18th January

¹ And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.² And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.³ And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.⁴ And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,⁵ And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.⁶ And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.⁷ And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.⁸ If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.⁹ Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.¹⁰ And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.¹¹ And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.¹² And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.¹⁴ And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?¹⁵ Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.¹⁶ For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.¹⁷ Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;¹⁸ And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.¹⁹ And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.²⁰ And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.²¹ So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.²² And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.²³ And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.²⁴ And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.²⁵ Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.²⁶ And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?²⁷ Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?²⁸ And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.²⁹ It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.³⁰ And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?³¹ And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.³² With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.³³ And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.³⁵ And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.³⁶ And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?³⁷ Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.³⁸ This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.³⁹ That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.⁴⁰ Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.⁴¹ Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.⁴² Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.⁴³ And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?⁴⁴ Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.⁴⁵ And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.⁴⁶ And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.⁴⁷ And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.⁴⁸ And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;⁴⁹ And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.⁵⁰ If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.⁵¹ And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:⁵² This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.⁵³ The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.⁵⁴ Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.⁵⁵ And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

¹ Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.² Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.³ Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.⁴ Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.⁵ Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.⁷ For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.⁸ Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.⁹ And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.¹⁰ All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?¹¹ False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.¹² They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.¹³ But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.¹⁴ I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.¹⁵ But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:¹⁶ With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.¹⁷ Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.¹⁸ I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.¹⁹ Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.²⁰ For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.²¹ Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.²² This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.²³ Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.²⁴ Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.²⁵ Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.²⁶ Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.²⁷ Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.²⁸ And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

¹ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.³ And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?⁷ They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.⁸ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.⁹ And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,¹² Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.¹³ But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?¹⁴ Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.¹⁷ And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,¹⁸ Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,¹⁹ And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.²⁰ Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.²¹ And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.²² But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.²³ And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.²⁴ And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.²⁵ But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.²⁶ But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;²⁷ And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:²⁸ Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.²⁹ And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.³⁰ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.³¹ And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.³² And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?³³ They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.³⁴ So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.