One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 76
January 18
“We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,”
they replied.
22 So Hirah returned to Judah and told him,
“I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of
the village claim they’ve never had a shrine
prostitute there.”
23 “Then let her keep the things I gave her,”
Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we
agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the
laughingstock of the village if we went back
again to look for her.”
24 About three months later, Judah was told,
“Tamar, your d
aughter-in-law, has acted like
a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s
pregnant.”
“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Ju
dah demanded.
25 But as they were taking her out to kill her,
she sent this message to her father-in-law:
“The man who owns these things made me
pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord
and walking stick are these?”
26 Judah recognized them immediately and
said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my
son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Ta
mar again.
27 When the time came for Ta
mar to give
birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins. 28 While she was in labor, one of
the babies reached out his hand. The midwife
grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the
child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out
first.” 29 But then he pulled back his hand, and
out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he
was named Perez.* 30 Then the baby with the
scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he
was named Zerah.*
37:3a Hebrew Israel; also in 37:13. See note on 35:21.
37:3b Traditionally rendered a coat of many colors. The exact
meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. 37:26 Hebrew cover his
37:28 Hebrew 20 [shekels], about 8 ounces or 228 grams
blood.
37:36 Hebrew
in weight. 37:35 Hebrew go down to S heol.
the Medanites. The relationship between the Midianites and
Medanites is unclear; compare 37:28. See also 25:2. 38:29 Perez
means “breaking out.” 38:30 Zerah means “scarlet” or
“brightness.”
MATTHEW 12:22‑45
Then a d
emon-possessed man, who was blind
and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He
healed the man so that he could both speak
and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked,
“Could it be that J esus is the Son of David, the
Messiah?”
24 But when the Pharis
ees heard about the
miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out
demons. He gets his power from Satan,* the
prince of demons.”
56
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied,
“Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed.
A town or family splintered by feuding will
fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan,
he is divided and fighting against himself. His
own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am
empowered by Satan, what about your own
exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they
will condemn you for what you have said.
28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit
of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived
among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to
enter the house of a strong man and plunder
his goods? Only someone even stronger—
someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me,
and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
31 “So I tell you, e
very sin and blasphemy
can be forgiven—except blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of
Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks
against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven,
either in this world or in the world to come.
33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is
good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its
fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How
could evil men like you speak what is good
and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good
heart, and an evil person produces evil things
from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell
you this, you must give an account on judgment day for e very idle word you speak. 37 The
words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
38 One day some teachers of religious law
and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher,
we want you to show us a miraculous sign to
prove your authority.”
39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous
generation would demand a miraculous sign;
but the only sign I will give them is the sign of
the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the
belly of the great fish for three days and three
nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart
of the earth for three days and three nights.
41 “The people of Nin
eveh will stand up
against this generation on judgment day and
condemn it, for they repented of their sins at
the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater
than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.
42 The queen of She
ba* will also stand up
against this generation on judgment day and
condemn it, for she came from a distant land
