291 And Jacob lifteth up his feet, and goeth towards the land of the sons of the east; 2 and he looketh, and lo, a well in the field, and lo, there three droves of a flock crouching by it, for from that well they water the droves, and the great stone 'is' on the mouth of the well. 3 (When thither have all the droves been gathered, and they have rolled the stone from off the mouth of the well, and have watered the flock, then they have turned back the stone on the mouth of the well to its place.) 4 And Jacob saith to them, 'My brethren, from whence 'are' ye?' and they say, 'We 'are' from Haran.' 5 And he saith to them, 'Have ye known Laban, son of Nahor?' and they say, 'We have known.' 6 And he saith to them, 'Hath he peace?' and they say, 'Peace; and lo, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock.' 7 And he saith, 'Lo, the day 'is' still great, 'it is' not time for the cattle to be gathered; water ye the flock, and go, delight yourselves.' 8 And they say, 'We are not able, till that all the droves be gathered together, and they have rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and we have watered the flock.'
9 He is yet speaking with them, and Rachel hath come with the flock which her father hath, for she 'is' shepherdess; 10 and it cometh to pass when Jacob hath seen Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the flock of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob cometh nigh and rolleth the stone from off the mouth of the well, and watereth the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 And Jacob kisseth Rachel, and lifteth up his voice, and weepeth, 12 and Jacob declareth to Rachel that he 'is' her father's brother, and that he 'is' Rebekah's son, and she runneth and declareth to her father. 13 And it cometh to pass, when Laban heareth the report of Jacob his sister's son, that he runneth to meet him, and embraceth him, and kisseth him, and bringeth him in unto his house; and he recounteth to Laban all these things, 14 and Laban saith to him, 'Only my bone and my flesh 'art' thou;' and he dwelleth with him a month of days.
15 And Laban saith to Jacob, 'Is it because thou 'art' my brother that thou hast served me for nought? declare to me what 'is' thy hire.' 16 And Laban hath two daughters, the name of the elder 'is' Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel, 17 and the eyes of Leah 'are' tender, and Rachel hath been fair of form and fair of appearance. 18 And Jacob loveth Rachel, and saith, 'I serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter:' 19 and Laban saith, 'It is better for me to give her to thee than to give her to another man; dwell with me;' 20 and Jacob serveth for Rachel seven years; and they are in his eyes as some days, because of his loving her. 21 And Jacob saith unto Laban, 'Give up my wife, for my days have been fulfilled, and I go in unto her;' 22 and Laban gathereth all the men of the place, and maketh a banquet. 23 And it cometh to pass in the evening, that he taketh Leah, his daughter, and bringeth her in unto him, and he goeth in unto her; 24 and Laban giveth to her Zilpah, his maid-servant, to Leah his daughter, a maid-servant. 25 And it cometh to pass in the morning, that lo, it 'is' Leah; and he saith unto Laban, 'What 'is' this thou hast done to me? for Rachel have I not served with thee? and why hast thou deceived me?' 26 And Laban saith, 'It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the first-born; 27 fulfil the week of this one, and we give to thee also this one, for the service which thou dost serve with me yet seven other years.' 28 And Jacob doth so, and fulfilleth the week of this one, and he giveth to him Rachel his daughter, to him for a wife; 29 and Laban giveth to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid-servant, for a maid-servant to her. 30 And he goeth in also unto Rachel, and he also loveth Rachel more than Leah; and he serveth with him yet seven other years.
31 And Jehovah seeth that Leah 'is' the hated one, and He openeth her womb, and Rachel 'is' barren; 32 and Leah conceiveth, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Reuben, for she said, 'Because Jehovah hath looked on mine affliction; because now doth my husband love me.' 33 And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith, 'Because Jehovah hath heard that I 'am' the hated one, He also giveth to me even this 'one';' and she calleth his name Simeon. 34 And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith, 'Now 'is' the time, my husband is joined unto me, because I have born to him three sons,' therefore hath 'one' called his name Levi. 35 And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith this time, 'I praise Jehovah;' therefore hath she called his name Judah; and she ceaseth from bearing.
301 And Rachel seeth that she hath not borne to Jacob, and Rachel is envious of her sister, and saith unto Jacob, 'Give me sons, and if there is none—I die.' 2 And Jacob's anger burneth against Rachel, and he saith, 'Am I in stead of God who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?' 3 And she saith, 'Lo, my handmaid Bilhah, go in unto her, and she doth bear on my knees, and I am built up, even I, from her;' 4 and she giveth to him Bilhah her maid-servant for a wife, and Jacob goeth in unto her; 5 and Bilhah conceiveth, and beareth to Jacob a son, 6 and Rachel saith, 'God hath decided for me, and also hath hearkened to my voice, and giveth to me a son;' therefore hath she called his name Dan. 7 And Bilhah, Rachel's maid-servant, conceiveth again, and beareth a second son to Jacob, 8 and Rachel saith, 'With wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, yea, I have prevailed;' and she calleth his name Napthali. 9 And Leah seeth that she hath ceased from bearing, and she taketh Zilpah her maid-servant, and giveth her to Jacob for a wife; 10 and Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant, beareth to Jacob a son, 11 and Leah saith, 'A troop is coming;' and she calleth his name Gad. 12 And Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant, beareth a second son to Jacob, 13 and Leah saith, 'Because of my happiness, for daughters have pronounced me happy;' and she calleth his name Asher.
