Genesis chapter 38 Judah and Tamar It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adulamit, whose name was Hira. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shua. He took her and went into her, and she conceived in Bora's son, and he called his name Erre. She conceived again in Bora's son, and she called his name Onan. Yet again, she bore a son, and she called his name Shaila. Judah was in Shazib when she bore him, and Judah took a wife for Erre his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Erre Judah's firstborn was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, go into your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he went into his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground so as not to give offspring to his brother, and what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, remain a widow in your father's house, till Shaila my son grows up, for he feared that he would die like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house. In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timna to his sheep shears, he and his friend Hira, the Adolomite. And when Tamar was told, your father-in-law is going up to Timna to shear his sheep, she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up and sat at the entrance of Anayim, which is on the road to Timna. For she saw that Shaila was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage, and when Judah saw her he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. He turned to her at the roadside and said, Come let me come into you, for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, What will you give me, that you may come into me? He answered, I will send you a young goat from the flock, and she said, If you give me a pledge, until you send it, he said, What pledge shall I give you? She replied, Your signet and your cord and your staff, that is in your hand. So he gave them to her and went into her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil, she put on the garments of her widowhood. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend, the Adolomite, to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. And he asked the men of the place, Where is the cult prostitute, who is at Ainayim, at the roadside? And they said, No cult prostitute has been here. So he returned to Judah and said, I have not found her. Also the men of the place said, No cult prostitute has been here. And Judah replied, Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her. About three months later, Judah was told, Tomorrow your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality. And Judah said, Bring her out and let her be burned. As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law. By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant. And she said, Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff. Then Judah identified them and said, She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son, Sheila, and he did not know her again. When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, This one came out first. But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, What a breach you have made for yourself. Therefore his name was called Peretz. Afterward, his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zarak. Genesis 39 Joseph and Potiphar's wife Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house, and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake. The blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him, he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome, in form and appearance, and after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her, or to be with her. But one day, when he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment saying, Lie with me. But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came into me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house. Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story saying, The Hebrew servant whom you have brought among us came into me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house. As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, this is the way your servant treated me. His anger was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all of the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, as the Lord was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. Matthew chapter 13 verses 36 through 58. The parable of the weeds explained. Then he left the crowds and went into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, Explain to us the parables of the weeds of the field. He answered, The one who sows the good seed is the son of man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin, and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the son and the kingdom of their father. He who has ears, let him hear. The parable of the hidden treasure. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The parable of the pearl of great value. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. The parable of the net. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers, but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. New and old treasures. Have you understood all these things? They said to him, yes. And he said to them, therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old. Jesus rejected it Nazareth. And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue so that they were astonished and said, where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household and he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Psalm 15. Who shall dwell on your holy hill? Oh Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart. Who does not slander with his tongue and is no evil to his neighbor nor takes up a reproach against his friend in whose eyes a vile person is despised but who honors those who fear the Lord, who swears to his own hurt and does not change, who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
