Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

12 Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee: ² and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing: ³ and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ⁴ So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Jehovah the keeper of his people.

A Song of Ascents.

4 What then shall we say ^[a]that Abraham, ^[b]our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified ^[c]by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. ³ For what saith the scripture? ^[d]And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ⁴ Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. ⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.

¹³ For not ^[a]through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: ¹⁵ for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶ For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (as it is written, ^[b]A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ² the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. ³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born ^[a]anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? ⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born ^[b]anew. ^8 [c]The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. ⁹ Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things? ¹¹ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. ¹² If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, ^[d]who is in heaven. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; ¹⁵ that whosoever ^[e]believeth may in him have eternal life.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

17 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and ^[a]James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: ² and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. ³ And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. ⁴ And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three ^[b]tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. ⁵ While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. ⁶ And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. ⁷ And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid. ⁸ And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, save Jesus only.

⁹ And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead.