Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Woman Speaks Again
8 I hear ·my lover’s voice [the sound of my lover].
Here he comes ·jumping [leaping] across the mountains,
·skipping [bounding] over the hills [C he moves with agile grace and speed].
9 My lover is like a gazelle or a young ·deer [stag].
Look, he stands behind our wall
·peeking [staring] through the windows,
looking through the ·blinds [lattice].
10 My lover spoke and said to me,
“·Get [Rise] up, my darling;
let’s go away, my beautiful one.
11 Look, the winter is past;
the rains are over and gone [C spring has arrived, the time of love].
12 Blossoms appear through all the land.
The time has come to sing;
the cooing of doves is heard in our land.
13 There are young figs ·on [L ripening on] the fig trees,
and the blossoms on the vines ·smell sweet [L spread their fragrance].
·Get [Rise] up, my darling;
let’s go away, my beautiful one.”
Jacob’s Family Grows
31 When the Lord saw ·that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah [L Leah was unloved/hated], he ·made it possible for Leah to have children [L opened up her womb], but ·not Rachel [L Rachel was barren]. 32 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [C sounds like “seen my troubles” in Hebrew], because she said, “The Lord has seen my ·troubles [distress]. Surely now my husband will love me.”
33 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon [C sounds like “has heard” in Hebrew] and said, “The Lord has heard that I am ·not loved [or hated], so he has given me this son.”
34 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi [C sounds like “be close to” in Hebrew] and said, “Now, surely my husband will ·be close [bind/attach himself] to me, because I have given him three sons.”
35 Then Leah gave birth to another son. She named him Judah [C sounds like “praise” in Hebrew], because she said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Then Leah stopped having children.
Jesus Washes His Followers’ Feet
13 ·It was almost time for [L Now before…,] the Passover Feast [12:12]. Jesus knew that it was ·time [L the hour] for him to ·leave [depart from] this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them ·all the way to the end [or completely; totally].
2 ·Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal [L It was dinnertime]. The devil had already ·persuaded [L put it into the heart of] Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to ·turn against [betray] Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had ·given him power over everything [L placed everything into his hands] and that he had come from God and was going back to God. 4 So ·during the meal [L from supper] Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the ·followers’ [disciples’] feet, ·drying [wiping] them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [C This act was considered so demeaning by some people that they only allowed Gentile slaves to do it.]
6 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”
8 Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you ·are not one of my people [L have no share/part with me].”
9 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!”
10 Jesus said to him, “After a person has ·had a bath [washed; bathed], his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” 11 [L For] Jesus knew who would ·turn against [betray] him, and that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and ·sat down [L reclined; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] again. He asked, “Do you understand what I have just done ·for [to] you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ [C titles appropriately ascribed to an esteemed Rabbi, but which took on deeper meaning after his death and resurrection], and you are right, because that is what I am. 14 If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. 15 I did this as ·an example [a pattern] so that you should do as I have done for you. 16 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], a ·servant [slave; bond-servant] is not greater than his ·master [lord]. [L And] A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
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