but the women could not divorce their husbands. The purpose of writing these papers was to make it harder for a man to divorce his wife. Before this law was made, all a man had to do was to send his wife away and say that she was no longer his wife.
Matthew 5:32 some terrible sexual sin: This probably refers to the laws about the wrong kinds of marriages that are forbidden in Leviticus 18.6-18 or to some serious sexual sin.
Matthew 5:39 right cheek: A slap on the right cheek was a bad insult.
Matthew 5:41 two miles: A Roman soldier had the right to force a person to carry his pack as far as one mile.
Matthew 5:46 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.


Psalm 6:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 6
(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use stringed instruments. (Psalm 6 instruments: The Hebrew text adds " according to the sheminith," which may refer to a musical instrument with eight strings.) )

A Prayer in Time of Trouble

1Don't punish me, LORD,
or even correct me
when you are angry!

2Have pity on me and heal
my feeble body.
My bones tremble with fear,
3and I am in deep distress.
How long will it be?

4Turn and come to my rescue.
Show your wonderful love
and save me, LORD.

5If I die, I cannot praise you
or even remember you.

6My groaning has worn me out.
At night my bed and pillow
are soaked with tears.

7Sorrow has made my eyes dim,
and my sight has failed
because of my enemies.

8You, LORD, heard my crying,
and those hateful people
had better leave me alone.

9You have answered my prayer
and my plea for mercy.

10My enemies will be ashamed
and terrified,
as they quickly run away
in complete disgrace.


Proverbs 1:29-33 (Contemporary English Version)

29No, you would not learn,
and you refused
to respect the LORD.

30You rejected my advice
and paid no attention
when I warned you.

31"Now you will eat the fruit
of what you have done,
until you are stuffed full
with your own schemes.

32Sin and self-satisfaction
bring destruction and death
to stupid fools.

33But if you listen to me,
you will be safe and secure
without fear of disaster."

Bible Readings for January 5, 2011

Today our passages are Genesis 11:1 – 13:4; Matthew 5:1-26; Psalm 5:1-12; and Proverbs 1:24-28. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Genesis 11-13:4 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 11

The Tower of Babel

1At first everyone spoke the same language, 2but after some of them moved from the east [a] and settled in Babylonia, [b] 3-4they said: Let's build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We'll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We'll become famous, and we won't be scattered all over the world.

5But when the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower, 6he said:

These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want. 7Come on! Let's go down and confuse them by making them speak different languages--then they won't be able to understand each other.

8-9So the people had to stop building the city, because the LORD confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. That's how the city of Babel [c] got its name.

The Descendants of Shem

10-11Two years after the flood, when Shem was one hundred, he had a son named Arpachshad. He had more children and died at the age of six hundred. This is a list of his descendants:

12When Arpachshad was thirty-five, he had a son named Shelah. 13Arpachshad had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-eight.

14When Shelah was thirty, he had a son named Eber. 15Shelah had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-three.

16When Eber was thirty-four, he had a son named Peleg. 17Eber had more children and died at the age of four hundred sixty-four.

18When Peleg was thirty, he had a son named Reu. 19Peleg had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty-nine.

20When Reu was thirty-two he had a son named Serug. 21Reu had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty-nine.

22When Serug was thirty, he had a son named Nahor. 23Serug had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty.

24When Nahor was twenty-nine, he had a son named Terah. 25Nahor had more children and died at the age of one hundred forty-eight.

The Descendants of Terah

26-28After Terah was seventy years old, he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who became the father of Lot. Terah's sons were born in the city of Ur in Chaldea, [d] and Haran died there before the death of his father. The following is the story of Terah's descendants. 29-30Abram married Sarai, but she was not able to have any children. And Nahor married Milcah, who was the daughter of Haran and the sister of Iscah.

31Terah decided to move from Ur to the land of Canaan. He took along Abram and Sarai and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran. But when they came to the city of Haran, [e] they decided to settle there instead. 32Terah lived to be two hundred five years old and died in Haran.

Genesis 12

The LORD Chooses Abram

1The LORD said to Abram:

Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. 2I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. 3I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you. [f] 4-5Abram was seventy-five years old when the LORD told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran.

When they came to the land of Canaan, 6Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time, 7but the LORD appeared to Abram and promised, "I will give this land to your family forever." Abram then built an altar there for the LORD.

8Abram traveled to the hill country east of Bethel and camped between Bethel and Ai, where he built another altar and worshiped the LORD. 9Later, Abram started out toward the Southern Desert.

Abram in Egypt

10-11The crops failed, and there was no food anywhere in the land. So Abram and his wife Sarai went to live in Egypt for a while. But just before they got there, he said, "Sarai, you are really beautiful! 12When the Egyptians see how lovely you are, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you. 13Please save my life by saying that you are my sister."

14As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was. 15The king's [g] officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house. 16The king was good to Abram because of Sarai, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels. 17Because of Sarai, the LORD struck the king and everyone in his palace with terrible diseases. 18Finally, the king sent for Abram and said to him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife? 19Why did you make me believe she was your sister? Now I've married her. Take her and go! She's your wife."

