Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become rich. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold. He has also given him male and female servants, camels and donkeys. ³⁶ My master’s wife Sarah had a son by him when she was old. He has given that son everything he owns. ³⁷ My master made me promise him. He said, ‘I’m living in the land of the people of Canaan. But promise me that you won’t get a wife for my son from their daughters. ³⁸ Instead, go to my father’s family and to my own relatives. Get a wife for my son there.’

³⁹ “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman won’t come back with me?’

⁴⁰ “He replied, ‘I have walked faithfully with the Lord. He will send his angel with you. He will give you success on your journey. So you will be able to get a wife for my son. She will be from my own relatives and from my father’s family. ⁴¹ When you go to my relatives, suppose they refuse to give her to you. Then you will be free from the promise you made to me.’

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel answered, “The Lord has done all of this. We can’t say anything to you one way or the other. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has said.”

⁵² Abraham’s servant heard what they said. So he bowed down to the Lord with his face to the ground. ⁵³ He brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing. He gave all of them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and her mother. ⁵⁴ Then Abraham’s servant and the men who were with him ate and drank. They spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman stay with us ten days or so. Then you can go.”

⁵⁶ But he said to them, “Don’t make me wait. The Lord has given me success on my journey. Send me on my way so I can go to my master.”

⁵⁷ Then they said, “Let’s get Rebekah and ask her about it.” ⁵⁸ So they sent for her and asked, “Will you go with this man?”

“Yes, I’ll go,” she said.

⁵⁹ So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way with Abraham’s servant and his men. They also sent Rebekah’s servant with her. ⁶⁰ And they gave Rebekah their blessing. They said to her,

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her female servants got ready. They got on their camels to go back with the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and left.

⁶² By that time Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi. He was living in the Negev Desert. ⁶³ One evening he went out to the field. He wanted to spend some time thinking. When he looked up, he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel. ⁶⁵ She asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He’s my master,” the servant answered. So she covered her face with her veil.

⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent that had belonged to his mother Sarah. And he married Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother died.

⁷ Dear friends, I’m not writing you a new command. Instead, I’m writing one you have heard before. You have had it since the beginning. ⁸ But I am writing what amounts to a new command. Its truth was shown in how Jesus lived. It is also shown in how you live. That’s because the darkness is passing away. And the true light is already shining.

⁹ Suppose someone claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister. Then they are still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light. There is nothing in them to make them fall into sin. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness. They walk around in the darkness. They don’t know where they are going. The darkness has made them blind.