AME Zion Universal Reading November 5th, 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

Acts 15:1–15 (NLT): The Council at Jerusalem

While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone’s joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.

4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them. 5 But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”

6 So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. 7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

Monday

Acts 15:12–21 (NLT):

12 Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13 When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. 15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:

16 ‘Afterward I will return

and restore the fallen house of David.

I will rebuild its ruins

and restore it,

17 so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord,

including the Gentiles—

all those I have called to be mine.

The Lord has spoken—

18 he who made these things known so long ago.’

19 “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. 21 For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.”

Tuesday

Psalm 37:27–40 (NLT):

27 Turn from evil and do good,

and you will live in the land forever.

28 For the Lord loves justice,

and he will never abandon the godly.

He will keep them safe forever,

but the children of the wicked will die.

29 The godly will possess the land

and will live there forever.

30 The godly offer good counsel;

they teach right from wrong.

31 They have made God’s law their own,

so they will never slip from his path.

32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,

looking for an excuse to kill them.

33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed

or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

34 Put your hope in the Lord.

Travel steadily along his path.

He will honor you by giving you the land.

You will see the wicked destroyed.

35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people

flourishing like a tree in its native soil.

36 But when I looked again, they were gone!

Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

37 Look at those who are honest and good,

for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;

they have no future.

39 The Lord rescues the godly;

he is their fortress in times of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them,

rescuing them from the wicked.

Wednesday

Psalm 121:1–8 (NLT):

1 I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel

never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

6 The sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm

and watches over your life.

8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,

both now and forever.

Thursday

1 Corinthians 12:12–20 (NLT): One Body with Many Parts

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

Friday

Acts 17:22–34 (NLT):

22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Saturday

Isaiah 56:1–12 (NLT): Blessings for All Nations

This is what the Lord says:

“Be just and fair to all.

Do what is right and good,

for I am coming soon to rescue you

and to display my righteousness among you.

2 Blessed are all those

who are careful to do this.

Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest

and keep themselves from doing wrong.

3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say,

‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’

And don’t let the eunuchs say,

‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’

4 For this is what the Lord says:

I will bless those eunuchs

who keep my Sabbath days holy

and who choose to do what pleases me

and commit their lives to me.

5 I will give them—within the walls of my house—

a memorial and a name

far greater than sons and daughters could give.

For the name I give them is an everlasting one.

It will never disappear!

6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord,

who serve him and love his name,

who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,

and who hold fast to my covenant.

7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem

and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.

I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,

because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

8 For the Sovereign Lord,

who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says:

I will bring others, too,

besides my people Israel.”

Sinful Leaders Condemned

9 Come, wild animals of the field!

Come, wild animals of the forest!

Come and devour my people!

10 For the leaders of my people—

the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds—

are blind and ignorant.

They are like silent watchdogs

that give no warning when danger comes.

They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.

11 Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied.

They are ignorant shepherds,

all following their own path

and intent on personal gain.

12 “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party.

Let’s all get drunk.

Then tomorrow we’ll do it again

and have an even bigger party!”

AME Zion Universal Reading October 29th, 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 12

1And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.2And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing.3And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you."4And Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him, and Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran.5And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had acquired, and the souls they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.6And Abram passed through the land, until the place of Shechem, until the plain of Moreh, and the Canaanites were then in the land.7And the Lord appeared to Abram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land," and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.8And he moved from there to the mountain, east of Beth el, and he pitched his tent; Beth el was to the west and Ai was to the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord, and he called in the name of the Lord.9And Abram traveled, continually traveling southward.10And there was a famine in the land, and Abram descended to Egypt to sojourn there because the famine was severe in the land.11Now it came to pass when he drew near to come to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Behold now I know that you are a woman of fair appearance.12And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife,' and they will slay me and let you live.13Please say [that] you are my sister, in order that it go well with me because of you, and that my soul may live because of you."