20So the king told his men to let Abram and Sarai take their possessions and leave.

Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.

2Abram was very rich. He owned many cattle, sheep, and goats, and had a lot of silver and gold. 3Abram moved from place to place in the Southern Desert. And finally, he went north and set up his tents between Bethel and Ai, 4where he had earlier camped and built an altar. There he worshiped the LORD.

Footnotes:
Genesis 11:2 from the east: Or "to the east."
Genesis 11:2 Babylonia: See the note at 10.6-20.
Genesis 11:8 Babel: In Hebrew "Babel" sounds like "confused."
Genesis 11:26 Ur in Chaldea: Chaldea was a region at the head of the Persian Gulf. Ur was on the main trade routes from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean Sea.
Genesis 11:31 Haran: About 550 miles northwest of Ur.
Genesis 12:3 Everyone. . . you: Or "Everyone on earth will ask me to bless them as I have blessed you."
Genesis 12:15 The king's: The Hebrew text has "Pharaoh's," a Hebrew word sometimes used for the king of Egypt.


Matthew 5:1-26 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 5

The Sermon on the Mount

1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. [a] Jesus' disciples gathered around him,

Blessings
(Luke 6.20-23)

2and he taught them:

3God blesses those people
who depend only on him.
They belong to the kingdom
of heaven! [b] 4God blesses those people
who grieve.
They will find comfort!
5God blesses those people
who are humble.
The earth will belong
to them!
6God blesses those people
who want to obey him [c] more than to eat or drink.
They will be given
what they want!
7God blesses those people
who are merciful.
They will be treated
with mercy!
8God blesses those people
whose hearts are pure.
They will see him!
9God blesses those people
who make peace.
They will be called
his children!
10God blesses those people
who are treated badly
for doing right.
They belong to the kingdom
of heaven. [d] 11God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Salt and Light
(Mark 9.50; Luke 14.34,35)

13You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.

14You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

The Law of Moses

17Don't suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. [e] I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. 18Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you that not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen. 19If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom. 20You must obey God's commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don't, I promise you that you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

21You know that our ancestors were told, "Do not murder" and "A murderer must be brought to trial." 22But I promise you that if you are angry with someone, [f] you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell. 23So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.

25Before you are dragged into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don't, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail. 26I promise you that you will not get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.

Footnotes:
Matthew 5:1 sat down: Teachers in the ancient world, including Jewish teachers, usually sat down when they taught.
Matthew 5:3 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: Or "The kingdom of heaven belongs to them."
Matthew 5:6 who want to obey him: Or "who want to do right" or "who want everyone to be treated right."
Matthew 5:10 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: See the note at 5.3.
Matthew 5:17 the Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
Matthew 5:22 someone: In verses 22-24 the Greek text has "brother," which may refer to people in general or to other followers.


Psalm 5:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 5
(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use flutes.)

A Prayer for Help

1Listen, LORD, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan. [a] 2You are my King and my God.

Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you.

3Each morning you listen
to my prayer,
as I bring my requests [b] to you and wait for your reply.

4You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can't stay with you.

5No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, LORD,
and you hate evil people.

6You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit.

7Because of your great mercy,
I come to your house, LORD,
and I am filled with wonder
as I bow down
to worship
at your holy temple.

8You do what is right,
and I ask you to guide me.
Make your teaching clear
because of my enemies.

9Nothing they say is true!
They just want to destroy.
Their words are deceitful
like a hidden pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.

10Punish them, God,
and let their own plans
bring their downfall.
Get rid of them!
They keep committing crimes
and turning against you.

11Let all who run to you
for protection
always sing joyful songs.
Provide shelter for those
who truly love you
and let them rejoice.

12Our LORD, you bless those
who live right,
and you shield them
with your kindness.

Footnotes:
Psalm 5:1 when I groan: Or " to my thoughts" or " to my words."
Psalm 5:3 requests: Or " sacrifices."


Proverbs 1:24-28 (Contemporary English Version)

24You completely ignored me
and refused to listen;
25you rejected my advice
and paid no attention
when I warned you.

26"So when you are struck
by some terrible disaster,
27or when trouble and distress
surround you like a whirlwind,
I will laugh and make fun.

28You will ask for my help,
but I won't listen;
you will search,
but you won't find me.

Bible Readings for January 4, 2010

Today our passages are Genesis 8:1 – 10:32; Matthew 4:12-25; Psalm 4:1-8; and Proverbs 1:20-23. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Genesis 8-10:32 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 8

The Water Goes Down

1God did not forget about Noah and the animals with him in the boat. So God made a wind blow, and the water started going down. 2God stopped up the places where the water had been gushing out from under the earth. He also closed up the sky, and the rain stopped. 3For one hundred fifty days the water slowly went down. 4Then on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the year, the boat came to rest somewhere in the Ararat mountains. 5The water kept going down, and the mountain tops could be seen on the first day of the tenth month.

6-7Forty days later Noah opened a window to send out a raven, but it kept flying around until the water had dried up. 8Noah wanted to find out if the water had gone down, and he sent out a dove. 9Deep water was still everywhere, and the dove could not find a place to land. So it flew back to the boat. Noah held out his hand and helped it back in.

