Genesis 27

• 1. When Isaac was old and almost blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, "My son?Yes, Father?" Esau replied.
• 2. "I am an old man now," Isaac said, "and I expect every day to be my last.
• 3. Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows out into the open country, and hunt some wild game for me.
• 4. Prepare it just the way I like it so it's savory and good, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die."
• 5. But Rebekah overheard the conversation. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game,
• 6. she said to her son Jacob, "I overheard your father asking Esau
• 7. to prepare him a delicious meal of wild game. He wants to bless Esau in the LORD's presence before he dies.
• 8. Now, my son, do exactly as I tell you.
• 9. Go out to the flocks and bring me two fine young goats. I'll prepare your father's favorite dish from them.
• 10. Take the food to your father; then he can eat it and bless you instead of Esau before he dies."
• 11. "But Mother!" Jacob replied. "He won't be fooled that easily. Think how hairy Esau is and how smooth my skin is!
• 12. What if my father touches me? He'll see that I'm trying to trick him, and then he'll curse me instead of blessing me."
• 13. "Let the curse fall on me, dear son," said Rebekah. "Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats."
• 14. So Jacob followed his mother's instructions, bringing her the two goats. She took them and cooked a delicious meat dish, just the way Isaac liked it.
• 15. Then she took Esau's best clothes, which were there in the house, and dressed Jacob with them.
• 16. She made him a pair of gloves from the hairy skin of the young goats, and she fastened a strip of the goat's skin around his neck.
• 17. Then she gave him the meat dish, with its rich aroma, and some freshly baked bread.
• 18. Jacob carried the platter of food to his father and said, "My father?Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it--Esau or Jacob?"
• 19. Jacob replied, "It's Esau, your older son. I've done as you told me. Here is the wild game, cooked the way you like it. Sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing."
• 20. Isaac asked, "How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?Because the LORD your God put it in my path!" Jacob replied.
• 21. Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come over here. I want to touch you to make sure you really are Esau."
• 22. So Jacob went over to his father, and Isaac touched him. "The voice is Jacob's, but the hands are Esau's," Isaac said to himself.
• 23. But he did not recognize Jacob because Jacob's hands felt hairy just like Esau's. So Isaac pronounced his blessing on Jacob.
• 24. "Are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "Yes, of course," Jacob replied.
• 25. Then Isaac said, "Now, my son, bring me the meat. I will eat it, and then I will give you my blessing." So Jacob took the food over to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. Then Isaac said,
• 26. "Come here and kiss me, my son."
• 27. So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, "The smell of my son is the good smell of the open fields that the LORD has blessed.
• 28. May God always give you plenty of dew for healthy crops and good harvests of grain and wine.
• 29. May many nations become your servants. May you be the master of your brothers. May all your mother's sons bow low before you. All who curse you are cursed, and all who bless you are blessed."
• 30. As soon as Isaac had blessed Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunting trip.
• 31. Esau prepared his father's favorite meat dish and brought it to him. Then he said, "I'm back, Father, and I have the wild game. Sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing."
• 32. But Isaac asked him, "Who are you?Why, it's me, of course!" he replied. "It's Esau, your older son."
• 33. Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, "Then who was it that just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him with an irrevocable blessing before you came."
• 34. When Esau understood, he let out a loud and bitter cry. "O my father, bless me, too!" he begged.
• 35. But Isaac said, "Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has carried away your blessing."
• 36. Esau said bitterly, "No wonder his name is Jacob, for he has deceived me twice, first taking my birthright and now stealing my blessing. Oh, haven't you saved even one blessing for me?"
• 37. Isaac said to Esau, "I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine--what is there left to give?"
• 38. Esau pleaded, "Not one blessing left for me? O my father, bless me, too!" Then Esau broke down and wept.
• 39. His father, Isaac, said to him, "You will live off the land and what it yields,
• 40. and you will live by your sword. You will serve your brother for a time, but then you will shake loose from him and be free."
• 41. Esau hated Jacob because he had stolen his blessing, and he said to himself, "My father will soon be dead and gone. Then I will kill Jacob."
• 42. But someone got wind of what Esau was planning and reported it to Rebekah. She sent for Jacob and told him, "Esau is threatening to kill you.
• 43. This is what you should do. Flee to your uncle Laban in Haran.
• 44. Stay there with him until your brother's fury is spent.
• 45. When he forgets what you have done, I will send for you. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"
• 46. Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick and tired of these local Hittite women. I'd rather die than see Jacob marry one of them."