Galatians 3:23–4:7 (NLT): God’s Children through Faith

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Chapter 4

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Second Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 12

14And it came to pass when Abram came to Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very pretty.15And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh.16And he benefited Abram for her sake, and he had flocks and cattle and he donkeys and men servants and maid servants, and she donkeys and camels.17And the Lord plagued Pharaoh [with] great plagues as well as his household, on account of Sarai, Abram's wife.18And Pharaoh summoned Abram, and he said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?19Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to myself for a wife? And now, here is your wife; take [her] and go."20And Pharaoh commanded men on his behalf, and they escorted him and his wife and all that was his.

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 13

1And Abram came up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was his, and Lot with him, to the south.2And Abram was very heavy with cattle, with silver, and with gold.3And he went on his journeys, from the south and until Beth el, until the place where his tent had been previously, between Beth el and between Ai.4To the place of the altar that he had made at first, and Abram called there in the name of the Lord.

Monday

Genesis 12:1–9 (NLT): The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

Third Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 13

5And also Lot, who went with Abram, had flocks and cattle and tents.6And the land did not bear them to dwell together, for their possessions were many, and they could not dwell together.7And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and between the herdsmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.8And Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no quarrel between me and between you and between my herdsmen and between your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.9Is not all the land before you? Please part from me; if [you go] left, I will go right, and if [you go] right, I will go left."10And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.11And Lot chose for himself the entire plain of the Jordan, and Lot traveled from the east, and they parted from one another.12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and he pitched his tents until Sodom.13And the people of Sodom were very evil and sinful against the Lord.14And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Please raise your eyes and see, from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward.15For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity.16And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth, so that if a man will be able to count the dust of the earth, so will your seed be counted.17Rise, walk in the land, to its length and to its breadth, for I will give it to you."18And Abram pitched his tents, and he came, and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Tuesday

1 Peter 1:1–12 (NLT): Greetings from Peter

This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

May God give you more and more grace and peace.

The Hope of Eternal Life

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

Fourth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 14

1Now it came to pass in the days of Amraphel the king of Shinar, Arioch the king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and Tidal the king of Goyim.2That they waged war with Bera the king of Sodom and with Birsha the king of Gomorrah, Shineab the king of Admah, and Shemeber the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.3All these joined in the valley of Siddim, which is the Dead Sea.4For twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and for thirteen years they rebelled.5And in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim.6And the Horites in their mountain Seir, until the plain of Paran, which is alongside the desert.7And they returned and came to Ein Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and they smote the entire field of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.8And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar, came forth, and they engaged them in battle in the valley of Siddim.9With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam and Tidal the king of Goyim and Amraphel the king of Shinar and Arioch the king of Ellasar, four kings against the five.10Now the valley of Siddim was [composed of] many clay pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and they fell there, and the survivors fled to a mountain.11And they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they departed.12And they took Lot and his possessions, the son of Abram's brother, and they departed, and he was living in Sodom.13And the fugitive came and he told Abram the Hebrew, and he was living in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshkol and the brother of Aner, who were Abram's confederates.14And Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, and he armed his trained men, those born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and he pursued [them] until Dan.15And he divided himself against them at night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them until Hobah, which is to the left of Damascus.16And he restored all the possessions, and also Lot his brother and his possessions he restored, and also the women and the people.17And the king of Sodom came out toward him, after his return from smiting Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, to the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king.18And Malchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine, and he was a priest to the Most High God.19And he blessed him, and he said, "Blessed be Abram to the Most High God, Who possesses heaven and earth.20And blessed be the Most High God, Who has delivered your adversaries into your hand," and he gave him a tithe from all.

Wednesday

James 2:1–7 (NLT): A Warning against Prejudice

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

Fifth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 14

21And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the souls, and the possessions take for yourself."22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Who possesses heaven and earth.23Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours, that you should not say, 'I have made Abram wealthy.'24Exclusive of what the lads ate, and the share of the men who went with me; Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre they shall take their share."

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 15

1After these incidents, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram; I am your Shield; your reward is exceedingly great."2And Abram said, "O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am going childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?"3And Abram said, "Behold, You have given me no seed, and behold, one of my household will inherit me."4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one will not inherit you, but the one who will spring from your innards-he will inherit you."5And He took him outside, and He said, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your seed."6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him as righteousness.

