Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴¹ Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even Thy salvation according to Thy word;

⁴² so shall I have the answer for him that reproacheth me, for I trust in Thy word.

⁴³ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Thy judgments.

⁴⁴ So shall I keep Thy law continually, for ever and ever.

⁴⁵ And I will walk in liberty, for I seek Thy precepts.

⁴⁶ I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in Thy commandments which I have loved.

⁴⁸ My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate on Thy statutes.

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

² And Sarai said unto Abram, “Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her.” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

³ And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

⁴ And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

⁵ And Sarai said unto Abram, “My wrong be upon thee. I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between me and thee.”

⁶ But Abram said unto Sarai, “Behold, thy maid is in thy hand. Do to her as it pleaseth thee.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her face.

⁷ And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.

⁸ And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go?” And she said, “I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

⁹ And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.”

¹⁰ And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”

¹¹ And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name Ishmael [that is, God shall hear], because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

¹² And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

¹³ And she called the name of the Lord who spoke unto her: “Thou God seest me.” For she said, “Have I also here looked upon Him that seeth me?”

¹⁴ Therefore the well was called Beerlahairoi [that is, The well of Him that liveth and seeth me]. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called his son’s name, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said: “I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

¹⁷ Therefore, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate,” saith the Lord. “And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you,

¹⁸ and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty.

7 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

² Receive us: we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.