Acts Reading Plan

A Brighter Future: A 5-Day Devotional

See God’s Peace: 3 Days of Visio Divina

Dog Dad Devotions on Leadership, Loyalty and Love

The Journey of Yes

When God Says No!

Living With a Strong-Willed Child

God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone

Pawprints & Prayers: Devotions for Dog Lovers

The Last Half Hour: When Waiting Becomes Glory

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="MAT.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Jesus and John the Baptist</div><div class="p"> 1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.#11:1 Greek in their towns</div><div class="p"> 2When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, &#8220;Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Jesus replied, &#8220;Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy#11:5 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7As John&#8217;s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: &#8220;What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings&#8217; palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written:</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;I will send my messenger ahead of you,</div><div class="q2"> who will prepare your way before you.&#8217; # 11:10 
 Mal. 3:1
 </div><div class="m"> 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,#11:12 Or been forcefully advancing and violent people have been raiding it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15Whoever has ears, let them hear.</div><div class="p"> 16 &#8220;To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:</div><div class="q1"> 17 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;We played the pipe for you,</div><div class="q2"> and you did not dance;</div><div class="q1"> we sang a dirge,</div><div class="q2"> and you did not mourn.&#8217;</div><div class="m"> 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, &#8216;He has a demon.&#8217; 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, &#8216;Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.&#8217; But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Woe on Unrepentant Towns</div><div class="p"> 20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21&#8220;Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.#11:23 That is, the realm of the dead For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Father Revealed in the Son</div><div class="p"> 25At that time Jesus said, &#8220;I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.</div><div class="p"> 27 &#8220;All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.</div><div class="p"> 28 &#8220;Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.&#8221;</div>
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New International Version