Thursday

Psalm 16:1–11 (NLT):

1 Keep me safe, O God,

for I have come to you for refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!

Every good thing I have comes from you.”

3 The godly people in the land

are my true heroes!

I take pleasure in them!

4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.

I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood

or even speak the names of their gods.

5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.

You guard all that is mine.

6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.

My body rests in safety.

10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead

or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

11 You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Sixth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 15

7And He said to him, "I am the Lord, Who brought you forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."8And he said, "O Lord God, how will I know that I will inherit it?"9And He said to him, "Take for Me three heifers and three goats and three rams, and a turtle dove and a young bird."10And he took for Him all these, and he divided them in the middle, and he placed each part opposite its mate, but he did not divide the birds.11And the birds of prey descended upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.12Now the sun was ready to set, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and behold, a fright, a great darkness was falling upon him.13And He said to Abram, "You shall surely know that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and oppress them, for four hundred years.14And also the nation that they will serve will I judge, and afterwards they will go forth with great possessions.15But you will come to your forefathers in peace; you will be buried in a good old age.16And the fourth generation will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites will not be complete until then."17Now it came to pass that the sun had set, and it was dark, and behold, a smoking furnace and a fire brand, which passed between these parts.18On that day, the Lord formed a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt until the great river, the Euphrates river.19The Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,20And the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,21And the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 16

1Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not borne to him, and she had an Egyptian handmaid named Hagar.2And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing; please come to my handmaid; perhaps I will be built up from her." And Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice.3So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of ten years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram her husband for a wife.4And he came to Hagar, and she conceived, and she saw that she was pregnant, and her mistress became unimportant in her eyes.5And Sarai said to Abram, "May my injustice be upon you! I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and she saw that she had become pregnant, and I became unimportant in her eyes. May the Lord judge between me and you!"6And Abram said to Sarai, "Here is your handmaid in your hand; do to her that which is proper in your eyes." And Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from before her.7And an angel of the Lord found her by a water fountain in the desert, by the fountain on the road to Shur.8And he said, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where are you coming from, and where are you going to?" And she said, "From before Sarai my mistress, I am fleeing."9And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and allow yourself to be afflicted under her hands."10And the angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, and it will not be counted for abundance."11And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction.12And he will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be upon all, and everyone's hand upon him, and before all his brothers he will dwell."13And she called the name of the Lord, Who had spoken to her, "You are the God of seeing," because she said, "Have I seen [him] here also after I have seen?"14Therefore the well was called Be'er Lachai Ro'i; behold it is between Kadesh and between Bered.15And Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar had borne, Ishmael.16And Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 17

1And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and God appeared to Abram, and He said to him, "I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be perfect.2And I will place My covenant between Me and between you, and I will multiply you very greatly."3And Abram fell upon his face, and God spoke with him, saying,4"As for Me, behold My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations.5And your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.6And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings will emerge from you.

Friday

Deuteronomy 32:1–14 (NLT):

1 “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!

Hear, O earth, the words that I say!

2 Let my teaching fall on you like rain;

let my speech settle like dew.

Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,

like gentle showers on young plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord;

how glorious is our God!

4 He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.

Everything he does is just and fair.

He is a faithful God who does no wrong;

how just and upright he is!

5 “But they have acted corruptly toward him;

when they act so perversely,

are they really his children?

They are a deceitful and twisted generation.

6 Is this the way you repay the Lord,

you foolish and senseless people?

Isn’t he your Father who created you?

Has he not made you and established you?

7 Remember the days of long ago;

think about the generations past.

Ask your father, and he will inform you.

Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.

8 When the Most High assigned lands to the nations,

when he divided up the human race,

he established the boundaries of the peoples

according to the number in his heavenly court.

9 “For the people of Israel belong to the Lord;

Jacob is his special possession.

10 He found them in a desert land,

in an empty, howling wasteland.

He surrounded them and watched over them;

he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.

11 Like an eagle that rouses her chicks

and hovers over her young,

so he spread his wings to take them up

and carried them safely on his pinions.

