Bible Reading For January 5:  Genesis 12-14, Matthew 5:1-30

 Genesis 12
1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
6And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land.
7And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
8And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
9And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.
11And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art] a fair woman to look upon:
12Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This [is] his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
14And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she [was] very fair.
15The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
17And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
18And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife?
19Why saidst thou, She [is] my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take [her], and go thy way.
20And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
 Genesis 13
1And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we [be] brethren.
9[Is] not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if [thou wilt take] the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if [thou depart] to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched [his] tent toward Sodom.
13But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
14And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered.
17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
18Then Abram removed [his] tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which [is] in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
 Genesis 14
1And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;
2[That these] made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
3All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that [were] with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which [is] by the wilderness.
7And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which [is] Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
8And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same [is] Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
9With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
10And the vale of Siddim [was full of] slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these [were] confederate with Abram.
14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained [servants], born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued [them] unto Dan.
15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus.
16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that [were] with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which [is] the king's dale.
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23That I will not [take] from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that [is] thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
24Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
 Matthew 5:1-30
1And seeing the multitudes , he went up into a mountain : and when he was set his disciples came unto him :
2And he opened his mouth , and taught them , saying
3Blessed [are] the poor in spirit : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven .
4Blessed [are] they that mourn for they shall be comforted
5Blessed [are] the meek : for they shall inherit the earth .
6Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled
7Blessed [are] the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy
8Blessed [are] the pure in heart : for they shall see God .
9Blessed [are] the peacemakers : for they shall be called the children of God .
10Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven .
11Blessed are ye when [men] shall revile you , and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake
12Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great [is] your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you .
13Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted it is thenceforth good for nothing , but to be cast out , and to be trodden under foot of men .
14Ye are the light of the world . A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid
15Neither do men light a candle , and put it under a bushel , but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house .
16Let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good works , and glorify your Father which is in heaven .
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law , or the prophets : I am not come to destroy but to fulfil
18For verily I say unto you , Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law , till all be fulfilled
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven .
20For I say unto you , That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees , ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven .
21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time , Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment :
22But I say unto you , That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say to his brother , Raca , shall be in danger of the council : but whosoever shall say Thou fool , shall be in danger of hell fire .
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar , and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee ;
24Leave there thy gift before the altar , and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift .
25Agree with thine adversary quickly , whiles thou art in the way with him ; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge , and the judge deliver thee to the officer , and thou be cast into prison .
26Verily I say unto thee , Thou shalt by no means come out thence , till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing .
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time , Thou shalt not commit adultery
28But I say unto you , That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart .
29And if thy right eye offend thee , pluck it out and cast [it] from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell .
30And if thy right hand offend thee , cut it off and cast [it] from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell .