Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Plea for Vindication

Psalm 17

Jacob Secretly Leaves Laban

31 Now Jacob heard the words Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belongs to our father, and from what belongs to our father he has made all these riches.” ² Then Jacob saw Laban’s face, and he noticed that his expression wasn’t the same as it was just a day or two before. ³ Then Adonai said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

⁴ So Jacob sent and called for Rachel and Leah to come to the field, to his flock. ⁵ He said to them, “I can see by your father’s face that his expression isn’t the same as it was just a day or two ago. But the God of my father has been with me. ⁶ Now you yourselves know that I’ve served your father with all my strength. ⁷ Yet your father has fooled around with me and has changed my salary ten times—but God hasn’t allowed him to harm me. ⁸ If he would say, ‘the spotted ones will be your salary,’ then the flocks would give birth to spotted ones. Or if he would say, ‘the striped ones will be your salary,’ then all the flocks would give birth to striped ones. ⁹ So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me. ¹⁰ Now it happened when the flocks were in heat that I lifted up my eyes and saw, in a dream, behold, the males going up to the flocks were striped, spotted and speckled. ¹¹ Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Hineni.’ ¹² He said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see that all the males going up to the flocks are striped, spotted and speckled. For I have seen everything Laban has done to you. ¹³ I am the God of Beth-El where you anointed a memorial stone, where you made a vow to Me. Get up now and leave this land, and return to the land of your relatives.’”

¹⁴ Then Rachel answered along with Leah and they said to him, “Is there still a portion and inheritance for us in our father’s house? ¹⁵ Aren’t we considered foreigners to him? For he has sold us and has also completely used up our bridal price. ¹⁶ For all the riches that God has taken away from our father is for us and for our children. So now, everything God said to you, do it!”

¹⁷ Then Jacob got up and put his children and wives on camels. ¹⁸ He drove away all his livestock and all his possessions that he had acquired—the livestock in his possession that he acquired in Paddan-aram—to go to his father Isaac, to the land of Canaan.

¹⁹ But while Laban went to shear his flocks, Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father, ²⁰ while Jacob stole the heart from Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. ²¹ He himself fled with everything that belonged to him, and he got up and crossed the River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

⁷ “Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it shall be opened.

⁹ “For what man among you, when his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or when he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!