12 The Lord alone guided them;

they followed no foreign gods.

13 He let them ride over the highlands

and feast on the crops of the fields.

He nourished them with honey from the rock

and olive oil from the stony ground.

14 He fed them yogurt from the herd

and milk from the flock,

together with the fat of lambs.

He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats,

together with the choicest wheat.

You drank the finest wine,

made from the juice of grapes.

Seventh Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 17

7And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you.8And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God."9And God said to Abraham, "And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.10This is My covenant, which you shall observe between Me and between you and between your seed after you, that every male among you be circumcised.11And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be as the sign of a covenant between Me and between you.12And at the age of eight days, every male shall be circumcised to you throughout your generations, one that is born in the house, or one that is purchased with money, from any foreigner, who is not of your seed.13Those born in the house and those purchased for money shall be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.14And an uncircumcised male, who will not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin-that soul will be cut off from its people; he has broken My covenant."15And God said to Abraham, "Your wife Sarai-you shall not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.16And I will bless her, and I will give you a son from her, and I will bless her, and she will become [a mother of] nations; kings of nations will be from her. "17And Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and he said to himself, "Will [a child] be born to one who is a hundred years old, and will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"18And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael will live before You!"19And God said, "Indeed, your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac, and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.20And regarding Ishmael, I have heard you; behold I have blessed him, and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly; he will beget twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.21But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."22And He finished speaking with him, and God went up from above Abraham.23And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house and all those purchased with his money, every male of the people of Abraham's household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken with him.24And Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.26On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and [so was] Ishmael his son.27And all the people of his household, those born in his house and those bought with money from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

Saturday

Hebrews 11:8–19 (NLT):

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Maftir Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 17

24And Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.26On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and [so was] Ishmael his son.27And all the people of his household, those born in his house and those bought with money from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

Haftarah

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) Chapter 40

27Why should you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way has been hidden from the Lord, and from my God, my judgment passes"?28Do you not know-if you have not heard-an everlasting God is the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth; He neither tires nor wearies; there is no fathoming His understanding.29Who gives the tired strength, and to him who has no strength, He increases strength.30Now youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble.31But those who put their hope in the Lord shall renew [their] vigor, they shall raise wings as eagles; they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and not tire.

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) Chapter 41

1Be silent to Me, you islands, and kingdoms shall renew [their] strength; they shall approach, then they shall speak, together to judgment let us draw near.2Who aroused from the East, [the one] whom righteousness accompanied? He placed nations before him and over kings He gave him dominion; He made his sword like dust, his bow like wind-blown stubble.3He pursued them and passed on safely, on a path upon which he had not come with his feet.4Who worked and did, Who calls the generations from the beginning; I, the Lord, am first, and with the last ones I am He.5The islands shall see and fear; the ends of the earth shall quake; they have approached and come.6Each one shall aid his fellow, and to his brother he shall say, "Strengthen yourself."7And the craftsman strengthened the smith, the one who smooths with the hammer [strengthened] the one who wields the sledge hammer; he says of the cement, "It is good," and he strengthened it with nails that it should not move.8But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me,9Whom I grasped from the ends of the earth, and from its nobles I called you, and I said to you, "You are My servant"; I chose you and I did not despise you.10Do not fear for I am with you; be not discouraged for I am your God: I encouraged you, I also helped you, I also supported you with My righteous hand.11Behold all those incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded; those who quarreled with you shall be as nought and be lost.12You may seek them but not find them, those who quarrel with you; those who war with you shall be as nought and as nothing.13For I, the Lord your God, grasp your right hand; Who says to you, "Fear not, I help you."14Fear not, O worm of Jacob, the number of Israel; "I have helped you," says the Lord, and your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15Behold I have made you a new grooved threshing-sledge, with sharp points; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them fine, and you shall make hills like chaff.16You shall winnow them, and a wind shall carry them off, and a tempest shall scatter them, and you shall rejoice with the Lord, with the Holy One of Israel shall you praise yourself.