10Seven days later Noah sent the dove out again. 11It returned in the evening, holding in its beak a green leaf from an olive tree. Noah knew that the water was finally going down. 12He waited seven more days before sending the dove out again, and this time it did not return.

13Noah was now six hundred one years old. And by the first day of that year, almost all the water had gone away. Noah made an opening in the roof of the boat [a] and saw that the ground was getting dry. 14By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry. 15God said to Noah, 16"You, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law may now leave the boat. 17Let out the birds, animals, and reptiles, so they can mate and live all over the earth." 18After Noah and his family had gone out of the boat, 19the living creatures left in groups of their own kind.

The LORD's Promise for the Earth

20Noah built an altar where he could offer sacrifices to the LORD. Then he offered on the altar one of each kind of animal and bird that could be used for a sacrifice. [b] 21The smell of the burning offering pleased God, and he said: Never again will I punish the earth for the sinful things its people do. All of them have evil thoughts from the time they are young, but I will never destroy everything that breathes, as I did this time.

22As long as the earth remains,
there will be planting
and harvest,
cold and heat;
winter and summer,
day and night.

Genesis 9

God's Promise to Noah

1God said to Noah and his sons:
I am giving you my blessing. Have a lot of children and grandchildren, so people will live everywhere on this earth. 2All animals, birds, reptiles, and fish will be afraid of you. I have placed them under your control, 3and I have given them to you for food. From now on, you may eat them, as well as the green plants that you have always eaten. 4But life is in the blood, and you must not eat any meat that still has blood in it. 5-6I created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death.

7I want you and your descendants to have many children, so people will live everywhere on earth.

8Again, God said to Noah and his sons:

9I am going to make a solemn promise to you and to everyone who will live after you. 10This includes the birds and the animals that came out of the boat. 11I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood.

12-13The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever. 14When I send clouds over the earth, and a rainbow appears in the sky, 15I will remember my promise to you and to all other living creatures. Never again will I let floodwaters destroy all life. 16When I see the rainbow in the sky, I will always remember the promise that I have made to every living creature. 17The rainbow will be the sign of that solemn promise.

Noah and His Family

18Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, came out of the boat. Ham later had a son named Canaan. 19All people on earth are descendants of Noah's three sons.

20Noah farmed the land and was the first to plant a vineyard. 21One day he got drunk and was lying naked in his tent. 22Ham entered the tent and saw him naked, then went back outside and told his brothers. 23Shem and Japheth put a robe over their shoulders and walked backwards into the tent. Without looking at their father, they placed it over his body.

24When Noah woke up and learned what his youngest son had done, 25he said,
"I now put a curse on Canaan!
He will be the lowest slave
of his brothers.
26I ask the LORD my God
to bless Shem
and make Canaan his slave.
27I pray that the LORD
will give Japheth
more and more [c] land and let him take over
the territory of Shem.
May Canaan be his slave."

28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood 29and died at the age of nine hundred fifty.

Genesis 10

The Descendants of Noah

1After the flood Shem, Ham, and Japheth had many descendants.

The Descendants of Japheth

2-5Japheth's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Gomer was the ancestor of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

Javan was the ancestor of Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim, [d] who settled along the coast.

The Descendants of Ham

6-20Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, [e] Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush [f] was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan.
Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the LORD. Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the LORD!" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of [g] which were in Babylonia. [h] From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. [i] Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.

The Descendants of Shem

21-31Shem's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. He was the older brother of Japheth and the ancestor of the tribes of Eber.
Shem was the ancestor of Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

Aram was the ancestor of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

Arpachshad was the father of Shelah and the grandfather of Eber, whose first son was named Peleg, [j] because it was during his time that tribes divided up the earth. Eber's second son was Joktan. Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. Their land reached from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country in the east.

32This completes the list of Noah's descendants. After the flood their descendants became nations and spread all over the world.

Footnotes:
Genesis 8:13 made. . . boat: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Genesis 8:20 animal. . . sacrifice: See the note at 7.2.
Genesis 9:27 more and more: In Hebrew "Japheth" sounds like "more and more."
Genesis 10:2 Dodanim: Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and one ancient translation have "Rodanim."
Genesis 10:6 Ethiopia: See the note at 2.13.
Genesis 10:6 Cush: See the note at 2.13.
Genesis 10:6 and Accad, all of: Or "Accad, and Calneh."
Genesis 10:6 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has "Shinar," another name for Babylonia.
Genesis 10:6 Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines: Hebrew "Caphtorim, and Casluhim, the ancestor of the Philistines." The Philistines were from Caphtor (see Jeremiah 47.4; Amos 9.7), better known as Crete.
Genesis 10:21 Peleg: In Hebrew "Peleg" means "divided."


Matthew 4:12-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Begins His Work
(Mark 1.14,15; Luke 4.14,15)

12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee. 13But instead of staying in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. [a] 14So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, 15"Listen, lands of Zebulun
and Naphtali,
lands along the road
to the sea
and east
of the Jordan!
Listen Galilee,
land of the Gentiles!
16Although your people
live in darkness,
they will see
a bright light.
Although they live
in the shadow of death,
a light will shine
on them."

