Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² So the gifts went on ahead of him, while he stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob’s New Name.^{[a] 23} That night, however, Jacob arose, took his two wives, with the two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²⁴ After he got them and brought them across the wadi and brought over what belonged to him, ²⁵ Jacob was left there alone. Then a man^[b] wrestled with him until the break of dawn. ²⁶ When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that Jacob’s socket was dislocated as he wrestled with him.^{(A) 27} The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” ²⁸ “What is your name?” the man asked. He answered, “Jacob.”^{(B) 29} Then the man said, “You shall no longer be named Jacob, but Israel,^[c] because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.” ³⁰ Jacob then asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He answered, “Why do you ask for my name?” With that, he blessed him. ³¹ Jacob named the place Peniel,^[d] “because I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.”^(C)

Psalm 121^[a]

The Lord My Guardian

¹ A song of ascents.

¹⁴ But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it,^{(A) 15} and that from infancy you have known [the] sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.^{(B) 16 [a]}All scripture^(C) is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness,^{[b] 17} so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.^(D)

Chapter 4

Solemn Charge.^{[c] 1} I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power:^{(E) 2} proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.^{(F) 3} For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,^[d] will accumulate teachers^{(G) 4} and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.^{(H) 5} But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.

Chapter 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow. ^1 [a]Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.^(A) He said, ² “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. ³ And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, ^5 [b](B)because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” ⁶ The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. ⁷ Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? ⁸ I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”