Genesis 38

• 1. At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.
• 2. There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her;
• 3. she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.
• 4. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.
• 5. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
• 6. Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
• 7. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death.
• 8. Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother."
• 9. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.
• 10. What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also.
• 11. Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.
• 12. After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
• 13. When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,"
• 14. she took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
• 15. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
• 16. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you.And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked.
• 17. "I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. "Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked.
• 18. He said, "What pledge should I give you?Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand," she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
• 19. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again.
• 20. Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.
• 21. He asked the men who lived there, "Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here," they said.
• 22. So he went back to Judah and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, 'There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here.'"
• 23. Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn't find her."
• 24. About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant." Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"
• 25. As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are."
• 26. Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again.
• 27. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
• 28. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, "This one came out first."
• 29. But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, "So this is how you have broken out!" And he was named Perez.
• 30. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah.

Mark 9

• 1. And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."
• 2. After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
• 3. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
• 4. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
• 5. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
• 6. (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
• 7. Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
• 8. Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
• 9. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
• 10. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
• 11. And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
• 12. Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?
• 13. But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."
• 14. When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
• 15. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
• 16. "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.
• 17. A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
• 18. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
• 19. "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
• 20. So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
• 21. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
• 22. "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
• 23. "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
• 24. Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
• 25. When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
• 26. The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."
• 27. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
• 28. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
• 29. He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. "
• 30. They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,
• 31. because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."
• 32. But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
• 33. They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"
• 34. But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
• 35. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
• 36. He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,
• 37. "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
• 38. "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
• 39. "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,
• 40. for whoever is not against us is for us.
• 41. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
• 42. "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
• 43. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.
• 44. ----
• 45. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
• 46. ----
• 47. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
• 48. where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'
• 49. Everyone will be salted with fire.
• 50. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Job 5

• 1. "Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
• 2. Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
• 3. I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
• 4. His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
• 5. The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
• 6. For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.
• 7. Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
• 8. "But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.
• 9. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
• 10. He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside.
• 11. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
• 12. He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
• 13. He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
• 14. Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.
• 15. He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.
• 16. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
• 17. "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
• 18. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.
• 19. From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you.
• 20. In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
• 21. You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes.
• 22. You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.
• 23. For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
• 24. You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.
• 25. You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth.
• 26. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season.
• 27. "We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself."

New International Version

32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | Day 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |