Day 26 of 365

Gen 48:1–49:33

48:1 It happened after these things, that someone said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is sick." He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

48:2 Someone told Jacob, and said, "Behold, your son Joseph comes to you," and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.

48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

48:4 and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.'

48:5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.

48:6 Your issue, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

48:7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem)."

48:8 Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?"

48:9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." He said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."

48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn't see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

48:11 Israel said to Joseph, "I did not think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also."

48:12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

48:13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.

48:14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

48:15 He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,

48:16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

48:18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

48:19 His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations."

48:20 He blessed them that day, saying, "In you will Israel bless, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh'" He set Ephraim before Manasseh.

48:21 Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

48:22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."

49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.

49:2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.

49:3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.

49:4 Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.

49:5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.

49:6 My soul, do not come into their council. My glory, do not be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

49:8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down before you.

49:9 Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?

49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

49:11 Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

49:12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.

49:13 "Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.

49:14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

49:15 He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.

49:16 "Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

49:17 Dan will be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.

49:18 I have waited for your salvation, Lord.

49:19 "A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.

49:20 "Asher's food will be rich. He will yield royal dainties.

49:21 "Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.

49:22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.

49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him:

49:24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),

49:25 even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.

49:26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.

49:27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoil."

49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.

49:29 He instructed them, and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

49:30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.

49:31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:

49:32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth."

49:33 When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.

Matt 17:1–27

1 After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, Jacob, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.

2 He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.

3 Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.

4 Peter answered, and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let us make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him."

6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.

7 Jesus came and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid."

8 Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.

9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Do not tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

10 The disciples asked him, saying, "Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

11 He answered them, "Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,

12 but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them."

13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist.

14 When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, saying,

15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.

16 So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him."

17 Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me."

18 Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, "Why weren't we able to cast it out?"

20 So he said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." [

21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]

22 While they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,

23 and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up." They were exceedingly sorry.

24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, "Does not your teacher pay the didrachma?"

25 He said, "Yes." When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?"

26 He said to him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Therefore the children are exempt.

27 But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you."

Prov 6:22–35

22 When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

24 to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife's tongue.

25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

26 For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

28 Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

31 but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

32 He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

33 He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

34 For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.