Blessings & Battlefields: Let’s Seek Healing - 4 Habits to Grasp for Healing

My First Devotional

It's Snack Tme! - Thank You, Lord!

Steps to Salvation: A Simple Guide to Sharing Your Faith

Hope Beyond Disappointment

Forty Days in the Psalms

Living Loved: See Yourself Through God’s Eyes

Revive Us, Lord: A 40-Day Journey Through the Gospel of John

Stronger Stuff: Handling Life’s Messes

Find & Follow Jesus, Quarter 2

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 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">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch33" data-usfm="PSA.33">
 <div class="label">33</div><div class="cl">Psalm 33</div><div class="q1">1Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;</div><div class="q2">it is fitting for the upright to praise him.</div><div class="q1">2Praise the Lord with the harp;</div><div class="q2">make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.</div><div class="q1">3Sing to him a new song;</div><div class="q2">play skillfully, and shout for joy.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">4For the word of the Lord is right and true;</div><div class="q2">he is faithful in all he does.</div><div class="q1">5The Lord loves righteousness and justice;</div><div class="q2">the earth is full of his unfailing love.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,</div><div class="q2">their starry host by the breath of his mouth.</div><div class="q1">7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars#33:7 Or sea as into a heap;</div><div class="q2">he puts the deep into storehouses.</div><div class="q1">8Let all the earth fear the Lord;</div><div class="q2">let all the people of the world revere him.</div><div class="q1">9For he spoke, and it came to be;</div><div class="q2">he commanded, and it stood firm.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">10The Lord foils the plans of the nations;</div><div class="q2">he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.</div><div class="q1">11But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,</div><div class="q2">the purposes of his heart through all generations.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,</div><div class="q2">the people he chose for his inheritance.</div><div class="q1">13From heaven the Lord looks down</div><div class="q2">and sees all mankind;</div><div class="q1">14from his dwelling place he watches</div><div class="q2">all who live on earth&#8212;</div><div class="q1">15he who forms the hearts of all,</div><div class="q2">who considers everything they do.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">16No king is saved by the size of his army;</div><div class="q2">no warrior escapes by his great strength.</div><div class="q1">17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;</div><div class="q2">despite all its great strength it cannot save.</div><div class="q1">18But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,</div><div class="q2">on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,</div><div class="q1">19to deliver them from death</div><div class="q2">and keep them alive in famine.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">20We wait in hope for the Lord;</div><div class="q2">he is our help and our shield.</div><div class="q1">21In him our hearts rejoice,</div><div class="q2">for we trust in his holy name.</div><div class="q1">22May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,</div><div class="q2">even as we put our hope in you.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="MAT.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven</div><div class="p">1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?&#8221;</div><div class="p">2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: &#8220;Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.</div><div class="s1">Causing to Stumble</div><div class="p">6 &#8220;If anyone causes one of these little ones&#8212;those who believe in me&#8212;to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Wandering Sheep</div><div class="p">10 &#8220;See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11]#18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.</div><div class="p">12 &#8220;What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.</div><div class="s1">Dealing With Sin in the Church</div><div class="p">15 &#8220;If your brother or sister #18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35. sins,#18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that &#8216;every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.&#8217;#18:16 Deut. 19:15 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.</div><div class="p">18 &#8220;Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be #18:18 Or will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be#18:18 Or will have been loosed in heaven.</div><div class="p">19 &#8220;Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant</div><div class="p">21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?&#8221;</div><div class="p">22Jesus answered, &#8220;I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.#18:22 Or seventy times seven</div><div class="p">23 &#8220;Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold#18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer&#8217;s wages. was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.</div><div class="p">26 &#8220;At this the servant fell on his knees before him. &#8216;Be patient with me,&#8217; he begged, &#8216;and I will pay back everything.&#8217; 27The servant&#8217;s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.</div><div class="p">28 &#8220;But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. #18:28 Greek a hundred denarii ; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2). He grabbed him and began to choke him. &#8216;Pay back what you owe me!&#8217; he demanded.</div><div class="p">29 &#8220;His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, &#8216;Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.&#8217;</div><div class="p">30 &#8220;But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.</div><div class="p">32 &#8220;Then the master called the servant in. &#8216;You wicked servant,&#8217; he said, &#8216;I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn&#8217;t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?&#8217; 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.</div><div class="p">35 &#8220;This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.&#8221;</div>
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