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 <div class="q1">1My son, if you accept my words</div><div class="q2">and store up my commands within you,</div><div class="q1"> 2turning your ear to wisdom</div><div class="q2">and applying your heart to understanding&#8212;</div><div class="q1"> 3indeed, if you call out for insight</div><div class="q2">and cry aloud for understanding,</div><div class="q1"> 4and if you look for it as for silver</div><div class="q2">and search for it as for hidden treasure,</div><div class="q1"> 5then you will understand the fear of the Lord</div><div class="q2">and find the knowledge of God.</div><div class="q1"> 6For the Lord gives wisdom;</div><div class="q2">from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.</div><div class="q1"> 7He holds success in store for the upright,</div><div class="q2">he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,</div><div class="q1"> 8for he guards the course of the just</div><div class="q2">and protects the way of his faithful ones.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 9Then you will understand what is right and just</div><div class="q2">and fair&#8212;every good path.</div><div class="q1"> 10For wisdom will enter your heart,</div><div class="q2">and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.</div><div class="q1"> 11Discretion will protect you,</div><div class="q2">and understanding will guard you.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch27" data-usfm="GEN.27">
 <div class="label">27</div><div class="p"> 1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, &#8220;My son.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Here I am,&#8221; he answered.</div><div class="p"> 2Isaac said, &#8220;I am now an old man and don&#8217;t know the day of my death. 3Now then, get your equipment&#8212;your quiver and bow&#8212;and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, &#8220;Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7&#8216;Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.&#8217; 8Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. 10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, &#8220;But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. 12What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13His mother said to him, &#8220;My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. 15Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. 17Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.</div><div class="p"> 18He went to his father and said, &#8220;My father.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes, my son,&#8221; he answered. &#8220;Who is it?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19Jacob said to his father, &#8220;I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Isaac asked his son, &#8220;How did you find it so quickly, my son?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;The Lord your God gave me success,&#8221; he replied.</div><div class="p"> 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, &#8220;Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, &#8220;The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.&#8221; 23He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. 24&#8220;Are you really my son Esau?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;I am,&#8221; he replied.</div><div class="p"> 25Then he said, &#8220;My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, &#8220;Come here, my son, and kiss me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Ah, the smell of my son</div><div class="q2">is like the smell of a field</div><div class="q2">that the Lord has blessed.</div><div class="q1"> 28May God give you heaven&#8217;s dew</div><div class="q2">and earth&#8217;s richness&#8212;</div><div class="q2">an abundance of grain and new wine.</div><div class="q1"> 29May nations serve you</div><div class="q2">and peoples bow down to you.</div><div class="q1">Be lord over your brothers,</div><div class="q2">and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.</div><div class="q1">May those who curse you be cursed</div><div class="q2">and those who bless you be blessed.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father&#8217;s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, &#8220;My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32His father Isaac asked him, &#8220;Who are you?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;I am your son,&#8221; he answered, &#8220;your firstborn, Esau.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33Isaac trembled violently and said, &#8220;Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him&#8212;and indeed he will be blessed!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34When Esau heard his father&#8217;s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, &#8220;Bless me&#8212;me too, my father!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 35But he said, &#8220;Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36Esau said, &#8220;Isn&#8217;t he rightly named Jacob#27:36 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he&#8217;s taken my blessing!&#8221; Then he asked, &#8220;Haven&#8217;t you reserved any blessing for me?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37Isaac answered Esau, &#8220;I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38Esau said to his father, &#8220;Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!&#8221; Then Esau wept aloud.</div><div class="p"> 39His father Isaac answered him,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Your dwelling will be</div><div class="q2">away from the earth&#8217;s richness,</div><div class="q2">away from the dew of heaven above.</div><div class="q1"> 40You will live by the sword</div><div class="q2">and you will serve your brother.</div><div class="q1">But when you grow restless,</div><div class="q2">you will throw his yoke</div><div class="q2">from off your neck.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, &#8220;The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 42When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, &#8220;Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44Stay with him for a while until your brother&#8217;s fury subsides. 45When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I&#8217;ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, &#8220;I&#8217;m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch28" data-usfm="GEN.28">
 <div class="label">28</div><div class="p"> 1So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: &#8220;Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2Go at once to Paddan Aram,#28:2 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6 and 7 to the house of your mother&#8217;s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother&#8217;s brother. 3May God Almighty#28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. 4May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.&#8221; 5Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.</div><div class="p"> 6Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, &#8220;Do not marry a Canaanite woman,&#8221; 7and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.</div><div class="s1">Jacob&#8217;s Dream at Bethel</div><div class="p"> 10Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13There above it#28:13 Or There beside him stood the Lord, and he said: &#8220;I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.#28:14 Or will use your name and the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20) 15I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, &#8220;Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.&#8221; 17He was afraid and said, &#8220;How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19He called that place Bethel,#28:19 Bethel means house of God. though the city used to be called Luz.</div><div class="p"> 20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, &#8220;If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21so that I return safely to my father&#8217;s household, then the Lord#28:20,21 Or Since God&#8230; father&#8217;s household, the Lord will be my God 22and#28:21,22 Or household, and the Lord will be my God, 22 then this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God&#8217;s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch29" data-usfm="GEN.29">
 <div class="label">29</div><div class="s1">Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram</div><div class="p"> 1Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well&#8217;s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.</div><div class="p"> 4Jacob asked the shepherds, &#8220;My brothers, where are you from?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;We&#8217;re from Harran,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p"> 5He said to them, &#8220;Do you know Laban, Nahor&#8217;s grandson?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes, we know him,&#8221; they answered.</div><div class="p"> 6Then Jacob asked them, &#8220;Is he well?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes, he is,&#8221; they said, &#8220;and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;Look,&#8221; he said, &#8220;the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;We can&#8217;t,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father&#8217;s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban&#8217;s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle&#8217;s sheep. 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.</div><div class="p"> 13As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister&#8217;s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14Then Laban said to him, &#8220;You are my own flesh and blood.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel</div><div class="p">After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15Laban said to him, &#8220;Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah had weak#29:17 Or delicate eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, &#8220;I&#8217;ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19Laban said, &#8220;It&#8217;s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.&#8221; 20So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.</div><div class="p"> 21Then Jacob said to Laban, &#8220;Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.</div><div class="p"> 25When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, &#8220;What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn&#8217;t I? Why have you deceived me?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26Laban replied, &#8220;It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27Finish this daughter&#8217;s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.</div><div class="s1">Jacob&#8217;s Children</div><div class="p"> 31When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. 32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,#29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son. for she said, &#8220;It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, &#8220;Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.&#8221; So she named him Simeon.#29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.</div><div class="p"> 34Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, &#8220;Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.&#8221; So he was named Levi.#29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.</div><div class="p"> 35She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, &#8220;This time I will praise the Lord.&#8221; So she named him Judah.#29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise. Then she stopped having children.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">30</div><div class="p"> 1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, &#8220;Give me children, or I&#8217;ll die!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2Jacob became angry with her and said, &#8220;Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Then she said, &#8220;Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6Then Rachel said, &#8220;God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.&#8221; Because of this she named him Dan.#30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.</div><div class="p"> 7Rachel&#8217;s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8Then Rachel said, &#8220;I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.&#8221; So she named him Naphtali.#30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.</div><div class="p"> 9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10Leah&#8217;s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11Then Leah said, &#8220;What good fortune!&#8221;#30:11 Or &#8220;A troop is coming!&#8221; So she named him Gad.#30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or troop.</div><div class="p"> 12Leah&#8217;s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13Then Leah said, &#8220;How happy I am! The women will call me happy.&#8221; So she named him Asher.#30:13 Asher means happy.</div><div class="p"> 14During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, &#8220;Please give me some of your son&#8217;s mandrakes.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15But she said to her, &#8220;Wasn&#8217;t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son&#8217;s mandrakes too?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Very well,&#8221; Rachel said, &#8220;he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son&#8217;s mandrakes.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. &#8220;You must sleep with me,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I have hired you with my son&#8217;s mandrakes.&#8221; So he slept with her that night.</div><div class="p"> 17God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18Then Leah said, &#8220;God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.&#8221; So she named him Issachar.#30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.</div><div class="p"> 19Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20Then Leah said, &#8220;God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.&#8221; So she named him Zebulun.#30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.</div><div class="p"> 21Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.</div><div class="p"> 22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. 23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, &#8220;God has taken away my disgrace.&#8221; 24She named him Joseph,#30:24 Joseph means may he add. and said, &#8220;May the Lord add to me another son.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jacob&#8217;s Flocks Increase</div><div class="p"> 25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, &#8220;Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I&#8217;ve done for you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27But Laban said to him, &#8220;If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.&#8221; 28He added, &#8220;Name your wages, and I will pay them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Jacob said to him, &#8220;You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31&#8220;What shall I give you?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Don&#8217;t give me anything,&#8221; Jacob replied. &#8220;But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34&#8220;Agreed,&#8221; said Laban. &#8220;Let it be as you have said.&#8221; 35That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. 36Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban&#8217;s flocks.</div><div class="p"> 37Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban&#8217;s animals. 41Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, 42but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 43In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.</div>
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