Daily Readings

¹ And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.² Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughers of Laban thy mother's brother.³ And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;⁴ And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.⁵ And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.⁶ When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughers of Canaan;⁷ And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;⁸ And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;⁹ Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.¹⁰ And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.¹¹ And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.¹² And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.¹³ And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;¹⁴ And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.¹⁵ And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.¹⁶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.¹⁷ And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.¹⁸ And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.²⁰ And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,²¹ So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:²² And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

¹ Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.² And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.³ And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.⁴ And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.⁵ And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.⁶ And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.⁷ And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.⁸ And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.⁹ And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.¹⁰ And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.¹¹ And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.¹² And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.¹³ And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.¹⁴ And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.¹⁵ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?¹⁶ And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.¹⁷ Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.¹⁸ And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.¹⁹ And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.²⁰ And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.²¹ And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.²² And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.²³ And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.²⁴ And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.²⁵ And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?²⁶ And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.²⁷ Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.²⁸ And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.²⁹ And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.³⁰ And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.³¹ And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.³² And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.³³ And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.³⁴ And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.³⁵ And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

¹ Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.² Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.³ Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.⁴ For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.⁵ He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.⁷ He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.⁹ For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.¹⁰ The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.¹¹ The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.¹³ The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.¹⁴ From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.¹⁵ He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.¹⁶ There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.¹⁷ An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.¹⁸ Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;¹⁹ To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.²⁰ Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.²¹ For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.²² Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

¹ At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?² And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,³ And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.⁴ Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.⁵ And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.⁶ But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.⁷ Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!⁸ Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.⁹ And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.¹⁰ Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.¹¹ For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.¹² How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?¹³ And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.¹⁴ Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.¹⁵ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.¹⁶ But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.¹⁸ Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.¹⁹ Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.²¹ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?²² Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.²³ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.²⁴ And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.²⁵ But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.²⁶ The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.²⁷ Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.²⁸ But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.²⁹ And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.³⁰ And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.³¹ So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.³² Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:³³ Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?³⁴ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.