17Then Jesus started preaching, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here." [b]

Jesus Chooses Four Fishermen
(Mark 1.16-20; Luke 5.1-11)

18While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers. One was Simon, also known as Peter, and the other was Andrew. They were fishermen, and they were casting their net into the lake. 19Jesus said to them, "Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish." 20Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.

21Jesus walked on until he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus asked them to come with him too. 22Right away they left the boat and their father and went with Jesus.

Jesus Teaches, Preaches, and Heals
(Luke 6.17-19)

23Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the Jewish meeting places and preaching the good news about God's kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness. 24News about him spread all over Syria, and people with every kind of sickness or disease were brought to him. Some of them had a lot of demons in them, others were thought to be crazy, [c] and still others could not walk. But Jesus healed them all. 25Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee and the region around the ten cities known as Decapolis. [d] They also came from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan River.

Footnotes:
Matthew 4:13 Zebulun and Naphtali: In Old Testament times these tribes were in northern Palestine, and in New Testament times many Gentiles lived where these tribes had once been.
Matthew 4:17 The kingdom of heaven will soon be here: See the two notes at 3.2.
Matthew 4:24 thought to be crazy: In ancient times people with epilepsy were thought to be crazy.
Matthew 4:25 the ten cities known as Decapolis: A group of ten cities east of Samaria and Galilee, where the people followed the Greek way of life.


Psalm 4:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 4
(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use stringed instruments.)

An Evening Prayer

1You are my God and protector.
Please answer my prayer.
I was in terrible distress,
but you set me free.
Now have pity and listen
as I pray.

2How long will you people
refuse to respect me? [a] You love foolish things,
and you run after
what is worthless. [b] 3The LORD has chosen
everyone who is faithful
to be his very own, [c] and he answers my prayers.

4But each of you
had better tremble
and turn from your sins.
Silently search your heart
as you lie in bed.

5Offer the proper sacrifices
and trust the LORD.

6There are some who ask,
"Who will be good to us?"
Let your kindness, LORD,
shine brightly on us.

7You brought me more happiness
than a rich harvest
of grain and grapes.

8I can lie down
and sleep soundly
because you, LORD,
will keep me safe.

Footnotes:
Psalm 4:2 me: Or " my God."
Psalm 4:2 foolish. . . worthless: This may refer to idols and false gods.
Psalm 4:3 has chosen. . . very own: Some Hebrew manuscripts have " work miracles for his faithful people."


Proverbs 1:20-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Wisdom Speaks

20Wisdom [a] shouts in the streets wherever crowds gather.

21She shouts in the marketplaces
and near the city gates
as she says to the people,

22"How much longer
will you enjoy
being stupid fools?
Won't you ever stop sneering
and laughing at knowledge?
23Listen as I correct you
and tell you what I think.

Footnotes:
Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom: In the book of Proverbs the word " wisdom" is sometimes used as though wisdom were a supernatural being who was with God at the time of creation.

Bible Readings for January 3, 2011

Today our passages are Genesis 5:1 – 7:24; Matthew 3:7 – 4:11; Psalm 3:1-8; and Proverbs 1:10-19. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Genesis 5-7:24 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 5

Descendants of Adam

1-2God created men and women to be like himself. He gave them his blessing and called them human beings. This is a list of the descendants of Adam, the first man:

3-4When Adam was one hundred thirty, he had a son who was just like him, and he named him Seth. Adam had more children 5and died at the age of nine hundred thirty.

6When Seth was one hundred five, he had a son named Enosh. 7Seth had more children 8and died at the age of nine hundred twelve.

9When Enosh was ninety, he had a son named Kenan. 10Enosh had more children 11and died at the age of nine hundred five.

12When Kenan was seventy, he had a son named Mahalalel. 13Kenan had more children 14and died at the age of nine hundred ten.

15When Mahalalel was sixty-five, he had a son named Jared. 16Mahalalel had more children 17and died at the age of eight hundred ninety-five.

18When Jared was one hundred sixty-two, he had a son named Enoch. 19Jared had more children 20and died at the age of nine hundred sixty-two.

21When Enoch was sixty-five, he had a son named Methuselah, 22and during the next three hundred years he had more children. Enoch truly loved God, 23-24and God took him away at the age of three hundred sixty-five.

25When Methuselah was one hundred eighty-seven, he had a son named Lamech. 26Methuselah had more children 27and died at the age of nine hundred sixty-nine.

28When Lamech was one hundred eighty-two, he had a son. 29Lamech said, "I'll name him Noah because he will give us comfort, [a] as we struggle hard to make a living on this land that the LORD has put under a curse." 30Lamech had more children 31and died at the age of seven hundred seventy-seven. 32After Noah was five hundred years old, he had three sons and named them Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6

The LORD Will Send a Flood

1-2More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings [b] came down and married the ones they wanted. 3Then the LORD said, "I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. [c] No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years." [d] 4The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later. 5The LORD saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil. 6He was very sorry that he had made them, 7and he said, "I'll destroy every living creature on earth! I'll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles. I'm sorry I ever made them."

