Welcome to Read Through the Bible in a Year. Today our reading is Genesis Chapters 33 and 34, Matthew Chapter 12, Verses 1 through 21, and Psalm Chapter 16. So let's get started with Genesis 33. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with her children came near and bowed themselves. And after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my Lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother, keep that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand. For therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me, and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant, and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure. until I come unto my Lord, unto Seir. And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? Let me find grace in the sight of my Lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth, And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram and pitched his tent before the city. And he bought a parcel of a field where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar and called it El Elohi Israel. This concludes the reading of Genesis chapter 33. Genesis chapter 34 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she barren to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel. And she come spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were calm. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it, and the men were grieved. And they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel, in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter. I pray you, give her him to wife, and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. and ye shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell, and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.' And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me, but give me the damsel to wife.' And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, for that were a reproach unto us. But in this will we consent unto you, if ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised. Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone. And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was more honorable than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us, therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein. For the land, behold, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? Only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city, and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, and all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.' And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? This concludes the reading of Genesis chapter 34, Matthew 12, verses 1 through 21. At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn, and his disciples were unhungry and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did when he was in hungred, and they that were with him, how he entered into the house of God? and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profaned the Sabbath and are blameless? But I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple, But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days, that they might accuse him? And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep? And if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much, then, is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence, and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all, and charged them that they should not make him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory, and in his name shall the Gentiles trust. This concludes the reading of Matthew chapter 12, verses 1 through 21. Psalm 16 Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God. Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel. My reigns also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth. My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. This concludes the reading of Psalm chapter 16, and this also concludes the readings for January 16. May the Lord richly bless your day.