Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 121

A pilgrimage song.

Jacob and Laban’s treaty

⁴³ Laban responded and told Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and about their sons? ⁴⁴ Come, let’s make a treaty, you and me, and let something be our witness.”^[a]

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone, set it up as a sacred pillar, ⁴⁶ and said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones, made a mound, and ate there near the mound. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,^[b] but Jacob called it Galeed.^[c]

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This mound is our witness today,” and, therefore, he too named it Galeed. ⁴⁹ He also named it Mizpah,^[d] because he said, “The Lord will observe both of us when we are separated from each other. ⁵⁰ If you treat my daughters badly and if you marry other women, though we aren’t there, know that God observed our witness.”

⁵¹ Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this mound and here is the sacred pillar that I’ve set up for us. ⁵² This mound and the sacred pillar are witnesses that I won’t travel beyond this mound and that you won’t travel beyond this mound and this pillar to do harm. ⁵³ The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor^[e] will keep order between us.” So Jacob gave his word in the name of the awesome one of his father Isaac. ⁵⁴ Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and invited his relatives to a meal. They ate together and spent the night on the mountain. ^55 [f] Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his sons and daughters, blessed them, and left to go back to his own place.

Jacob prepares to meet Esau

32 Jacob went on his way, and God’s messengers approached him. ² When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp,” and he named that sacred place Mahanaim.^[g]

Speak, instruct, and act correctly

¹⁴ Remind them of these things and warn them in the sight of God not to engage in battles over words that aren’t helpful and only destroy those who hear them. ¹⁵ Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of truth correctly. ¹⁶ Avoid their godless discussions, because they will lead many people into ungodly behavior, ¹⁷ and their ideas will spread like an infection. This includes Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have deviated from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already happened. This has undermined some people’s faith.

¹⁹ God’s solid foundation is still standing with this sign: The Lord knows the people who belong to him,^[a] and Everyone who confesses the Lord’s name must avoid wickedness.^{[b] 20} In a mansion, there aren’t just gold and silver bowls but also some bowls that are made of wood and clay. Some are meant for special uses, some for garbage.^{[c] 21} So if anyone washes filth off themselves, they will be set apart as a “special bowl.” They will be useful to the owner of the mansion for every sort of good work.

Avoid conflict with opponents

²² Run away from adolescent cravings. Instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace together with those who confess the Lord with a clean heart. ²³ Avoid foolish and thoughtless discussions, since you know that they produce conflicts. ²⁴ God’s slave shouldn’t be argumentative but should be kind toward all people, able to teach, patient, ²⁵ and should correct opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will change their mind and give them a knowledge of the truth. ²⁶ They may come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap that holds them captive to do his will.