One Year Pray for America Bible - Flipbook - Page 56
January 12
29
May many nations become your
servants,
and may they bow down to you.
May you be the master over your
brothers,
and may your mother’s sons
bow down to you.
All who curse you will be cursed,
and all who bless you will be
blessed.”
30 As
soon as Isaac had finished
blessing Jacob, and almost before
Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. 31 Esau prepared
a delicious meal and brought it to his
father. Then he said, “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can
give me your blessing.”
32 But I
saac asked him, “Who are
you?”
Esau replied, “It’s your son, your
firstborn son, Esau.”
33 Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, “Then who just served
me wild game? I have already eaten
it, and I blessed him just before you
came. And yes, that blessing must
stand!”
34 When Esau heard his father’s
words, he let out a loud and bitter cry.
“Oh my father, what about me? Bless
me, too!” he begged.
35 But Isaac said, “Your brother was
here, and he tricked me. He has taken
away your blessing.”
36 Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his
name is Jacob, for now he has cheated
me twice.* First he took my rights as
the firstborn, and now he has stolen
my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved
even one blessing for me?”
37 Isaac said to Esau, “I have made
Jacob your master and have declared
that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and w
ine—what is left
for me to give you, my son?”
38 Esau pleaded, “But do you have
only one blessing? Oh my father, bless
me, too!” Then Esau broke down and
wept.
39 Finally, his father, I
saac, said to
him,
46
40
“You will live away from the
richness of the earth,
and away from the dew of the
heaven above.
You will live by your sword,
and you will serve your brother.
But when you decide to break free,
you will shake his yoke from
your neck.”
41 From that time on, Esau hated
Jacob because their father had given
Jacob the blessing. And Esau began
to scheme: “I will soon be mourning
my father’s death. Then I will kill my
brother, Jacob.”
42 But Rebekah heard about Esau’s
plans. So she sent for Jacob and told
him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. 43 So listen
carefully, my son. Get ready and flee
to my brother, Laban, in Haran. 44 Stay
there with him until your brother
cools off. 45 When he calms down and
forgets what you have done to him, I
will send for you to come back. Why
should I lose both of you in one day?”
46 Then Rebekah said to I
saac, “I’m
sick and tired of these local Hittite
women! I would rather die than see
Jacob marry one of them.”
27:36 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel”
and “deceiver.”
MATTHEW 9:117
Jesus climbed into a boat and went
back across the lake to his own town.
2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith,
Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be
encouraged, my child! Your sins are
forgiven.”
3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s
blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”
4
Jesus knew* what they were
thinking, so he asked them, “Why do
you have such evil thoughts in your
hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins
are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?
6 So I will prove to you that the Son
of Man* has the authority on earth to
forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the
paralyzed man and said, “Stand up,
pick up your mat, and go home!”
