Matthew 1; Exodus 20; Exodus 21; Proverbs 9

Matthew 1

1 The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram,

4 Aram fathered Aminadab, Aminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,

5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse,

6 and Jesse fathered King David. Then David fathered Solomon by Uriah's wife,

7 Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa,

8 Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah,

9 Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah,

11 and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 Then after the exile to Babylon Jechoniah fathered Salathiel, Salathiel fathered Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor,

14 Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud,

15 Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob,

16 and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, 14 generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, 14 generations.

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel , which is translated "God is with us."

24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord's angel had commanded him. He married her

25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

Exodus 20

1 Then God spoke all these words:

2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

3 Do not have other gods besides Me.

4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

5 You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers' sin, to the third and fourth [generations] of those who hate Me,

6 but showing faithful love to a thousand [generations] of those who love Me and keep My commands.

7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will punish anyone who misuses His name.

8 Remember to dedicate the Sabbath day:

9 You are to labor six days and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work-you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates.

11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 Do not murder.

14 Do not commit adultery.

15 Do not steal.

16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 Do not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

18 All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain [surrounded by] smoke. When the people saw [it] they trembled and stood at a distance.

19 "You speak to us, and we will listen," they said to Moses, "but don't let God speak to us, or we will die."

20 Moses responded to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin."

21 And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

22 Then the Lord told Moses, "This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.

23 You must not make gods of silver to rival Me; you must not make [gods of gold] for yourselves.

24 "You must make an earthen altar for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, as well as your cattle. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause My name to be remembered.

25 If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.

26 You must not go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.

Exodus 21

1 "These are the ordinances that you must set before them:

2 "When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything.

3 If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with a wife, his wife is to leave with him.

4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.

5 "But if the slave declares: 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,'

6 his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to leave as the male slaves do.

8 If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her.

9 Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters.

10 If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.

11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any exchange of money.

12 "Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.

13 But if he didn't intend any harm, and yet God caused it to happen by his hand, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.

14 If a person willfully acts against his neighbor to murder him by scheming, you must take him from My altar to be put to death.

15 "Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.

16 "Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.

17 "Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.

18 "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed,

19 if he can [later] get up and walk around outside [leaning] on his staff, then the one who struck [him] will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time and provide for [his] complete recovery.

20 "When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, the owner must be punished.

21 However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his [owner's] property.

22 "When men get in a fight, and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born [prematurely], but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.

23 If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.

26 "When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.

27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.

28 "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox's owner is innocent.

29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

30 If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

31 If it gores a son or a daughter, he is to be dealt with according to this same law.

32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, he must give 30 shekels of silver to the slave's master, and the ox must be stoned.

33 "When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34 the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay money to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.

35 "When a man's ox injures his neighbor's ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.

36 If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

Proverbs 9

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.

2 She has prepared her meat; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her servants; she calls out from the highest points of the city:

4 "Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!" To the one who lacks sense, she says,

5 "Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue the way of understanding.

7 The one who corrects a mocker will bring dishonor on himself; the one who rebukes a wicked man will get hurt.

8 Don't rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For by Wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit; if you mock, you alone will bear [the consequences]."

13 The woman Folly is rowdy; she is gullible and knows nothing.

14 She sits by the doorway of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15 calling to those who pass by, who go straight ahead on their paths:

16 "Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!" To the one who lacks sense, she says,

17 "Stolen water is sweet, and bread [eaten] secretly is tasty!"

18 But he doesn't know that the departed spirits are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.