AME Zion Universal Reading October 22nd, 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 6

9These are the generations of Noah, Noah was a righteous man he was perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God.10And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.11Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth became full of robbery.12And God saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth.13And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth.14Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall caulk it both inside and outside with pitch.15And this [is the size] you shall make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height.16You shall make a skylight for the ark, and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side; you shall make it with bottom [compartments], second story [compartments], and third story [compartments].17And I, behold I am bringing the flood, water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life, from beneath the heavens; all that is upon the earth will perish.18And I will set up My covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you.19And of all living things of all flesh, two of each you shall bring into the ark to preserve alive with you; they shall be male and female.20Of the fowl after its kind and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing upon the ground after its kind; two of each shall come to you to preserve alive.21And you, take for yourself of every food that is eaten and gather it in to you, and it shall be for you and for them to eat."22And Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Galatians 3:6–18 (NLT):

6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

The Law and God’s Promise

15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. 16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.

Second Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 7

1And the Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, for it is you that I have seen as a righteous man before Me in this generation.2Of all the clean animals you shall take for yourself seven pairs, a male and its mate, and of the animals that are not clean, two, a male and its mate.3Also, of the fowl of the heavens, seven pairs, male and female, to keep seed alive on the face of the earth.4For in another seven days, I will make it rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out all beings that I have made, off the face of the earth."5And Noah did, according to all that the Lord had commanded him.6And Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood came about, water upon the earth.7And Noah went in and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him into the ark because of the flood waters.8Of the clean beasts and of the beasts that are not clean, and of the fowl, and all that creeps upon the earth.9Two by two they came to Noah to the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.10And it came to pass after the seven days, that the flood waters were upon the earth.11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day, all the springs of the great deep were split, and the windows of the heavens opened up.12And the rain was upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.13On this very day, Noah came, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, and Noah's wife and his sons' three wives with them, into the ark.14They, and every beast after its kind, and every domestic animal after its kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every fowl after its kind, every bird of every wing.15And they came to Noah to the ark, two by two of all flesh in which there is the spirit of life.16And those who came male and female of all flesh came, as God had commanded him, and the Lord shut him in.

Monday

Hebrews 2:1–9 (NLT): A Warning against Drifting Away

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Jesus, the Man

5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say,

“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,

or a son of man that you should care for him?

7 Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

8 You gave them authority over all things.”

Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

Third Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 7

17Now the Flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased, and they lifted the ark, and it rose off the earth.18And the waters became powerful, and they increased very much upon the earth, and the ark moved upon the waters.19And the waters became exceedingly powerful upon the earth, and all the lofty mountains that were under the heavens were covered up.20Fifteen cubits above did the waters prevail, and the mountains were covered up.21And all flesh perished that moved upon the earth, among the fowl, and among the cattle, and among the beasts, and among all creeping creatures that creep upon the earth and all mankind.22Everything that had the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils, of all that were on the dry land, died.23And it [the Flood] blotted out all beings that were upon the face of the earth, from man to animal to creeping thing and to the fowl of the heavens, and they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark survived.24And the water prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 8

1And God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark, and God caused a spirit to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.2And the springs of the deep were closed, and the windows of the heavens, and the rain from the heavens was withheld.3And the waters receded off the earth more and more, and the water diminished at the end of a hundred and fifty days.4And the ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.5And the waters constantly diminished until the tenth month; in the tenth [month], on the first of the month, the mountain peaks appeared.6And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made.7And he sent forth the raven, and it went out, back and forth until the waters dried up off the earth.8And he sent forth the dove from with him, to see whether the waters had abated from upon the surface of the earth.9But the dove found no resting place for the sole of its foot; so it returned to him to the ark because there was water upon the entire surface of the earth; so he stretched forth his hand and took it, and he brought it to him to the ark.10And he waited again another seven days, and he again sent forth the dove from the ark.11And the dove returned to him at eventide, and behold it had plucked an olive leaf in its mouth; so Noah knew that the water had abated from upon the earth.12And he again waited another seven days, and he sent forth the dove, and it no longer continued to return to him.13And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first [month], on the first of the month, that the waters dried up from upon the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and he saw, and behold, the surface of the ground had dried up.14And in the second month, on the twenty seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

Tuesday

Hebrews 2:9–18 (NLT):

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.