Matthew 26

• 1. When Jesus had finished saying these things, he said to his disciples,
• 2. "As you know, the Passover celebration begins in two days, and I, the Son of Man, will be betrayed and crucified."
• 3. At that same time the leading priests and other leaders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest,
• 4. to discuss how to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death.
• 5. "But not during the Passover," they agreed, "or there will be a riot."
• 6. Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy.
• 7. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
• 8. The disciples were indignant when they saw this. "What a waste of money," they said.
• 9. "She could have sold it for a fortune and given the money to the poor."
• 10. But Jesus replied, "Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me?
• 11. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer.
• 12. She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.
• 13. I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory."
• 14. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests
• 15. and asked, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?" And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.
• 16. From that time on, Judas began looking for the right time and place to betray Jesus.
• 17. On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover supper?"
• 18. "As you go into the city," he told them, "you will see a certain man. Tell him, 'The Teacher says, My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.'"
• 19. So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover supper there.
• 20. When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples.
• 21. While they were eating, he said, "The truth is, one of you will betray me."
• 22. Greatly distressed, one by one they began to ask him, "I'm not the one, am I, Lord?"
• 23. He replied, "One of you who is eating with me now will betray me.
• 24. For I, the Son of Man, must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for my betrayer. Far better for him if he had never been born!"
• 25. Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, "Teacher, I'm not the one, am I?" And Jesus told him, "You have said it yourself."
• 26. As they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and asked God's blessing on it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it and eat it, for this is my body."
• 27. And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, "Each of you drink from it,
• 28. for this is my blood, which seals the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many.
• 29. Mark my words--I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom."
• 30. Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
• 31. "Tonight all of you will desert me," Jesus told them. "For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
• 32. But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there."
• 33. Peter declared, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will."
• 34. "Peter," Jesus replied, "the truth is, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
• 35. "No!" Peter insisted. "Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!" And all the other disciples vowed the same.
• 36. Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go on ahead to pray."
• 37. He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress.
• 38. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me."
• 39. He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
• 40. Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour?
• 41. Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"
• 42. Again he left them and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done."
• 43. He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open.
• 44. So he went back to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
• 45. Then he came to the disciples and said, "Still sleeping? Still resting? Look, the time has come. I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners.
• 46. Up, let's be going. See, my betrayer is here!"
• 47. And even as he said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a mob that was armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent out by the leading priests and other leaders of the people.
• 48. Judas had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I go over and give him the kiss of greeting."
• 49. So Judas came straight to Jesus. "Greetings, Teacher!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
• 50. Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
• 51. One of the men with Jesus pulled out a sword and slashed off an ear of the high priest's servant.
• 52. "Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "Those who use the sword will be killed by the sword.
• 53. Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
• 54. But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?"
• 55. Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous criminal, that you have come armed with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day.
• 56. But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
• 57. Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and other leaders had gathered.
• 58. Meanwhile, Peter was following far behind and eventually came to the courtyard of the high priest's house. He went in, sat with the guards, and waited to see what was going to happen to Jesus.
• 59. Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.
• 60. But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could use. Finally, two men were found
• 61. who declared, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"
• 62. Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?"
• 63. But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I demand in the name of the living God that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
• 64. Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say. And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven."
• 65. Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror, shouting, "Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy.
• 66. What is your verdict?Guilty!" they shouted. "He must die!"
• 67. Then they spit in Jesus' face and hit him with their fists. And some slapped him,
• 68. saying, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?"
• 69. Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came over and said to him, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean."
• 70. But Peter denied it in front of everyone. "I don't know what you are talking about," he said.
• 71. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."
• 72. Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. "I don't even know the man," he said.
• 73. A little later some other bystanders came over to him and said, "You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent."
• 74. Peter said, "I swear by God, I don't know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed.
• 75. Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went away, crying bitterly.

Esther 3

• 1. Some time later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite to prime minister, making him the most powerful official in the empire next to the king himself.
• 2. All the king's officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.
• 3. Then the palace officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why are you disobeying the king's command?"
• 4. They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.
• 5. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage.
• 6. So he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Since he had learned that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
• 7. So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes' reign, lots were cast (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.
• 8. Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, "There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire. Their laws are different from those of any other nation, and they refuse to obey even the laws of the king. So it is not in the king's interest to let them live.
• 9. If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 375 tons of silver to the government administrators so they can put it into the royal treasury."
• 10. The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite--the enemy of the Jews.
• 11. "Keep the money," the king told Haman, "but go ahead and do as you like with these people."
• 12. On April 17 Haman called in the king's secretaries and dictated letters to the princes, the governors of the respective provinces, and the local officials of each province in their own scripts and languages. These letters were signed in the name of King Xerxes, sealed with his ring,
• 13. and sent by messengers into all the provinces of the empire. The letters decreed that all Jews--young and old, including women and children--must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen nearly a year later on March 7. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
• 14. A copy of this decree was to be issued in every province and made known to all the people, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day.
• 15. At the king's command, the decree went out by the swiftest messengers, and it was proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

New Living Translation: 26 of 365 days.