14 And Reuben goeth in the days of wheat-harvest, and findeth love-apples in the field, and bringeth them in unto Leah, his mother, and Rachel saith unto Leah, 'Give to me, I pray thee, of the love-apples of thy son.' 15 And she saith to her, 'Is thy taking my husband a little thing, that thou hast taken also the love-apples of my son?' and Rachel saith, 'Therefore doth he lie with thee to-night, for thy son's love-apples.' 16 And Jacob cometh in from the field at evening; and Leah goeth to meet him, and saith, 'Unto me dost thou come in, for hiring I have hired thee with my son's love-apples;' and he lieth with her during that night. 17 And God hearkeneth unto Leah, and she conceiveth, and beareth to Jacob a son, a fifth, 18 and Leah saith, 'God hath given my hire, because I have given my maid-servant to my husband;' and she calleth his name Issachar. 19 And conceive again doth Leah, and she beareth a sixth son to Jacob, 20 and Leah saith, 'God hath endowed me—a good dowry; this time doth my husband dwell with me, for I have borne to him six sons;' and she calleth his name Zebulun; 21 and afterwards hath she born a daughter, and calleth her name Dinah. 22 And God remembereth Rachel, and God hearkeneth unto her, and openeth her womb, 23 and she conceiveth and beareth a son, and saith, 'God hath gathered up my reproach;' 24 and she calleth his name Joseph, saying, 'Jehovah is adding to me another son.'
25 And it cometh to pass, when Rachel hath borne Joseph, that Jacob saith unto Laban, 'Send me away, and I go unto my place, and to my land; 26 give up my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and I go; for thou—thou hast known my service which I have served thee.' 27 And Laban saith unto him, 'If, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes—I have observed diligently that Jehovah doth bless me for thy sake.' 28 He saith also, 'Define thy hire to me, and I give.' 29 And he saith unto him, 'Thou—thou hast known that which I have served thee 'in', and that which thy substance was with me; 30 for 'it is' little which thou hast had at my appearance, and it breaketh forth into a multitude, and Jehovah blesseth thee at my coming; and now, when do I make, I also, for mine own house?' 31 And he saith, 'What do I give to thee?' And Jacob saith, 'Thou dost not give me anything; if thou do for me this thing, I turn back; I have delight; thy flock I watch; 32 I pass through all thy flock to-day to turn aside from thence every sheep speckled and spotted, and every brown sheep among the lambs, and speckled and spotted among the goats—and it hath been my hire; 33 and my righteousness hath answered for me in the day to come, when it cometh in for my hire before thy face;—every one which is not speckled and spotted among 'my' goats, and brown among 'my' lambs—it is stolen with me.' 34 And Laban saith, 'Lo, O that it were according to thy word;' 35 and he turneth aside during that day the ring-straked and the spotted he-goats, and all the speckled and the spotted she-goats, every one that 'hath' white in it, and every brown one among the lambs, and he giveth into the hand of his sons, 36 and setteth a journey of three days between himself and Jacob; and Jacob is feeding the rest of the flock of Laban.
37 And Jacob taketh to himself a rod of fresh poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut, and doth peel in them white peelings, making bare the white that 'is' on the rods, 38 and setteth up the rods which he hath peeled in the gutters in the watering troughs (when the flock cometh in to drink), over-against the flock, that they may conceive in their coming in to drink; 39 and the flocks conceive at the rods, and the flock beareth ring-straked, speckled, and spotted ones. 40 And the lambs hath Jacob parted, and he putteth the face of the flock towards the ring-straked, also all the brown in the flock of Laban, and he setteth his own droves by themselves, and hath not set them near Laban's flock. 41 And it hath come to pass whenever the strong ones of the flock conceive, that Jacob set the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, to cause them to conceive by the rods, 42 and when the flock is feeble, he doth not set 'them'; and the feeble ones have been Laban's, and the strong ones Jacob's. 43 And the man increaseth very exceedingly, and hath many flocks, and maid-servants, and men-servants, and camels, and asses.
91 And having gone to the boat, he passed over, and came to his own city, 2 and lo, they were bringing to him a paralytic, laid upon a couch, and Jesus having seen their faith, said to the paralytic, 'Be of good courage, child, thy sins have been forgiven thee.' 3 And lo, certain of the scribes said within themselves, 'This one doth speak evil.' 4 And Jesus, having known their thoughts, said, 'Why think ye evil in your hearts? 5 for which is easier? to say, The sins have been forgiven to thee; or to say, Rise, and walk? 6 'But, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power upon the earth to forgive sins—(then saith he to the paralytic)—having risen, take up thy couch, and go to thy house.' 7 And he, having risen, went to his house, 8 and the multitudes having seen, wondered, and glorified God, who did give such power to men.
