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30 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she[a] became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children[b] or I’ll die!” 2 Jacob became furious[c] with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”[d] 3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Sleep with[e] her so that she can bear[f] children[g] for me[h] and I can have a family through her.”[i]
4 So Rachel[j] gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob slept with[k] her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant[l] and gave Jacob a son.[m] 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer[n] and given me a son.” That is why[o] she named him Dan.[p]
7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son.[q] 8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.”[r] So she named him Naphtali.[s]
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave[t] her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son.[u] 11 Leah said, “How fortunate!”[v] So she named him Gad.[w]
12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son.[x] 13 Leah said, “How happy I am,[y] for women[z] will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.[aa]
14 At the time[ab] of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants[ac] in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But Leah replied,[ad] “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,”[ae] Rachel said, “he may go to bed with[af] you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep[ag] with me because I have paid for your services[ah] with my son’s mandrakes.” So he went to bed with[ai] her that night. 17 God paid attention[aj] to Leah; she became pregnant[ak] and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time.[al] 18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward[am] because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.”[an] So she named him Issachar.[ao]
19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time.[ap] 20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[aq]
21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then God took note of[ar] Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.[as] 23 She became pregnant[at] and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.”[au] 24 She named him Joseph,[av] saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”
The Flocks of Jacob
25 After Rachel had given birth to[aw] Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send[ax] me on my way so that I can go[ay] home to my own country.[az] 26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you.[ba] Then I’ll depart,[bb] because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.”[bc]
27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here,[bd] for I have learned by divination[be] that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 28 He added, “Just name your wages—I’ll pay whatever you want.”[bf]
29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied,[bg] “and how well your livestock have fared under my care.[bh] 30 Indeed,[bi] you had little before I arrived,[bj] but now your possessions have increased many times over.[bk] The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked.[bl] But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?”[bm]
31 So Laban asked,[bn] “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,”[bo] Jacob replied,[bp] “but if you agree to this one condition,[bq] I will continue to care for[br] your flocks and protect them: 32 Let me walk among[bs] all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb,[bt] and the spotted or speckled goats.[bu] These animals will be my wages.[bv] 33 My integrity will testify for me[bw] later on.[bx] When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on,[by] if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.”[bz] 34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.”[ca]
35 So that day Laban[cb] removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care[cc] of his sons. 36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey,[cd] while[ce] Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink.[cf] 39 When the sheep mated[cg] in front of the branches, they[ch] gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face[ci] the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 41 When the stronger females were in heat,[cj] Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there.[ck] So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban[cl] and the stronger animals to Jacob. 43 In this way Jacob[cm] became extremely prosperous. He owned[cn] large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.
Jacob’s Flight from Laban
31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining,[co] “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich[cp] at our father’s expense!”[cq] 2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed.[cr]
3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers[cs] and to your relatives. I will be with you.”[ct] 4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah[cu] to come to the field[cv] where his flocks were.[cw] 5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed,[cx] but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could,[cy] 7 but your father has humiliated[cz] me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 8 If he said,[da] ‘The speckled animals[db] will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
10 “Once[dc] during breeding season I saw[dd] in a dream that the male goats mating with[de] the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 12 Then he said, ‘Observe that[df] all the male goats mating with[dg] the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed[dh] the sacred stone and made a vow to me.[di] Now leave this land immediately[dj] and return to your native land.’”
14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance[dk] in our father’s house? 15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted[dl] the money paid for us![dm] 16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
Sending Out the Twelve Apostles
10 Jesus[a] called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits[b] so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.[c] 2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles:[d] first, Simon[e] (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew;[f] Thomas[g] and Matthew the tax collector;[h] James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[i] 4 Simon the Zealot[j] and Judas Iscariot,[k] who betrayed him.[l]
5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows:[m] “Do not go on a road that leads to Gentile regions[n] and do not enter any Samaritan town.[o] 6 Go[p] instead to the lost sheep[q] of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead,[r] cleanse lepers,[s] cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 Do not take gold, silver, or copper[t] in your belts, 10 no bag[u] for the journey, or an extra tunic,[v] or sandals or staff,[w] for the worker deserves his provisions. 11 Whenever[x] you enter a town or village,[y] find out who is worthy there[z] and stay with them[aa] until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet those within it.[ab] 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.[ac] 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off[ad] your feet as you leave that house or that town. 15 I tell you the truth,[ae] it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah[af] on the day of judgment than for that town!
Persecution of Disciples
16 “I[ag] am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves,[ah] so be wise as serpents[ai] and innocent as doves.[aj] 17 Beware[ak] of people, because they will hand you over to councils[al] and flog[am] you in their synagogues.[an] 18 And you will be brought before governors and kings[ao] because of me, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 Whenever[ap] they hand you over for trial,[aq] do not worry about how to speak or what to say,[ar] for what you should say will be given to you at that time.[as] 20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brother[at] will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against[au] parents and have them put to death. 22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved! 23 Whenever[av] they persecute you in one town,[aw] flee to another! I tell you the truth,[ax] you will not finish going through all the towns[ay] of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Psalm 12[a]
For the music director, according to the sheminith style;[b] a psalm of David.
12 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly[c] have disappeared;[d]
people of integrity[e] have vanished.[f]
2 People lie to one another;[g]
they flatter and deceive.[h]
3 May the Lord cut off[i] all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts![j]
4 They say,[k] “We speak persuasively;[l]
we know how to flatter and boast.[m]
Who is our master?”[n]
5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed,[o]
because of the painful cries[p] of the needy,
I will spring into action,”[q] says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”[r]
6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable.[s]
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined.[t]
7 You, Lord, will protect them;[u]
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people,[v]
8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere,[w]
when people promote evil.[x]
Blessings of Obtaining Wisdom
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