Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
10 Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider:
forget your people and your father’s house,(A)
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Bow down to him, for he is your lord.(B)
12 The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people,
will seek your favor with gifts.(C)
The Birth of Jacob and Esau
19 These are the family records of Isaac son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac.(A) 20 Isaac was 40 years old when he took as his wife Rebekah(B) daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram(C) and sister of Laban the Aramean.(D) 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless.(E) The Lord heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.(F) 22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?”[a] So she went to inquire of the Lord.(G) 23 And the Lord said to her:
Two nations are in your womb;
two people will come from you and be separated.
One people will be stronger than the other,(H)
and the older will serve the younger.(I)
24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one came out red-looking,[b] covered with hair[c] like a fur coat, and they named him Esau.(J) 26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel with his hand.(K) So he was named Jacob.[d](L) Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman,[e] but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.[f]
An Illustration from Marriage
7 Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers,(A) are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives? 2 For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives.(B) But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. 3 So then, if she gives herself to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she gives herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.
4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death(C) in relation to the law(D) through the crucified body of the Messiah,(E) so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the flesh,[a](F) the sinful passions operated through the law in every part of us[b](G) and bore fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way[c] of the Spirit(H) and not in the old letter of the law.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.