8But the LORD was pleased with Noah, 9and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. 10He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11-12God knew that everyone was terribly cruel and violent. 13So he told Noah:

Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I'm going to destroy the whole earth and all its people. 14Get some good lumber and build a boat. Put rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out. 15Make it four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. 16Build a roof [e] on the boat and leave a space of about eighteen inches between the roof and the sides. [f] Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side. 17I'm going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive. 18But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat. [g] 19-20Bring into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, as well as a male and a female of every reptile. I don't want them to be destroyed. 21Store up enough food both for yourself and for them.

22Noah did everything the LORD told him to do.

Genesis 7

The Flood

1The LORD told Noah:

Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me. 2Take seven pairs of every kind of animal that can be used for sacrifice [h] and one pair of all others. 3Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird with you. Do this so there will always be animals and birds on the earth. 4Seven days from now I will send rain that will last for forty days and nights, and I will destroy all other living creatures I have made. 5-7Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the LORD had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him. 8-9He obeyed God and took a male and a female of each kind of animal and bird into the boat with him. 10Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.

11-12Noah was six hundred years old when the water under the earth started gushing out everywhere. The sky opened like windows, and rain poured down for forty days and nights. All this began on the seventeenth day of the second month of the year. 13On that day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. 14They took along every kind of animal, tame and wild, including the birds. 15Noah took a male and a female of every living creature with him, 16just as God had told him to do. And when they were all in the boat, God closed the door.

17-18For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above the ground. 19-20Finally, the mighty flood was so deep that even the highest mountain peaks were almost twenty-five feet below the surface of the water. 21Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth. 22-23The LORD destroyed everything that breathed. Nothing was left alive except Noah and the others in the boat. 24A hundred fifty days later, the water started going down.

Footnotes:
Genesis 5:29 Noah. . . comfort: In Hebrew "Noah" sounds like "comfort."
Genesis 6:1 supernatural beings: Or "angels."
Genesis 6:3 I won't. . . forever: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Genesis 6:3 No one. . . years: Or "In fact, they will all be destroyed in about one hundred years" (that is, at the time of the flood).
Genesis 6:16 roof: Or "window."
Genesis 6:16 leave. . . sides: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Genesis 6:18 boat: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.
Genesis 7:2 animal. . . for sacrifice: Hebrew "clean animals." Animals that could be used for sacrifice were called "clean," and animals that could not be used were called "unclean."


Matthew 3:7-4:11 (Contemporary English Version)

7Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:

You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? 8Do something to show that you have really given up your sins. 9And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. 10An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.

11I baptize you with water so that you will give up your sins. [a] But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. [b] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. [c] He will store the wheat in a barn and burn the husks in a fire that never goes out.

The Baptism of Jesus
(Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21,22)

13Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14But John kept objecting and said, "I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?"

15Jesus answered, "For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do." Then John agreed.

16So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him."

Matthew 4

Jesus and the Devil
(Mark 1.12,13; Luke 4.1-13)

1The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him. 2After Jesus had gone without eating [d] for forty days and nights, he was very hungry. 3Then the devil came to him and said, "If you are God's Son, tell these stones to turn into bread." 4Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say:
`No one can live only on food.

People need every word that God has spoken.' "

5Next, the devil took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the highest part of the temple. 6The devil said, "If you are God's Son, jump off. The Scriptures say:

`God will give his angels
orders about you.
They will catch you
in their arms,
and you won't hurt
your feet on the stones.' "

7Jesus answered, "The Scriptures also say, `Don't try to test the Lord your God!' "

8Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. 9The devil said to him, "I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me."

10Jesus answered, "Go away Satan! The Scriptures say:
`Worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.' "

11Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.

Footnotes:
Matthew 3:11 so that you will give up your sins: Or "because you have given up your sins."
Matthew 3:11 carry his sandals: This was one of the duties of a slave.
Matthew 3:12 His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks: After Jewish farmers had trampled out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the husks into the air. Wind would blow away the light husks, and the grain would fall back to the ground, where it could be gathered up.
Matthew 4:2 without eating: The Jewish people sometimes went without eating (also called "fasting") to show their love for God or to show sorrow for their sins.


Psalm 3:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 3
(Written by David when he was running from his son Absalom.)

An Early Morning Prayer

1I have a lot of enemies, LORD.
Many fight against 2me and say,
"God won't rescue you!"

3But you are my shield,
and you give me victory
and great honor.

4I pray to you, and you answer
from your sacred hill.

5I sleep and wake up refreshed
because you, LORD,
protect me.

6Ten thousand enemies attack
from every side,
but I am not afraid.

7Come and save me, LORD God!
Break my enemies' jaws
and shatter their teeth,
8because you protect
and bless your people.


Proverbs 1:10-19 (Contemporary English Version)

10Don't be tempted by sinners
or listen 11when they say,
"Come on! Let's gang up
and kill somebody,
just for the fun of it!

12They're well and healthy now,
but we'll finish them off
once and for all.

