Genesis 29

• 1. Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.
• 2. There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.
• 3. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
• 4. Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?We're from Haran," they replied.
• 5. He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?Yes, we know him," they answered.
• 6. Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
• 7. "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."
• 8. "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
• 9. While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
• 10. When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.
• 11. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
• 12. He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
• 13. As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
• 14. Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,
• 15. Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
• 16. Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
• 17. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.
• 18. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."
• 19. Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
• 20. So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
• 21. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
• 22. So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
• 23. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her.
• 24. And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
• 25. When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
• 26. Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.
• 27. Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."
• 28. And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
• 29. Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
• 30. Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
• 31. When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
• 32. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
• 33. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
• 34. Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.
• 35. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Matthew 28

• 1. After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
• 2. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
• 3. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
• 4. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
• 5. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
• 6. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
• 7. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
• 8. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
• 9. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
• 10. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
• 11. While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
• 12. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,
• 13. telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'
• 14. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
• 15. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
• 16. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
• 17. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
• 18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
• 19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• 20. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Esther 5

• 1. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
• 2. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
• 3. Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."
• 4. "If it pleases the king," replied Esther, "let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him."
• 5. "Bring Haman at once," the king said, "so that we may do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.
• 6. As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted."
• 7. Esther replied, "My petition and my request is this:
• 8. If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question."
• 9. Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.
• 10. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,
• 11. Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.
• 12. "And that's not all," Haman added. "I'm the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.
• 13. But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."
• 14. His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy." This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.

New International Version

23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | Day 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |