Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 121

Help From the Lord

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A song for the ascents.

Help From the Lord, Israel’s Watchman

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters. These children are my children. These flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine, but what can I do today about these daughters of mine or about the children to whom they have given birth? ⁴⁴ Now come, let us make a covenant,^[a] you and I, and let it stand as a witness between me and you.”^[b]

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial stone. ⁴⁶ Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They collected stones and piled them up. They ate there beside the pile of stones. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,^[c] but Jacob called it Galeed.^{[d] 48} Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness between me and you this day.” So it was named Galeed ⁴⁹ and Mizpah,^[e] for he also said, “May the Lord watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives in addition to my daughters, even if no one else sees it, understand that God is a witness between me and you.”

⁵¹ Laban said to Jacob, “See this pile of stones and see the memorial stone that I have set between me and you. ⁵² May this pile be a witness, and may the memorial stone be a witness that I will not cross over beyond this pile to you, and that you will not cross over beyond this pile and this memorial stone to harm me. ⁵³ May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

Then Jacob swore by the God revered by his father Isaac. ⁵⁴ Jacob offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to eat bread with him. They ate bread and stayed all night in the hill country. ⁵⁵ Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.

Jacob Meets Esau

32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.^{[f] 2} When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He named that place Mahanaim.^[g]

Correctly Handle the Word of Truth

¹⁴ Remind people of these things, as you solemnly charge them in the presence of God^[a] not to fight about words, which does no good and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Make every effort to present yourself to God as one who is approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, correctly handling^[b] the word of truth. ¹⁶ As for pointless chatter, avoid it, for it will lead to an ever greater measure of godlessness, ¹⁷ and their message will spread like gangrene. This includes Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have veered away from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are overturning the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s foundation stands firm, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,”^[c] and “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord keep away from wickedness.”^[d]

²⁰ In a large house there are articles^[e] not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay—some for honorable use and some for dishonorable use. ²¹ So if anyone cleanses himself thoroughly from these things, he will be an instrument^[f] for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master, and prepared to do every good work.

²² Flee from the lusts young people have and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³ But avoid foolish and ignorant arguments, since you know they breed quarrels. ²⁴ It is necessary that a servant of the Lord not quarrel but be kind toward everyone, able to teach, able to bear evil without resentment, ²⁵ and gentle in correcting those who oppose him. God may grant them repentance, leading to the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the Devil’s trap, after they were captured by him to do his will.