Today’s Reading :  Genesis 33 – 34  and Matthew 17  (KJV)

Genesis 33

Gen 33:1  And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.

Gen 33:2  And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost.

Gen 33:3  And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Gen 33:4  And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Gen 33:5  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

Gen 33:6  Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

Gen 33:7  And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

Gen 33:8  And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.

Gen 33:9  And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

Gen 33:10  And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

Gen 33:11  Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

Gen 33:12  And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

Gen 33:13  And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

Gen 33:14  Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

Gen 33:15  And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

Gen 33:16  So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

Gen 33:17  And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Gen 33:18  And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city.

Gen 33:19  And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.

Gen 33:20  And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.

Genesis 34

Gen 34:1  And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bore unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

Gen 34:2  And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

Gen 34:3  And his soul cleaved unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spoke kindly unto the damsel.

Gen 34:4  And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

Gen 34:5  And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

Gen 34:6  And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

Gen 34:7  And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

Gen 34:8  And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

Gen 34:9  And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

Gen 34:10  And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

Gen 34:11  And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

Gen 34:12  Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

Gen 34:13  And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

Gen 34:14  And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

Gen 34:15  But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

Gen 34:16  Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

Gen 34:17  But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

Gen 34:18  And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

Gen 34:19  And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.

Gen 34:20  And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

Gen 34:21  These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

Gen 34:22  Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.

Gen 34:23  Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

Gen 34:24  And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

Gen 34:25  And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

Gen 34:26  And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

Gen 34:27  The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

Gen 34:28  They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

Gen 34:29  And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

Gen 34:30  And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

Gen 34:31  And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Matthew 17

Mat 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart,

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mat 17:3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.

Mat 17:4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Mat 17:6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Mat 17:7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Mat 17:8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

Mat 17:9  And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come

Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things.

Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Mat 17:14  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

Mat 17:15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

Mat 17:16  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Mat 17:17  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

Mat 17:18  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Mat 17:19  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Mat 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Mat 17:22  And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

Mat 17:23  And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Mat 17:24  And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

Mat 17:25  He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

Mat 17:26  Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Mat 17:27  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.