Day 11 of 365
Gen 24:1–25:34, Matt 8:20–34, Prov 3:7–17
Old Testament
24:1 Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.
24:3 I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
24:4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
24:5 The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"
24:6 Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not bring my son there again.
24:7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
24:8 If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."
24:9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
24:10 The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
24:11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.
24:12 He said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
24:13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
24:14 Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'-let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
24:15 It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
24:16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.
24:17 The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
24:18 She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink.
24:19 When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."
24:20 She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
24:21 The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
24:22 It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,
24:23 and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"
24:24 She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
24:25 She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
24:26 The man bowed his head, and worshiped the Lord.
24:27 He said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."
24:28 The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.
24:29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
24:30 It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
24:31 He said, "Come in, you blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
24:32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
24:33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."
24:34 He said, "I am Abraham's servant.
24:35 The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
24:36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.
24:37 My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
24:38 but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'
24:39 I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'
24:40 He said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.
24:41 Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'
24:42 I came this day to the spring, and said, 'The Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go-
24:43 behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
24:44 and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"-let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.'
24:45 Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
24:46 She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
24:47 I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.
24:48 I bowed my head, and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.
24:49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from the Lord. We can't speak to you bad or good.
24:51 Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has spoken."
24:52 It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to the Lord.
24:53 The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.
24:54 They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."
24:55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."
24:56 He said to them, "Do not hinder me, seeing the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."
24:57 They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."
24:58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."
24:59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.
24:60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
24:61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
24:62 Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.
24:63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.
24:64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
24:65 She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
24:67 Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
25:1 Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.
25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
25:4 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
25:5 Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac,
25:6 but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.
25:7 These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.
25:8 Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
25:9 Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,
25:10 the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife.
25:11 It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.
25:12 Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham.
25:13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations.
25:17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people.
25:18 They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.
25:19 This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.
25:20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.
25:21 Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
25:22 The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of the Lord.
25:23 The Lord said to her, Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.
25:24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25:25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.
25:26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
25:27 The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.
25:28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.
25:29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.
25:30 Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.
25:31 Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright."
25:32 Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"
25:33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob.
25:34 Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
New Testament
20 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
21 And another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."
22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
23 And when he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.
25 They came to him, and woke him up, saying, "Save us, Lord! We are dying!"
26 And he said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marveled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
28 And when he came to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way.
29 And behold, they shouted, saying, "What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.
31 And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs."
32 And he said to them, "Go!" And they came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water.
33 And those who fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons.
34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.
Wisdom
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:
12 for whom the Lord loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
Text: New Heart English Bible.