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Daily Bible Reading
February 4 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Genesis 44
Chapter 44
Joseph's Final Test
1 Then Joseph commanded his steward: "Fill the men's bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one's money at the top of his bag.(a) 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one's bag, along with his grain money." So he did as Joseph told him.
3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?[a] 5 Isn't this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination?(b) What you have done is wrong!'"
6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, "Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal gold and silver from your master's house? 9 If any of us is[b] found to have it, he must die, and we also will become my lord's slaves."(c)
10 The steward replied, "What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless."
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes,(d) and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.(e) 15 "What is this you have done?" Joseph said to them. "Didn't you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?"
16 "What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants' iniquity. We are now my lord's slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found."
17 Then Joseph said, "I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father."
Judah's Plea for Benjamin
18 But Judah approached him and said, "Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord.[c] Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.(f) 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?' 20 and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age.(g) The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me so that I can see him.'(h) 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.' 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.'(i)
24 "This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported your words to him. 25 But our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us some food.'(j) 26 We told him, ‘We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother isn't with us, we cannot see the man.' 27 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left—I said that he must have been torn to pieces—and I have never seen him again.(k) 29 If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.'(l)
30 "So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy's life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'(m) 33 Now please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father."
Psalms 35
Chapter 35
Psalm 35
Prayer for Victory
Davidic.
1 Oppose my opponents,
Lord
;
fight those who fight me.(a)
2 Take Your shields—large and small—
and come to my aid.(b)
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers,
and assure me: "I am your deliverance."(c)
4 Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who plan to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.(d)
5 Let them be like chaff in the wind,
with the angel of the
Lord
driving them away.(e)
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the
Lord
pursuing them.(f)
7 They hid their net for me without cause;
they dug a pit for me without cause.(g)
8 Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his ruin.(h)
9 Then I will rejoice in the
Lord
;
I will delight in His deliverance.(i)
10 My very bones will say,
"
Lord
, who is like You,(j)
rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,
the poor or the needy from one who robs him?"(k)
11 Malicious witnesses come forward;
they question me about things I do not know.(l)
12 They repay me evil for good,
making me desolate.(m)
13 Yet when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
and my prayer was genuine.[a](n)
14 I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning a mother.(o)
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
they gathered against me.
Assailants I did not know
tore at me and did not stop.(p)
16 With godless mockery[b]
they gnashed their teeth at me.(q)
17 Lord, how long will You look on?(r)
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my only one from the young lions.(s)
18 I will praise You in the great congregation;
I will exalt You among many people.(t)
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me;
do not let those who hate me without cause(u)
look at me maliciously.(v)
20 For they do not speak in friendly ways,
but contrive deceitful schemes[c]
against those who live peacefully in the land.(w)
21 They open their mouths wide against me and say,
"Aha, aha! We saw it!"[d](x)
22 You saw it,
Lord
; do not be silent.
Lord, do not be far from me.(y)
23 Wake up and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my
Lord
!(z)
24 Vindicate me,
Lord
my God,
in keeping with Your righteousness,
and do not let them rejoice over me.(aa)
25 Do not let them say in their hearts,
"Aha! Just what we wanted."
Do not let them say,
"We have swallowed him up!"(ab)
26 Let those who rejoice at my misfortune
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and reproach.(ac)
27 Let those who want my vindication
shout for joy and be glad;
let them continually say,
"The
Lord
be exalted.
He takes pleasure in His servant's well-being."(ad)
28 And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness,
Your praise all day long.(ae)
Luke 24:13-53
Chapter 24
13 Now(q) that same day two of them were on their way to a village called[d] Emmaus, which was about seven miles[e](r) from Jerusalem.(s) 14 Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. 15 And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus Himself came near and began to walk along with them. 16 But they[f] were prevented from recognizing Him.(t) 17 Then He asked them, "What is this dispute that you're having[g] with each other as you are walking?" And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.
18 The one named Cleopas answered Him, "Are You the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that happened there in these days?"(u)
19 "What things?" He asked them.
So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene,(v) who was a Prophet(w) powerful in action and speech(x) before God and all the people,(y) 20 and how our chief priests and leaders(z) handed Him over to be sentenced to death,(aa) and they crucified Him.(ab) 21 But we were hoping that He was the One who was about to redeem(ac) Israel. Besides all this, it's the third day(ad) since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, 23 and when they didn't find His body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn't see Him."(ae)
25 He said to them, "How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! (af) 26 Didn't the Messiah have to suffer(ag) these things and enter into His glory?" (ah) 27 Then beginning with Moses(ai) and all the Prophets,(aj) He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.(ak)
28 They came near the village where they were going, and He gave the impression that He was going farther.(al) 29 But they urged Him: "Stay with us, because it's almost evening, and now the day is almost over." So He went in to stay with them.
30 It was as He reclined at the table with them that He took the bread, blessed and broke(am) it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened,(an) and they recognized Him, but He disappeared from their sight.(ao) 32 So they said to each other, "Weren't our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures(ap) to us?" 33 That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven(aq) and those with them gathered together, 34 who said,[h] "The Lord has certainly been raised, and has appeared to Simon!"(ar) 35 Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.(as)
The Reality of the Risen Jesus
36 And(at) as they were saying these things, He Himself stood among them. He said to them, "Peace(au) to you!" 37 But they were startled and terrified(av) and thought they were seeing a ghost.(aw) 38 "Why are you troubled?" (ax) He asked them. "And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself!(ay) Touch Me and see,(az) because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." 40 Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet. 41 But while they still were amazed and unbelieving because of their joy, He asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish,[i] 43 and He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He told them, "These are My words(ba) that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets,(bb) and the Psalms(bc) must be fulfilled." 45 Then He opened their minds(bd) to understand(be) the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, "This is what is written:[j] The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, (bf) 47 and repentance for[k] forgiveness of sins(bg) would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations,(bh) beginning at Jerusalem. (bi) 48 You are witnesses(bj) of these things. 49 And look, I am sending you[l] what My Father promised.(bk) As for you, stay in the city[m] until you are empowered [n](bl) from on high."
The Ascension of Jesus
50 Then He led them out as far as Bethany,(bm) and lifting up His hands(bn) He blessed them. 51 And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven.(bo) 52 After worshiping Him,(bp) they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.(bq) 53 And they were continually in the temple complex praising God.[o](br)
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