Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Who Is like the Lord Our God?

30 When Rachel saw that ^(A)she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” ² Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, ^(B)who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” ³ Then she said, “Here is my servant ^(C)Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth ^(D)on my behalf,^[a] that even I may have children^[b] through her.” ⁴ So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. ⁵ And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has ^(E)judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.^{[c] 7} Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings^[d] I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name ^(F)Naphtali.^[e]

⁹ When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and ^(G)gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ And Leah said, ^(H)“Good fortune has come!” so she called his name ^(I)Gad.^{[f] 12} Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women ^(J)have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.^[g]

¹⁴ In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found ^(K)mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.” ¹⁵ But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes.” ¹⁶ When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. ¹⁷ And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.^[h]

¹⁹ And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name ^(L)Zebulun.^{[i] 21} Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

²² Then God ^(M)remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and ^(N)opened her womb. ²³ She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away ^(O)my reproach.” ²⁴ And she called his name Joseph,^[j] saying, ^(P)“May the Lord add to me another son!”

Future Glory

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time ^(A)are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for ^(B)the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation ^(C)was subjected to futility, not willingly, but ^(D)because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that ^(E)the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that ^(F)the whole creation ^(G)has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have ^(H)the firstfruits of the Spirit, ^(I)groan inwardly as ^(J)we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, ^(K)the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For ^(L)in this hope we were saved. Now ^(M)hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we ^(N)wait for it with patience.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For ^(O)we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but ^(P)the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And ^(Q)he who searches hearts knows what is ^(R)the mind of the Spirit, because^[a] the Spirit ^(S)intercedes for the saints ^(T)according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together ^(U)for good,^[b] for ^(V)those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he ^(W)foreknew he also ^(X)predestined ^(Y)to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be ^(Z)the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also ^(AA)justified, and those whom he justified he also ^(AB)glorified.