Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 134

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

¹ Behold, bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord.^(A)

² Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]!

³ The Lord bless you out of Zion, even He Who made heaven and earth.

18 Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks or terebinths of Mamre; as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day,

² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood at a little distance from him. He ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground

³ And said, My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant, I beg of you.

⁴ Let a little water be brought, and you may wash your feet and recline and rest yourselves under the tree.

⁵ And I will bring a morsel (mouthful) of bread to refresh and sustain your hearts before you go on further—for that is why you have come to your servant. And they replied, Do as you have said.

⁶ So Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly get ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and bake cakes.

⁷ And Abraham ran to the herd and brought a calf tender and good and gave it to the young man [to butcher]; then he [Abraham] hastened to prepare it.

⁸ And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had made ready, and set it before [the men]; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

⁹ And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, [She is here] in the tent.

^10 [a][The Lord] said, I will surely return to you when the season comes round, and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah was listening and heard it at the tent door which was behind Him.^(A)

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah as with [young] women. [She was past the age of childbearing].

¹² Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure and delight, my lord (husband), being old also?^(B)

¹³ And the Lord asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really bear a child when I am so old?

¹⁴ Is anything too hard or too wonderful ^[b]for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season [for her delivery] comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son.^(C)

²³ You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal ^[a]origin (^[b]seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.

²⁴ For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off,

²⁵ But the Word of the Lord (^[c]divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.^(A)