Reading through the Word....Day 10, January 10

GENESIS 23:1- 24:51
MATTHEW 8:1- 17
PSALM 9:13- 20
PROVERBS 3:1- 6


When Sarah was 127 years old, 2 she died at Kiriath- arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her. 3 Then, leaving her body, he went to the Hittite elders and said, 4 "Here I am, a stranger in a foreign land, with no place to bury my wife. Please let me have a piece of land for a burial plot." 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 "Certainly, for you are an honored prince among us. It will be a privilege to have you choose the finest of our tombs so you can bury her there." 7 Then Abraham bowed low before them and said, 8 "Since this is how you feel, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar 9 to let me have the cave of Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I want to pay the full price, of course, whatever is publicly agreed upon, so I may have a permanent burial place for my family." 10 Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the elders of the town. 11 "No, sir," he said to Abraham, "please listen to me. I will give you the cave and the field. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead." 12 Abraham bowed again to the people of the land, 13 and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. "No, listen to me," he insisted. "I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there." 14 "Well," Ephron answered, 15 "the land is worth four hundred pieces of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead." 16 So Abraham paid Ephron the amount he had suggested, four hundred pieces of silver, as was publicly agreed. 17 He bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees nearby. 18 They became Abraham's permanent possession by the agreement made in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. 19 So Abraham buried Sarah there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, which is at Hebron. 20 The field and the cave were sold to Abraham by the Hittites as a permanent burial place. 24:1 ABRAHAM was now a very old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to the man in charge of his household, who was his oldest servant, 3 "Swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not let my son marry one of these local Canaanite women. 4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac." 5 The servant asked, "But suppose I can't find a young woman who will travel so far from home? May I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives?" 6 "No!" Abraham warned. "Be careful never to take my son there. 7 For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my offspring. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a young woman there to be my son's wife. 8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there." 9 So the servant took a solemn oath that he would follow Abraham's instructions. 10 He loaded ten of Abraham's camels with gifts and set out, taking with him the best of everything his master owned. He traveled to Aram- naharaim and went to the village where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled. 11 There the servant made the camels kneel down beside a well just outside the village. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water. 12 "O LORD, God of my master," he prayed. "Give me success and show kindness to my master, Abraham. Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey. 13 See, here I am, standing beside this spring, and the young women of the village are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them for a drink. If she says, `Yes, certainly, and I will water your camels, too! '-- let her be the one you have appointed as Isaac's wife. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." 15 As he was still praying, a young woman named Rebekah arrived with a water jug on her shoulder. Her father was Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. 16 Now Rebekah was very beautiful, and she was a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. 17 Running over to her, the servant asked, "Please give me a drink." 18 "Certainly, sir," she said, and she quickly lowered the jug for him to drink. 19 When he had finished, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough!" 20 So she quickly emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to the well again. She kept carrying water to the camels until they had finished drinking. 21 The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not she was the one the LORD intended him to meet. 22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists. 23 "Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Would your father have any room to put us up for the night?" 24 "My father is Bethuel," she replied. "My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. 25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and food for the camels, and we have a room for guests." 26 The man fell down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. 27 "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The LORD has been so kind and faithful to Abraham, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives." 28 The young woman ran home to tell her family about all that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban. 30 When he saw the nose- ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard her story, he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. Laban said to him, 31 "Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD. Why do you stand here outside the village when we have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels!" 32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw to bed them down, fed them, and provided water for the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then supper was served. But Abraham's servant said, "I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come." "All right," Laban said, "tell us your mission." 34 "I am Abraham's servant," he explained. 35 "And the LORD has blessed my master richly; he has become a great man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many servants and camels and donkeys. 36 When Sarah, my master's wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master's son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear that I would not let Isaac marry one of the local Canaanite women. 38 Instead, I was to come to his relatives here in this far- off land, to his father's home. I was told to bring back a young woman from here to marry his son. 39" `But suppose I can't find a young woman willing to come back with me?' I asked him. 40 `You will, 'he told me, `for the LORD, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must get a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family. 41 But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her come, you will be free from your oath.' 42 "So this afternoon when I came to the spring I prayed this prayer:`O LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way. 43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. I will say to some young woman who comes to draw water," Please give me a drink of water! "44 And she will reply," Certainly! And I'll water your camels, too! "LORD, let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master's son. '45" Before I had finished praying these words, I saw Rebekah coming along with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water and filled the jug. So I said to her, `Please give me a drink.' 46 She quickly lowered the jug from her shoulder so I could drink, and she said, `Certainly, sir, and I will water your camels, too! 'And she did. 47 When I asked her whose daughter she was, she told me, `My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife, Milcah.' So I gave her the ring and the bracelets. 48 "Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me along the right path to find a wife from the family of my master's relatives. 49 So tell me-- will you or won't you show true kindness to my master? When you tell me, then I'll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that." 50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed."


Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Jesus. He knelt before him, worshiping. "Lord," the man said, "if you want to, you can make me well again." 3 Jesus touched him. "I want to," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 4 Then Jesus said to him, "Go right over to the priest and let him examine you. Don't talk to anyone along the way. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy, so everyone will have proof of your healing." 5 When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 "Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and racked with pain." 7 Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." 8 Then the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! 9 I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, `Go, 'and they go, or `Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, `Do this or that, 'they do it." 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites-- those for whom the Kingdom was prepared-- will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go on home. What you have believed has happened." And the young servant was healed that same hour. 14 When Jesus arrived at Peter's house, Peter's mother- in- law was in bed with a high fever. 15 But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. 16 That evening many demon- possessed people were brought to Jesus. All the spirits fled when he commanded them to leave; and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Isaiah, who said, "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases."


LORD, have mercy on me.
See how I suffer at the hands of those who hate me.
Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
14 Save me, so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem's gates,
so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
They have been caught in their own trap.
16 The LORD is known for his justice.
The wicked have trapped themselves in their own snares.
Quiet Interlude17 The wicked will go down to the grave.
This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 For the needy will not be forgotten forever;
the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
19 Arise, O LORD!
Do not let mere mortals defy you!
Let the nations be judged in your presence!
20 Make them tremble in fear, O LORD.
Let them know they are merely human.


My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart, for they will give you a long and satisfying life. Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths

Reading through the Word....Day 9, January 9

GENESIS 20:1- 22:24
MATTHEW 7:15- 29
PSALM 9:1- 12
PROVERBS 2:16- 22


Now Abraham moved south to the Negev and settled for a while between Kadesh and Shur at a place called Gerar. 2 Abraham told people there that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. So King Abimelech sent for her and had her brought to him at his palace. 3 But one night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, "You are a dead man, for that woman you took is married." 4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent man? 5 Abraham told me, `She is my sister, 'and she herself said, `Yes, he is my brother.' I acted in complete innocence!" 6 "Yes, I know you are innocent," God replied. "That is why I kept you from sinning against me; I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return her to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don't return her to him, you can be sure that you and your entire household will die." 8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and hastily called a meeting of all his servants. When he told them what had happened, great fear swept through the crowd. 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. "What is this you have done to us?" he demanded. "What have I done to you that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? This kind of thing should not be done! 10 Why have you done this to us?" 11 "Well," Abraham said, "I figured this to be a godless place. I thought, `They will want my wife and will kill me to get her. '12 Besides, she is my sister-- we both have the same father, though different mothers-- and I married her. 13 When God sent me to travel far from my father's home, I told her, `Wherever we go, have the kindness to say that you are my sister.'" 14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and servants-- both men and women-- and gave them to Abraham, and he returned his wife, Sarah, to him. 15 "Look over my kingdom, and choose a place where you would like to live," Abimelech told him. 16 Then he turned to Sarah. "Look," he said, "I am giving your `brother 'a thousand pieces of silver to compensate for any embarrassment I may have caused you. This will settle any claim against me in this matter." 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and the other women of the household, so they could have children. 18 For the LORD had stricken all the women with infertility as a warning to Abimelech for having taken Abraham's wife. 21:1 THEN the LORD did exactly what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant, and she gave a son to Abraham in his old age. It all happened at the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named his son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was one hundred years old at the time. 6 And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!" 