Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 121[a]
The Lord My Guardian
1 A song of ascents.
I raise my eyes toward the mountains.[b]
From whence shall come my help?(A)
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.(B)
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;(C)
or your guardian to sleep.
4 Behold, the guardian of Israel
never slumbers nor sleeps.
5 [c]The Lord is your guardian;
the Lord is your shade
at your right hand.(D)
6 By day the sun will not strike you,
nor the moon by night.(E)
7 The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your soul.(F)
8 The Lord will guard your coming and going
both now and forever.(G)
43 [a]Laban replied to Jacob: “The daughters are mine, their children are mine, and the flocks are mine; everything you see belongs to me. What can I do now for my own daughters and for the children they have borne? 44 [b]Come, now, let us make a covenant, you and I; and it will be a treaty between you and me.”
45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a sacred pillar.(A) 46 Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” So they got stones and made a mound; and they ate there at the mound. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,[c] but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This mound will be a witness from now on between you and me.” That is why it was named Galeed— 49 and also Mizpah,[d] for he said: “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters, or take other wives besides my daughters, know that even though no one else is there, God will be a witness between you and me.”
51 Laban said further to Jacob: “Here is this mound, and here is the sacred pillar that I have set up between you and me. 52 This mound will be a witness, and this sacred pillar will be a witness, that, with hostile intent, I may not pass beyond this mound into your territory, nor may you pass beyond it into mine. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us!” Jacob took the oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.[e] 54 He then offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmen to share in the meal. When they had eaten, they passed the night on the mountain.
Chapter 32
1 [f]Early the next morning, Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them; then he set out on his journey back home. 2 Meanwhile Jacob continued on his own way, and God’s angels encountered him.
III. Instructions Concerning False Teaching
Warning Against Useless Disputes. 14 [a]Remind people of these things and charge them before God[b] to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.(A) 15 Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation.(B) 16 Avoid profane, idle talk, for such people will become more and more godless,(C) 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,(D) 18 who have deviated from the truth by saying that [the] resurrection has already taken place and are upsetting the faith of some.(E) 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands, bearing this inscription, “The Lord knows those who are his”; and, “Let everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord avoid evil.”(F)
20 In a large household there are vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for lofty and others for humble use. 21 If anyone cleanses himself of these things, he will be a vessel for lofty use, dedicated, beneficial to the master of the house, ready for every good work.(G) 22 So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord[c] with purity of heart.(H) 23 Avoid foolish and ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels.(I) 24 A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant,(J) 25 correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth,(K) 26 [d]and that they may return to their senses out of the devil’s snare,(L) where they are entrapped by him, for his will.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.