Daily Readings

¹ And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.² And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.³ And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.⁴ And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.⁵ And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.⁶ And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.⁷ And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done.⁸ And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.⁹ And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.¹⁰ And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.¹¹ And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.¹² Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.¹³ And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:¹⁴ And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:¹⁵ But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;¹⁶ Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.¹⁷ But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.¹⁸ And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.¹⁹ And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.²⁰ And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,²¹ These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.²² Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.²³ Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of their's be our's? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.²⁴ And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.²⁵ And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.²⁶ And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.²⁸ They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,²⁹ And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.³⁰ And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.³¹ And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

¹ And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.² Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:³ And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.⁴ And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.⁵ And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.⁶ So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.⁷ And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.⁸ But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.⁹ And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.¹⁰ And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.¹¹ And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;¹² And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.¹³ And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.¹⁴ And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.¹⁵ And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.¹⁶ And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.¹⁷ And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.¹⁸ And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.¹⁹ And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.²⁰ And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.²¹ And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.²² And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:²³ The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:²⁴ The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:²⁵ And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:²⁶ And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.²⁷ And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.²⁸ And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.²⁹ And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

¹ Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.³ Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.⁴ Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.⁵ Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.⁶ And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.¹⁰ For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.¹² The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.¹³ The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.¹⁴ The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.¹⁵ Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.¹⁶ A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.¹⁸ The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.²⁰ But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.²¹ The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.²² For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.²⁵ I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.²⁸ For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.³¹ The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.³² The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.³³ The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.³⁴ Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.³⁶ Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.³⁷ Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

¹ And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,² The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,³ And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.⁴ Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.⁵ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:⁶ And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.⁷ But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.⁸ Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.⁹ Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.¹¹ And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:¹² And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.¹³ Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.¹⁵ Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.¹⁶ And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.¹⁷ Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?¹⁸ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?¹⁹ Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.²⁰ And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?²¹ They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.²² When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.²³ The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,²⁴ Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.²⁵ Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:²⁶ Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.²⁷ And last of all the woman died also.²⁸ Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.²⁹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.³¹ But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,³² I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.³³ And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.³⁴ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.³⁵ Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,³⁶ Master, which is the great commandment in the law?³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,⁴² Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.⁴³ He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,⁴⁴ The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?⁴⁵ If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?⁴⁶ And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.