28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed^(A) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.^{(B) 2} Go at once to Paddan Aram,^[a](C) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.^(D) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.^{(E) 3} May God Almighty^[b](F) bless^(G) you and make you fruitful^(H) and increase your numbers^(I) until you become a community of peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,^(J) so that you may take possession of the land^(K) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(L) the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,^(M) and he went to Paddan Aram,^(N) to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,^(O) the brother of Rebekah,^(P) who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶ Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”^{(Q) 7} and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. ⁸ Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women^(R) were to his father Isaac;^{(S) 9} so he went to Ishmael^(T) and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth^(U) and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.^(V)

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(W) and set out for Harran.^{(X) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(Y) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(Z) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(AA) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.^{(AB) 13} There above it^[c] stood the Lord,^(AC) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(AD) I will give you and your descendants the land^(AE) on which you are lying.^{(AF) 14} Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you^(AG) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.^(AH) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^{[d](AI) 15} I am with you^(AJ) and will watch over you^(AK) wherever you go,^(AL) and I will bring you back to this land.^(AM) I will not leave you^(AN) until I have done what I have promised you.^(AO)”^(AP)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(AQ) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!^(AR) This is none other than the house of God;^(AS) this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head^(AT) and set it up as a pillar^(AU) and poured oil on top of it.^{(AV) 19} He called that place Bethel,^[e](AW) though the city used to be called Luz.^(AX)

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow,^(AY) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me^(AZ) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear^{(BA) 21} so that I return safely^(BB) to my father’s household,^(BC) then the Lord^[f] will be my God^{(BD) 22} and^[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar^(BE) will be God’s house,^(BF) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.^(BG)”

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.^{(A) 2} There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.^(B) The stone^(C) over the mouth of the well was large. ³ When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone^(D) away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.^(E) Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

⁴ Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”^(F)

“We’re from Harran,^(G)” they replied.

⁵ He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”^(H)

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

⁶ Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel^(I) with the sheep.^(J)”

⁷ “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

⁸ “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone^(K) has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water^(L) the sheep.”

⁹ While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,^(M) for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel^(N) daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone^(O) away from the mouth of the well and watered^(P) his uncle’s sheep.^{(Q) 11} Then Jacob kissed^(R) Rachel and began to weep aloud.^{(S) 12} He had told Rachel that he was a relative^(T) of her father and a son of Rebekah.^(U) So she ran and told her father.^(V)

¹³ As soon as Laban^(W) heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him^(X) and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. ¹⁴ Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”^(Y)

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, ¹⁵ Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative^(Z) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages^(AA) should be.”

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,^(AB) and the name of the younger was Rachel.^{(AC) 17} Leah had weak^[a] eyes, but Rachel^(AD) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.^{(AE) 18} Jacob was in love with Rachel^(AF) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”^(AG)

¹⁹ Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,^(AH) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.^(AI)

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.^(AJ)”

²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.^{(AK) 23} But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah^(AL) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant Zilpah^(AM) to his daughter as her attendant.^(AN)

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?^(AO) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?^(AP)”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.^{(AQ) 27} Finish this daughter’s bridal week;^(AR) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.^(AS)”

²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.^{(AT) 29} Laban gave his servant Bilhah^(AU) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.^{(AV) 30} Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.^(AW) And he worked for Laban another seven years.^(AX)

Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^(AY) he enabled her to conceive,^(AZ) but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(BA) She named him Reuben,^[b](BB) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^(BC) Surely my husband will love me now.”

³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,^(BD) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[c](BE)

³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,^(BF) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.^[d](BG)

³⁵ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.^[e](BH) Then she stopped having children.^(BI)

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

Divorce^(A)

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(B) he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them^(C) there.

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife^(D) for any and every reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^{[a](E) 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]?^{(F) 6} So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”^(G)

⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”^(H)

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.^{(I) 12} For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The Little Children and Jesus^(J)

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them^(K) and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs^(L) to such as these.”^{(M) 15} When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God^(N)

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life^(O)?”^(P)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”^(Q)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,^(R) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[c](S) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”^(T)

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^(U) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^(V) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(W) Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^(X) to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(Y)

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^(Z) What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(AA) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(AB) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^{(AC) 30} But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.^(AD)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like^(A) a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.^{(B) 2} He agreed to pay them a denarius^[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came,^(C) the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble^(D) against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat^(E) of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.^(F) Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’^(G)

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”^(H)

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time^(I)

¹⁷ Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, ¹⁸ “We are going up to Jerusalem,^(J) and the Son of Man^(K) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.^(L) They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged^(M) and crucified.^(N) On the third day^(O) he will be raised to life!”^(P)

A Mother’s Request^(Q)

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons^(R) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,^(S) asked a favor of him.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”^(T)

²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup^(U) I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup,^(V) but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant^(W) with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^{(X) 27} and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man^(Y) did not come to be served, but to serve,^(Z) and to give his life as a ransom^(AA) for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Sight^(AB)

²⁹ As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David,^(AC) have mercy on us!”

³¹ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³² Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³³ “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

³⁴ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.