Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² During the night Jacob took with him his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons. They went across the Jabbok river where there was a place to cross.^{[a] 23} After Jacob had sent his family across, he also sent all his things across the stream. ²⁴ Then Jacob was alone. A man came and fought with him for a long time.^[b] They continued until dawn.

²⁵ The man saw that he was not winning the fight against Jacob. So he hit Jacob's hip while they were fighting.^[c] In that way, Jacob's hip moved out of its proper place. ²⁶ Then the man said to Jacob, ‘Now let me go because dawn has come.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’

²⁷ The man asked Jacob, ‘What is your name?’ Jacob replied, ‘My name is Jacob.’ ²⁸ Then the man said, ‘Your name will not be Jacob any longer. Your name will now be Israel.^[d] That is because you have fought with God and you have fought with men. And you have won!’

²⁹ Then Jacob said, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But the man said, ‘Why do you want to know my name?’ Then he blessed Jacob in that place. ³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel.^[e] He said, ‘I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive!’

³¹ The sun rose in the sky as Jacob passed through Peniel. He could not walk properly because of his hip.

A song to sing as we climb.

Only God can keep me safe^[a]

It is important for us to know the Bible

¹⁴ But you must continue to believe the things that you have learned. You know that those things are true. You know the teachers who taught you those things. ¹⁵ Even when you were a child, you already knew the message of the Bible. The Bible has taught you how you can be truly wise. You understand that God saves you because you believe in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ Everything that is written in the Bible comes from God's Spirit. It helps us in many ways. The Bible teaches us what is true. It warns us when we are doing wrong things. It shows us what is right. It teaches us how to live good lives.^{[a] 17} As a result, people who want to serve God can know how to live properly. They will be people who are ready to do all kinds of good things.

Timothy must continue to do his work for God

4 Timothy, I tell you this seriously, as God and Christ Jesus see everything that we do. When Christ Jesus comes to rule as king, he will judge everyone. He will judge the people who are alive and also those who have already died. When he appears, he will decide what should happen to them all. So I tell you this now: ² Tell God's message to people. Always be ready to speak God's message clearly to people, whether they want to listen to you or not. Warn people when they are doing something wrong. Tell them to stop doing wrong things, and explain to them what they ought to do. But be very patient while you teach them what is true.

³ Do this, because a time will come when people will not listen to God's true message. Instead, they will want to hear all kinds of new messages that will make them happy. So they will find many teachers for themselves who will tell them what they want to hear. ⁴ People will refuse to listen to God's true message. Instead, they will want to listen to silly stories that are false. ⁵ But you yourself must continue to think seriously and clearly. Be patient and brave when troubles come. Continue to tell the good news about Christ to people. Do all the work that God has given you to do as his servant.

Jesus talks about how to pray

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to teach them that they must go on praying always. They must not get tired. ² He said to them, ‘In a certain city, there was a judge.^[a] He was not afraid of God. He did not respect people.

³ A woman lived in that same city. Her husband had died. She came to the judge many times with a problem. “Somebody is doing bad things against me. Please keep me safe from that person,” she was saying. ⁴ For a long time, the judge would not do anything to help her. Later, he thought, “I am not afraid of God. Nor do I respect people. ⁵ But this woman causes me trouble. If I do not do anything for her, she will continue to come to me again and again. She will make me ill. So I will help her to be safe. I will say that she is right.” ’

⁶ Jesus then said, ‘This judge was not a good man. But you should think about what he said. He helped the woman because she caused him trouble. ⁷ But as for God, he always helps those that he has chosen to be his children. When they continue to ask him for help, in the day and in the night, he will answer them. He will not wait. ⁸ I tell you this. He will show that they are right. He will help them quickly. I, the Son of Man, will return to earth. But will I find many people that still believe in me then, or not?’