Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Help in the Face of Enemies
For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]
140 Rescue me, O Yahweh, from evil men.[b]
Preserve me from violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart.
They stir up wars continually.
3 They sharpen their tongue as sharp as a snake’s;
the venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah
4 Protect me, O Yahweh, from the hands of the wicked.
Preserve me from violent men,
who have planned to make me stumble.[c]
5 The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords.
They have spread out a net along the side[d] of the path.
They have set snares for me. Selah
6 I say to Yahweh, “You are my God.”
Listen, O Yahweh, to the voice of my supplications.
7 O Yahweh, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant, O Yahweh, the desires of the wicked.
Do not allow them to attain their[e] plan, lest they be exalted. Selah
9 With respect to the head of those who surround me,
may the harm of their lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall on them;
let them be dropped into the fire,
into bottomless pits from which they cannot rise.
11 Do not let a slanderer[f] be established in the land;
as for the man of violence, let evil hunt him quickly.
12 I know[g] that Yahweh will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name;
the upright will dwell in your presence.
34 And he said, “I am the servant of Abraham. 35 Now Yahweh has blessed my master exceedingly, and he has become great. He has given to him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah, the wife of my master, has borne a son to my master after her old age. And he[a] has given to him all that he has. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I am living. 38 But you shall go to the house of my father, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow[b] me.’ 40 And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I have walked, shall send his angel with you and will make your journey successful. And you shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father. 41 Then you shall be released from my oath, when you come to my family. And if they will not give a woman to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and they said, “The matter has gone out from Yahweh; we are not able to speak bad or good to you. 51 Here is Rebekah before you. Take her and go; let her be a wife for the son of your master as Yahweh has spoken.” 52 And it happened that when the servant of Abraham heard their words he bowed down to the ground to Yahweh. 53 And the servant brought out silver jewelry and gold jewelry, and garments, and he gave them to Rebekah. And he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night. And they got up in the morning, and he said, “Let me go to my master.” 55 And her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; after that she may go.” 56 And he said to them, “Do not delay me. Now, Yahweh has made my journey successful. Let me go. I must go to my master.” 57 And they said, “Let us call the girl and ask her opinion.”[a] 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “You are our sister; may you become countless thousands; and may your offspring take possession of the gate of his enemies.” 61 And Rebekah and her maidservants arose, and they mounted the camels and followed[b] the man. And the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 Now Isaac was coming from the direction of Beer-Lahai-Roi. And he was living in the land of the Negev. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field early in the evening,[c] and he lifted up his eyes and saw—behold, camels were coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac. And she got down from the camel. 65 And she said to the servant, “Who is this man walking around in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.” And she took her[d] veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother. And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after the death of his mother.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the message which you have heard. 8 Again, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because[a] the darkness is passing away and the true light already is shining. 9 The one who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
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