13We'll take their valuables
and fill our homes
with stolen goods.

14If you join our gang,
you'll get your share."

15Don't follow anyone like that
or do what they do.

16They are in a big hurry
to commit some crime,
perhaps even murder.

17They are like a bird
that sees the bait,
but ignores the trap. [a] 18They gang up to murder someone,
but they are the victims.

19The wealth you get from crime
robs you of your life.

Footnotes:
Proverbs 1:17 They are. . . trap: Or " Be like a bird that won't go for the bait, if it sees the trap."

Bible Readings for January 2, 2010

Today our passages are Genesis 3:1 – 4:26; Matthew 2:13 – 3:6; Psalm 2:1-12; and Proverbs 1:7-9. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

*********

Genesis 3-4:26 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 3

The First Sin

1The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the LORD God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, "Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"

2The woman answered, "God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 3except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."

4"No, you won't!" the snake replied. 5"God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does."

6The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. 7Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.

8Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.

The Trouble with Sin

9The LORD called out to the man and asked, "Where are you?"

10The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"

11"How did you know you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?"

12"It was the woman you put here with me," the man said. "She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it."

13The LORD God then asked the woman, "What have you done?"

"The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."

14So the LORD God said to the snake:

"Because of what you have done,
you will be the only animal
to suffer this curse--
For as long as you live,
you will crawl on your stomach
and eat dirt.

15You and this woman
will hate each other;
your descendants and hers
will always be enemies.
One of hers will strike you
on the head,
and you will strike him
on the heel."

16Then the LORD said to the woman,
"You will suffer terribly
when you give birth.
But you will still desire
your husband,
and he will rule over you."

17The LORD said to the man,
"You listened to your wife
and ate fruit from that tree.
And so, the ground
will be under a curse
because of what you did.
As long as you live,
you will have to struggle
to grow enough food.
18Your food will be plants,
but the ground
will produce
thorns and thistles.
19You will have to sweat
to earn a living;
you were made out of soil,
and you will once again
turn into soil."

20The man Adam [a] named his wife Eve [b] because she would become the mother of all who live. 21Then the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for the man and his wife.

22The LORD said, "These people now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live forever." 23So the LORD God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made. 24Then God put winged creatures at the entrance to the garden and a flaming, flashing sword to guard the way to the life-giving tree.

Genesis 4

Cain Murders Abel

1Adam [c] and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, "I'll name him Cain because I got [d] him with the help of the LORD." 2Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land. 3One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the LORD, 4and Abel also gave an offering to the LORD. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the LORD the best parts of it. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.

6The LORD said to Cain:

What's wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face? 7If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. [e] But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it! 8Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go for a walk." [f] And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him. 9Afterwards the LORD asked Cain, "Where is Abel?"

"How should I know?" he answered. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?"

10Then the LORD said:

Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you. 11And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again. 12If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.

13"This punishment is too hard!" Cain said. 14"You're making me leave my home and live far from you. [g] I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me." 15"No!" [h] the LORD answered. "Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you." So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. 16But Cain had to go far from the LORD and live in the Land of Wandering, [i] which is east of Eden.

More and More People

17Later, Cain and his wife had a son named Enoch. At the time Cain was building a town, and so he named it Enoch after his son. 18Then Enoch had a son named Irad, who had a son named Mehujael, who had a son named Methushael, who had a son named Lamech.

19Lamech married Adah, then Zillah. 20-21Lamech and Adah had two sons, Jabal and Jubal. Their son Jabal was the first to live in tents and raise sheep and goats. Jubal was the first to play harps and flutes.

22Lamech and Zillah had a son named Tubal Cain who made tools out of bronze and iron. They also had a daughter, whose name was Naamah.

23One day, Lamech said to his two wives, "A young man wounded me, and I killed him. 24Anyone who tries to get even with me will be punished ten times more than anyone who tries to get even with Cain."

25Adam and his wife had another son. They named him Seth, because they said, "God has given [j] us a son to take the place of Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain." 26Later, Seth had a son and named him Enosh. About this time people started worshiping the LORD. [k]

Footnotes:
Genesis 3:20 The man Adam: In Hebrew "man" and "Adam" are the same.
Genesis 3:20 Eve: In Hebrew "Eve" sounds like "living."
Genesis 4:1 Adam: See the note at 3.20.
Genesis 4:1 Cain. . . got: In Hebrew "Cain" sounds like "got."
Genesis 4:7 you would be smiling: Or "I would have accepted your offering."
Genesis 4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's walk": Most ancient translations; Hebrew "Cain spoke to his brother Abel."
Genesis 4:14 live. . . you: At this time it was believed that the LORD was with his people only in their own land.
Genesis 4:15 No: Three ancient translations; Hebrew "Very well!"
Genesis 4:16 Wandering: The Hebrew text has "Nod," which means "wandering."
Genesis 4:25 Seth. . . given: In Hebrew "Seth" sounds like "given."
Genesis 4:26 worshiping the LORD: Or "worshiping in the name of the LORD."


Matthew 2:13-3:6 (Contemporary English Version)

The Escape to Egypt

13After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him."

