Psalm 8^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] A psalm of David.

¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,^(A) where he settled. ¹⁸ Isaac reopened the wells^(B) that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. ²⁰ But the herders of Gerar quarreled^(C) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”^(D) So he named the well Esek,^[a] because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled^(E) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^{[b] 22} He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,^[c](F) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room^(G) and we will flourish^(H) in the land.”

²³ From there he went up to Beersheba.^{(I) 24} That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.^(J) Do not be afraid,^(K) for I am with you;^(L) I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants^(M) for the sake of my servant Abraham.”^(N)

²⁵ Isaac built an altar^(O) there and called on the name of the Lord.^(P) There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.^(Q)

²⁶ Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces.^{(R) 27} Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?^(S)”

²⁸ They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you;^(T) so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty^(U) with you ²⁹ that you will do us no harm,^(V) just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”^(W)

³⁰ Isaac then made a feast^(X) for them, and they ate and drank. ³¹ Early the next morning the men swore an oath^(Y) to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.

³² That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well^(Z) they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” ³³ He called it Shibah,^[d] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.^[e](AA)

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old,^(AB) he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.^{(AC) 35} They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.^(AD)

27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,^(AE) he called for Esau his older son^(AF) and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.^{(AG) 3} Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country^(AH) to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like^(AI) and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing^(AJ) before I die.”^(AK)

⁵ Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country^(AL) to hunt game and bring it back, ⁶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob,^(AM) “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’^{(AN) 8} Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:^{(AO) 9} Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,^(AP) so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.^{(AQ) 10} Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing^(AR) before he dies.”

¹¹ Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man^(AS) while I have smooth skin. ¹² What if my father touches me?^(AT) I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse^(AU) on myself rather than a blessing.”

¹³ His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.^(AV) Just do what I say;^(AW) go and get them for me.”

¹⁴ So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.^{(AX) 15} Then Rebekah took the best clothes^(AY) of Esau her older son,^(AZ) which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.^{(BA) 17} Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

¹⁸ He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”^(BB)

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn.^(BC) I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game,^(BD) so that you may give me your blessing.”^(BE)

²⁰ Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,^(BF)” he replied.

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you,^(BG) my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

²² Jacob went close to his father Isaac,^(BH) who touched^(BI) him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;^(BJ) so he proceeded to bless him. ²⁴ “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

²⁵ Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”^(BK)

Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. ²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

²⁷ So he went to him and kissed^(BL) him^(BM). When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,^(BN) he blessed him and said,

³⁰ After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”^(BW)

³² His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”^(BX)

“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.^(BY)”

³³ Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me?^(BZ) I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!^(CA)”

³⁴ When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry^(CB) and said to his father, “Bless^(CC) me—me too, my father!”

³⁵ But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully^(CD) and took your blessing.”^(CE)

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob^[f]?^(CF) This is the second time he has taken advantage of^(CG) me: He took my birthright,^(CH) and now he’s taken my blessing!”^(CI) Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine.^(CJ) So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.^(CK)

³⁹ His father Isaac answered him,^(CL)

⁴¹ Esau held a grudge^(CR) against Jacob^(CS) because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning^(CT) for my father are near; then I will kill^(CU) my brother Jacob.”^(CV)

⁴² When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau^(CW) had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.^{(CX) 43} Now then, my son, do what I say:^(CY) Flee at once to my brother Laban^(CZ) in Harran.^{(DA) 44} Stay with him for a while^(DB) until your brother’s fury subsides. ⁴⁵ When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him,^(DC) I’ll send word for you to come back from there.^(DD) Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite^(DE) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,^(DF) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”^(DG)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man^(A)

9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.^{(B) 2} Some men brought to him a paralyzed man,^(C) lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith,^(D) he said to the man, “Take heart,^(E) son; your sins are forgiven.”^(F)

³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”^(G)

⁴ Knowing their thoughts,^(H) Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man^(I) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God,^(J) who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew^(K)

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”^(L) he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(M)

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a](N) For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^(O)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(P)

¹⁴ Then John’s^(Q) disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,^(R) but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?^(S) The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.^(T)

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”