8 As time went by and Isaac grew and was weaned, Abraham gave a big party to celebrate the happy occasion. 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael-- the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar-- making fun of Isaac. 10 So she turned to Abraham and demanded, "Get rid of that servant and her son. He is not going to share the family inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won't have it!" 11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12 But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant wife. Do just as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13 But I will make a nation of the descendants of Hagar's son because he also is your son." 14 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food for the journey, and strapped a container of water to Hagar's shoulders. He sent her away with their son, and she walked out into the wilderness of Beersheba, wandering aimlessly. 15 When the water was gone, she left the boy in the shade of a bush. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. "I don't want to watch the boy die," she said, as she burst into tears. 17 Then God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, "Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy's cries from the place where you laid him. 18 Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants." 19 Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well. She immediately filled her water container and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran. He became an expert archer, 21 and his mother arranged a marriage for him with a young woman from Egypt. 22 About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "It is clear that God helps you in everything you do," Abimelech said. 23 "Swear to me in God's name that you won't deceive me, my children, or my grandchildren. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living." 24 Abraham replied, "All right, I swear to it!" 25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken violently from Abraham's servants. 26 "This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech said. "And I have no idea who is responsible. Why didn't you say something about this before?" 27 Then Abraham gave sheep and oxen to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. 28 But when Abraham took seven additional ewe lambs and set them off by themselves, 29 Abimelech asked, "Why are you doing that?" 30 Abraham replied, "They are my gift to you as a public confirmation that I dug this well." 31 So ever since, that place has been known as Beersheba-- "well of the oath"-- because that was where they had sworn an oath. 32 After making their covenant, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God, at that place. 34 And Abraham lived in Philistine country for a long time. 22:1 LATER on God tested Abraham's faith and obedience. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am." 2 "Take your son, your only son-- yes, Isaac, whom you love so much-- and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you." 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son Isaac. Then he chopped wood to build a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place where God had told him to go. 4 On the third day of the journey, Abraham saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the young men. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back." 6 Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the knife and the fire. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac said, "Father?" "Yes, my son," Abraham replied. "We have the wood and the fire," said the boy, "but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" 8 "God will provide a lamb, my son," Abraham answered. And they both went on together. 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he tied Isaac up and laid him on the altar over the wood. 10 And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to kill his son as a sacrifice to the LORD. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD shouted to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," he answered. "I'm listening." 12 "Lay down the knife," the angel said. "Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld even your beloved son from me." 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering on the altar in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place "The LORD Will Provide." This name has now become a proverb:"On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." 15 Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven, 16 "This is what the LORD says:Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by my own self that 17 I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, 18 and through your descendants, *all the nations of the earth will be blessed-- all because you have obeyed me." 19 Then they returned to Abraham's young men and traveled home again to Beersheba, where Abraham lived for quite some time. 20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor's wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. 24 In addition to his eight sons from Milcah, Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.


