Daily Bible GNT January 16 Scroll

Turn from Your Sins or Die

Luke 13 At that time some people were there who told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God. ²Jesus answered them, "Because those Galileans were killed in that way, do you think it proves that they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? ³No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did. ⁴What about those eighteen people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them? Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? ⁵No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did."

The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree

⁶Then Jesus told them this parable: "There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none. ⁷So he said to his gardener, 'Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?' ⁸But the gardener answered, 'Leave it alone, sir, just one more year; I will dig around it and put in some fertilizer. ⁹Then if the tree bears figs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.'"

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. ¹¹A woman there had an evil spirit that had kept her sick for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, "Woman, you are free from your sickness!" ¹³He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God.

¹⁴The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, "There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!"

¹⁵The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. ¹⁶Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?" ¹⁷His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.

Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys a Burial Ground

Genesis 23 Sarah lived to be 127 years old. ²She died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned her death.

³He left the place where his wife's body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said, ⁴"I am a foreigner living here among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife."

⁵They answered, ⁶"Listen to us, sir. We look upon you as a mighty leader; bury your wife in the best grave that we have. Any of us would be glad to give you a grave, so that you can bury her."

⁷Then Abraham bowed before them ⁸and said, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of Zohar ⁹to sell me Machpelah Cave, which is near the edge of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for its full price, here in your presence, so that I can own it as a burial ground."

¹⁰Ephron himself was sitting with the other Hittites at the meeting place at the city gate; he answered in the hearing of everyone there, ¹¹"Listen, sir; I will give you the whole field and the cave that is in it. Here in the presence of my own people, I will give it to you, so that you can bury your wife."

¹²But Abraham bowed before the Hittites ¹³and said to Ephron, so that everyone could hear, "May I ask you, please, to listen. I will buy the whole field. Accept my payment, and I will bury my wife there."

¹⁴Ephron answered, ¹⁵"Sir, land worth only four hundred pieces of silver--what is that between us? Bury your wife in it." ¹⁶Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people--four hundred pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.

¹⁷That is how the property which had belonged to Ephron at Machpelah east of Mamre, became Abraham's. It included the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees in the field up to the edge of the property. ¹⁸It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.

¹⁹Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in that cave in the land of Canaan. ²⁰So the field which had belonged to the Hittites, and the cave in it, became the property of Abraham for a burial ground.

A Prayer of Confidence

Psalm 16 Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.

²I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;

all the good things I have come from you."

³How excellent are the LORD's faithful people!

My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

⁴Those who rush to other gods

bring many troubles on themselves.

I will not take part in their sacrifices;

I will not worship their gods.

⁵You, LORD, are all I have,

and you give me all I need;

my future is in your hands.

⁶How wonderful are your gifts to me;

how good they are!

⁷I praise the LORD, because he guides me,

and in the night my conscience warns me.

⁸I am always aware of the LORD's presence;

he is near, and nothing can shake me.

⁹And so I am thankful and glad,

and I feel completely secure,

¹⁰because you protect me from the power of death.

I have served you faithfully,

and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.

¹¹You will show me the path that leads to life;

your presence fills me with joy

and brings me pleasure forever.

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Today's English Version, Second Edition copyright © American Bible Society, 1992;
Old Testament copyright © American Bible Society, 1976, 1992; New Testament © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

These daily Bible readings from the Good News Translation (GNT), formerly the Today's English Version (TEV), are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. All BibleCard® images are copyrighted by iCreative. All rights reserved.