24 – Family

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth."

The LORD God also said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper." And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man's ribs and closed up the area with flesh. And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. And the man said: "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for out of man she was taken."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.

And the man answered, "The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied, "and I ate."

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." To the woman He said: "I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." And to Adam He said: "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.

And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man," she said. Later she gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. "Why are you angry," said the LORD to Cain, " and why has your countenance fallen? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it." Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I do not know!" he answered. "Am I my brother's keeper?" "What have you done?" replied the LORD. "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in His own likeness. Male and female He created them, and He blessed them. And in the day they were created, He called them "man."

When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth. And after he had become the father of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,

Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Then the LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your kindred, and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

"As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her." Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?"

For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised."

Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised. And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.

And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother's death.

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban replied, "Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. "Give me children, or I will die!" she said to Jacob. Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?"

Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you."

So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me!" So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household soon heard of it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.

Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.

So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father's household with food for their families.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.

You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.

maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.

If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.

A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.

The woman he marries must be a virgin. He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,

This is the law of jealousy when a wife goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband's authority, or when a feeling of jealousy comes over a husband and he suspects his wife. He is to have the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest is to apply to her this entire law. The husband will be free from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity."

"The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father's brothers, and transfer their father's inheritance to them. Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.'"

This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry anyone they please, provided they marry within a clan of the tribe of their father. No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any Israelite tribe must marry within a clan of the tribe of her father, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. No inheritance may be transferred from one tribe to another, for each tribe of Israel must retain its inheritance."

Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren. The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, "Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children."

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.

Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

And you shall rejoice in your feast- you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.

Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her."

If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father's strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined, his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown, and say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard." Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.

Suppose a man marries a woman, has relations with her, and comes to hate her, and he then accuses her of shameful conduct and gives her a bad name, saying, "I married this woman and had relations with her, but I discovered she was not a virgin." Then the young woman's father and mother shall bring the proof of her virginity to the city elders at the gate and say to the elders, "I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he has come to hate her. And now he has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, 'I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.' But here is the proof of her virginity." And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. Then the elders of that city shall take the man and punish him. They are also to fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman's father, because this man has given a virgin of Israel a bad name. And she shall remain his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives. If, however, this accusation is true, and no proof of the young woman's virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father's house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father's house. So you must purge the evil from among you. If a man is found lying with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation.

If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.

Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!'

Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!'

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

Assemble the people- men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates- so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law. Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death."

In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.

For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!"

And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.

But Ruth replied: "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today."

"Hannah, why are you crying?" her husband Elkanah asked. "Why won't you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

And she made a vow, pleading, "O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head."

I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD." So they worshiped the LORD there.

Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD

Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD- a boy wearing a linen ephod.

And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.

I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh- women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods." Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines- and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.

Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.'

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel. Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives." And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: "Truly we must do as you say!

Then Job's wife said to him, "Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!" "You speak as a foolish woman speaks," he told her. "Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.

to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more.

Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother's womb You have been my God.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread. They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.

Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning, that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them- even children yet to be born- to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments. Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children's children-

O offspring of His servant Abraham, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; His judgments carry throughout the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations-

He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!

May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.

Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.

that you may see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

young men and maidens, old and young together. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.

My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.

Listen, my sons, to the instruction of a father; pay attention and gain understanding. For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my instruction. When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother, he taught me and said, "Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commandments and you will live."

Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many. I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.

My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: A loving doe, a graceful fawn- may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.

A wise son heeds his father's discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is passed to the righteous.

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

A fool rejects his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.

A foolish son is his father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death.

He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him.

Even a young man is known by his actions- whether his conduct is pure and upright.

Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.

An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.

Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die. Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol. My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice. My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Invest in truth and never sell it- in wisdom and instruction and understanding. The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him. May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice! My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.

Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike-

A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

He who robs his father or mother, saying, "It is not wrong," is a companion to the man who destroys.

A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.

There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. There is a generation- how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances-

As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.

There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.

A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants. She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well: "Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!" Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun- all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, "I find no pleasure in them,"

Come out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown his mother bestowed on the day of his wedding- the day of his heart's rejoicing.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD. We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.

The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.

Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

For your husband is your Maker- the LORD of Hosts is His name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one's youth," says your God.

Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem."

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

" If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers- and you would return to Me?" declares the LORD.

She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.

"Return, O faithless children," declares the LORD, "for I am your master, and I will take you- one from a city and two from a family- and bring you to Zion.

if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.

Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but enraged Me with all these things, I will surely bring your deeds down upon your own head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you not committed this lewdness on top of all your other abominations? Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: 'Like mother, like daughter.'

The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

In the wilderness I said to their children: 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.

And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest.

So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD."

Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth.

And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Can two walk together without agreeing where to go?

For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the members of his own household.

"This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.'

Yet you ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel. "He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence," says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse."

This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (which means, "God with us"). When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be subject to the fire of hell. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

It has also been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, "Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You." But Jesus replied, "Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?" Pointing to His disciples, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren't all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor."

For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, 'Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. "Truly I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.

If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?" Jesus answered, " Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." "Why then," they asked, "did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery." His disciples said to Him, "If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry."

Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked. "Yes," Jesus answered. "Have you never read: 'From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise'?"

"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come. Again, he sent other servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' But the man was speechless.

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. "Teacher," they said, "Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her." Jesus answered, "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.