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17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels.[a] 18 He took away[b] all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac.[c]
19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep,[d] Rachel stole the household idols[e] that belonged to her father. 20 Jacob also deceived[f] Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving.[g] 21 He left[h] with all he owned. He quickly crossed[i] the Euphrates River[j] and headed for[k] the hill country of Gilead.
22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left.[l] 23 So he took his relatives[m] with him and pursued Jacob[n] for seven days.[o] He caught up with[p] him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him,[q] “Be careful[r] that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.”[s]
25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too.[t] 26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me[u] and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war![v] 27 Why did you run away secretly[w] and deceive me?[x] Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps?[y] 28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren[z] goodbye. You have acted foolishly! 29 I have the power[aa] to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful[ab] that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’[ac] 30 Now I understand that[ad] you have gone away[ae] because you longed desperately[af] for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?”[ag]
31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!”[ah] Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought[ai] you might take your daughters away from me by force.[aj] 32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death![ak] In the presence of our relatives[al] identify whatever is yours and take it.”[am] (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.)[an]
33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols.[ao] Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s.[ap] 34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle[aq] and sat on them.)[ar] Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.[as] 35 Rachel[at] said to her father, “Don’t be angry,[au] my lord. I cannot stand up[av] in your presence because I am having my period.”[aw] So he searched thoroughly,[ax] but did not find the idols.
36 Jacob became angry[ay] and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban.[az] “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit?[ba] 37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you?[bb] Set it here before my relatives and yours,[bc] and let them settle the dispute between the two of us![bd]
38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself.[be] You always made me pay for every missing animal,[bf] whether it was taken by day or at night. 40 I was consumed by scorching heat[bg] during the day and by piercing cold[bh] at night, and I went without sleep.[bi] 41 This was my lot[bj] for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave[bk] for you—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—but you changed my wages ten times! 42 If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears[bl]—had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked,[bm] and he rebuked you last night.”
43 Laban replied[bn] to Jacob, “These women[bo] are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren,[bp] and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today[bq] or the children to whom they have given birth? 44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement,[br] you and I, and it will be[bs] proof that we have made peace.”[bt]
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 46 Then he[bu] said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile.[bv] They ate there by the pile of stones. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,[bw] but Jacob called it Galeed.[bx]
48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement[by] today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah[bz] because he said, “May the Lord watch[ca] between us[cb] when we are out of sight of one another.[cc] 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize[cd] that God is witness to your actions.”[ce]
51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob.[cf] 52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me.[cg] 53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor,[ch] the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.[ci] 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice[cj] on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal.[ck] They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
55 (32:1)[cl] Early in the morning Laban kissed[cm] his grandchildren[cn] and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.[co]
Jacob Wrestles at Peniel
32 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God[cp] met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed,[cq] “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.[cr]
3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead[cs] to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region[ct] of Edom. 4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant[cu] Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now.[cv] 5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent[cw] this message[cx] to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has 400 men with him.” 7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 8 “If Esau attacks one camp,”[cy] he thought,[cz] “then the other camp will be able to escape.”[da]
9 Then Jacob prayed,[db] “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said[dc] to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’[dd] 10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love[de] you have shown[df] your servant. With only my walking stick[dg] I crossed the Jordan,[dh] but now I have become two camps. 11 Rescue me,[di] I pray, from the hand[dj] of my brother Esau,[dk] for I am afraid he will come[dl] and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.[dm] 12 But you[dn] said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper[do] and will make[dp] your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’”[dq]
24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave[a] greater than his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much worse will they call[b] the members of his household!
Fear God, Not Man
26 “Do[c] not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden[d] that will not be revealed,[e] and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear,[f] proclaim from the housetops.[g] 28 Do[h] not be afraid of those who kill the body[i] but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.[j] 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?[k] Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.[l] 30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. 31 So do not be afraid;[m] you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges[n] me before people, I will acknowledge[o] before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring[p] peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword![q] 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.[r]
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy[s] of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take up his cross[t] and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life[u] will lose it,[v] and whoever loses his life because of me[w] will find it.
Rewards
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.[x] 41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever[y] receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones[z] in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth,[aa] he will never lose his reward.”
11 When[ab] Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their towns.[ac]
Jesus and John the Baptist
2 Now when John[ad] heard in prison about the deeds Christ[ae] had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question:[af] 3 “Are you the one who is to come,[ag] or should we look for another?” 4 Jesus answered them,[ah] “Go tell John what you hear and see:[ai] 5 The blind see, the[aj] lame walk, lepers[ak] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them[al] 6 —and blessed is anyone[am] who takes no offense at me!”
Psalm 13[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
13 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me?[b]
How long will you pay no attention to me?[c]
2 How long must I worry,[d]
and suffer in broad daylight?[e]
How long will my enemy gloat over me?[f]
3 Look at me![g] Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me,[h] or else I will die.[i]
4 Then[j] my enemy will say, “I have defeated him.”
Then[k] my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I[l] trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance.[m]
6 I will sing praises[n] to the Lord
when he vindicates me.[o]
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