Today's REadings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 13 January 2015
another cold day. Woke to +7 degrees outside, which most would consider to be cold. Definitely not shorts and flip-flops weather out there. But better than the -3 (or was it -5?) that I woke to a few days ago. Better than that, I guess. Some.
I see that the posturing ovr the slaughter in Paris by the Islamic heathens continues. Evidently, mass murder while shouting Moslem slogans is insufficient to some for an analysis that it is arising out of the innate nature of Islam. So is the recently revealed (though little mentioned by the "respectable" mass media) information that, on the day these heathens murdered a female police officer, they were REALLY en route to shoot up a Jewish school and kill Jewish kids and teachers. CNN hasn't mentioned that, apparently. And it won't be an item in the UN. Or condemned by the leaders of formerly-Christian church groups, like the United Methodists, or the UCC, or the Council of Catholic Bishops, or the Episcopals, or the Lutherans (ELCA), or the AME or AME-Zion, or the COGIC types. Wonder why?
Things are about to get real bad, real fast. Been reading in the Revelation lately?
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The Old Testament reading is chapters 31 and 32 in the Genesis. Jacob has been living with the in-laws. (A tough life, I did it once.) Now it's time to leave. Doesn't go over well, and things gt tense. Yet, along the way back, he has an ENCOUNTER. One of those life-changing ones. And, in this case, a name-changing one too. Goes from "Jacob" to "Israel". Now he has to face his brother, the one he'd fled from years back after cheating him. Another tense time.
1
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And
he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all
that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten
all this glory.
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2
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And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
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3
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And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
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4
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And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
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5
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And
said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward
me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
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6
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And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
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7
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And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
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8
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If
he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare
speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy hire;
then bare all the cattle ring-streaked.
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9
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Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
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10
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And
it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up
mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon
the cattle were ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
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11
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And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
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12
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And
he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon
the cattle are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen
all that Laban doeth unto thee.
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13
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I
am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou
vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and
return unto the land of thy kindred.
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14
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And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
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15
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Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
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16
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For
all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and
our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
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17
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Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
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18
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And
he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten,
the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go
to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
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19
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And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
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20
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And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
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21
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So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
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22
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And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
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23
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And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
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24
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And
God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him,
Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
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25
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Then
Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and
Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
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26
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And
Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away
unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with
the sword?
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27
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Wherefore
didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not
tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs,
with tabret, and with harp?
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28
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And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
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29
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It
is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father
spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to
Jacob either good or bad.
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30
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And
now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst
after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
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31
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And
Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said,
Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
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32
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With
whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren
discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew
not that Rachel had stolen them.
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33
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And
Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two
maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's
tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
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34
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Now
Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and
sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
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35
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And
she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise
up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but
found not the images.
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36
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And
Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to
Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly
pursued after me?
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37
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Whereas
thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy
household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that
they may judge betwixt us both.
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38
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This
twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not
cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
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39
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That
which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of
it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen
by night.
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40
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Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
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41
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Thus
have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for
thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed
my wages ten times.
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42
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Except
the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had
been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen
mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
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43
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And
Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters,
and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and
all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my
daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
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44
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Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
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45
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And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
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46
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And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
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47
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And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
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48
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And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
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49
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And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
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50
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If
thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives
beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me
and thee.
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51
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And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:
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52
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This
heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over
this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this
pillar unto me, for harm.
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53
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The
God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge
betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
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54
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Then
Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat
bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
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55
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And
early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his
daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his
place.
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1
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And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
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2
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And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
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3
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And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
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4
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And
he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy
servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there
until now:
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5
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And
I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and
I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
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6
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And
the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau,
and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
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7
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Then
Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that
was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two
bands;
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8
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And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
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9
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And
Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the
LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred,
and I will deal well with thee:
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10
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I
am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth,
which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over
this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
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11
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Deliver
me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau:
for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the
children.
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12
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And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
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13
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And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
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14
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Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
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15
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Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
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16
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And
he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by
themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a
space betwixt drove and drove.
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17
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And
he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee,
and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and
whose are these before thee?
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18
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Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
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19
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And
so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the
droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find
him.
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20
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And
say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I
will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I
will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.
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21
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So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
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22
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And
he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two
womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
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23
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And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
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24
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And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
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25
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And
when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of
his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he
wrestled with him.
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26
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And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
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27
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And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
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28
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And
he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a
prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
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29
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And
Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said,
Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him
there.
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30
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And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
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31
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And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
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32
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Therefore
the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon
the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow
of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.
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The New Testament reading is verses 24-42 of the 10th chapter in the Gospel of Matthew. This is more of the commissioning of Jesus' disciples as He sends them forth to proclaim the Kingdom. The words still hold true, perhaps even more now.
24
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The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
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25
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It
is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as
his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how
much more shall they call them of his household?
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26
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Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
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27
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What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
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28
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And
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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29
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Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
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30
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But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
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31
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Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
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32
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Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
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33
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But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
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34
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Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
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35
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For
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter
against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
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36
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And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
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37
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He
that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he
that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
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38
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And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
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39
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He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
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40
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He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
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41
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He
that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a
prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a
righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
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42
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And
whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of
cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he
shall in no wise lose his reward.
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