"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. 16 You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. 17 A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced. 21" Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 On judgment day many will tell me, `Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. '23 But I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.' 24 "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash." 28 After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught as one who had real authority-- quite unlike the teachers of religious law.


For the choir director:A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Death of the Son."
1 I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn away in retreat;
they are overthrown and destroyed before you.
4 For you have judged in my favor;
from your throne, you have judged with fairness.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have wiped out their names forever.
6 My enemies have met their doom;
their cities are perpetual ruins.
Even the memory of their uprooted cities is lost.
7 But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem.
Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
He does not ignore those who cry to him for help.

Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the adulterous woman. She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to hell. The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life. Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous. For only the upright will live in the land, and those who have integrity will remain in it. But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be destroyed

Reading through the Word...Day 8, January 8

GENESIS 18:16- 19:38
MATTHEW 6:25- 7:14
PSALM 8:1- 9
PROVERBS 2:6- 15

Then the men got up from their meal and started on toward Sodom. Abraham went with them part of the way. 17 "Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the LORD asked. 18 "For Abraham will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD and do what is right and just. Then I will do for him all that I have promised." 20 So the LORD told Abraham, "I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are extremely evil, and that everything they do is wicked. 21 I am going down to see whether or not these reports are true. Then I will know." 22 The two other men went on toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham for a while. 23 Abraham approached him and said, "Will you destroy both innocent and guilty alike? 24 Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city-- will you still destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the innocent with the guilty. Why, you would be treating the innocent and the guilty exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" 26 And the LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake." 27 Then Abraham spoke again. "Since I have begun, let me go on and speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty- five? Will you destroy the city for lack of five?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty- five." 29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. "Suppose there are only forty?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it if there are forty." 30 "Please don't be angry, my Lord," Abraham pleaded. "Let me speak-- suppose only thirty are found?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it if there are thirty." 31 Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue-- suppose there are only twenty?" And the LORD said, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty." 32 Finally, Abraham said, "Lord, please do not get angry; I will speak but once more! Suppose only ten are found there?" And the LORD said, "Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it." 33 The LORD went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent. 19:1 THAT evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom, and Lot was sitting there as they arrived. When he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed low to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up in the morning as early as you like and be on your way again." "Oh no," they said, "we'll just spend the night out here in the city square." 3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. He set a great feast before them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast. After the meal, 4 as they were preparing to retire for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, "Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out so we can have sex with them." 6 Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 7 "Please, my brothers," he begged, "don't do such a wicked thing. 8 Look-- I have two virgin daughters. Do with them as you wish, but leave these men alone, for they are under my protection." 9 "Stand back!" they shouted. "Who do you think you are? We let you settle among us, and now you are trying to tell us what to do! We'll treat you far worse than those other men!" And they lunged at Lot and began breaking down the door. 10 But the two angels reached out and pulled Lot in and bolted the door. 11 Then they blinded the men of Sodom so they couldn't find the doorway. 12 "Do you have any other relatives here in the city?" the angels asked. "Get them out of this place-- sons- in- law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13 For we will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it." 14 So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters 'fianc鳬 "Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is going to destroy it." But the young men thought he was only joking. 15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city." 16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful. 17 "Run for your lives!" the angels warned. "Do not stop anywhere in the valley. And don't look back! Escape to the mountains, or you will die." 18 "Oh no, my lords, please," Lot begged. 19 "You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved." 21 "All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request. I will not destroy that little village. 22 But hurry! For I can do nothing until you are there." From that time on, that village was known as Zoar. 23 The sun was rising as Lot reached the village. 24 Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, eliminating all life-- people, plants, and animals alike. 26 But Lot's wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 The next morning Abraham was up early and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the LORD's presence. 28 He looked out across the plain to Sodom and Gomorrah and saw columns of smoke and fumes, as from a furnace, rising from the cities there. 29 But God had listened to Abraham's request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain. 30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, "There isn't a man anywhere in this entire area for us to marry. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let's get him drunk with wine, and then we will sleep with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father." 33 So that night they got him drunk, and the older daughter went in and slept with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again. 34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, "I slept with our father last night. Let's get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him. That way our family line will be preserved." 35 So that night they got him drunk again, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again. 36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben- ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.


"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life-- whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. 28" And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! 31 "So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. 32 Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, 33 and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. 34" So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. 7:1 "STOP judging others, and you will not be judged. 2 For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. 3 And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye *when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying, `Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. 6" Don't give what is holy to unholy people. Don't give pearls to swine! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. 7 "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. 9 You parents-- if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. 12" Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 13 "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. 14 But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it."


For the choir director:A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.
1 O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and nursing infants
to give you praise.
They silence your enemies
who were seeking revenge.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers--
the moon and the stars you have set in place--
4 what are mortals that you should think of us,
mere humans that you should care for us?
5 For you made us only a little lower than God,
and you crowned us with glory and honor.
6 You put us in charge of everything you made,
giving us authority over all things--
7 the sheep and the cattle
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!

For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose speech is corrupt. These people turn from right ways to walk down dark and evil paths. They rejoice in doing wrong, and they enjoy evil as it turns things upside down. What they do is crooked, and their ways are wrong

