Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
41 May Your loving-kindness also come to me, O Lord. May You save me as Your Word says. 42 Then I will have an answer for the one who puts me to shame, for I trust in Your Word. 43 Do not take the word of truth out of my mouth, for I hope in Your Law. 44 I will always obey Your Law, forever and ever. 45 I will walk as a free man, for I look for Your Law. 46 I will speak of Your Law in front of kings and will not be ashamed. 47 I will be glad in Your Law, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands to Your Word, which I love, and I will think about Your Law.
Hagar and Ishmael
16 Now Abram’s wife Sarai had not given birth to any children. She had a woman servant from Egypt whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Now see, the Lord has kept me from having children. Go in to the woman who serves me. It may be that I will get children through her.” Abram listened to what Sarai said. 3 So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, who served her, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. That was after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she was going to have a child. And when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate Sarai. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you. I gave the woman who served me into your arms. But when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate me. May the Lord judge who is guilty or not between you and me.” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “See, the woman who serves you is in your power. Do what you want with her.” So Sarai made it hard for Hagar. And Hagar ran away from her.
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a well of water in the desert on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, you who serve Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am running away from Sarai, the one I serve.” 9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your boss. Put yourself under her power.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will give you so many people in your family through the years that they will be too many to number.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “See, you are going to have a child. And you will give birth to a son. You will give him the name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard how you have suffered. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against all people. And the hand of all people will be against him. He will live to the east of all his brothers.” 13 So Hagar gave this name to the Lord Who spoke to her, “You are a God Who sees.” For she said, “Have I even stayed alive here after seeing Him?” 14 So the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son. And Abram gave his son who was born of Hagar the name Ishmael.
14 Do not be joined together with those who do not belong to Christ. How can that which is good get along with that which is bad? How can light be in the same place with darkness? 15 How can Christ get along with the devil? How can one who has put his trust in Christ get along with one who has not put his trust in Christ? 16 How can the house of God get along with false gods? We are the house of the living God. God has said, “I will live in them and will walk among them. I will be their God and they will be My people.” (A) 17 The Lord has said, “So come out from among them. Do not be joined to them. Touch nothing that is sinful. And I will receive you. 18 I will be a Father to you. You will be My sons and daughters, says the All-powerful God.”
7 Since we have these great promises, dear friends, let us turn away from every sin of the body or of the spirit. Let us honor God with love and fear by giving ourselves to Him in every way.
His Love for the Corinthians
2 Receive us into your hearts. We have done no wrong to anyone. We have not led anyone in the wrong way. We have not used anyone for our good.
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