14That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, 15where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, "I called my son out of Egypt."

The Killing of the Children

16When Herod found out that the wise men from the east had tricked him, he was very angry. He gave orders for his men to kill all the boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years old and younger. This was based on what he had learned from the wise men.

17So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet Jeremiah had said,

18"In Ramah a voice was heard
crying and weeping loudly.
Rachel was mourning
for her children,
and she refused
to be comforted,
because they were dead."

The Return from Egypt

19After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was still in Egypt.

20The angel said, "Get up and take the child and his mother back to Israel. The people who wanted to kill him are now dead."

21Joseph got up and left with them for Israel. 22But when he heard that Herod's son Archelaus was now ruler of Judea, he was afraid to go there. Then in a dream he was told to go to Galilee, 23and they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, "He will be called a Nazarene." [a]

Matthew 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist
(Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)

1Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. 2He said, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven [b] will soon be here." [c] 3John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,

"In the desert someone
is shouting,
`Get the road ready
for the Lord!
Make a straight path
for him.' "

4John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

5From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. 6They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.

Footnotes:
Matthew 2:23 He will be called a Nazarene: The prophet who said this is not known.
Matthew 3:2 kingdom of heaven: In the Gospel of Matthew "kingdom of heaven" is used with the same meaning as "God's kingdom" in Mark and Luke.
Matthew 3:2 will soon be here: Or "is already here."


Psalm 2:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 2

The LORD's Chosen King

1Why do the nations plot, [a] and why do their people
make useless plans? [b] 2The kings of this earth
have all joined together
to turn against the LORD
and his chosen one.
3They say, "Let's cut the ropes
and set ourselves free!"
4In heaven the LORD laughs
as he sits on his throne,
making fun of the nations.
5The LORD becomes furious
and threatens them.
His anger terrifies them
as he says,
6"I've put my king on Zion,
my sacred hill."
7I will tell the promise
that the LORD made to me:
"You are my son, because today
I have become your father.
8Ask me for the nations,
and every nation on earth
will belong to you.
9You will smash them
with an iron rod
and shatter them
like dishes of clay."
10Be smart, all you rulers,
and pay close attention.
11Serve and honor the LORD;
be glad and tremble.
12Show respect to his son
because if you don't,
the LORD might become furious
and suddenly destroy you. [c] But he blesses and protects
everyone who runs to him.

Footnotes:
Psalm 2:1 Why. . . plot: Or " Why are the nations restless?"
Psalm 2:1 make useless plans: Or " grumble uselessly."
Psalm 2:12 Serve. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 11,12.


Proverbs 1:7-9 (Contemporary English Version)

7Respect and obey the LORD!
This is the beginning
of knowledge. [a] Only a fool rejects wisdom
and good advice.

Warnings against Bad Friends

8My child, obey the teachings
of your parents,

9and wear their teachings
as you would a lovely hat
or a pretty necklace.

Footnotes:
Proverbs 1:7 the beginning of knowledge: Or " what knowledge is all about."

Bible Readings for January 1, 2011

Today our passages are Genesis 1:1 – 2:25; Matthew 1:1 – 2:12; Psalm 1:1-6; and Proverbs 1:1-6. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Genesis 1-2:25 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 1

The Story of Creation

1In the beginning God
created the heavens
and the earth. [a] 2The earth was barren,
with no form of life; [b] it was under a roaring ocean
covered with darkness.
But the Spirit of God [c] was moving over the water.

The First Day

3 God said, "I command light to shine!" And light started shining. 4God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness 5and named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening came and then morning--that was the first day. [d]

The Second Day

6 God said, "I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it." 7And that's what happened. God made the dome 8and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning--that was the second day.

The Third Day

9 God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened. 10God named the dry ground "Land," and he named the water "Ocean." God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good.

11God said, "I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain." And that's what happened. 12The earth produced all kinds of vegetation. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. 13Evening came and then morning--that was the third day.

The Fourth Day

14 God said, "I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years. 15I command them to shine on the earth." And that's what happened.

16God made two powerful lights, the brighter one to rule the day and the other [e] to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17Then God put these lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18to rule day and night, and to separate light from darkness. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. 19Evening came and then morning--that was the fourth day.

The Fifth Day

20 God said, "I command the ocean to be full of living creatures, and I command birds to fly above the earth." 21So God made the giant sea monsters and all the living creatures that swim in the ocean. He also made every kind of bird. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. 22Then he gave the living creatures his blessing--he told the ocean creatures to live everywhere in the ocean and the birds to live everywhere on earth. 23Evening came and then morning--that was the fifth day.

The Sixth Day

24 God said, "I command the earth to give life to all kinds of tame animals, wild animals, and reptiles." And that's what happened. 25God made every one of them. Then he looked at what he had done, and it was good.

26God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures."

27So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. 28God gave them his blessing and said:

Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.

29I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. 30And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes. These will be food for animals, both wild and tame, and for birds.

31God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came and then morning--that 1was the sixth day.

Genesis 2

1So the heavens and the earth and everything else were created.

The Seventh Day

2 By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. 3God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.
4That's how God created the heavens and the earth.