I will praise you among your assembled people.”

13 He also said,

“I will put my trust in him,”

that is, “I and the children God has given me.”

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Fourth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 8

15And God spoke to Noah saying:16"Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you.17Every living thing that is with you of all flesh, of fowl, and of animals and of all the creeping things that creep on the earth, bring out with you, and they shall swarm upon the earth, and they shall be fruitful and multiply upon the earth."18So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.19Every beast, every creeping thing, and all fowl, everything that moves upon the earth, according to their families they went forth from the ark.20And Noah built an altar to the Lord, and he took of all the clean animals and of all the clean fowl and brought up burnt offerings on the altar.21And the Lord smelled the pleasant aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, "I will no longer curse the earth because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, and I will no longer smite all living things as I have done.22So long as the earth exists, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 9

1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and He said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.2And your fear and your dread shall be upon all the beasts of the earth and upon all the fowl of the heaven; upon everything that creeps upon the ground and upon all the fish of the sea, [for] they have been given into your hand[s].3Every moving thing that lives shall be yours to eat; like the green vegetation, I have given you everything.4But, flesh with its soul, its blood, you shall not eat.5But your blood, of your souls, I will demand [an account]; from the hand of every beast I will demand it, and from the hand of man, from the hand of each man, his brother, I will demand the soul of man.6Whoever sheds the blood of man through man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God He made man.7And you, be fruitful and multiply; swarm upon the earth and multiply thereon."

Wednesday

Psalm 1:1–6 (NLT):

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers.

2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,

meditating on it day and night.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!

They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,

but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Fifth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 9

8And God said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying:9"And I, behold I am setting up My covenant with you and with your seed after you.10And with every living creature that is with you, among the fowl, among the cattle, and among all the beasts of the earth with you, of all those who came out of the ark, of all the living creatures of the earth.11And I will establish My covenant with you, and never again will all flesh be cut off by the flood waters, and there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth."12And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant, which I am placing between Me and between you, and between every living soul that is with you, for everlasting generations.13My rainbow I have placed in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Myself and the earth.14And it shall come to pass, when I cause clouds to come upon the earth, that the rainbow will appear in the cloud.15And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and between you and between every living creature among all flesh, and the water will no longer become a flood to destroy all flesh.16And the rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and between every living creature among all flesh, which is on the earth."17And God said to Noah: "This is the sign of the covenant that I have set up, between Myself and between all flesh that is on the earth."

Thursday

Ephesians 1:3–14 (NLT): Spiritual Blessings

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Sixth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 9

18And the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and Ham he was the father of Canaan.19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the entire earth spread out.20And Noah began to be a master of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.21And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent.22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness, and he told his two brothers outside.23And Shem and Japheth took the garment, and they placed [it] on both of their shoulders, and they walked backwards, and they covered their father's nakedness, and their faces were turned backwards, so that they did not see their father's nakedness.24And Noah awoke from his wine, and he knew what his small son had done to him.25And he said, "Cursed be Canaan; he shall be a slave among slaves to his brethren."26And he said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be a slave to them.27May God expand Japheth, and may He dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be a slave to them."28And Noah lived after the Flood, three hundred and fifty years.29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 10

