Old Testament

Genesis 16-17

^16:1Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ^16:2Sarai said to Abram," See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. ^16:3Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. ^16:4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. ^16:5Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you."

^16:6But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

^16:7The angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. ^16:8He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?"

She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."

^16:9The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands." ^16:10The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude." ^16:11The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. ^16:12He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."

^16:13She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?" ^16:14Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

^16:15Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. ^16:16Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

^17:1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless. ^17:2I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

^17:3Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, ^17:4"As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. ^17:5Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made you. ^17:6I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. ^17:7I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you. ^17:8I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."

^17:9God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. ^17:10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. ^17:11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of a covenant between me and you. ^17:12He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner who is not of your seed. ^17:13He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. ^17:14The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."

^17:15God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. ^17:16I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

^17:17Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?" ^17:18Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

^17:19God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. ^17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. ^17:21But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time in the next year."

^17:22When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. ^17:23Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. ^17:24Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ^17:25Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ^17:26In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. ^17:27All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

New Testament

Matthew 10

^10:1He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. ^10:2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; ^10:3Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ^10:4Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

^10:5Jesus sent these twelve out, and charged them, saying, "Don't go among the Gentiles, and don't enter into any city of the Samaritans. ^10:6Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ^10:7As you go, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!' ^10:8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. ^10:9Don't take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. ^10:10Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. ^10:11Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. ^10:12As you enter into the household, greet it. ^10:13If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn't worthy, let your peace return to you. ^10:14Whoever doesn't receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. ^10:15Most assuredly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

^10:16"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. ^10:17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. ^10:18Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ^10:19But when they deliver you up, don't be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. ^10:20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

^10:21"Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. ^10:22You will be hated by all men for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. ^10:23But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most assuredly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.

^10:24"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. ^10:25It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! ^10:26Therefore don't be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. ^10:27What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. ^10:28Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

^10:29"Aren't two sparrows sold for an assarion? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father's will, ^10:30but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ^10:31Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. ^10:32Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. ^10:33But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

^10:34"Don't think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn't come to send peace, but a sword. ^10:35For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^10:36A man's foes will be those of his own household. ^10:37He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me. ^10:38He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me. ^10:39He who finds his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. ^10:40He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ^10:41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward: and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. ^10:42Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most assuredly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward."