Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 27

My Stronghold

Davidic.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev^(A)—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. ² Abram was very rich^[a] in livestock, silver, and gold. ³ He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, ⁴ to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there.^(B)

⁵ Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. ⁶ But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,^{(C) 7} and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.^(D) At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.^(E)

¹⁴ After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,^{(A) 15} for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see.^{(B) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,^(C) so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,^(D) where he built an altar to the Lord.

² Watch out for “dogs,”^[a] watch out for evil^(A) workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³ For we are the circumcision,^(B) the ones who serve by the Spirit^(C) of God, boast in Christ Jesus,^(D) and do not put confidence in the flesh— ⁴ although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day;^(E) of the nation of Israel,^(F) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(G) a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,^(H) a Pharisee; ⁶ regarding zeal,^(I) persecuting^(J) the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,^(K) blameless.^(L)

⁷ But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value^(M) of knowing Christ^(N) Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ^{(O) 9} and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,^(P) but one that is through faith in Christ^[b]—the righteousness from God based on faith.^{(Q) 10} My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,^(R) being conformed to His death,^{(S) 11} assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Reaching Forward to God’s Goal

¹² Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold^(T) of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.