Judah and Tamar

38 At that time, Judah^(A) left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam^(B) named Hirah.^{(C) 2} There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.^(D) He married her and made love to her; ³ she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.^{(E) 4} She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.^{(F) 5} She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.^(G) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

⁶ Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.^{(H) 7} But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;^(I) so the Lord put him to death.^(J)

⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”^{(K) 9} But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. ¹⁰ What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.^(L)

¹¹ Judah then said to his daughter-in-law^(M) Tamar,^(N) “Live as a widow in your father’s household^(O) until my son Shelah^(P) grows up.”^(Q) For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.

¹² After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua,^(R) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,^(S) to the men who were shearing his sheep,^(T) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite^(U) went with him.

¹³ When Tamar^(V) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”^{(W) 14} she took off her widow’s clothes,^(X) covered herself with a veil^(Y) to disguise herself, and then sat down^(Z) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.^(AA) For she saw that, though Shelah^(AB) had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute,^(AC) for she had covered her face. ¹⁶ Not realizing^(AD) that she was his daughter-in-law,^(AE) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”^(AF)

“And what will you give me to sleep with you?”^(AG) she asked.

¹⁷ “I’ll send you a young goat^(AH) from my flock,” he said.

“Will you give me something as a pledge^(AI) until you send it?” she asked.

¹⁸ He said, “What pledge should I give you?”

“Your seal^(AJ) and its cord, and the staff^(AK) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.^{(AL) 19} After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes^(AM) again.

²⁰ Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite^(AN) in order to get his pledge^(AO) back from the woman, but he did not find her. ²¹ He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute^(AP) who was beside the road at Enaim?”

“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

²² So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”

²³ Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has,^(AQ) or we will become a laughingstock.^(AR) After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

²⁴ About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”^(AS)

²⁵ As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”^(AT)

²⁶ Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I,^(AU) since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.^(AV)” And he did not sleep with her again.

²⁷ When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.^{(AW) 28} As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife^(AX) took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist^(AY) and said, “This one came out first.” ²⁹ But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out,^(AZ) and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.^{[a](BA) 30} Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist,^(BB) came out. And he was named Zerah.^[b](BC)

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39 Now Joseph^(BD) had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard,^(BE) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.^(BF)

² The Lord was with Joseph^(BG) so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the Lord was with him^(BH) and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,^{(BI) 4} Joseph found favor in his eyes^(BJ) and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household,^(BK) and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.^{(BL) 5} From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household^(BM) of the Egyptian because of Joseph.^(BN) The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.^{(BO) 6} So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;^(BP) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,^{(BQ) 7} and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”^(BR)

⁸ But he refused.^(BS) “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.^{(BT) 9} No one is greater in this house than I am.^(BU) My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”^{(BV) 10} And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused^(BW) to go to bed with her or even be with her.

¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,^(BX) and none of the household servants^(BY) was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak^(BZ) and said, “Come to bed with me!”^(CA) But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.^(CB)

¹³ When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, ¹⁴ she called her household servants.^(CC) “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew^(CD) has been brought to us to make sport of us!^(CE) He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.^{(CF) 15} When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”^(CG)

¹⁶ She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told him this story:^(CH) “That Hebrew^(CI) slave^(CJ) you brought us came to me to make sport of me. ¹⁸ But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

¹⁹ When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.^{(CK) 20} Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison,^(CL) the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, ²¹ the Lord was with him;^(CM) he showed him kindness^(CN) and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.^{(CO) 22} So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.^{(CP) 23} The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s^(CQ) care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.^(CR)

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40 Some time later, the cupbearer^(CS) and the baker^(CT) of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. ² Pharaoh was angry^(CU) with his two officials,^(CV) the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, ³ and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,^(CW) in the same prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴ The captain of the guard^(CX) assigned them to Joseph,^(CY) and he attended them.

After they had been in custody^(CZ) for some time, ⁵ each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream^(DA) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.^(DB)

⁶ When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. ⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody^(DC) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”^(DD)

⁸ “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”^(DE)

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?^(DF) Tell me your dreams.”

⁹ So the chief cupbearer^(DG) told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,^(DH) and its clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹ Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

¹² “This is what it means,^(DI)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.^{(DJ) 13} Within three days^(DK) Pharaoh will lift up your head^(DL) and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.^{(DM) 14} But when all goes well with you, remember me^(DN) and show me kindness;^(DO) mention me to Pharaoh^(DP) and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,^(DQ) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”^(DR)

¹⁶ When the chief baker^(DS) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,^(DT) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets^(DU) of bread.^{[c] 17} In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

¹⁸ “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days.^{(DV) 19} Within three days^(DW) Pharaoh will lift off your head^(DX) and impale your body on a pole.^(DY) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”^(DZ)

²⁰ Now the third day^(EA) was Pharaoh’s birthday,^(EB) and he gave a feast for all his officials.^(EC) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker^(ED) in the presence of his officials: ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer^(EE) to his position,^(EF) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand^(EG)— ²² but he impaled the chief baker,^(EH) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.^(EI)

²³ The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.^(EJ)

Warnings and Encouragements^(A)

12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be^[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.^{(B) 2} There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.^{(C) 3} What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends,^(D) do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.^{(E) 6} Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^(F) Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(G)

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.^{(H) 9} But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned^(I) before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man^(J) will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.^(K)

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,^{(L) 12} for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”^(M)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”^(N)

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(O) This very night your life will be demanded from you.^(P) Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’^(Q)

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”^(R)

Do Not Worry^(S)

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.^(T) And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[b]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor^(U) was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!^{(V) 29} And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father^(W) knows that you need them.^{(X) 31} But seek his kingdom,^(Y) and these things will be given to you as well.^(Z)

³² “Do not be afraid,^(AA) little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.^{(AB) 33} Sell your possessions and give to the poor.^(AC) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven^(AD) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.^{(AE) 34} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(AF)

Watchfulness^(AG)(AH)

³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.^(AI) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.^{(AJ) 38} It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief^(AK) was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready,^(AL) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord^(AM) answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.^(AN) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^{(AO) 48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(AP) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division^(AQ)

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism^(AR) to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!^{(AS) 51} Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”^(AT)

Interpreting the Times

⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.^{(AU) 55} And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?^(AV)

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.^{(AW) 59} I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”^(AX)