Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
ו (Vav)
41 May I experience your loyal love,[a] O Lord,
and your deliverance,[b] as you promised.[c]
42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me,[d]
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony,[e]
for I await your justice.
44 Then I will keep[f] your law continually
now and for all time.[g]
45 I will be secure,[h]
for I seek your precepts.
46 I will speak[i] about your regulations before kings
and not be ashamed.
47 I will find delight in your commands,
which I love.
48 I will lift my hands to[j] your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
The Birth of Ishmael
16 Now Sarai,[a] Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children,[b] but she had an Egyptian servant[c] named Hagar.[d] 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since[e] the Lord has prevented me from having children, please sleep with[f] my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.”[g] Abram did what[h] Sarai told him.
3 So after Abram had lived[i] in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant,[j] to her husband to be his wife.[k] 4 He slept with[l] Hagar, and she became pregnant.[m] Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai.[n] 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me![o] I gave my servant into your embrace,[p] but when she realized[q] that she was pregnant, she despised me.[r] May the Lord judge between you and me!”[s]
6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your[t] servant is under your authority,[u] do to her whatever you think best.”[v] Then Sarai treated Hagar[w] harshly,[x] so she ran away from Sarai.[y]
7 The angel of the Lord[z] found Hagar near a spring of water in the wilderness—the spring that is along the road to Shur.[aa] 8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from[ab] my mistress, Sarai.”
9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit[ac] to her authority. 10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the angel of the Lord added,[ad] “so that they will be too numerous to count.”[ae] 11 Then the angel of the Lord said to her,
“You are now[af] pregnant
and are about to give birth[ag] to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael,[ah]
for the Lord has heard your painful groans.[ai]
12 He will be a wild donkey[aj] of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone,[ak]
and everyone will be hostile to him.[al]
He will live away from[am] his brothers.”
13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,”[an] for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!”[ao] 14 That is why the well was called[ap] Beer Lahai Roi.[aq] (It is located[ar] between Kadesh and Bered.)
15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael.[as]
Unequal Partners
14 Do not become partners[a] with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar?[b] Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are[c] the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them[d] and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”[e] 17 Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing,[f] and I will welcome[g] you,[h] 18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,”[i] says the All-Powerful Lord.[j]
Self-Purification
7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves[k] from everything that could defile the body[l] and the spirit, and thus accomplish[m] holiness out of reverence for God.[n] 2 Make room for us in your hearts;[o] we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one,[p] we have exploited no one.[q]
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