When the LORD God made the heavens and the earth,

The Garden of Eden

5no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land. 6But streams [f] came up from the ground and watered the earth. 7The LORD God took a handful of soil and made a man. [g] God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing. 8The LORD made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there. 9The LORD God placed all kinds of beautiful trees and fruit trees in the garden. Two other trees were in the middle of the garden. One of the trees gave life--the other gave the power to know the difference between right and wrong.

10From Eden a river flowed out to water the garden, then it divided into four rivers. 11The first one is the Pishon River that flows through the land of Havilah, 12where pure gold, rare perfumes, and precious stones are found. 13The second is the Gihon River that winds through Ethiopia. [h] 14The Tigris River that flows east of Assyria is the third, and the fourth is the Euphrates River. 15The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it. 16But the LORD told him, "You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 17except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!"

18The LORD God said, "It isn't good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him." 19-20So the LORD took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names.

None of these was the right kind of partner for the man. 21So the LORD God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side, 22the LORD made a woman out of the rib.

The LORD God brought her to the man, 23and the man exclaimed,

"Here is someone like me!
She is part of my body,
my own flesh and bones.
She came from me, a man.
So I will name her Woman!" [i] 24That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person.

25Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.

Footnotes:
Genesis 1:1 the heavens and the earth: "The heavens and the earth" stood for the universe.
Genesis 1:2 In. . . life: Or "When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was barren with no form of life."
Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God: Or "a mighty wind."
Genesis 1:5 the first day: A day was measured from evening to evening.
Genesis 1:16 the brighter. . . the other: The sun and the moon. But they are not called by their names, because in Old Testament times some people worshiped the sun and the moon as though they were gods.
Genesis 2:6 streams: Or "mist."
Genesis 2:7 man: In Hebrew "man" comes from the same word as "soil."
Genesis 2:13 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has "Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
Genesis 2:23 a man. . . Woman: In Hebrew the words "man" and "woman" are similar.


Matthew 1-2:12 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 1

The Ancestors of Jesus
(Luke 3.23-38)

1Jesus Christ came from the family of King David and also from the family of Abraham. And this is a list of his ancestors. From Abraham to King David, his ancestors were:
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and his brothers (Judah's sons were Perez and Zerah, and their mother was Tamar), Hezron;
Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, and King David.
From David to the time of the exile in Babylonia, the ancestors of Jesus were:
David, Solomon (his mother had been Uriah's wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram;
Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and Jehoiachin and his brothers.

12-16From the exile to the birth of Jesus, his ancestors were:
Jehoiachin, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim;
Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

17There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. There were also fourteen from David to the exile in Babylonia and fourteen more to the birth of the Messiah.

The Birth of Jesus
(Luke 2.1-7)

18This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David's family. But before they were married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God's Holy Spirit. 19Joseph was a good man [a] and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding. 20While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. 21Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, [b] because he will save his people from their sins." 22So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, 23"A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel," which means "God is with us."

24After Joseph woke up, he and Mary were soon married, just as the Lord's angel had told him to do. 25But they did not sleep together before her baby was born. Then Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 2

The Wise Men

1When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men [c] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and said, "Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east [d] and have come to worship him." 3When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. 4Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?"

5They told him, "He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote,

6'Bethlehem in the land
of Judea,
you are very important
among the towns of Judea.
From your town
will come a leader,
who will be like a shepherd
for my people Israel.' "

7Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. 8He told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too."

9The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10They were thrilled and excited to see the star.

11When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh [e] and gave them to him. 12Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road.

Footnotes:
Matthew 1:19 good man: Or "kind man," or "man who always did the right thing."
Matthew 1:21 name him Jesus: In Hebrew the name "Jesus" means "the Lord saves."
Matthew 2:1 wise men: People famous for studying the stars.
Matthew 2:2 his star in the east: Or "his star rise."
Matthew 2:11 frankincense, and myrrh: Frankincense was a valuable powder that was burned to make a sweet smell. Myrrh was a valuable sweet-smelling powder often used in perfume.


Psalm 1:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 1

BOOK I
(Psalms 1-41)

The Way to Happiness

1God blesses those people
who refuse evil advice
and won't follow sinners
or join in sneering at God.

2Instead, the Law of the LORD
makes them happy,
and they think about it
day and night.

3They are like trees
growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
in everything they do.

4That isn't true of those
who are evil,
because they are like straw
blown by the wind.

5Sinners won't have an excuse
on the day of judgment,
and they won't have a place
with the people of God.

6The LORD protects everyone
who follows him,
but the wicked follow a road
that leads to ruin.


Proverbs 1:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 1

How Proverbs Can Be Used

1These are the proverbs
of King Solomon of Israel,
the son of David.

2Proverbs will teach you
wisdom and self-control
and how to understand
sayings with deep meanings.

3You will learn what is right
and honest and fair.

4From these, an ordinary person
can learn to be smart,
and young people can gain
knowledge and good sense.

5If you are already wise,
you will become even wiser.
And if you are smart,
you will learn to understand

6proverbs and sayings,
as well as words of wisdom
and all kinds of riddles.