Genesis 31; Genesis 32; Matthew 9:18-38

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Genesis 31

1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father and has gained all his wealth from him."

2 He also noticed that Laban did not appear as friendly to him as before.

3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your ancestors and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

4 So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah to come out to the open country where his flocks were.

5 He said to them, "I have seen that your father isn't as friendly to me as he was before, but the God of my father has been with me.

6 You know that I have worked as hard as I could for your father.

7 Your father has cheated me. He has changed my wages ten times. But God hasn't let him harm me.

8 Whenever he said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' all the flocks gave birth to speckled young. And whenever he said, 'The striped ones will be your wages,' all the flocks gave birth to striped young.

9 So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me.

10 "During the mating season I had a dream: I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, or spotted.

11 In the dream the Messenger of God called to me, 'Jacob!' And I answered, 'Yes, here I am.'

12 He said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, or spotted, because I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured olive oil on a stone marker for a holy purpose and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land, and go back to the land of your relatives.'"

14 Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there anything left in our father's household for us to inherit?

15 Doesn't he think of us as foreigners? Not only did he sell us, but he has used up the money that was paid for us.

16 Certainly, all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. Now do whatever God has told you."

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 ten times.

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, 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.

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.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and went back home.

Genesis 32

1 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.'"

13 He stayed there that night. Then he prepared a gift for his brother Esau from what he had brought with him:

14 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep,

15 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.

16 He placed servants in charge of each herd. Then he said to his servants, "Go ahead of me, and keep a distance between the herds."

17 He commanded the first servant, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and whose animals are these ahead of you?'

18 then say, 'Sir, they belong to your servant Jacob. This is a gift sent to you. Jacob is right behind us.'"

19 He also commanded the second servant, the third, and all the others who followed the herds. He said, "Say the same thing to Esau when you find him.

20 And be sure to add, 'Jacob is right behind us, sir.'" He thought, "I'll make peace with him by giving him this gift that I'm sending ahead of me. After that I will see him, and he'll welcome me back."

21 So Jacob sent the gift ahead of him while he stayed in the camp that night.

22 During that night he got up and gathered his two wives, his two slaves and his eleven children and crossed at the shallow part of the Jabbok River.

23 After he sent them across the stream, he sent everything else across.

24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man wrestled with him until dawn.

25 When the man saw that he could not win against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that it was dislocated as they wrestled.

26 Then the man said, "Let me go; it's almost dawn." But Jacob answered, "I won't let you go until you bless me."

27 So the man asked him, "What's your name?" "Jacob," he answered.

28 The man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel [He Struggles With God], because you have struggled with God and with men--and you have won."

29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." The man answered, "Why do you ask for my name?" Then he blessed Jacob there.

30 So Jacob named that place Peniel [Face of God], because he said, "I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved."

31 The sun rose as he passed Penuel. He was limping because of his hip.

32 (Therefore, even today the people of Israel do not eat the muscle of the thigh attached to the hip socket because God touched the socket of Jacob's hip at the muscle of the thigh.)

Matthew 9:18-38

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.

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.

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."

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."

Genesis 31; Genesis 32; Matthew 9:18-38

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Genesis 31

Genesis 32

Matthew 9:18-38