Living in the Tension: A Study on the "Now and Not Yet" Kingdom of God

Reading With the People of God #14 Proverbs

Abide

Forgive and Be Free

The Chosen + BibleProject | Season 5 Reading Plan

Beyond Desolation: What to Do When You Have Nothing Left

One Minute, One Verse, One Prayer: Truth & Faith

Grieving Doesn't Mean You Have to Let Go

When God Is Silent: Finding Faith in the Waiting

Nothing Withheld

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 ch38" data-usfm="GEN.38">
 <div class="label">38</div><div class="s1">Judah and Tamar</div><div class="p"> 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.</div><div class="p"> 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7But Er, Judah&#8217;s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord&#8217;s sight; so the Lord put him to death.</div><div class="p"> 8Then Judah said to Onan, &#8220;Sleep with your brother&#8217;s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.&#8221; 9But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother&#8217;s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10What he did was wicked in the Lord&#8217;s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.</div><div class="p"> 11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, &#8220;Live as a widow in your father&#8217;s household until my son Shelah grows up.&#8221; For he thought, &#8220;He may die too, just like his brothers.&#8221; So Tamar went to live in her father&#8217;s household.</div><div class="p"> 12After a long time Judah&#8217;s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.</div><div class="p"> 13When Tamar was told, &#8220;Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,&#8221; 14she took off her widow&#8217;s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.</div><div class="p"> 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, &#8220;Come now, let me sleep with you.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;And what will you give me to sleep with you?&#8221; she asked.</div><div class="p"> 17&#8220;I&#8217;ll send you a young goat from my flock,&#8221; he said.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?&#8221; she asked.</div><div class="p"> 18He said, &#8220;What pledge should I give you?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,&#8221; she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow&#8217;s clothes again.</div><div class="p"> 20Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21He asked the men who lived there, &#8220;Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;There hasn&#8217;t been any shrine prostitute here,&#8221; they said.</div><div class="p"> 22So he went back to Judah and said, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, &#8216;There hasn&#8217;t been any shrine prostitute here.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Then Judah said, &#8220;Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn&#8217;t find her.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24About three months later Judah was told, &#8220;Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Judah said, &#8220;Bring her out and have her burned to death!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. &#8220;I am pregnant by the man who owns these,&#8221; she said. And she added, &#8220;See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26Judah recognized them and said, &#8220;She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn&#8217;t give her to my son Shelah.&#8221; And he did not sleep with her again.</div><div class="p"> 27When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, &#8220;This one came out first.&#8221; 29But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, &#8220;So this is how you have broken out!&#8221; And he was named Perez.#38:29 Perez means breaking out. 30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.#38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch39" data-usfm="GEN.39">
 <div class="label">39</div><div class="s1">Joseph and Potiphar&#8217;s Wife</div><div class="p"> 1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh&#8217;s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.</div><div class="p"> 2The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph&#8217;s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.</div><div class="p">Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7and after a while his master&#8217;s wife took notice of Joseph and said, &#8220;Come to bed with me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8But he refused. &#8220;With me in charge,&#8221; he told her, &#8220;my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?&#8221; 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.</div><div class="p"> 11One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12She caught him by his cloak and said, &#8220;Come to bed with me!&#8221; But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.</div><div class="p"> 13When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14she called her household servants. &#8220;Look,&#8221; she said to them, &#8220;this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17Then she told him this story: &#8220;That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, &#8220;This is how your slave treated me,&#8221; he burned with anger. 20Joseph&#8217;s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king&#8217;s prisoners were confined.</div><div class="p">But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph&#8217;s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch40" data-usfm="GEN.40">
 <div class="label">40</div><div class="s1">The Cupbearer and the Baker</div><div class="p"> 1Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.</div><div class="p">After they had been in custody for some time, 5each of the two men&#8212;the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison&#8212;had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.</div><div class="p"> 6When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7So he asked Pharaoh&#8217;s officials who were in custody with him in his master&#8217;s house, &#8220;Why do you look so sad today?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;We both had dreams,&#8221; they answered, &#8220;but there is no one to interpret them.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then Joseph said to them, &#8220;Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, &#8220;In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh&#8217;s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh&#8217;s cup and put the cup in his hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;This is what it means,&#8221; Joseph said to him. &#8220;The three branches are three days. 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh&#8217;s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, &#8220;I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread.#40:16 Or three wicker baskets 17In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18&#8220;This is what it means,&#8221; Joseph said. &#8220;The three baskets are three days. 19Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Now the third day was Pharaoh&#8217;s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh&#8217;s hand&#8212; 22but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.</div><div class="p"> 23The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.</div>
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New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="MAT.13.24+MAT.13.25+MAT.13.26+MAT.13.27+MAT.13.28+MAT.13.29+MAT.13.30+MAT.13.31+MAT.13.32+MAT.13.33+MAT.13.34+MAT.13.35+MAT.13.36+MAT.13.37+MAT.13.38+MAT.13.39+MAT.13.40+MAT.13.41+MAT.13.42+MAT.13.43+MAT.13.44+MAT.13.45+MAT.13.46+MAT.13.47+MAT.13.48+MAT.13.49+MAT.13.50+MAT.13.51+MAT.13.52+MAT.13.53+MAT.13.54+MAT.13.55+MAT.13.56+MAT.13.57+MAT.13.58">
 <div class="p">24Jesus told them another parable: &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.</div><div class="p"> 27 &#8220;The owner&#8217;s servants came to him and said, &#8216;Sir, didn&#8217;t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 28 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;An enemy did this,&#8217; he replied.</div><div class="p"> &#8220;The servants asked him, &#8216;Do you want us to go and pull them up?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 29 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;No,&#8217; he answered, &#8216;because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast</div><div class="p"> 31He told them another parable: &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33He told them still another parable: &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds#13:33 Or about 27 kilograms of flour until it worked all through the dough.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;I will open my mouth in parables,</div><div class="q2">I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.&#8221;#13:35 Psalm 78:2</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Weeds Explained</div><div class="p"> 36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, &#8220;Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37He answered, &#8220;The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.</div><div class="p"> 40 &#8220;As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.</div><div class="s1">The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl</div><div class="p"> 44 &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.</div><div class="p"> 45 &#8220;Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Net</div><div class="p"> 47 &#8220;Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.</div><div class="p"> 51 &#8220;Have you understood all these things?&#8221; Jesus asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p"> 52He said to them, &#8220;Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">A Prophet Without Honor</div><div class="p"> 53When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. &#8220;Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?&#8221; they asked. 55&#8220;Isn&#8217;t this the carpenter&#8217;s son? Isn&#8217;t his mother&#8217;s name Mary, and aren&#8217;t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren&#8217;t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?&#8221; 57And they took offense at him.</div><div class="p">But Jesus said to them, &#8220;A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.</div>
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