Reading through the Word...Day 7, January 7

GENESIS 16:1- 18:15
MATTHEW 6:1- 24
PSALM 7:1- 17
PROVERBS 2:1- 5

But Sarai, Abram's wife, had no children. So Sarai took her servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar, 2 and gave her to Abram so she could bear his children. "The LORD has kept me from having any children," Sarai said to Abram. "Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed. 3 So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram first arrived in the land of Canaan.) 4 So Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's all your fault! Now this servant of mine is pregnant, and she despises me, though I myself gave her the privilege of sleeping with you. The LORD will make you pay for doing this to me!" 6 Abram replied, "Since she is your servant, you may deal with her as you see fit." So Sarai treated her harshly, and Hagar ran away. 7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a desert spring along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I am running away from my mistress," she replied. 9 Then the angel of the LORD said, "Return to your mistress and submit to her authority." 10 The angel added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count." 11 And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard about your misery. 12 This son of yours will be a wild one-- free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers." 13 Thereafter, Hagar referred to the LORD, who had spoken to her, as "the God who sees me," for she said, "I have seen the One who sees me!" 14 Later that well was named Beer- lahairoi, and it can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty- six years old at that time. 17:1 WHEN Abram was ninety- nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to make you into a mighty nation." 3 At this, Abram fell face down in the dust. Then God said to him, 4 "This is my covenant with you:I will make you the father of not just one nation, but a multitude of nations! 5 What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram; now you will be known as Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. 6 I will give you millions of descendants who will represent many nations. Kings will be among them! 7" I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 Yes, I will give all this land of Canaan to you and to your offspring forever. And I will be their God. 9 "Your part of the agreement," God told Abraham, "is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. 10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep:Each male among you must be circumcised; 11 the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off. This will be a sign that you and they have accepted this covenant. 12 Every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family, but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign- born servants whom you have purchased. 13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will thus bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. 14 Anyone who refuses to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for violating the covenant." 15 Then God added, "Regarding Sarai, your wife-- her name will no longer be Sarai; from now on you will call her Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings will be among her descendants!" 17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of one hundred?" he wondered. "Besides, Sarah is ninety; how could she have a baby?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Yes, may Ishmael enjoy your special blessing!" 19 But God replied, "Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my everlasting covenant with him and his descendants. 20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will cause him to multiply and become a great nation. Twelve princes will be among his descendants. 21 But my covenant is with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year." 22 That ended the conversation, and God left Abraham. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and every other male in his household and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, exactly as God had told him. 24 Abraham was ninety- nine years old at that time, 25 and Ishmael his son was thirteen. 26 Both were circumcised the same day, 27 along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. 18:1 THE LORD appeared again to Abraham while he was camped near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day about noon, as Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, 2 he suddenly noticed three men standing nearby. He got up and ran to meet them, welcoming them by bowing low to the ground. 3 "My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while my servants get some water to wash your feet. 5 Let me prepare some food to refresh you. Please stay awhile before continuing on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said." 6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Get three measures of your best flour, and bake some bread." 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a fat calf and told a servant to hurry and butcher it. 8 When the food was ready, he took some cheese curds and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them there beneath the trees. 9 "Where is Sarah, your wife?" they asked him. "In the tent," Abraham replied. 10 Then one of them said, "About this time next year I will return, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Now Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent nearby. 11 And since Abraham and Sarah were both very old, and Sarah was long past the age of having children, 12 she laughed silently to herself. "How could a worn- out woman like me have a baby?" she thought. "And when my master-- my husband-- is also so old?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, `Can an old woman like me have a baby? '14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? About a year from now, just as I told you, I will return, and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied that she had laughed. But he said, "That is not true. You did laugh."


"Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do-- blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. 5" And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. 7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done here on earth,
just as it is in heaven.
11 Give us our food for today,
12 and forgive us our sins,
just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
13 And don't let us yield to temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
14" If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. 16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. 19" Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth- eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. 22 "Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. 23 But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be! 24" No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. "


A psalm of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin.
1 I come to you for protection, O LORD my God.
Save me from my persecutors-- rescue me!
2 If you don't, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done wrong
or am guilty of injustice,
4 if I have betrayed a friend
or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 then let my enemies capture me.
Let them trample me into the ground.
Let my honor be left in the dust.
Interlude6 Arise, O LORD, in anger!
Stand up against the fury of my enemies!
Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
7 Gather the nations before you.
Sit on your throne high above them.
8 The LORD passes judgment on the nations.
Declare me righteous, O LORD,
for I am innocent, O Most High!
9 End the wickedness of the ungodly,
but help all those who obey you.
For you look deep within the mind and heart,
O righteous God.
10 God is my shield,
saving those whose hearts are true and right.
11 God is a judge who is perfectly fair.
He is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If a person does not repent,
God will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He will prepare his deadly weapons
and ignite his flaming arrows.
14 The wicked conceive evil;
they are pregnant with trouble
and give birth to lies.
15 They dig a pit to trap others
and then fall into it themselves.
16 They make trouble,
but it backfires on them.
They plan violence for others,
but it falls on their own heads.
17 I will thank the LORD because he is just;
I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.


