Today’s Reading :  Genesis 31 – 32  and Matthew 16  (KJV)

 

 

Genesis 31

Gen 31:1  And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

Gen 31:2  And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

Gen 31:3  And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

Gen 31:4  And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

Gen 31:5  And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

Gen 31:6  And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

Gen 31:7  And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

Gen 31:8  If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be thy hire; then bore all the cattle ringstreaked.

Gen 31:9  Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

Gen 31:10  And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.

Gen 31:11  And the angel of God spoke unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

Gen 31:12  And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

Gen 31:13  I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

Gen 31:14  And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Gen 31:15  Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

Gen 31:16  For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Gen 31:17  Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

Gen 31:18  And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

Gen 31:19  And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

Gen 31:20  And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

Gen 31:21  So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

Gen 31:22  And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

Gen 31:23  And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

Gen 31:24  And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Gen 31:25  Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

Gen 31:26  And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

Gen 31:27  Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

Gen 31:28  And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

Gen 31:29  It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me last night, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Gen 31:30  And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Gen 31:31  And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

Gen 31:32  With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

Gen 31:33  And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

Gen 31:34  Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

Gen 31:35  And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

Gen 31:36  And Jacob was wroth, and chided with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

Gen 31:37  Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge between us both.

Gen 31:38  This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

Gen 31:39  That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

Gen 31:40  Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

Gen 31:41  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Gen 31:42  Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee last night.

Gen 31:43  And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

Gen 31:44  Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

Gen 31:45  And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

Gen 31:46  And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

Gen 31:47  And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

Gen 31:48  And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

Gen 31:49  And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

Gen 31:50  If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee.

Gen 31:51  And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and thee;

Gen 31:52  This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

Gen 31:53  The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

Gen 31:54  Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

Gen 31:55  And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

 

Genesis 32

Gen 32:1  And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

Gen 32:2  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Gen 32:3  And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

Gen 32:4  And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

Gen 32:5  And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

Gen 32:6  And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Gen 32:7  Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

Gen 32:8  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

Gen 32:9  And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

Gen 32:10  I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

Gen 32:11  Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

Gen 32:12  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Gen 32:13  And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

Gen 32:14  Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

Gen 32:15  Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

Gen 32:16  And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove.

Gen 32:17  And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

Gen 32:18  Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

Gen 32:19  And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

Gen 32:20  And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

Gen 32:21  So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

Gen 32:22  And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

Gen 32:23  And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

Gen 32:24  And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Gen 32:25  And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

Gen 32:26  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

Gen 32:27  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

Gen 32:28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Gen 32:29  And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

Gen 32:30  And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Gen 32:31  And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

Gen 32:32  Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

    

Matthew 16

Mat 16:1  The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven.

Mat 16:2  He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

Mat 16:3  And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

Mat 16:4  A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them, and departed.

Mat 16:5  And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

Mat 16:6  Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mat 16:7  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

Mat 16:8  Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Mat 16:9  Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Mat 16:10  Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Mat 16:11  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Mat 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mat 16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

Mat 16:14  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 16:20  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Mat 16:28  Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.