1And these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and sons were born to them after the Flood.2The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal, and Meshech and Tiras.3And the sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.4And the sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.5From these, the islands of the nations separated in their lands, each one to his language, according to their families, in their nations.6And the sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.7And the sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabta and Raamah and Sabtecha, and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.8And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty man in the land.9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord."10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.11From that land emerged Asshur, and he built Nineveh and Rehoboth ir and Calah.12And Resen, between Nineveh and between Calah; that is the great city.13And Mizraim begot the Ludim and the Anamim and the Lehabim and the Naphtuhim,14And the Pathrusim and the Casluhim, from whom the Philistines emerged, and the Caphtorim.15And Canaan begot Zidon his firstborn and Heth.16And the Jebusites and the Amorites and the Girgashites.17And the Hivvites and the Arkites and the Sinites.18And the Arvadites and the Zemarites and the Hamathites, and afterwards the families of the Canaanites were scattered.19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come to Gerar, until Gaza, as you come to Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, until Lesha.20These are the sons of Ham according to their families, and their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.21And to Shem were also born [children; he was] the father of all the people of the other side [of the river], the brother of Japheth the elder.22The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram.23And the sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.24And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.25And to Eber were born two sons: one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Joktan.26And Joktan begot Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah.27And Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah.28And Obal and Abimael and Sheba.29And Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.30And their settlement was from Mesha, as you come to Sephar, the mountain of the east.31These are the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations.32These are the families of the sons of Noah according to their generations, in their nations, and from these, the nations were separated on the earth after the Flood.

Friday

Ephesians 1:15–23 (NLT): Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Seventh Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 11

1Now the entire earth was of one language and uniform words.2And it came to pass when they traveled from the east, that they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.3And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly"; so the bricks were to them for stones, and the clay was to them for mortar.4And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered upon the face of the entire earth."5And the Lord descended to see the city and the tower that the sons of man had built.6And the Lord said, "Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do. Now, will it not be withheld from them, all that they have planned to do?7Come, let us descend and confuse their language, so that one will not understand the language of his companion."8And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of the entire earth, and they ceased building the city.9Therefore, He named it Babel, for there the Lord confused the language of the entire earth, and from there the Lord scattered them upon the face of the entire earth.10These are the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and he begot Arpachshad, two years after the Flood.11And Shem lived after he had begotten Arpachshad five hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.12And Arpachshad lived thirty five years, and he begot Shelah.13And Arpachshad lived after he had begotten Shelah four hundred and three years, and he begot sons and daughters.14And Shelah lived thirty years, and he begot Eber.15And Shelah lived after he had begotten Eber, four hundred and three years, and he begot sons and daughters.16And Eber lived thirty four years, and he begot Peleg.17And Eber lived after he had begotten Peleg, four hundred and thirty years, and he begot sons and daughters.18And Peleg lived thirty years, and he begot Reu.19And Peleg lived after he had begotten Reu, two hundred and nine years, and he begot sons and daughters.20And Reu lived thirty two years, and he begot Serug.21And Reu lived after he had begotten Serug two hundred and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters.22And Serug lived thirty years, and he begot Nahor.23And Serug lived after he had begotten Nahor, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.24And Nahor lived twenty nine years, and he begot Terah.25And Nahor lived after he had begotten Terah one hundred and nineteen years, and he begot sons and daughters.26And Terah lived seventy years, and he begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.27And these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot.28And Haran died during the lifetime of Terah his father in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees.29And Abram and Nahor took themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.30And Sarai was barren; she had no child.31And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan, and they came as far as Haran and settled there.32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

Saturday

Galatians 3:1–5 (NLT): The Law and Faith in Christ

Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

Maftir Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 11

29And Abram and Nahor took themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.30And Sarai was barren; she had no child.31And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan, and they came as far as Haran and settled there.32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

Haftarah

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) Chapter 54

1"Sing you barren woman who has not borne; burst out into song and jubilate, you who have not experienced birth pangs, for the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married woman," says the Lord.2Widen the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.3For right and left shall you prevail, and your seed shall inherit nations and repeople desolate cities.4Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed, and be not embarrassed for you shall not be put to shame, for the shame of your youth you shall forget, and the disgrace of your widowhood you shall no longer remember.5For your Master is your Maker, the Lord of Hosts is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, shall be called the God of all the earth.6For, like a wife who is deserted and distressed in spirit has the Lord called you, and a wife of one's youth who was rejected, said your God.7"For a small moment have I forsaken you, and with great mercy will I gather you.8With a little wrath did I hide My countenance for a moment from you, and with everlasting kindness will I have compassion on you," said your Redeemer, the Lord.9"For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noah, as I swore that the waters of Noah shall never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn neither to be wroth with you nor to rebuke you.10For the mountains shall depart and the hills totter, but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace totter," says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.