My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God

Reading through the Word...Day 6, January 6

GENESIS 13:5- 15:21
MATTHEW 5:27- 48
PSALM 6:1- 10
PROVERBS 1:29- 33

Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, was also very wealthy with sheep, cattle, and many tents. 6 But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. There were too many animals for the available pastureland. 7 So an argument broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land. 8 Then Abram talked it over with Lot. "This arguing between our herdsmen has got to stop," he said. "After all, we are close relatives! 9 I'll tell you what we'll do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want that area over there, then I'll stay here. If you want to stay in this area, then I'll move on to another place." 10 Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Lot chose that land for himself-- the Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. 12 So while Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom, among the cities of the plain. 13 The people of this area were unusually wicked and sinned greatly against the LORD. 14 After Lot was gone, the LORD said to Abram, "Look as far as you can see in every direction. 15 I am going to give all this land to you and your offspring as a permanent possession. 16 And I am going to give you so many descendants that, like dust, they cannot be counted! 17 Take a walk in every direction and explore the new possessions I am giving you." 18 Then Abram moved his camp to the oak grove owned by Mamre, which is at Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD. 14:1 ABOUT this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2 fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (now called Zoar). 3 The kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela formed an alliance and mobilized their armies in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea). 4 For twelve years they had all been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but now in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 One year later, Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived. They conquered the Rephaites in Ashteroth- karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in the plain of Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in Mount Seir, as far as El- paran at the edge of the wilderness. 7 Then they swung around to En- mishpat (now called Kadesh) and destroyed the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon- tamar. 8 But now the army of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (now called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea 9 against King Kedorlaomer of Elam and the kings of Goiim, Babylonia, and Ellasar-- four kings against five. 10 As it happened, the valley was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some slipped into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. 11 The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and began their long journey home, taking all the wealth and food with them. 12 They also captured Lot-- Abram's nephew who lived in Sodom-- and took everything he owned. 13 One of the men who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was camped at the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram's allies. 14 When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he called together the men born into his household, 318 of them in all. He chased after Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them in Dan. 15 There he divided his men and attacked during the night from several directions. Kedorlaomer's army fled, but Abram chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Abram and his allies recovered everything-- the goods that had been taken, Abram's nephew Lot with his possessions, and all the women and other captives. 17 As Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought him bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High,
who has helped you conquer your enemies."
Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. 21 The king of Sodom told him, "Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered." 22 Abram replied, "I have solemnly promised the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from you. Otherwise you might say, `I am the one who made Abram rich! '24 All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have already eaten. But give a share of the goods to my allies-- Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre." 15:1 AFTERWARD the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great." 2 But Abram replied, "O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since I don't have a son, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no children, so one of my servants will have to be my heir." 4 Then the LORD said to him, "No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own to inherit everything I am giving you." 5 Then the LORD brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, "Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that-- too many to count!" 6 And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD declared him righteous because of his faith. 7 Then the LORD told him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land." 8 But Abram replied, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that you will give it to me?" 9 Then the LORD told him, "Bring me a three- year- old heifer, a three- year- old female goat, a three- year- old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 Abram took all these and killed them. He cut each one down the middle and laid the halves side by side. He did not, however, divide the birds in half. 11 Some vultures came down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. 12 That evening, as the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. He saw a terrifying vision of darkness and horror. 13 Then the LORD told Abram, "You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, and they will be oppressed as slaves for four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (But you will die in peace, at a ripe old age.) 16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, when the sin of the Amorites has run its course." 17 As the sun went down and it became dark, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, "I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River-- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."


"You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye-- even if it is your good eye-- causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand-- even if it is your stronger hand-- causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 31" You have heard that the law of Moses says, `A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a letter of divorce. '32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 "Again, you have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say, don't make any vows! If you say, `By heaven! 'it is a sacred vow because heaven is God's throne. 35 And if you say, `By the earth!' it is a sacred vow because the earth is his footstool. And don't swear, `By Jerusalem! 'for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Don't even swear, `By my head!' for you can't turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, `Yes, I will, 'or `No, I won't.' Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong. 38" You have heard that the law of Moses says, `If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it. '39 But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. 40 If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow. 43 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. 46 If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, *how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."


For the choir director:A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight- stringed instrument.
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage.
2 Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak.
Heal me, LORD, for my body is in agony.
3 I am sick at heart.
How long, O LORD, until you restore me?
4 Return, O LORD, and rescue me.
Save me because of your unfailing love.
5 For in death, who remembers you?
Who can praise you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from sobbing.
Every night tears drench my bed;
my pillow is wet from weeping.
7 My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
8 Go away, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my crying.
9 The LORD has heard my plea;
the LORD will answer my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.


