Monday, 19 Shevat 5784 / January 29, 2024
Day 394 Readings
Torah: Parshat Yitro, 2nd Portion Shemot (Exodus) 18:13-23
Exodus 18:13-23
English Standard Version
13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
Bible Study Together
Song of Solomon 3-5
English Standard Version
The Bride's Dream
3 On my bed by nightI sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not.2 I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares;I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not.3 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city.“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”4 Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves.I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field,that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.
Solomon Arrives for the Wedding
6 What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke,perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?7 Behold, it is the litter[a] of Solomon!Around it are sixty mighty men, some of the mighty men of Israel,8 all of them wearing swords and expert in war,each with his sword at his thigh, against terror by night.9 King Solomon made himself a carriage[b] from the wood of Lebanon.10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple;its interior was inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.11 Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon,with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart.
Solomon Admires His Bride's Beauty
He
4 Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful!Your eyes are doves behind your veil.Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead.2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing,all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young.3 Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely.Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.4 Your neck is like the tower of David, built in rows of stone;[c]on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors.5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that graze among the lilies.6 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee,I will go away to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense.7 You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon.Depart[d] from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon,from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.
9 You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!11 Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.13 Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard,14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense,myrrh and aloes, with all choice spices—15 a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.
16 Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind!Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow.
Together in the Garden of Love
She
Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.
He
5 I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk.
Others
Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love!
ESV Readings
Scripture
Genesis 25:19-34
English Standard Version
The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”[a] So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you[b] shall be divided;the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”
24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob.[c] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau Sells His Birthright
29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.[d]) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
2 Chronicles 1
English Standard Version
Solomon Worships at Gibeon
1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.
2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. 3 And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. 4 (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5 Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it[a] out. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
Solomon Prays for Wisdom
7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13 So Solomon came from[b] the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.
Solomon Given Wealth
14 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 16 And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders would buy them from Kue for a price. 17 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels[c] of silver, and a horse for 150. Likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
Luke 18:31-43
English Standard Version
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Luke 19:1-27
English Standard Version
Jesus and Zacchaeus
19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
The Parable of the Ten Minas
11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants,[a] he gave them ten minas,[b] and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant![c] Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
Psalm 27
English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;though war arise against me, yet[b] I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire[c] in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me,and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, “Seek[d] my face.”My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e] 9 Hide not your face from me.Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help.Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look[f] upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!