Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

Laban’s Covenant with Jacob

⁴³ And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? ⁴⁴ Now therefore, come, ^(A)let us make a ^[a]covenant, ^(B)you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”

⁴⁵ So Jacob ^(C)took a stone and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶ Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it ^[b]Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it ^[c]Galeed. ⁴⁸ And Laban said, ^(D)“This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, ⁴⁹ also ^(E)Mizpah,^[d] because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. ⁵⁰ If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”

⁵¹ Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. ⁵³ The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father ^(F)judge between us.” And Jacob ^(G)swore by ^(H)the ^[e]Fear of his father Isaac. ⁵⁴ Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. ⁵⁵ And early in the morning Laban arose, and ^(I)kissed his sons and daughters and ^(J)blessed them. Then Laban departed and ^(K)returned to his place.

Esau Comes to Meet Jacob

32 So Jacob went on his way, and ^(L)the angels of God met him. ² When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s ^(M)camp.” And he called the name of that place ^[f]Mahanaim.

Approved and Disapproved Workers

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, ^(A)charging them before the Lord not to ^[a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. ^15 (B)Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ¹⁶ But shun profane and ^[b]idle babblings, for they will ^[c]increase to more ungodliness. ¹⁷ And their message will spread like cancer. ^(C)Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, ¹⁸ who have strayed concerning the truth, ^(D)saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless ^(E)the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord ^(F)knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of ^[d]Christ depart from iniquity.”

²⁰ But in a great house there are not only ^(G)vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹ Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, ^[e]sanctified and useful for the Master, ^(H)prepared for every good work. ^22 (I)Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴ And ^(J)a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, ^(K)able to teach, ^(L)patient, ^25 (M)in humility correcting those who are in opposition, ^(N)if God perhaps will grant them repentance, ^(O)so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and ^(P)escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.