Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel^(A) and settle there, and build an altar^(B) there to God,^(C) who appeared to you^(D) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”^(E)

² So Jacob said to his household^(F) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods^(G) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.^{(H) 3} Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,^(I) who answered me in the day of my distress^(J) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.^(K)” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(L) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(M) at Shechem.^{(N) 5} Then they set out, and the terror of God^(O) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(P)

⁶ Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(Q) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^{(R) 7} There he built an altar,^(S) and he called the place El Bethel,^[a](T) because it was there that God revealed himself to him^(U) when he was fleeing from his brother.^(V)

⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,^(W) died and was buried under the oak^(X) outside Bethel.^(Y) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[b]

⁹ After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[c](Z) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^{(AA) 10} God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,^[d] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[e]”^(AB) So he named him Israel.

¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty^[f];^(AC) be fruitful and increase in number.^(AD) A nation^(AE) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^{(AF) 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.^(AG)”^{(AH) 13} Then God went up from him^(AI) at the place where he had talked with him.

¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar^(AJ) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering^(AK) on it; he also poured oil on it.^{(AL) 15} Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[g](AM)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac^(AN)

¹⁶ Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(AO) Rachel^(AP) began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷ And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(AQ) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”^{(AR) 18} As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[h](AS) But his father named him Benjamin.^[i](AT)

¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(AU) (that is, Bethlehem^(AV)). ²⁰ Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(AW) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.^(AX)

²¹ Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^{(AY) 22} While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine^(AZ) Bilhah,^(BA) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

These were the sons of Jacob,^(BM) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.^(BN)

²⁷ Jacob came home to his father Isaac^(BO) in Mamre,^(BP) near Kiriath Arba^(BQ) (that is, Hebron),^(BR) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.^{(BS) 28} Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^{(BT) 29} Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,^(BU) old and full of years.^(BV) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(BW)

Esau’s Descendants^(BX)(BY)

36 This is the account^(BZ) of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).^(CA)

⁹ This is the account^(CQ) of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites^(CR) in the hill country of Seir.

¹⁵ These were the chiefs^(DC) among Esau’s descendants:

¹⁹ These were the sons of Esau^(DM) (that is, Edom),^(DN) and these were their chiefs.^(DO)

²⁰ These were the sons of Seir the Horite,^(DP) who were living in the region:

The Rulers of Edom^(DZ)

³¹ These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king^(EA) reigned:

⁴⁰ These were the chiefs^(EG) descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions:

This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.^(EH)

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,^(EI) the land of Canaan.^(EJ)

² This is the account^(EK) of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph,^(EL) a young man of seventeen,^(EM) was tending the flocks^(EN) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah^(EO) and the sons of Zilpah,^(EP) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report^(EQ) about them.

³ Now Israel^(ER) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,^(ES) because he had been born to him in his old age;^(ET) and he made an ornate^[o] robe^(EU) for him.^{(EV) 4} When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him^(EW) and could not speak a kind word to him.

⁵ Joseph had a dream,^(EX) and when he told it to his brothers,^(EY) they hated him all the more.^{(EZ) 6} He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ We were binding sheaves^(FA) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”^(FB)

⁸ His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”^(FC) And they hated him all the more^(FD) because of his dream and what he had said.

⁹ Then he had another dream,^(FE) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars^(FF) were bowing down to me.”^(FG)

¹⁰ When he told his father as well as his brothers,^(FH) his father rebuked^(FI) him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”^{(FJ) 11} His brothers were jealous of him,^(FK) but his father kept the matter in mind.^(FL)

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

¹² Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,^{(FM) 13} and Israel^(FN) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.^(FO) Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

¹⁴ So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers^(FP) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.^(FQ)

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, ¹⁵ a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

¹⁶ He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

¹⁷ “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.^(FR)’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. ¹⁸ But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.^(FS)

¹⁹ “Here comes that dreamer!^(FT)” they said to each other. ²⁰ “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns^(FU) and say that a ferocious animal^(FV) devoured him.^(FW) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”^(FX)

²¹ When Reuben^(FY) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.^{(FZ) 22} “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern^(GA) here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.^(GB)

²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe^(GC) he was wearing— ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the cistern.^(GD) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵ As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites^(GE) coming from Gilead.^(GF) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm^(GG) and myrrh,^(GH) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.^(GI)

²⁶ Judah^(GJ) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?^{(GK) 27} Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,^(GL) our own flesh and blood.^(GM)” His brothers agreed.

²⁸ So when the Midianite^(GN) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern^(GO) and sold^(GP) him for twenty shekels^[p] of silver^(GQ) to the Ishmaelites,^(GR) who took him to Egypt.^(GS)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^{(GT) 30} He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”^(GU)

³¹ Then they got Joseph’s robe,^(GV) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.^{(GW) 32} They took the ornate robe^(GX) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

³³ He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal^(GY) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”^(GZ)

³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes,^(HA) put on sackcloth^(HB) and mourned for his son many days.^{(HC) 35} All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,^(HD) but he refused to be comforted.^(HE) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son^(HF) in the grave.^(HG)” So his father wept for him.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianites^[q](HH) sold Joseph^(HI) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.^(HJ)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy^(A)

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a](B) came and knelt before him^(C) and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.^(D) But go, show yourself to the priest^(E) and offer the gift Moses commanded,^(F) as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion^(G)

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,^(H) suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(I) 9} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.^{(J) 11} I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,^(K) and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(L) 12} But the subjects of the kingdom^(M) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^(N)

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”^(O) And his servant was healed at that moment.

The Faith of the Centurion^(A)

7 When Jesus had finished saying all this^(B) to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. ² There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(C) 8} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son^(D)

¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ When the Lord^(E) saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”^{(F) 15} The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ They were all filled with awe^(G) and praised God.^(H) “A great prophet^(I) has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”^{(J) 17} This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.^(K)

Jesus and John the Baptist^(L)

¹⁸ John’s^(M) disciples^(N) told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹ he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses^(O) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²² So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^{(P) 23} Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

²⁴ After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(Q) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written:

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(S) is greater than he.”

²⁹ (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^{(T) 30} But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(U) rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(V) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^{(W) 35} But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman^(X)(Y)

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^(Z) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(AA) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss,^(AB) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head,^(AC) but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^(AD)

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;^(AE) go in peace.”^(AF)