9 And Jesus passing by thence, saw a man sitting at the tax-office, named Matthew, and saith to him, 'Be following me,' and he, having risen, did follow him. 10 And it came to pass, he reclining (at meat) in the house, that lo, many tax-gatherers and sinners having come, were lying (at meat) with Jesus and his disciples, 11 and the Pharisees having seen, said to his disciples, 'Wherefore with the tax-gatherers and sinners doth your teacher eat?' 12 And Jesus having heard, said to them, 'They who are whole have no need of a physician, but they who are ill; 13 but having gone, learn ye what is, Kindness I will, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'
14 Then come to him do the disciples of John, saying, 'Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?' 15 And Jesus said to them, 'Can the sons of the bride-chamber mourn, so long as the bridegroom is with them? but days shall come when the bridegroom may be taken from them, and then they shall fast. 16 'And no one doth put a patch of undressed cloth on an old garment, for its filling up doth take from the garment, and a worse rent is made. 17 'Nor do they put new wine into old skins, and if not—the skins burst, and the wine doth run out, and the skins are destroyed, but they put new wine into new skins, and both are preserved together.'
(Read Matthew 9:1-8)
The faith of the friends of the paralytic in bringing him to Christ, was a strong faith; they firmly believed that Jesus Christ both could and would heal him. A strong faith regards no obstacles in pressing after Christ. It was a humble faith; they brought him to attend on Christ. It was an active faith. Sin may be pardoned, yet the sickness not be removed; the sickness may be removed, yet the sin not pardoned: but if we have the comfort of peace with God, with the comfort of recovery from sickness, this makes the healing a mercy indeed. This is no encouragement to sin. If thou bring thy sins to Jesus Christ, as thy malady and misery to be cured of, and delivered from, it is well; but to come with them, as thy darlings and delight, thinking still to retain them and receive him, is a gross mistake, a miserable delusion. The great intention of the blessed Jesus in the redemption he wrought, is to separate our hearts from sin. Our Lord Jesus has perfect knowledge of all that we say within ourselves. There is a great deal of evil in sinful thoughts, which is very offensive to the Lord Jesus. Christ designed to show that his great errand to the world was, to save his people from their sins. He turned from disputing with the scribes, and spake healing to the sick man. Not only he had no more need to be carried upon his bed, but he had strength to carry it. God must be glorified in all the power that is given to do good.
(Read Matthew 9:9)
Matthew was in his calling, as the rest of those whom Christ called. As Satan comes with his temptations to the idle, so Christ comes with his calls to those who are employed. We are all naturally averse from thee, O God; do thou bid us to follow thee; draw us by thy powerful word, and we shall run after thee. Speak by the word of the Spirit to our hearts, the world cannot hold us down, Satan cannot stop our way, we shall arise and follow thee. A saving change is wrought in the soul, by Christ as the author, and his word as the means. Neither Matthew's place, nor his gains by it, could detain him, when Christ called him. He left it, and though we find the disciples, who were fishers, occasionally fishing again afterwards, we never more find Matthew at his sinful gain.
(Read Matthew 9:10-13)
Some time after his call, Matthew sought to bring his old associates to hear Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and would not despair concerning them. Those who are effectually brought to Christ, cannot but desire that others also may be brought to him. Those who suppose their souls to be without disease will not welcome the spiritual Physician. This was the case with the Pharisees; they despised Christ, because they thought themselves whole; but the poor publicans and sinners felt that they wanted instruction and amendment. It is easy, and too common, to put the worst constructions upon the best words and actions. It may justly be suspected that those have not the grace of God themselves, who are not pleased with others' obtaining it. Christ's conversing with sinners is here called mercy; for to promote the conversion of souls is the greatest act of mercy. The gospel call is a call to repentance; a call to us to change our minds, and to change our ways. If the children of men had not been sinners, there had been no need for Christ to come among them. Let us examine whether we have found out our sickness, and have learned to follow the directions of our great Physician.
(Read Matthew 9:14-17)
John was at this time in prison; his circumstances, his character, and the nature of the message he was sent to deliver, led those who were peculiarly attached to him, to keep frequent fasts. Christ referred them to John's testimony of him, John 3:29. Though there is no doubt that Jesus and his disciples lived in a spare and frugal manner, it would be improper for his disciples to fast while they had the comfort of his presence. When he is with them, all is well. The presence of the sun makes day, and its absence produces night. Our Lord further reminded them of common rules of prudence. It was not usual to take a piece of rough woolen cloth, which had never been prepared, to join to an old garment, for it would not join well with the soft, old garment, but would tear it further, and the rent would be made worse. Nor would men put new wine into old leathern bottles, which were going to decay, and would be liable to burst from the fermenting of the wine; but putting the new wine into strong, new, skin bottles, both would be preserved. Great caution and prudence are necessary, that young converts may not receive gloomy and forbidding ideas of the service of our Lord; but duties are to be urged as they are able to bear them.