"For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my [wisdom's] advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. That is why they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way. They must experience the full terror of the path they have chosen. For they are simpletons who turn away from me-- to death. They are fools, and their own complacency will destroy them. But all who listen to me will live in peace and safety, unafraid of harm

Reading through the Word...Day 5, January 5

GENESIS 11:1- 13:4
MATTHEW 5:1- 26
PSALM 5:1- 12
PROVERBS 1:24- 28


At one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated eastward, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. 3 They began to talk about construction projects. "Come," they said, "let's make great piles of burnt brick and collect natural asphalt to use as mortar. 4 Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies-- a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world." 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 "Look!" he said. "If they can accomplish this when they have just begun to take advantage of their common language and political unity, just think of what they will do later. Nothing will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let's go down and give them different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other." 8 In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the earth; and that ended the building of the city. 9 That is why the city was called Babel, because it was there that the LORD confused the people by giving them many languages, thus scattering them across the earth. 10 This is the history of Shem's family. When Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born. This happened two years after the Flood. 11 After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, his son Shelah was born. 13 After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah was 30 years old, his son Eber was born. 15 After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born. 17 After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, his son Reu was born. 19 After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu was 32 years old, his son Serug was born. 21 After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, his son Nahor was born. 23 After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, his son Terah was born. 25 After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 This is the history of Terah's family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran had a son named Lot. 28 But while Haran was still young, he died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the place of his birth. He was survived by Terah, his father. 29 Meanwhile, Abram married Sarai, and his brother Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of their brother Haran. (Milcah had a sister named Iscah.) 30 Now Sarai was not able to have any children. 31 Terah took his son Abram, his daughter- in- law Sarai, and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But they stopped instead at the village of Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still at Haran. 12:1 THEN the LORD told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy- five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth-- his livestock and all the people who had joined his household at Haran-- and finally arrived in Canaan. 6 Traveling through Canaan, they came to a place near Shechem and set up camp beside the oak at Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I am going to give this land to your offspring." And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the LORD's visit. 8 After that, Abram traveled southward and set up camp in the hill country between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar and worshiped the LORD. 9 Then Abram traveled south by stages toward the Negev. 10 At that time there was a severe famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to wait it out. 11 As he was approaching the borders of Egypt, Abram said to Sarai, "You are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, `This is his wife. Let's kill him; then we can have her! '13 But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life." 14 And sure enough, when they arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of her beauty. 15 When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to their king, the pharaoh, and she was taken into his harem. 16 Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her-- sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. 17 But the LORD sent a terrible plague upon Pharaoh's household because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called for Abram and accused him sharply. "What is this you have done to me?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why were you willing to let me marry her, saying she was your sister? Here is your wife! Take her and be gone!" 20 Pharaoh then sent them out of the country under armed escort-- Abram and his wife, with all their household and belongings. 13:1 SO they left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev-- Abram with his wife and Lot and all that they owned, 2 for Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. 3 Then they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where they had camped before. 4 This was the place where Abram had built the altar, and there he again worshiped the LORD.


One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. 2 This is what he taught them:3 "God blesses those who realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,
for the whole earth will belong to them.
6 God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,
for they will receive it in full.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11" God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too. 13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world-- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. 15 Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 17" Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 "But I warn you-- unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all! 21" You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' 22 But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, *you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 23 "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown in jail. 26 I assure you that you won't be free again until you have paid the last penny."


For the choir director:A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.
1 O LORD, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I will never pray to anyone but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
you cannot tolerate the slightest sin.
5 Therefore, the proud will not be allowed to stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies.
The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.
7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple.
8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Tell me clearly what to do,
and show me which way to turn.
9 My enemies cannot speak one truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their speech is filled with flattery.
10 O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they rebel against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Protect them,
so all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O LORD,
surrounding them with your shield of love.


"I [wisdom] called you so often, but you didn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you-- when calamity overcomes you like a storm, when you are engulfed by trouble, and when anguish and distress overwhelm you. I will not answer when they cry for help. Even though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me

Reading through the Word.... Day 4, January 4

GENESIS 8:1- 10:32
MATTHEW 4:12- 25
PSALM 4:1- 8
PROVERBS 1:20- 23


But God remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the waters, and the floods began to disappear. 2 The underground water sources ceased their gushing, and the torrential rains stopped. 3 So the flood gradually began to recede. After 150 days, 4 exactly five months from the time the flood began, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks began to appear. 6 After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat 7 and released a raven that flew back and forth until the earth was dry. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground. 9 But the dove found no place to land because the water was still too high. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. 10 Seven days later, Noah released the dove again. 11 This time, toward evening, the bird returned to him with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Noah now knew that the water was almost gone. 12 A week later, he released the dove again, and this time it did not come back. 13 Finally, when Noah was 601 years old, ten and a half months after the flood began, Noah lifted back the cover to look. The water was drying up. 14 Two more months went by, and at last the earth was dry! 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Leave the boat, all of you. 17 Release all the animals and birds so they can breed and reproduce in great numbers." 18 So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat. 19 And all the various kinds of animals and birds came out, pair by pair. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and sacrificed on it the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. 21 And the LORD was pleased with the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people's thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood. 22 As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night." 9:1 GOD blessed Noah and his sons and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth. 2 All the wild animals, large and small, and all the birds and fish will be afraid of you. I have placed them in your power. 3 I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. 4 But you must never eat animals that still have their lifeblood in them. 5 And murder is forbidden. Animals that kill people must die, and any person who murders must be killed. 6 Yes, you must execute anyone who murders another person, for to kill a person is to kill a living being made in God's image. 7 Now you must have many children and repopulate the earth. Yes, multiply and fill the earth!" 8 Then God told Noah and his sons, 9 "I am making a covenant with you and your descendants, 10 and with the animals you brought with you-- all these birds and livestock and wild animals. 11 I solemnly promise never to send another flood to kill all living creatures and destroy the earth." 12 And God said, "I am giving you a sign as evidence of my eternal covenant with you and all living creatures. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth. 14 When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the clouds, 15 and I will remember my covenant with you and with everything that lives. Never again will there be a flood that will destroy all life. 16 When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth." 17 Then God said to Noah, "Yes, this is the sign of my covenant with all the creatures of the earth." 18 Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah, survived the Flood with their father. (Ham is the ancestor of the Canaanites.) 19 From these three sons of Noah came all the people now scattered across the earth. 20 After the Flood, Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard. 21 One day he became drunk on some wine he had made and lay naked in his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. 23 Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father's naked body. As they did this, they looked the other way so they wouldn't see him naked. 24 When Noah woke up from his drunken stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. 25 Then he cursed the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham:"A curse on the Canaanites!
May they be the lowest of servants
to the descendants of Shem and Japheth."
26 Then Noah said, "May Shem be blessed by the LORD my God;
and may Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge the territory of Japheth,
and may he share the prosperity of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant."
28 Noah lived another 350 years after the Flood. 29 He was 950 years old when he died. 10:1 THIS is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the Flood. 2 The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The descendants of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. 5 Their descendants became the seafaring peoples in various lands, each tribe with its own language. 6 The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 One of Cush's descendants was Nimrod, who became a heroic warrior. 9 He was a mighty hunter in the LORD's sight. His name became proverbial, and people would speak of someone as being "like Nimrod, a mighty hunter in the LORD's sight." 10 He built the foundation for his empire in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. 11 From there he extended his reign to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth- ir, Calah, 12 and Resen-- the main city of the empire, located between Nineveh and Calah. 13 Mizraim was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the Caphtorites, from whom the Philistines came. 15 Canaan's oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. 19 Eventually the territory of Canaan spread from Sidon to Gerar, near Gaza, and to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha. 20 These were the descendants of Ham, identified according to their tribes, languages, territories, and nations. 21 Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber. 22 The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The descendants of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. 25 Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg-- "division"-- for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups and dispersed. His brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. 30 The descendants of Joktan lived in the area extending from Mesha toward the eastern hills of Sephar. 31 These were the descendants of Shem, identified according to their tribes, languages, territories, and nations. 32 These are the families that came from Noah's sons, listed nation by nation according to their lines of descent. The earth was populated with the people of these nations after the Flood.


When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 13 But instead of going to Nazareth, he went to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy:15 "In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River--
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live--
16 the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined."
17 From then on, Jesus began to preach, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near." 18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers-- Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew-- fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. 19 Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 20 And they left their nets at once and went with him. 21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. 23 Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease. 24 News about him spread far beyond the borders of Galilee so that the sick were soon coming to be healed from as far away as Syria. And whatever their illness and pain, or if they were possessed by demons, or were epileptics, or were paralyzed-- he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went-- people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.


For the choir director:A psalm of David,to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 Answer me when I call,
O God who declares me innocent.
Take away my distress.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make these groundless accusations?
How long will you pursue lies?
Interlude3 You can be sure of this:
The LORD has set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to him.
4 Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Interlude5 Offer proper sacrifices,
and trust in the LORD.
6 Many people say, "Who will show us better times?"
Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD.
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.
8 I will lie down in peace and sleep,
for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.


Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls out to the crowds along the main street, and to those in front of city hall. "You simpletons!" she cries. "How long will you go on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools fight the facts? Come here and listen to me! I'll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise