Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
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] 28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.(M)
29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field exhausted. 30 He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.” That is why he was also named Edom.[g]
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him. 34 Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.(N)
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet(A)
and a light on my path.
106 I have solemnly sworn(B)
to keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am severely afflicted;
Lord, give me life through Your word.(C)
108 Lord, please accept my willing offerings of praise,(D)
and teach me Your judgments.(E)
109 My life is constantly in danger,[a]
yet I do not forget Your instruction.(F)
110 The wicked have set a trap for me,(G)
but I have not wandered from Your precepts.(H)
111 I have Your decrees as a heritage forever;
indeed, they are the joy of my heart.(I)
112 I am resolved to obey Your statutes
to the very end.[b](J)
The Life-Giving Spirit
8 Therefore, no condemnation(A) now exists for those in(B) Christ Jesus,[a](C) 2 because the Spirit’s law of life(D) in Christ Jesus has set you[b] free from the law of sin and of death.(E) 3 What the law could not do(F) since it was limited[c] by the flesh,(G) God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours(H) under sin’s domain,[d] and as a sin offering,(I) 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished(J) in us who do not walk according to the flesh(K) but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live[e] according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh,(L) but those who live[f] according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind-set of the flesh(M) is death,(N) but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile(O) to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh(P) cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since[g] the Spirit of God lives in you.(Q) But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(R) he does not belong to Him. 10 Now if Christ is in you,(S) the body is dead[h] because of sin, but the Spirit[i] is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead(T) lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through[j] His Spirit who lives in you.
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.(A) 2 Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.(B)
3 Then He told them many things in parables,(C) saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. 7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.(D) 9 Anyone who has ears[a] should listen!”(E)
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “You, then, listen to the parable of the sower:(A) 19 When anyone hears the word[a] about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.(B) 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.(C) 21 Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution(D) comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age(E) and the seduction[b] of wealth(F) choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown.”
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