The Daily Audio Bible
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The Death of Sarah
23 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. That was the length of Sarah’s life. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his deceased wife. He went and spoke to the descendants of Heth.[a] He said, 4 “I am an alien who has settled among you. Let me have a piece of property for a burial place among you where I may bury my dead in their final resting place.”[b] 5 The descendants of Heth answered Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb from you. Bury your dead.”
7 Abraham stood up and bowed down to the people of the land, that is, to the descendants of Heth. 8 He said to them, “If you have agreed that I may bury my dead in their final resting place, then listen to me, and speak to Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf, 9 so that he gives me the Cave of Machpelah, which is at the end of the field that he owns. Let him give it to me for the full price so that I may own a burial site among you.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the descendants of Heth. Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who were gathered at the city gate. He said, 11 “No, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land. He said, “No, but if you are willing, please listen to me. I will give the money[c] for the field. Accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron responded to Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Go ahead, bury your dead.”
16 Abraham accepted Ephron’s offer, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the price that Ephron had quoted to him in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels[d] of silver, according to the current standard of the merchants at that time.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, near Mamre—the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were within the boundaries of the field were deeded 18 to Abraham as his property. This was done in the presence of all the Hittites, who were assembled at the gate of the city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the descendants of Heth as his property to be used as a burial site.
A Wife for Isaac
24 Abraham was very old, well into old age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior supervisor of his house, who was in charge of everything that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh. 3 You must swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 4 Instead, you shall go to my country and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “What if the woman is not willing to follow me to this land? In that case, should I take your son back to the land that you came from?”
6 Abraham said to him, “Let me make it very clear to you that you are not to take my son back there again. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my father’s house and from the land of my birth. He spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’[e] The Lord will send his angel ahead of you, so you shall find a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is not willing to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But under no circumstances shall you take my son back there.”
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 The servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out. He took a variety of goods from his master with him. He set out and went to Mesopotamia[f] to the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let this be the test: The young lady to whom I say, ‘Please let down your water jar, so that I may drink,’ will say, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ She will be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had even finished speaking, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, who had never been intimate with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came up. 17 The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your water jar.”
18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly let down her water jar into her hands and gave him a drink. 19 When she was done giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” 20 She hurried and emptied her water jar into the trough, ran to the well again to draw more water, and drew water for all his camels.
21 The man remained silent and watched her carefully to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. 22 Then, when the camels were finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring that weighed half a shekel and two gold bracelets that weighed ten shekels[g] for her wrists. 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room for us to stay in your father’s house?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She also said to him, “We have both straw and enough feed and enough room for you to spend the night.”
26 The man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. 27 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy and faithfulness toward my master. Indeed, the Lord has guided me to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The young lady ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out to the spring to meet the man. 30 When he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and after he heard the words from Rebekah his sister, who said, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to find the man. And there he was, standing next to the camels by the spring. 31 Laban said, “Come with me, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?”
32 The man came to the house and unloaded the camels. Laban gave him straw and feed for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have delivered my message.”
Laban said, “Tell us.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. The Lord has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son for my master when she was old. My master has given him everything that he owns. 37 My master made me take an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am living. 38 Instead, you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son.’ 39 I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I walk, will send his angel with you and give your journey success, and you will acquire a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house. 41 But you will be released from my oath, if, when you have come to my relatives, they do not give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’ 42 Today I came to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if you now will bless my journey with success, 43 (here I am, standing by this spring of water) let this be the test: If the virgin who comes out to draw water (the one to whom I say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your water jar”) 44 tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels,” she will be the woman whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ 45 Before I had finished saying this to myself, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She hurried and lowered her water jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47 I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore for him.’ I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to find the daughter of my master’s brother as a wife for his son. 49 Now if you will show mercy and faithfulness to my master here, tell me. If not, tell me, so that I may know whether to turn to the right or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “This matter has been determined by the Lord. We cannot say anything to you either bad or good. 51 Look, Rebekah is right here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
Jesus Heals a Leper
8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 2 Just then, a leper came to him and bowed down to him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” Immediately he was healed of his leprosy. 4 Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. Instead, go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
A Believing Centurion
5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I am also a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to those who were following him, “Amen I tell you: I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel. 11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Jesus Heals Many
14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to serve him. 16 When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He took up our weaknesses and carried away our diseases.”[a]
13 Have mercy on me, O Lord.
See my afflictions that are caused by those who hate me,
and raise me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may declare all your praise.
In the gates of the Daughter of Zion[a] I will rejoice in your salvation.
The Fate of the Wicked
15 The nations have sunk into the pit they have made.
Their feet are caught in the net that they have hidden.
16 The Lord makes himself known by the judgment he has carried out.
By the work of his hands the wicked are snared. Interlude for meditation[b]
17 The wicked return to the grave,
all the nations who forget God.
18 But he will never forget the needy.
The hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Rise up, O Lord. Do not let man triumph.
Let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with fear, O Lord.
Let the nations know they are only human. Interlude
Third Address to a Son:
Wisdom Leads to the Lord’s Blessing
3 My son, do not forget my teaching.
Let your heart keep my commands,
2 because they will add long days and many years to your life,
and peace and prosperity[a] will come to you.
3 Do not allow mercy and truth to leave you.
Fasten them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will find favor and approval[b]
in the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.