The Daily Audio Bible
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Laban and Jacob Make Peace
17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels. 18 He drove all his livestock ahead of him and took all the possessions that he had accumulated. He took his own livestock that he had accumulated in Paddan Aram and went back to his father Isaac in Canaan.
19 When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s idols. 20 Jacob also tricked Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was leaving. 21 So he left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the mountains of Gilead.
22 Two days later Laban was told that Jacob had left in a hurry. 23 He and his relatives pursued Jacob for seven days. Laban caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead.
24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.”
25 When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the mountains. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the mountains of Gilead. 26 Then Laban asked Jacob, “What have you done by tricking me? You’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war. 27 Why did you leave secretly and trick me? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I would have sent you on your way rejoicing, with songs accompanied by tambourines and lyres. 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You’ve done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you. Last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.’ 30 Now you have left for your father’s home because you were so homesick. But why did you steal my gods?”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32 If you find your gods, the one who has them will not be allowed to live. In the presence of our relatives, search as much as you want through what I have, and take what is yours.” (Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the gods.)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two slaves. But he found nothing. He came out of Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent. 34 Rachel had taken the idols and had put them in her camel’s saddle-bag and was sitting on them. Laban rummaged through the whole tent but found nothing.
35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, Father, but I can’t get up to greet you; I’m having my period.” So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he didn’t find the idols.
36 Then Jacob became angry and confronted Laban. “What is my crime?” Jacob demanded of Laban. “What is my offense that you have come chasing after me? 37 Now that you’ve rummaged through all my things, did you find anything from your house? Put it here in front of all our relatives. Let them decide which one of us is right.
38 “I’ve been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate any rams from your flocks. 39 I never brought you any of the flock that was killed by wild animals. I paid for the loss myself. That’s what you demanded of me when any of the flock was stolen during the day or at night. 40 The scorching heat during the day and the cold at night wore me down, and I lost a lot of sleep. 41 I’ve been with your household 20 years now. I worked for you 14 years for your two daughters and 6 years for your flocks, and you changed my wages 10 times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac,[a] had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed by now. God has seen my misery and hard work, and last night he made it right.”
43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “These are my daughters, my grandchildren, and my flocks. Everything you see is mine! Yet, what can I do today for my daughters or for their children? 44 Now, let’s make an agreement and let it stand as a witness between you and me.”
45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker. 46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” They took stones, put them into a pile, and ate there by the pile of stones. 47 ⌞In his language⌟ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha [Witness Pile], but Jacob called it Galeed.[b]
48 Laban said, “This pile of stones stands as a witness between you and me today.” This is why it was named Galeed 49 and also Mizpah [Watchtower], because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we’re unable to see each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women behind my back, remember that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
51 Laban said to Jacob, “Here is the pile of stones, and here is the marker that I have set up between you and me. 52 This pile of stones and this marker stand as witnesses that I will not go past the pile of stones to harm you, and that you will not go past the pile of stones or marker to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and Nahor—the God of their father—judge between us.”
So Jacob swore this oath by the Fear of his father Isaac 54 and offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He invited his relatives to eat the meal with him. They ate with him and spent the night on the mountain.[c]
55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and went back home.
Jacob Sends Messages and Gifts to Esau
32 [d]As Jacob went on his way, God’s angels met him. 2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp!” He named that place Mahanaim [Two Camps].
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He commanded them to give this message to Esau, “Sir, this is what Jacob has to say, ‘I’ve been living with Laban and have stayed until now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, and male and female slaves. I’ve sent ⌞these messengers⌟ to tell you ⌞this news⌟ in order to win your favor.’ ”
6 When the messengers came back to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you with 400 men.”
7 Jacob was terrified and distressed. So he divided the people, the sheep and goats, the cattle, and the camels into two camps. 8 He thought, “If Esau attacks the one camp, then the other camp will be able to escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “God of my grandfather Abraham and God of my father Isaac! Lord, you said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your relatives, and I will make you prosperous.’ 10 I’m not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown me. I only had a shepherd’s staff when I crossed the Jordan River, but now I have two camps. 11 Please save me from my brother Esau, because I’m afraid of him. I’m afraid that he’ll come and attack me and the mothers and children too. 12 But you did say, ‘I will make sure that you are prosperous and that your descendants will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one will be able to count them because there are so many.’ ”
24 “A student is not better than his teacher. Nor is a slave better than his owner. 25 It is enough for a student to become like his teacher and a slave like his owner. If they have called the owner of the house Beelzebul,[a] they will certainly call the family members the same name. 26 So don’t be afraid of them. Nothing has been covered that will not be exposed. Whatever is secret will be made known. 27 Tell in the daylight what I say to you in the dark. Shout from the housetops what you hear whispered. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
29 “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission. 30 Every hair on your head has been counted. 31 Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “So I will acknowledge in front of my Father in heaven that person who acknowledges me in front of others. 33 But I will tell my Father in heaven that I don’t know the person who tells others that he doesn’t know me.
34 “Don’t think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn’t come to bring peace but conflict. 35 I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A person’s enemies will be the members of his own family.
37 “The person who loves his father or mother more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. The person who loves a son or daughter more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. 38 Whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me doesn’t deserve to be my disciple. 39 The person who tries to preserve his life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for me will preserve it.
40 “The person who welcomes you welcomes me, and the person who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 The person who welcomes a prophet as such will receive a prophet’s reward. The person who welcomes a godly person as such will receive a godly person’s reward. 42 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives any of my humble followers a cup of cold water because that person is my disciple will certainly never lose his reward.”
11 After Jesus finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he moved on from there to teach his message in their cities.
John Sends Two Disciples(A)
2 When John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ had done. So he sent his disciples 3 to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?”
4 Jesus answered John’s disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you hear and see: 5 Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News. 6 Whoever doesn’t lose his faith in me is indeed blessed.”
For the choir director; a psalm by David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I make decisions alone
with sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look at me! Answer me, O Lord my God!
Light up my eyes,
or else I will die
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overpowered him.”
My opponents will rejoice because I have been shaken.
5 But I trust your mercy.
My heart finds joy in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me.
16 Long life is in ⌞wisdom’s⌟ right hand.
In ⌞wisdom’s⌟ left hand are riches and honor.
17 ⌞Wisdom’s⌟ ways are pleasant ways,
and all its paths lead to peace.
18 ⌞Wisdom⌟ is a tree of life
for those who take firm hold of it.
Those who cling to it are blessed.
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