^34 (A)But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced ^(B)the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, ^[a](C)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “‘^(D)You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and ^[b]foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘^(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^40 (F)Upon these two commandments ^[c]hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

^41 (G)Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: ⁴² “What do you think about the ^[d]Christ? Whose son is He?” They *said to Him, “^(H)The son of David.” ⁴³ He *said to them, “Then ^[e]how does David ^[f](I)in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,

⁴⁵ Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ ^[g]how is He his son?” ^46 (K)No one was able to offer Him a word in answer, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him any more questions.

Hypocrisy Exposed

23 ^(L)Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, ² saying: “^(M)The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. ³ Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and ^[h]comply with it all, but do not do ^[i]as they do; for they say things and do not do them. ⁴ And ^(N)they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. ⁵ And they do all their deeds ^(O)to be noticed by other people; for they ^(P)broaden their ^[j]phylacteries and lengthen ^(Q)the tassels of their garments. ⁶ And they ^(R)love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, ⁷ and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called ^[k](S)Rabbi by the people. ⁸ But as for you, ^(T)do not be called ^[l](U)Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only ^(V)One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called ^[m]leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. ^11 (W)But the greatest of you shall be your servant. ^12 (X)Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Jacob Meets Rachel

29 Then Jacob ^[a]set out on his journey, and went to the land of ^(A)the ^[b]people of the east. ² He looked, and ^[c]saw ^(B)a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. ³ When all the flocks were gathered there, they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

⁴ Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from ^(C)Haran.” ⁵ So he said to them, “Do you know Laban the ^(D)son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” ⁶ And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is his daughter ^(E)Rachel coming with the sheep.” ⁷ Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” ⁸ But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

⁹ While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. ¹¹ Then Jacob ^(F)kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept. ¹² Jacob told Rachel that he was a ^(G)relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and ^(H)she ran and told her father.

¹³ So when ^(I)Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and ^(J)embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things. ¹⁴ And Laban said to him, “You certainly are ^(K)my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

¹⁵ Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall ^(L)your wages be?” ¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was ^(M)beautiful in figure and appearance. ¹⁸ Now Jacob ^(N)loved Rachel, so he said, “^(O)I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” ¹⁹ Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days ^(P)because of his love for her.

Israel Has Not Been Rejected

11 I say then, God has not ^(A)rejected His people, has He? ^[a](B)Far from it! For ^(C)I too am an Israelite, ^[b]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God ^(D)has not rejected His people whom He ^(E)foreknew. ^(F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Lord, ^(G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴ But what ^[c]is the divine response to him? “^(H)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time ^(I)a remnant according to God’s ^[d]gracious choice. ⁶ But ^(J)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^[e]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

⁷ What then? What ^(K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but ^[f]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were ^(L)hardened; ⁸ just as it is written:

⁹ And David says,

^11 (P)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? ^[g](Q)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing ^(R)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to ^(S)make them jealous. ¹² Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their ^[h](T)fulfillment be! ¹³ But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as ^(U)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ if somehow I may ^(V)move ^(W)my ^[i]own people to jealousy and ^(X)save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection proves to be the ^(Y)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but ^(Z)life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the ^(AA)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.

¹⁷ But if some of the ^(AB)branches were broken off, and ^(AC)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the ^[j]rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that ^(AD)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. ^19 (AE)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you ^(AF)stand by your faith. ^(AG)Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s ^(AH)kindness, ^(AI)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too ^(AJ)will be cut off. ²³ And they also, ^(AK)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For ^(AL)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this ^(AM)mystery—so that you will not be ^(AN)wise in your own estimation—that a partial ^(AO)hardening has happened to Israel until the ^(AP)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:

²⁸ In relation to the gospel they are ^(AT)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved ^(AU)on account of the fathers; ²⁹ for the gifts and the ^(AV)calling of God ^(AW)are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For ^(AX)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.

³³ Oh, the depth of ^(AY)the riches, ^[l]both of the ^(AZ)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(BA)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For ^(BB)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or ^(BC)who has first given to Him, ^[m]that it would be paid back to him? ³⁶ For ^(BD)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. ^(BE)To Him be the glory ^[n]forever. Amen.