Genesis 21

• 1. Then the LORD did exactly what he had promised.
• 2. Sarah became pregnant, and she gave a son to Abraham in his old age. It all happened at the time God had said it would.
• 3. And Abraham named his son Isaac.
• 4. Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.
• 5. Abraham was one hundred years old at the time.
• 6. And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this will laugh with me.
• 7. For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"
• 8. As time went by and Isaac grew and was weaned, Abraham gave a big party to celebrate the happy occasion.
• 9. But Sarah saw Ishmael--the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar--making fun of Isaac.
• 10. So she turned to Abraham and demanded, "Get rid of that servant and her son. He is not going to share the family inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won't have it!"
• 11. This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.
• 12. But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant wife. Do just as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.
• 13. But I will make a nation of the descendants of Hagar's son because he also is your son."
• 14. So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food for the journey, and strapped a container of water to Hagar's shoulders. He sent her away with their son, and she walked out into the wilderness of Beersheba, wandering aimlessly.
• 15. When the water was gone, she left the boy in the shade of a bush.
• 16. Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. "I don't want to watch the boy die," she said, as she burst into tears.
• 17. Then God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, "Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy's cries from the place where you laid him.
• 18. Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants."
• 19. Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well. She immediately filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.
• 20. And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran. He became an expert archer,
• 21. and his mother arranged a marriage for him with a young woman from Egypt.
• 22. About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "It is clear that God helps you in everything you do," Abimelech said.
• 23. "Swear to me in God's name that you won't deceive me, my children, or my grandchildren. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living."
• 24. Abraham replied, "All right, I swear to it!"
• 25. Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken violently from Abraham's servants.
• 26. "This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech said. "And I have no idea who is responsible. Why didn't you say something about this before?"
• 27. Then Abraham gave sheep and oxen to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.
• 28. But when Abraham took seven additional ewe lambs and set them off by themselves,
• 29. Abimelech asked, "Why are you doing that?"
• 30. Abraham replied, "They are my gift to you as a public confirmation that I dug this well."
• 31. So ever since, that place has been known as Beersheba--"well of the oath"--because that was where they had sworn an oath.
• 32. After making their covenant, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines.
• 33. Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God, at that place.
• 34. And Abraham lived in Philistine country for a long time.

Matthew 20

• 1. "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
• 2. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
• 3. "At nine o'clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing.
• 4. So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.
• 5. At noon and again around three o'clock he did the same thing.
• 6. At five o'clock that evening he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, 'Why haven't you been working today?'
• 7. "They replied, 'Because no one hired us.'"The owner of the estate told them, 'Then go on out and join the others in my vineyard.'
• 8. "That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.
• 9. When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage.
• 10. When those hired earlier came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage.
• 11. When they received their pay, they protested,
• 12. 'Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.'
• 13. "He answered one of them, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage?
• 14. Take it and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.
• 15. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?'
• 16. "And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then."
• 17. As Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him.
• 18. "When we get to Jerusalem," he said, "the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die.
• 19. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, whipped, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead."
• 20. Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.
• 21. "What is your request?" he asked. She replied, "In your Kingdom, will you let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one at your right and the other at your left?"
• 22. But Jesus told them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!"
• 23. "You will indeed drink from it," he told them. "But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to mine. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen."
• 24. When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.
• 25. But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them.
• 26. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
• 27. and whoever wants to be first must become your slave.
• 28. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
• 29. As Jesus and the disciples left the city of Jericho, a huge crowd followed behind.
• 30. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
• 31. The crowd told them to be quiet, but they only shouted louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
• 32. Jesus stopped in the road and called, "What do you want me to do for you?"
• 33. "Lord," they said, "we want to see!"
• 34. Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

Nehemiah 10

• 1. The document was ratified and sealed with the following names: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. The priests who signed were Zedekiah,
• 2. Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
• 3. Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
• 4. Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
• 5. Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
• 6. Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
• 7. Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
• 8. Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
• 9. The Levites who signed were Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the family of Henadad, Kadmiel,
• 10. and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
• 11. Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
• 12. Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
• 13. Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
• 14. The leaders who signed were Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
• 15. Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
• 16. Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
• 17. Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
• 18. Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
• 19. Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
• 20. Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
• 21. Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
• 22. Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
• 23. Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
• 24. Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
• 25. Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
• 26. Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
• 27. Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
• 28. The rest of the people--the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to serve God, and who were old enough to understand--
• 29. now all heartily bound themselves with an oath. They vowed to accept the curse of God if they failed to obey the law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, laws, and regulations of the LORD their Lord.
• 30. "We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land, nor to let our sons marry their daughters.
• 31. We further promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it. And we promise not to do any work every seventh year and to cancel the debts owed to us by other Jews.
• 32. "In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual Temple tax of an eighth of an ounce of silver, so that there will be enough money to care for the Temple of our God.
• 33. This will provide for the Bread of the Presence; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, the new moon celebrations, and the annual festivals; for the holy offerings; and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel. It will also provide for the other items necessary for the work of the Temple of our God.
• 34. "We have cast sacred lots to determine when--at regular times each year--the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God's Temple to be burned on the altar of the LORD our God, as required in the law.
• 35. "We promise always to bring the first part of every harvest to the LORD's Temple--whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees.
• 36. We agree to give to God our oldest sons and the firstborn of all our herds and flocks, just as the law requires. We will present them to the priests who minister in the Temple of our God.
• 37. We will store the produce in the storerooms of the Temple of our God. We will bring the best of our flour and other grain offerings, the best of our fruit, and the best of our new wine and olive oil. And we promise to bring to the Levites a tenth of everything our land produces, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns.
• 38. A priest--a descendant of Aaron--will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms.
• 39. The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers. "So we promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God."

New Living Translation: 20 of 365 days.