NLT One Year Bible - Flipbook - Page 51
47
had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.
18Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he
told her father, “I’ll work for you for
seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your
younger daughter, as my wife.”
19“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather
give her to you than to anyone else. Stay
and work with me.” 20So Jacob worked
seven years to pay for Rachel. But his
love for her was so strong that it seemed
to him but a few days.
21Finally, the time came for him to
marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give
me my wife so I can sleep with her.”
22 So Laban invited everyone in the
neighborhood and prepared a wedding
feast. 23But that night, when it was dark,
Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept
with her. 24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
25 But when Jacob woke up in the
morning—it was Leah! “What have you
done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I
worked seven years for Rachel! Why
have you tricked me?”
26“It’s not our custom here to marry
off a younger daughter ahead of the
firstborn,” Laban replied. 27“But wait
until the bridal week is over; then we’ll
give you Rachel, too—provided you
promise to work another seven years
for me.”
28So Jacob agreed to work seven more
years. A week after Jacob had married
Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.
29(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah,
to be her maid.) 30So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more
than Leah. He then stayed and worked
for Laban the additional seven years.
31When the Lord saw that Leah was
unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.
32 So Leah became pregnant and gave
birth to a son. She named him Reuben,*
for she said, “The Lord has noticed my
misery, and now my husband will love
me.”
33 She soon became pregnant again
and gave birth to another son. She
named him Simeon,* for she said, “The
J A N U A R Y
1 3
Lord heard that I was unloved and has
given me another son.”
34Then she became pregnant a third
time and gave birth to another son. He
was named Levi,* for she said, “Surely
this time my husband will feel affection
for me, since I have given him three
sons!”
35Once again Leah became pregnant
and gave birth to another son. She
named him Judah,* for she said, “Now I
will praise the Lord!” And then she
stopped having children.
28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai. 28:4 Hebrew seed; also in
28:13, 14. 29:17 Or Leah had dull eyes, or Leah had
soft eyes. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
29:32 Reuben means “Look, a son!” It also sounds like the
Hebrew for “He has seen my misery.” 29:33 Simeon
probably means “one who hears.” 29:34 Levi sounds like
a Hebrew term that means “being attached” or “feeling
affection for.” 29:35 Judah is related to the Hebrew term
for “praise.”
MATTHEW 9:18-38
As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a
synagogue came and knelt before him.
“My daughter has just died,” he said,
“but you can bring her back to life again
if you just come and lay your hand on
her.”
19 So Jesus and his disciples got up
and went with him. 20 Just then a woman
who had suffered for twelve years with
constant bleeding came up behind him.
She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for
she thought, “If I can just touch his robe,
I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he
saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.”
And the woman was healed at that
moment.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s
home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard
the funeral music. 24“Get out!” he told
them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only
asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him.
25After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by
the hand, and she stood up! 26The report of this miracle swept through the
entire countryside.
27After Jesus left the girl’s home, two
blind men followed along behind him,
