Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise, O (B)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (C)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
3 (D)From the rising of the sun to its setting
The (E)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (F)high above all nations;
His (G)glory is above the heavens.
5 (H)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (I)is enthroned on high,
6 Who [c](J)humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
7 He (K)raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 To make them (L)sit with [d]princes,
With the [e]princes of His people.
9 He (M)makes the barren woman abide in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[f]Praise [g]the Lord!
The Sons of Jacob
30 Now when Rachel saw that (A)she bore Jacob no children, [a]she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “(B)Give me children, or else I die.” 2 Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has (C)withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 She said, “(D)Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may (E)bear on my knees, that [b](F)through her I too may have children.” 4 So (G)she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has [c](H)vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him [d]Dan. 7 Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 So Rachel said, “With [e]mighty wrestlings I have [f]wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “[g]How fortunate!” So she named him [h]Gad. 12 Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “[i]Happy am I! For women (I)will call me happy.” So she named him [j]Asher.
14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found (J)mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17 God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has given me my [k]wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. 19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband [l]will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then (K)God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and (L)opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, “God has (M)taken away my reproach.” 24 She named him Joseph, saying, “(N)May the Lord [m]give me another son.”
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (A)are not worthy to be compared with the (B)glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the (C)anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for (D)the revealing of the (E)sons of God. 20 For the creation (F)was subjected to (G)futility, not willingly, but (H)because of Him who subjected it, [a]in hope 21 that (I)the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation (J)groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 (K)And not only this, but also we ourselves, having (L)the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves (M)groan within ourselves, (N)waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, (O)the redemption of our body. 24 For (P)in hope we have been saved, but (Q)hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But (R)if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
Our Victory in Christ
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for (S)we do not know how to pray as we should, but (T)the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and (U)He who searches the hearts knows what (V)the mind of the Spirit is, because He (W)intercedes for the [b]saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that [c]God causes (X)all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are (Y)called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He (Z)foreknew, He also (AA)predestined to become (AB)conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the (AC)firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He (AD)predestined, He also (AE)called; and these whom He called, He also (AF)justified; and these whom He justified, He also (AG)glorified.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.