Daily Bible Reading

Genesis 10&11; Matthew 5

2008-01-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

Genesis 10

1) This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

2) The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.

3) The sons of Gomer:
Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

4) The sons of Javan:
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. 5) (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)

6) The sons of Ham:
Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan.

7) The sons of Cush:
Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca.
The sons of Raamah:
Sheba and Dedan.

8) Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. 9) He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD." 10) The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. 11) From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah 12) and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.13) Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14) Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. 15) Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 16) Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17) Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18) Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19) and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20) These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. 21) Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.

22) The sons of Shem:
Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

23) The sons of Aram:
Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech.

24) Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,
and Shelah the father of Eber.

25) Two sons were born to Eber:
One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

26) Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27) Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28) Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29) Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30) The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. 31) These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. 32) These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Genesis 11

1) Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2) As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3) They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4) Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5) But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6) The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7) Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." 8) So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9) That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. 10) This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11) And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.12) When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13) And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.14) When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15) And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16) When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17) And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.18) When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19) And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20) When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21) And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22) When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23) And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24) When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25) And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26) After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. 27) This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28) While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29) Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30) Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31) Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32) Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

Matthew 5

1) Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2) and he began to teach them saying:
3) "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4) Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5) Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7) Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8) Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9) Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11) "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.13) "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.14) "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15) Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.17) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18) I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19) Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20) For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. 21) "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22) But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brotherwill be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23) "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24) leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. 25) "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26) I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. 27) "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28) But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29) If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30) And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 31) "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'32) But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. 33) "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34) But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35) or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36) And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37) Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. 38) "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39) But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40) And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41) If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42) Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43) "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighborand hate your enemy.' 44) But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45) that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46) If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47) And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Genesis 8&9; Matthew 4

2008-01-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Genesis 8

1) But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2) Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3) The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4) and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5) The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. 6) After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7) and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8) Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9) But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10) He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11) When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12) He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.13) By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14) By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15) Then God said to Noah, 16) "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17) Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." 18) So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19) All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another. 20) Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21) The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

22) "As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease."

Genesis 9
1) Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2) The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3) Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4) "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5) And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.

6) "Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed;
for in the image of God
has God made man.

7) As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."

8) Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9) "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10) and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11) I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12) And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13) I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14) Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15) I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16) Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." 17) So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." 18) The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19) These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. 20) Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21) When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22) Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23) But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. 24) When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25) he said,
"Cursed be Canaan!
The lowest of slaves
will he be to his brothers."

26) He also said,
"Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

27) May God extend the territory of Japheth;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be his slave."

28) After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.

Matthew 4
1) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2) After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3) The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4) Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5) Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6) "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

7) Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9)"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."10) Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11) Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.12) When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13) Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14) to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15) "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16) the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."

17) From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 18) As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19) "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20) At once they left their nets and followed him. 21) Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22) and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23) Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24) News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25) Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Genesis 5&7; Matthew 3

2008-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Genesis 5
1) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2) The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3) but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4) "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5) "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9) But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11) And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12) The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13) Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14) So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 16) To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17) To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18) It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19) By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 20) Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
21) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22) And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23) So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24) After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 4
1) Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2) Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3) In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4) But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6) Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8) Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9) Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10) The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11) Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12) When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13) Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14) Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15) But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16) So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17) Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18) To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19) Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20) Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21) His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22) Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. 23) Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24) If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." 25) Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." 26) Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.

Matthew 3
1)In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2) and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3) This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.' "

4)John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5) People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6) Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7)But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9) And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10) The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11)"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12) His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14) But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"15) Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17) And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Genesis 3&4; Matthew 2

2008-01-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Genesis 3
1) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2) The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3) but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4) "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5) "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9) But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11) And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12) The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13) Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14) So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 16) To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17) To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18) It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19) By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 20) Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22) And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23) So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24) After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 4
1) Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2) Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3) In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4) But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6) Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8) Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9) Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10) The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11) Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12) When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." 13) Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14) Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15) But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16) So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17) Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18) To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19) Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20) Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21) His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22) Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.
23) Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24) If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." 25) Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." 26) Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.

Matthew 2
1)After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2) and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3)When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4)When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5) "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6)" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" 7) Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8) He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9) After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10) When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12) And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. The Escape to Egypt 13) When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14) So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15) where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." 16) When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17) Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18) "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." The Return to Nazareth 19) After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20) and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." 21) So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23) and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

Genesis 1&2; Matthew 1

2008-01-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Genesis 1
1)In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3) And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4) God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5) God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
6) And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7) So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8) God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9) And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10) God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.
11) Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12) The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13) And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14) And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15) and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16) God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17) God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18) to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19) And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20) And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21) So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22) God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23) And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24) And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25) God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26) Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28) God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29) Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30) And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 2
1) Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2) By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3) And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
4) This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- 5) and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- 7)the LORD God formed the man The Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah) it is also the name Adam (see Gen. 2:20). from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
8) Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9) And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10) A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11) The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12) (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14) The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15) The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16) And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17) but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
18) The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19) Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20) So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21) So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22) Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23) The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man."
24) For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
25) The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.