Mary Magdalene's Journey: 'Grace Restores' (Part 4)

When Anger Strikes

The Grace to Stay: Holding on When Marriage Is Hard

21 Days of Selfess Living

OVERCOMING JEALOUSY THROUGH the HOLY SPIRIT

1 & 2 Peter Book Study

Faith Over Fear

Yom Kippur - the Perfect Atonement: The Messiah's Sacrifice

Unexpected Riches: Finding the Rare Jewel of Contentment

Renewed in Every Season

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch42" data-usfm="GEN.42">
 <div class="label">42</div><div class="s1">Joseph&#8217;s Brothers Go to Egypt</div><div class="p"> 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, &#8220;Why do you just keep looking at each other?&#8221; 2He continued, &#8220;I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Then ten of Joseph&#8217;s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph&#8217;s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5So Israel&#8217;s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.</div><div class="p"> 6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph&#8217;s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. &#8220;Where do you come from?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;From the land of Canaan,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;to buy food.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, &#8220;You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;No, my lord,&#8221; they answered. &#8220;Your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;No!&#8221; he said to them. &#8220;You have come to see where our land is unprotected.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13But they replied, &#8220;Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Joseph said to them, &#8220;It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!&#8221; 17And he put them all in custody for three days.</div><div class="p"> 18On the third day, Joseph said to them, &#8220;Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.&#8221; This they proceeded to do.</div><div class="p"> 21They said to one another, &#8220;Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that&#8217;s why this distress has come on us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Reuben replied, &#8220;Didn&#8217;t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn&#8217;t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.&#8221; 23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.</div><div class="p"> 24He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.</div><div class="p"> 25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man&#8217;s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.</div><div class="p"> 27At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28&#8220;My silver has been returned,&#8221; he said to his brothers. &#8220;Here it is in my sack.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, &#8220;What is this that God has done to us?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30&#8220;The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31But we said to him, &#8216;We are honest men; we are not spies. 32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 33&#8220;Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, &#8216;This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade#42:34 Or move about freely in the land.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 35As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man&#8217;s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36Their father Jacob said to them, &#8220;You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37Then Reuben said to his father, &#8220;You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38But Jacob said, &#8220;My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch43" data-usfm="GEN.43">
 <div class="label">43</div><div class="s1">The Second Journey to Egypt</div><div class="p"> 1Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, &#8220;Go back and buy us a little more food.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3But Judah said to him, &#8220;The man warned us solemnly, &#8216;You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.&#8217; 4If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, &#8216;You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Israel asked, &#8220;Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7They replied, &#8220;The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. &#8216;Is your father still living?&#8217; he asked us. &#8216;Do you have another brother?&#8217; We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, &#8216;Bring your brother down here&#8217;?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Then Judah said to Israel his father, &#8220;Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Then their father Israel said to them, &#8220;If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift&#8212;a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14And may God Almighty#43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, &#8220;Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph&#8217;s house. 18Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, &#8220;We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19So they went up to Joseph&#8217;s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20&#8220;We beg your pardon, our lord,&#8221; they said, &#8220;we came down here the first time to buy food. 21But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver&#8212;the exact weight&#8212;in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don&#8217;t know who put our silver in our sacks.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;It&#8217;s all right,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.&#8221; Then he brought Simeon out to them.</div><div class="p"> 24The steward took the men into Joseph&#8217;s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25They prepared their gifts for Joseph&#8217;s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.</div><div class="p"> 26When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27He asked them how they were, and then he said, &#8220;How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28They replied, &#8220;Your servant our father is still alive and well.&#8221; And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.</div><div class="p"> 29As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother&#8217;s son, he asked, &#8220;Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?&#8221; And he said, &#8220;God be gracious to you, my son.&#8221; 30Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.</div><div class="p"> 31After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, &#8220;Serve the food.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34When portions were served to them from Joseph&#8217;s table, Benjamin&#8217;s portion was five times as much as anyone else&#8217;s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.</div>
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New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="MAT.13.33+MAT.13.34+MAT.13.35+MAT.13.36+MAT.13.37+MAT.13.38+MAT.13.39+MAT.13.40+MAT.13.41+MAT.13.42+MAT.13.43+MAT.13.44+MAT.13.45+MAT.13.46+MAT.13.47+MAT.13.48+MAT.13.49+MAT.13.50+MAT.13.51+MAT.13.52+MAT.13.53+MAT.13.54+MAT.13.55+MAT.13.56+MAT.13.57+MAT.13.58">
 <div class="p">33He told them still another parable: &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds#13:33 Or about 27 kilograms of flour until it worked all through the dough.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;I will open my mouth in parables,</div><div class="q2">I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.&#8221;#13:35 Psalm 78:2</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Weeds Explained</div><div class="p"> 36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, &#8220;Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37He answered, &#8220;The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.</div><div class="p"> 40 &#8220;As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.</div><div class="s1">The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl</div><div class="p"> 44 &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.</div><div class="p"> 45 &#8220;Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Net</div><div class="p"> 47 &#8220;Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.</div><div class="p"> 51 &#8220;Have you understood all these things?&#8221; Jesus asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p"> 52He said to them, &#8220;Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">A Prophet Without Honor</div><div class="p"> 53When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. &#8220;Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?&#8221; they asked. 55&#8220;Isn&#8217;t this the carpenter&#8217;s son? Isn&#8217;t his mother&#8217;s name Mary, and aren&#8217;t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren&#8217;t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?&#8221; 57And they took offense at him.</div><div class="p">But Jesus said to them, &#8220;A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.</div>
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