Luke 19:1-27; Genesis 32; Genesis 33; Psalms 25

Luke 19:1-27

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.

2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since He was about to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay at your house."

6 So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully.

7 All who saw it began to complain, "He's gone to lodge with a sinful man!"

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I'll pay back four times as much!"

9 "Today salvation has come to this house," Jesus told him, "because he too is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."

11 As they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.

12 Therefore He said: "A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return.

13 He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, and told them, 'Engage in business until I come back.'

14 "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We don't want this man to rule over us!'

15 "At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those slaves he had given the money to so he could find out how much they had made in business.

16 The first came forward and said, 'Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.'

17 " 'Well done, good slave!' he told him. 'Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.'

18 "The second came and said, 'Master, your mina has made five minas.'

19 "So he said to him, 'You will be over five towns.'

20 "And another came and said, 'Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth

21 because I was afraid of you, for you're a tough man: you collect what you didn't deposit and reap what you didn't sow.'

22 "He told him, 'I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! [If] you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn't deposit and reaping what I didn't sow,

23 why didn't you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!'

24 So he said to those standing there, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.'

25 "But they said to him, 'Master, he has 10 minas.'

26 " 'I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

27 But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.' "

Genesis 32

1 Jacob went on his way, and God's angels met him.

2 When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's camp." So he called that place Mahanaim.

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

4 He commanded them, "You are to say to my lord Esau, 'This is what your servant Jacob says. I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed until now.

5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves. I have sent [this message] to inform my lord, in order to seek your favor.' "

6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau; he is coming to meet you-and he has 400 men with him."

7 Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; he divided the people with him into two camps, along with the flocks, cattle, and camels.

8 He thought, "If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, the remaining one can escape."

9 Then Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,'

10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.

11 Please rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children.

12 You have said, 'I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' "

13 He spent the night there and took part of what he had brought with him as a gift for his brother Esau:

14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

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

16 He entrusted them to his slaves as separate herds and said to them, "Go on ahead of me, and leave some distance between the herds."

17 And he told the first one: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'Who do you belong to? Where are you going? And whose [animals] are these ahead of you?'

18 then tell him, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau. And look, he is behind us.' "

19 He also told the second one, the third, and everyone who was walking behind the animals, "Say the same thing to Esau when you find him.

20 You are to also say, 'Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.' " For he thought, "I want to appease Esau with the gift that is going ahead of me. After that, I can face him, and perhaps he will forgive me."

21 So the gift was sent on ahead of him while he remained in the camp that night.

22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his 11 sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok.

23 He took them and brought them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

25 When the man saw that He could not defeat him, He struck Jacob's hip as they wrestled and dislocated his hip socket.

26 Then He said to Jacob, "Let Me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me."

27 "What is your name?" the man asked. "Jacob!" he replied.

28 "Your name will no longer be Jacob," He said. "It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed."

29 Then Jacob asked Him, "Please tell me Your name." But He answered, "Why do you ask My name?" And He blessed him there.

30 Jacob then named the place Peniel, "For," [he said,] "I have seen God face to face, and I have been delivered."

31 The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel-limping on his hip.

32 That is why, to this day, the Israelites don't eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket: because He struck Jacob's hip socket at the thigh muscle.

Genesis 33

1 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female slaves.

2 He put the female slaves first, Leah and her sons next, and Rachel and Joseph last.

3 He himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times until he approached his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept.

5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, "Who are these with you?" He answered, "The children God has graciously given your servant."

6 Then the female slaves and their children approached [him] and bowed down.

7 Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

8 So Esau said, "What do you mean by this whole procession I met?" "To find favor with you, my lord," he answered.

9 "I have enough, my brother," Esau replied. "Keep what you have."

10 But Jacob said, "No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, [and it is] like seeing God's face, since you have accepted me.

11 Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need." So Jacob urged him until he accepted.

12 Then Esau said, "Let's move on, and I'll go ahead of you."

13 Jacob replied, "My lord knows that the children are weak, and I have nursing sheep and cattle. If they are driven hard for one day, the whole herd will die.

14 Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a pace suited to the livestock and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."

15 Esau said, "Let me leave some of my people with you." But he replied, "Why do that? Please indulge me, my lord."

16 On that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,

17 but Jacob went on to Succoth. He built a house for himself and stalls for his cattle; that is why the place was called Succoth.

18 After Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the Canaanite city of Shechem and camped in front of the city.

19 He purchased a section of the field from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for 100 qesitahs, where he had pitched his tent.

20 And he set up an altar there and called it "God, the God of Israel."

Psalms 25

1 Lord, I turn my hope to You.

2 My God, I trust in You. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.

3 Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.

4 Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths.

5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.

6 Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they [have existed] from antiquity.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness, Lord.

8 The Lord is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

10 All the Lord's ways [show] faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees.

11 Because of Your name, Lord, forgive my sin, for it is great.

12 Who is the person who fears the Lord? He will show him the way he should choose.

13 He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land.

14 The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He reveals His covenant to them.

15 My eyes are always on the Lord, for He will pull my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted.

17 The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.

18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous, and they hate me violently.

20 Guard me and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in You.

21 May integrity and uprightness keep me, for I wait for You.

22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.