Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Good Men

15 O Lord, who may live in Your tent? Who may live on Your holy hill? ² He who walks without blame and does what is right and good, and speaks the truth in his heart. ³ He does not hurt others with his tongue, or do wrong to his neighbor, or bring shame to his friend. ⁴ He looks down upon a sinful person, but honors those who fear the Lord. He keeps his promises even if it may hurt him. ⁵ He gives money to be used without being paid for its use. And he does not take money to hurt those who are not guilty. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Abram and Lot Go Different Ways

13 So Abram left Egypt and went to the Negev, with his wife and all that belonged to him. And Lot went with him. ² Now Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. ³ He traveled from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ where he had made an altar. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. ⁵ Now Lot, who went with Abram, had flocks and cattle and tents of his own. ⁶ There was not enough land to feed all the animals while they lived together. They owned so many things that they were not able to stay together. ⁷ There was fighting between those who cared for Abram’s animals and those who cared for Lot’s animals. The Canaanite and the Perizzite were living in the land at that time. ⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no fighting between you and me or between the men who take care of our animals, for we are brothers. ⁹ Is not the whole land in front of you? Let each of us go a different way. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ Lot looked and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose all the Jordan valley for himself. And as Lot traveled east, they went apart from each other. ¹² Abram made his home in the land of Canaan. Lot made his home in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom, ¹³ whose men were sinful, sinning against the Lord.

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had left him, “Raise your eyes and look from where you are to the north and south and east and west. ¹⁵ For I will give all the land that you see to you and to your children and to your children’s children forever. ¹⁶ I will make your family after you like the dust of the earth. So if anyone could number the dust of the earth, then he could number your children’s children. ¹⁷ Rise up and walk far and wide upon the land. For I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ Then Abram moved his tent and came to live among the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Paul’s Prayer for the Church

¹⁴ For this reason, I bow my knees and pray to the Father. ¹⁵ It is from Him that every family in heaven and on earth has its name. ¹⁶ I pray that because of the riches of His shining-greatness, He will make you strong with power in your hearts through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ I pray that Christ may live in your hearts by faith. I pray that you will be filled with love. ¹⁸ I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is. ¹⁹ I pray that you will know the love of Christ. His love goes beyond anything we can understand. I pray that you will be filled with God Himself.

²⁰ God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. ²¹ May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.