Jan 7th

Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.”

Then Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.

So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

Now the men of Sodom were evil and sinners, exceedingly so, against Yahweh.

And Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your seed forever.

And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your seed can also be numbered.

Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

Then Abram moved his tent and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to Yahweh.

And it happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

Now for twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.

So in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness.

Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh). And they struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who were living in Hazazon-tamar.

And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arranged themselves for battle against them in the valley of Siddim,

against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five—

now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits—and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them; but those who remained behind fled to the hill country.

Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and departed.

They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed; now he was living in Sodom.

Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was dwelling by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were in a covenant with Abram.

So Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, and he led out his trained men, born in his house, 318 in number, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

And he divided his men against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

And he brought back all the possessions, and he also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions and also the women and the people.

Then after he came back from striking down Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

Then he blessed him and said,

Then he gave him a tenth of all.

And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me, but take the possessions for yourself.”

Then Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to Yahweh God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you would not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.”

After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying,

And Abram said, “O Lord Yahweh, what will You give me, as I go on being childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

And Abram said, “Since You have given no seed to me, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”

Then behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.”

And He brought him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your seed be.”

Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness.

And He said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.”

And he said, “O Lord Yahweh, how may I know that I will possess it?”

So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

Then he brought all these to Him and split them into parts down the middle and laid each part opposite the other; but he did not split apart the birds.

Then the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Now it happened that when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.

Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

But I will also judge the nation to whom they are enslaved, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.

As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.

Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

Now it happened that the sun had set, and it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.

On that day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram, saying,

the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite

and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim

and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian servant-woman whose name was Hagar.

So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, Yahweh has shut my womb from bearing children. Please go in to my servant-woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

And after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant-woman, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.

So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. Then she saw that she had conceived, so her mistress became contemptible in her sight.

And Sarai said to Abram, “May the violence done to me be upon you. I gave my servant-woman into your embrace, but she saw that she had conceived, so I became contemptible in her sight. May Yahweh judge between you and me.”

But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant-woman is in your hand; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from her presence.

When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.

And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and began waiting on Him.

Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill

in order to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.

Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”

But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.

And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was sleeping.

And they came to Him and got Him up, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”

And He *said to them, “Why are you so cowardly, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.

And the men marveled, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

And when He came to the other side, into the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.

And behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them.

And the demons began to plead with Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

And He said to them, “Go!” And coming out, they went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.

Now the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs.

And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

And getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.

And behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

And he got up and went home.

But when the crowds saw this, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.