The Daily Audio Bible
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Isaac Sends Jacob Away
28 Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You are not to marry any of the Canaanite women. 2 Quick! Go to Paddan Aram. Go to the home of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and get yourself a wife from there from the daughters of your uncle Laban. 3 May God Almighty bless you, make you fertile, and increase the number of your descendants so that you will become a community of people. 4 May he give to you and your descendants the blessing of Abraham so that you may take possession of the land where you are now living, the land that God gave to Abraham.”
5 Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan Aram. Jacob went to live with Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah. She was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him away to Paddan Aram to get a wife from there. He learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had commanded him not to marry any of the Canaanite women. 7 He also learned that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had left for Paddan Aram. 8 Esau realized that his father Isaac disapproved of Canaanite women. 9 So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, in addition to the wives he had.
Jacob’s First Encounter with God
10 Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 When he came to a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones from that place, put it under his head, and lay down there. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and coming down on it. 13 The Lord was standing above it, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give the land on which you are lying to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust on the earth. You will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. Through you and through your descendant every family on earth will be blessed. 15 Remember, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will also bring you back to this land because I will not leave you until I do what I’ve promised you.”
16 Then Jacob woke up from his sleep and exclaimed, “Certainly, the Lord is in this place, and I didn’t know it!” 17 Filled with awe, he said, “How awe-inspiring this place is! Certainly, this is the house of God and the gateway to heaven!”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had put under his head. He set it up as a marker and poured olive oil on top of it. 19 He named that place Bethel [House of God]. Previously, the name of the city was Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and will watch over me on my trip and give me food to eat and clothes to wear, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will be my God. 22 This stone that I have set up as a marker will be the house of God, and I will surely give you a tenth of everything you give me.”
Jacob’s Arrival in Haran
29 Jacob continued on his trip and came to the land in the east. 2 He looked around, and out in a field he saw a well with a large stone over the opening. Three flocks of sheep were lying down near it, because the flocks were watered from that well. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the stone would be rolled off the opening of the well so that the sheep could be watered. Then the stone would be put back in place over the opening of the well.
4 Jacob asked some people, “My friends, where are you from?”
“We’re from Haran,” they replied.
5 He asked them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
They answered, “We do.”
6 “How is he doing?” Jacob asked them.
“He’s fine,” they answered. “Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7 “It’s still the middle of the day,” he said. “It isn’t time yet to gather the livestock. Water the sheep. Then let them graze.”
8 They replied, “We can’t until all the flocks are gathered. When the stone is rolled off the opening of the well, we can water the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking to them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, because she was a shepherd. 10 Jacob saw Rachel, daughter of his uncle Laban, with his uncle Laban’s sheep. He came forward and rolled the stone off the opening of the well and watered his uncle Laban’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and sobbed loudly. 12 When Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s nephew and that he was Rebekah’s son, she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. He hugged and kissed him and brought him into his home. Then Jacob told Laban all that had happened. 14 Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Obtains Wives
Jacob stayed with him for a whole month. 15 Then Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative doesn’t mean that you should work for nothing. Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. 17 Leah had attractive eyes,[a] but Rachel had a beautiful figure and beautiful features. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. So he offered, “I’ll work seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban responded, “It’s better that I give her to you than to any other man. Stay with me.” 20 Jacob worked seven years in return for Rachel, but the years seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her.
21 ⌞At the end of the seven years⌟ Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up; give me my wife! I want to sleep with her.” 22 So Laban invited all the people of that place and gave a wedding feast. 23 In the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. Jacob slept with her. When morning came, he realized it was Leah.[b] 24 (Laban had given his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.)
25 “What have you done to me?” Jacob asked Laban. “Didn’t I work for you in return for Rachel? Why did you cheat me?”
26 Laban answered, “It’s not our custom to give the younger daughter ⌞in marriage⌟ before the older one. 27 Finish the week of wedding festivities with this daughter. Then we will give you the other one too. But you’ll have to work for me another seven years.”
28 That’s what Jacob did. He finished the week with Leah. Then Laban gave his daughter Rachel to him as his wife. 29 (Laban had given his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.) 30 Jacob slept with Rachel too. He loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
Leah and Rachel Compete for Jacob’s Love
31 When the Lord saw Leah was unloved, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel had none. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [Here’s My Son], because she said, “Certainly, the Lord has seen my misery; now my husband will love me!” 33 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Certainly, the Lord has heard that I’m unloved, and he also has given me this son.” So she named him Simeon [Hearing]. 34 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me because I’ve given him three sons.” So she named him Levi [Attached]. 35 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah [Praise]. Then she stopped having children.
A Synagogue Leader’s Daughter and the Woman with Chronic Bleeding(A)
18 A ⌞synagogue⌟ leader came to Jesus while he was talking to John’s disciples. He bowed down in front of Jesus and said, “My daughter just died. Come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
19 Jesus and his disciples got up and followed the man.
20 Then a woman came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his clothes. She had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. 21 She thought, “If I only touch his clothes, I’ll get well.”
22 When Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Cheer up, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” At that very moment the woman became well.
23 Jesus came to the ⌞synagogue⌟ leader’s house. He saw flute players and a noisy crowd. 24 He said to them, “Leave! The girl is not dead. She’s sleeping.” But they laughed at him.
25 When the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in, took her hand, and the girl came back to life.
26 The news about this spread throughout that region.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 When Jesus left that place, two blind men followed him. They shouted, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”
28 Jesus went into a house, and the blind men followed him. He said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they answered.
29 He touched their eyes and said, “What you have believed will be done for you!” 30 Then they could see.
He warned them, “Don’t let anyone know about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that region.
Jesus Forces a Demon out of a Man Who Couldn’t Talk
32 As they were leaving, some people brought a man to Jesus. The man was unable to talk because he was possessed by a demon. 33 But as soon as the demon was forced out, the man began to speak.
The crowds were amazed and said, “We have never seen anything like this in Israel!”
34 But the Pharisees said, “He forces demons out of people with the help of the ruler of demons.”
Jesus’ Compassion for People
35 Jesus went to all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues and spread the Good News of the kingdom. He also cured every disease and sickness.
36 When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is large, but the workers are few. 38 So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops.”
For the choir director; by David.
11 I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird?
2 Wicked people bend their bows.
They set their arrows against the strings
to shoot in the dark at people whose motives are decent.
3 When the foundations ⌞of life⌟ are undermined,
what can a righteous person do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes see.
They examine Adam’s descendants.
5 The Lord tests righteous people,
but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence.
6 He rains down fire and burning sulfur upon wicked people.
He makes them drink from a cup filled with scorching wind.
7 The Lord is righteous.
He loves a righteous way of life.
Decent people will see his face.
11 Do not reject the discipline of the Lord, my son,
and do not resent his warning,
12 because the Lord warns the one he loves,
even as a father warns a son with whom he is pleased.
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