Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Yahweh Cuts a Covenant with Abram
15 After these things (A)the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying,
2 And Abram said, “O Lord Yahweh, what will You give me, as I go on being childless, and the [b]heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “[c]Since You have given no seed to me, behold, [d]one (E)born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir; (F)but one who will come forth from your own [e]body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He brought him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and (G)number the stars, if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “(H)So shall your seed be.” 6 (I)Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness.
12 Blessed is the (A)nation whose God is Yahweh,
The people whom He has (B)chosen for His own inheritance.
13 Yahweh (C)looks from heaven;
He (D)sees all the sons of men;
14 From (E)the place of His habitation He gazes
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (F)forms [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 salvation;
Nor does it provide escape to anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, (J)the eye of Yahweh is on those who fear Him,
On those who (K)wait for His lovingkindness,
19 To (L)deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive (M)in famine.
20 Our soul (N)is patient for Yahweh;
He is our (O)help and our shield.
21 For our (P)heart is glad in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, be upon us,
As we wait for You.
By 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](D)men of old [e](E)gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the [f](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 sojourned 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 [b]received [c]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she regarded Him (J)faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore there were born even of one man, and (K)him as good as dead [d]at that, as many (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 remembering that country from which they went out, (Q)they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now, they aspire to 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 prepared a city for them.
32 (A)Do not fear, (B)little flock, for (C)your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.
33 “(D)Sell your possessions and give it as 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 Ready for His Coming
35 “(G)Gird up (H)your loins, and keep your lamps lit. 36 And 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)awake 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 [a]second watch, or even in the [b]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “(L)But [c]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 [d](M)broken into. 40 (N)You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not [e]expect.”
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.