Genesis 14

• 1. About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim
• 2. fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (now called Zoar).
• 3. The kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela formed an alliance and mobilized their armies in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea ).
• 4. For twelve years they had all been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but now in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
• 5. One year later, Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived. They conquered the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in the plain of Kiriathaim,
• 6. and the Horites in Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness.
• 7. Then they swung around to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and destroyed the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.
• 8. But now the army of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (now called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea
• 9. against King Kedorlaomer of Elam and the kings of Goiim, Babylonia, and Ellasar--four kings against five.
• 10. As it happened, the valley was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some slipped into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains.
• 11. The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and began their long journey home, taking all the wealth and food with them.
• 12. They also captured Lot--Abram's nephew who lived in Sodom--and took everything he owned.
• 13. One of the men who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was camped at the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram's allies.
• 14. When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he called together the men born into his household, 318 of them in all. He chased after Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them in Dan.
• 15. There he divided his men and attacked during the night from several directions. Kedorlaomer's army fled, but Abram chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus.
• 16. Abram and his allies recovered everything--the goods that had been taken, Abram's nephew Lot with his possessions, and all the women and other captives.
• 17. As Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
• 18. Then Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought him bread and wine.
• 19. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
• 20. And blessed be God Most High, who has helped you conquer your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.
• 21. The king of Sodom told him, "Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered."
• 22. Abram replied, "I have solemnly promised the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
• 23. that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from you. Otherwise you might say, `I am the one who made Abram rich!'
• 24. All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have already eaten. But give a share of the goods to my allies--Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre."

Matthew 13

• 1. Later that same day, Jesus left the house and went down to the shore,
• 2. where an immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat, where he sat and taught as the people listened on the shore.
• 3. He told many stories such as this one: "A farmer went out to plant some seed.
• 4. As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.
• 5. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly,
• 6. but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.
• 7. Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades.
• 8. But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
• 9. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
• 10. His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?"
• 11. Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.
• 12. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.
• 13. That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand.
• 14. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: 'You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.
• 15. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes--so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'
• 16. "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
• 17. I assure you, many prophets and godly people have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.
• 18. "Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain:
• 19. The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.
• 20. The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.
• 21. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.
• 22. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.
• 23. The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest--thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."
• 24. Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
• 25. But that night as everyone slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat.
• 26. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
• 27. The farmer's servants came and told him, 'Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!'
• 28. "'An enemy has done it!' the farmer exclaimed. "'Shall we pull out the weeds?' they asked.
• 29. "He replied, 'No, you'll hurt the wheat if you do.
• 30. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.'"
• 31. Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
• 32. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants and grows into a tree where birds can come and find shelter in its branches."
• 33. Jesus also used this illustration: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast used by a woman making bread. Even though she used a large amount of flour, the yeast permeated every part of the dough."
• 34. Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.
• 35. This fulfilled the prophecy that said, "I will speak to you in parables. I will explain mysteries hidden since the creation of the world."
• 36. Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain the story of the weeds in the field."
• 37. "All right," he said. "I, the Son of Man, am the farmer who plants the good seed.
• 38. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.
• 39. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
• 40. "Just as the weeds are separated out and burned, so it will be at the end of the world.
• 41. I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will remove from my Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil,
• 42. and they will throw them into the furnace and burn them. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• 43. Then the godly will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!
• 44. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field--and to get the treasure, too!
• 45. "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.
• 46. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
• 47. "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that is thrown into the water and gathers fish of every kind.
• 48. When the net is full, they drag it up onto the shore, sit down, sort the good fish into crates, and throw the bad ones away.
• 49. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the godly,
• 50. throwing the wicked into the fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• 51. Do you understand?Yes," they said, "we do."
• 52. Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who has become a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a person who brings out of the storehouse the new teachings as well as the old."
• 53. When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left that part of the country.
• 54. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was astonished and said, "Where does he get his wisdom and his miracles?
• 55. He's just a carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers--James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
• 56. All his sisters live right here among us. What makes him so great?"
• 57. And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family."
• 58. And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

Nehemiah 3

• 1. Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel.
• 2. People from the city of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.
• 3. The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They did the whole thing--laid the beams, hung the doors, and put the bolts and bars in place.
• 4. Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana.
• 5. Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to help.
• 6. The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up the doors, and installed the bolts and bars.
• 7. Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, and people from Gibeon and Mizpah, the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River.
• 8. Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
• 9. Rephaiah son of Hur, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem, was next to them on the wall.
• 10. Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall beside his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah.
• 11. Then came Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, who repaired the Tower of the Ovens, in addition to another section of the wall.
• 12. Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem.
• 13. The people from Zanoah, led by Hanun, rebuilt the Valley Gate, hung its doors, and installed the bolts and bars. They also repaired the fifteen hundred feet of wall to the Dung Gate.
• 14. The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, the leader of the Beth-hakkerem district. After rebuilding it, he hung the doors and installed the bolts and bars.
• 15. Shallum son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, roofed it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam near the king's garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David.
• 16. Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur. He rebuilt the wall to a place opposite the royal cemetery as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors.
• 17. Next was a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani. Then came Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, who supervised the building of the wall on behalf of his own district.
• 18. Next down the line were his countrymen led by Binnui son of Henadad, the leader of the other half of the district of Keilah.
• 19. Next to them, Ezer son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section of wall opposite the armory by the buttress.
• 20. Next to him was Baruch son of Zabbai, who repaired an additional section from the buttress to the door of the home of Eliashib the high priest.
• 21. Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz rebuilt another section of the wall extending from a point opposite the door of Eliashib's house to the side of the house.
• 22. Then came the priests from the surrounding region.
• 23. After them, Benjamin, Hasshub, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the sections next to their own houses.
• 24. Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah's house to the buttress and the corner.
• 25. Palal son of Uzai carried on the work from a point opposite the buttress and the corner to the upper tower that projects from the king's house beside the court of the guard. Next to him were Pedaiah son of Parosh
• 26. and the Temple servants living on the hill of Ophel, who repaired the wall as far as the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.
• 27. Then came the people of Tekoa, who repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower and over to the wall of Ophel.
• 28. The priests repaired the wall up the hill from the Horse Gate, each one doing the section immediately opposite his own house.
• 29. Next Zadok son of Immer also rebuilt the wall next to his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the gatekeeper of the East Gate.
• 30. Next Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section, while Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall next to his own house.
• 31. Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the wall as far as the housing for the Temple servants and merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate. Then he continued as far as the upper room at the corner.
• 32. The other goldsmiths and merchants repaired the wall from that corner to the Sheep Gate.

New Living Translation: 13 of 365 days.