Luke 21; Genesis 38; Psalms 29

Luke 21

1 He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.

2 He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.

3 "I tell you the truth," He said. "This poor widow has put in more than all of them.

4 For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on."

5 As some were talking about the temple complex, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, He said,

6 "These things that you see-the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down!"

7 "Teacher," they asked Him, "so when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"

8 Then He said, "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Don't follow them.

9 When you hear of wars and rebellions, don't be alarmed. Indeed, these things must take place first, but the end won't come right away."

10 Then He told them: "Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

11 There will be violent earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.

12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name.

13 It will lead to an opportunity for you to witness.

14 Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time,

15 for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

16 You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.

17 You will be hated by everyone because of My name,

18 but not a hair of your head will be lost.

19 By your endurance gain your lives.

20 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near.

21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it,

22 because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written.

23 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25 "Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring sea and waves.

26 People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken.

27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!"

29 Then He told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.

30 As soon as they put out [leaves] you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near.

31 In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

32 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all things take place.

33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

34 "Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly

35 like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth.

36 But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man."

37 During the day, He was teaching in the temple complex, but in the evening He would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.

38 Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear Him in the temple complex.

Genesis 38

1 At that time Judah left his brothers and settled near an Adullamite named Hirah.

2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he took her as a wife and slept with her.

3 She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.

4 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and named him Onan.

5 She gave birth to another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the Lord's sight, and the Lord put him to death.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and produce offspring for your brother."

9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

10 What he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so He put him to death also.

11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He might die too, like his brother." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

12 After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to the sheepshearers.

13 Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14 So she took off her widow's clothes, veiled [her face], covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.

16 He went over to her and said, "Come, let me sleep with you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me for sleeping with me?"

17 "I will send you a young goat from my flock," he replied. But she said, "Only if you leave something [with me] until you send it."

18 "What should I give you?" he asked. She answered, "Your signet ring, your cord, and the staff in your hand." So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she got pregnant by him.

19 She got up and left, then removed her veil and put her widow's clothes back on.

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get back the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.

21 He asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" "There has been no cult prostitute here," they answered.

22 So the Adullamite returned to Judah, saying, "I couldn't find her, and furthermore, the men of the place said, 'There has been no cult prostitute here.' "

23 Judah replied, "Let her keep [the items] for herself; otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send this young goat, but you couldn't find [her]."

24 About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant." "Bring her out!" Judah said. "Let her be burned [to death]!"

25 As she was being brought out, she sent her father-in-law [this message]: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong." And she added, "Examine them. Whose signet ring, cord, and staff are these?"

26 Judah recognized [them] and said, "She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her intimately again.

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet [thread] around it, announcing, "This one came out first."

29 But then he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out. Then she said, "You have broken out [first]!" So he was named Perez.

30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet [thread] tied to his hand, came out, and was named Zerah.

Psalms 29

1 Give the Lord-you heavenly beings- give the Lord glory and strength.

2 Give the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of [His] holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters. The God of glory thunders- the Lord, above vast waters,

4 the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion, like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare. In His temple all cry, "Glory!"

10 The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.

11 The Lord gives His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace.