Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Abram Promised a Son
15 After these things (A)the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
2 Abram said, “O Lord [b]God, what will You give me, since I [c]am childless, and the [d]heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “[e]Since You have given no [f]offspring to me, [g]one (E)born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; (F)but one who will come forth from your own [h]body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and (G)count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “(H)So shall your [i]descendants be.” 6 (I)Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
12 Blessed is the (A)nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has (B)chosen for His own inheritance.
13 The Lord (C)looks from heaven;
He (D)sees all the sons of men;
14 From (E)His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (F)fashions [a]the hearts of them all,
He who (G)understands all their works.
16 (H)The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A (I)horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, (J)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who [b](K)hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To (L)deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive (M)in famine.
20 Our soul (N)waits for the Lord;
He is our (O)help and our shield.
21 For our (P)heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have [c]hoped in You.
The Triumphs of Faith
11 Now faith is the [a](A)assurance of things [b](B)hoped for, the [c]conviction of (C)things not seen. 2 For by it the (D)men of old [d](E)gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the [e](F)worlds were prepared (G)by the word of God, so that what is seen (H)was not made out of things which are visible.
8 By faith (A)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed [a]by going out to a place which he was to (B)receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as an alien in (C)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, (D)dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, (E)fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking for (F)the city which has (G)foundations, (H)whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith even (I)Sarah herself received [b]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him (J)faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and (K)him as good as dead [c]at that, as many descendants (L)as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
13 (M)All these died in faith, (N)without receiving the promises, but (O)having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and (P)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been [d]thinking of that country from which they went out, (Q)they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a (R)heavenly one. Therefore (S)God is not [e]ashamed to be (T)called their God; for (U)He has prepared a city for them.
32 (A)Do not be afraid, (B)little flock, for (C)your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
33 “(D)Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, (E)an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 For (F)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Be in Readiness
35 “[a](G)Be dressed in (H)readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (I)on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that (J)he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 (K)Whether he comes in the [b]second watch, or even in the [c]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “(L)But [d]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be [e](M)broken into. 40 (N)You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not [f]expect.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.