Welcome to Read Through the Bible in a Year, January 14th. Today's reading is Matthew chapter 11, verses 1 through 15, Genesis chapters 29 and 30, and Psalm chapter 14. So let's get started in Matthew chapter 11. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities, Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear. The dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. This concludes our reading of Matthew chapter 11, verses 1-15. Genesis chapter 29. Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. And a great stone was upon the well's mouth, and thither were all the flocks gathered. And they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well. And, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, until they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we watered the sheep. And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban, his mother's brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. And she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh, and he abode with him the space of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldst thou therefore serve me for naught, tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man. Abide with me. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her." And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. Then it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn, fulfill her and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years." And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben. For she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction, now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also. And she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son, and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son, and she said, Now will I praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah, and left bearing. This concludes our reading of Genesis chapter 29. Genesis chapter 30. And when Rachel saw that she bared Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's stead? who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her, and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife, and Jacob went in unto her, and Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son. Therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed. And she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife, and Zilpah Leah's maid bared Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh, and she called his name Gad, and Zilpah Leah's maid bared Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed, and she called his name Asher. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband, and wouldst thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me, for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes, and he lay with her that night." And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband, And she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bear a son, and said, God hath taken away my reproach. And she called his name Joseph. and said, The Lord shall add to me another son. And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go into my known place, into my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go. For thou knowest my service, which I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, Terry, for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me, for it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude, and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming. And now, when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything, if thou wilt do this thing for me. I will again feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face. everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me." And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. And he removed that day the he goats that were ring-straked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree, and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters and the watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. and the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ring-straked, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ring-straked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban. And he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle. And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in. So the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and made servants, and men servants, and camels, and asses. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord? There were they in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." This concludes the reading of Psalm 14. This also concludes the reading for January 14. May the Lord richly bless you this day.