Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

18 Forsooth in the valley of Mamre the Lord appeared to Abraham, (as he was) sitting in the door of his tabernacle, in that heat of the day. (And sometime later, by the terebinths of Mamre, the Lord appeared to Abraham, when he was sitting by the door of his tent, in the heat of the day.)

² And when Abraham had raised up his eyes, three men appeared to him, and stood nigh [to] him. And when he had seen them, he ran from the door of his tabernacle into the meeting of them, and he worshipped on [the] earth (And when he had seen them, he ran from the door of his tent to meet them, and he bowed low to the ground),

³ and said, Lord (My lords), if I have found grace in thine eyes, pass thou not (by) thy servant,

⁴ but I shall bring (thee) a little water, and your feet (can) be washed, and (so) rest ye (yourselves) under the tree;

⁵ and I shall set (before you) a morsel of bread, and your heart (shall) be comforted; (and) afterward ye shall pass [forth]; for therefore (be) ye bowed (aside) to your servant. Which said (And they said to him), Do thou as thou hast spoken.

⁶ (And) Abraham hasted into the tabernacle, to Sarah, and said to her, Haste thou, mix (up) three half bushels of clean flour; and make thou loaves baken under ashes.

⁷ Forsooth (then) he ran to the drove of beasts, and took thereof a calf most tender and best, and gave (it) to a servant, which hasted, and seethed the calf (and boiled the calf);

⁸ and (then) he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had sodden, and set (it) before them; forsooth Abraham stood beside them under the tree. And when they had eaten,

⁹ they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? He answered, Lo! she is in the tabernacle (she is in the tent).

¹⁰ To whom the Lord said, I shall turn again, and I shall come to thee in this time, if I live; and Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son. When this was heard, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tabernacle. (And the Lord said to him, I shall return, and I shall come back to thee at this same time next year, as I live; and Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son. And when she heard this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent.)

15 The psalm of David. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle; either who shall rest in thine holy hill? (The song of David. Lord, who shall rest in thy Temple? who shall live on thy holy hill?)

² He that entereth without wem; and worketh rightfulness. He that speaketh truth in his heart; (He who goeth on the way without blemish, or without fault; and doeth what is right. He who speaketh the truth from his heart;)

³ which did not guile in his tongue. Nor did evil to his neighbour; and took not reproof against his neighbours. (and did not deceive with his tongue. Yea, he who did no evil to his neighbours; nor took up any reproach, or spreadeth any rumour, against them.)

⁴ A wicked man is brought to nought in his sight; but he glorifieth them that dread the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth him not; (He who regardeth the wicked as worthless; but he honoureth those who fear the Lord/those who revere the Lord. He who sweareth an oath, or who promiseth, to his neighbour, and deceiveth him not;)

⁵ which gave not his money to usury; and took not gifts upon the innocent. He, that doeth these things, shall not be moved [into] without end. (who did not put out his money to usury; and who took no gifts, or bribes, to be against the innocent. He, who doeth these things, shall never be moved, or shaken, from his secure place in the Lord.)

¹⁵ Which is the image of God invisible, the first begotten of each creature.

¹⁶ For in him all things be made, in heavens and in earth, visible and invisible, either thrones, either dominations, either princehoods, either powers, all things be made of nought by him, and in him,

¹⁷ and he is before all, and all things be in him.

¹⁸ And he is head of the body of the church; which is the beginning and the first begotten of dead men, that he hold the first dignity in all things^[a].

¹⁹ For in him it pleased all plenty to inhabit,

²⁰ and by him all things to be reconciled into him, and made peace by the blood of his cross, those things that be in earth's, either that be in heavens [either those things that be in earth's, or that be in heavens].

²¹ And when ye were sometime aliened, and enemies by wit in evil works, now he hath reconciled you

²² in the body of his flesh by death, to have you holy, and unwemmed, and without reproof before him.

²³ If nevertheless ye dwell in the faith, founded, and stable [founded, and stabled], and unmoveable from the hope of the gospel that ye have heard, which is preached in all creature that is under heaven. Of which I Paul am made a minister,

²⁴ and now I have joy in passion for you, and I fill those things that fail of the passions of Christ in my flesh, for his body, that is the church. [the which now I have joy in passions for you, and full-fill those things that fail of the passions of Christ in my flesh, for his body, that is the church.]

²⁵ Of which I Paul am made [a] minister by the dispensation of God, that is given to me in you, that I fill the word of God,^[b]

²⁶ the private [the mystery, or private], that was hid from worlds and generations. But now it is showed to his saints,

²⁷ to whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this sacrament in heathen men, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

²⁸ Whom we show, reproving each man, and teaching each man in all wisdom, that we offer each man perfect in Christ Jesus.

³⁸ And it was done, while they went, he entered into a castle; and a woman, Martha by name, received him into her house. [Forsooth it was done, while they went, and he entered into some castle; and some woman, Martha by name, received him into her house.]

³⁹ And to this was a sister, Mary by name, which also sat beside the feet of the Lord, and heard his word.

⁴⁰ But Martha busied about the oft service. And she stood, and said, Lord, takest thou no keep, that my sister hath left me alone to serve? therefore say thou to her, that she help me.^[a]

⁴¹ And the Lord answered, and said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art busy, and art troubled about full many things;

⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part [Mary hath chosen the better part], which shall not be taken away from her.