the First Week of Advent
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
February 2 - Bible-in-a-Year
csb
Genesis 42
Chapter 42
Joseph's Brothers in Egypt
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(a) he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen," he went on, "I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die."(b) 3 So 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, "Something might happen to him."
5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.(c) 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.
"Where do you come from?" he asked.
"From the land of Canaan to buy food," they replied.
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them(d) and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to see the weakness[a] of the land."
10 "No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food," they said. 11 "We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies."
12 "No," he said to them. "You have come to see the weakness of the land."
13 But they replied, "We, your servants, were 12 brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now[b] with our father, and one is no longer living."
14 Then Joseph said to them, "I have spoken:[c] ‘You are spies!' 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, "I fear God(e)—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you[d] be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won't die." And they consented to this.
21 Then they said to each other, "Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us."(f)
22 But Reuben replied: "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy?(g) But you wouldn't listen. Now we must account for his blood!"[e]
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man's money to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.
The Brothers Return Home
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his money there at the top of the bag. 28 He said to his brothers, "My money has been returned! It's here in my bag." Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, "What is this that God has done to us?"
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 "The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him: We are honest and not spies. 32 We were 12 brothers, sons of the same[f] father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now[g] with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.'"
35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his bag of money! When they and their father saw their bags of money, they were afraid.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!"
37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you. Put him in my care,[h] and I will return him to you."
38 But Jacob answered, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left.(h) If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow."(i)
Psalms 33
Chapter 33
Psalm 33
Praise to the Creator
1 Rejoice in the
Lord
, you righteous ones;
praise from the upright is beautiful.(a)
2 Praise the
Lord
with the lyre;
make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp.(b)
3 Sing a new song to Him;(c)
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.(d)
4 For the word of the
Lord
is right,
and all His work is trustworthy.(e)
5 He loves righteousness and justice;(f)
the earth is full of the
Lord
's unfailing love.(g)
6 The heavens were made by the word of the
Lord
,(h)
and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.(i)
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap;[a]
He puts the depths into storehouses.(j)
8 Let the whole earth tremble before the
Lord
;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.(k)
9 For He spoke, and it came into being;
He commanded, and it came into existence.(l)
10 The
Lord
frustrates the counsel of the nations;
He thwarts the plans of the peoples.(m)
11 The counsel of the
Lord
stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation to generation.(n)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh—
the people He has chosen to be His own possession!(o)
13 The
Lord
looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.(p)
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.(q)
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.(r)
16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.(s)
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.(t)
18 Now the eye of the
Lord
is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love(u)
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.(v)
20 We wait for Yahweh;(w)
He is our help and shield.(x)
21 For our hearts rejoice in Him(y)
because we trust in His holy name.(z)
22 May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh,
for we put our hope in You.(aa)
Luke 23:26-56
Chapter 23
26 As(aa) they led Him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian,(ab) who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross(ac) on him to carry behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd of people followed Him, including women who were mourning and lamenting Him.(ad) 28 But turning to them, Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem,(ae) do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children. 29 Look, the days are coming(af) when they will say, ‘The women without children, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed, are fortunate!'(ag) 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!' and to the hills, ‘Cover us!' (ah)[h] 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (ai)
Crucified between Two Criminals
32 Two others—criminals(aj)—were also led away to be executed with Him. 33 When(ak) they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. [34 Then Jesus said, "Father,(al) forgive(am) them, because they do not know what they are doing."(an) ][i] And they divided His clothes and cast lots.(ao)
35 The(ap) people stood watching, and even the leaders kept scoffing:(aq) "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is God's Messiah, the Chosen One!"(ar) 36 The soldiers also mocked Him. They came offering Him sour wine(as) 37 and said, "If You are the King of the Jews,(at) save Yourself!"
38 An inscription was above Him:[j]
THIS IS
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 Then(au) one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at[k] Him: "Aren't You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!"
40 But the other answered, rebuking him: "Don't you even fear God,(av) since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we're getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong."(aw) 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me[l](ax) when You come into Your kingdom!"(ay)
43 And He said to him, "I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise." (az)
The Death of Jesus
44 It(ba) was now about noon,[m] and darkness came over the whole land[n] until three,[o] 45 because the sun's light failed.[p] The curtain(bb) of the sanctuary was split down the middle. 46 And Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit. " (bc)[q] Saying this, He breathed His last.
47 When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify(bd) God, saying, "This man really was righteous!" 48 All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests.[r](be) 49 But(bf) all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance,(bg) watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 There(bh) was a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, 51 who had not agreed with their plan(bi) and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God.(bj) 52 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed.[s](bk) 54 It was preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.[t] 55 The women(bl) who had come with Him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how His body was placed. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.(bm) And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.(bn)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
