Fasting

16 “When you fast,(A) do not look somber(B) as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.(C)

Treasures in Heaven(D)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,(E) where moths and vermin destroy,(F) and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,(G) where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.(H) 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.(I)

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[b] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
  2. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.

Saul’s Conversion(A)

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.(B) He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,(C) so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,(D) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.(E) He fell to the ground and heard a voice(F) say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”(G)

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound(H) but did not see anyone.(I) Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.(J) So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,(K) “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus(L) named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on(M) him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people(N) in Jerusalem.(O) 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests(P) to arrest all who call on your name.”(Q)

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument(R) to proclaim my name to the Gentiles(S) and their kings(T) and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”(U)

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on(V) Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”(W) 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,(X) 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the disciples(Y) in Damascus.(Z)

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Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

Lord, who may dwell(A) in your sacred tent?(B)
    Who may live on your holy mountain?(C)

The one whose walk is blameless,(D)
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth(E) from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,(F)
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
    but honors(G) those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath(H) even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;(I)
    who does not accept a bribe(J) against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.(K)

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,(A) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem(B) son of Hamor(C) the Hivite,(D) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(E) His heart was drawn to Dinah(F) daughter of Jacob;(G) he loved(H) the young woman and spoke tenderly(I) to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(J)

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(K) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(L) Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(M) and furious,(N) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[a] Israel(O) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(P)

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(Q) Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(R) 10 You can settle among us;(S) the land is open to you.(T) Live in it, trade[b] in it,(U) and acquire property in it.(V)

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(W) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(X) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(Y) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(Z) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.(AA) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(AB) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(AC) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(AD) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(AE) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(AF) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(AG) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(AH) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(AI) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(AJ) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(AK) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(AL) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(AM)

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(AN) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(AO) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(AP) and Levi,(AQ) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(AR) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(AS) killing every male.(AT) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(AU) and took Dinah(AV) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(AW) where[c] their sister had been defiled.(AX) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(AY) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(AZ) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(BA) taking as plunder(BB) everything in the houses.(BC)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(BD) on me by making me obnoxious(BE) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(BF) We are few in number,(BG) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(BH)

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel(BI) and settle there, and build an altar(BJ) there to God,(BK) who appeared to you(BL) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”(BM)

So Jacob said to his household(BN) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods(BO) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.(BP) Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,(BQ) who answered me in the day of my distress(BR) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.(BS) So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,(BT) and Jacob buried them under the oak(BU) at Shechem.(BV) Then they set out, and the terror of God(BW) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.(BX)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz(BY) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.(BZ) There he built an altar,(CA) and he called the place El Bethel,[d](CB) because it was there that God revealed himself to him(CC) when he was fleeing from his brother.(CD)

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,(CE) died and was buried under the oak(CF) outside Bethel.(CG) So it was named Allon Bakuth.[e]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[f](CH) God appeared to him again and blessed him.(CI) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[g] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[h](CJ) So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[i];(CK) be fruitful and increase in number.(CL) A nation(CM) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.(CN) 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.(CO)(CP) 13 Then God went up from him(CQ) at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar(CR) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering(CS) on it; he also poured oil on it.(CT) 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[j](CU)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(CV)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(CW) Rachel(CX) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(CY) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(CZ) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[k](DA) But his father named him Benjamin.[l](DB)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(DC) (that is, Bethlehem(DD)). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day(DE) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.(DF)

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.(DG) 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(DH) Bilhah,(DI) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:(DJ)

Reuben the firstborn(DK) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,(DL) Issachar and Zebulun.(DM)

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(DN) and Benjamin.(DO)

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:(DP)

Dan and Naphtali.(DQ)

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:(DR)

Gad(DS) and Asher.(DT)

These were the sons of Jacob,(DU) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.(DV)

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac(DW) in Mamre,(DX) near Kiriath Arba(DY) (that is, Hebron),(DZ) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.(EA) 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.(EB) 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,(EC) old and full of years.(ED) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(EE)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:7 Or against
  2. Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
  3. Genesis 34:27 Or because
  4. Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
  5. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
  6. Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
  7. Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  8. Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  9. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  10. Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
  11. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  12. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.

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