Genesis 49

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days.2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob;3 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength;4 Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence;5 Simeon and Levi are brethren;6 O my soul, come not thou into their council;7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;8 Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp;10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,11 Binding his foal unto the vine,12 His eyes shall be red with wine,13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;14 Issachar is a strong ass,15 And he saw a resting-place that it was good,16 Dan shall judge his people,17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Jehovah.19 Gad, a troop shall press upon him;20 Out of the Asher his bread shall be fat,21 Naphtali is a hind let loose:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough,23 The archers have sorely grieved him,24 But his bow abode in strength,25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee,26 The blessings of thy father27 Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth:

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place.31 there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah:32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.33 And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

Luke 2

1 Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled.2 This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.3 And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;5 to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child.6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered.7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.8 And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people:11 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.12 And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,14 Glory to God in the highest,

15 And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.16 And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child.18 And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds.19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.21 And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called JESUS, which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26 And it had been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might do concerning him after the custom of the law,28 then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,29 Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord,30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;32 A light for revelation to the Gentiles,

33 And his father and his mother were marvelling at the things which were spoken concerning him;34 and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against;35 yea and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul; that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,37 and she had been a widow even unto fourscore and four years), who departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day.38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks unto God, and spake of him to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.39 And when they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.40 And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover.42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast;43 and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not;44 but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance:45 and when they found him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for him.46 And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions:47 and all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.48 And when they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing.49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he was subject unto them: and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Job 15

1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,2 Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge,3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk,4 Yea, thou doest away with fear,5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth,6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I;7 Art thou the first man that was born?8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God?9 What knowest thou, that we know not?10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men,11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee,12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away?13 That against God thou turnest thy spirit,14 What is man, that he should be clean?15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones;16 How much less one that is abominable and corrupt,17 I will show thee, hear thou me;18 (Which wise men have told19 Unto whom alone the land was given,20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days,21 A sound of terrors is in his ears;22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness,23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it?24 Distress and anguish make him afraid;25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God,26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck,27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness,28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities,29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue,30 He shall not depart out of darkness;31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself;32 It shall be accomplished before his time,33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine,34 For the company of the godless shall be barren,35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity,

1 Corinthians 3

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.2 I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nay, not even now are ye able;3 for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?4 For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men?5 What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.6 I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.7 So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.9 For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building.10 According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble;13 each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man’s work of what sort it is.14 If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?17 If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:20 and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.21 Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;23 and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.