Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Implored to Confound His Enemies.
A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.
83 God, (A)do not remain quiet;
(B)Do not be silent and, God, do not be still.
2 For behold, Your enemies (C)make an uproar,
And (D)those who hate You have [a](E)exalted themselves.
3 They (F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [b]conspire together against (G)Your [c]treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and (H)let’s wipe them out [d]as a nation,
So that the (I)name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
5 For they have [e](J)conspired together with one mind;
They make a covenant against You:
6 The tents of (K)Edom and the (L)Ishmaelites,
(M)Moab and the (N)Hagrites;
7 (O)Gebal, (P)Ammon, and (Q)Amalek,
(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of (S)Tyre;
8 (T)Assyria also has joined them;
They have become [f]a help to the (U)children of Lot. Selah
9 Deal with them (V)as with Midian,
As (W)with Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (X)became like dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (Y)Oreb and Zeeb,
And all their leaders like (Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(AA)Let’s possess for ourselves
The (AB)pastures of God.”
13 My God, make them like the [g](AC)whirling dust,
Like (AD)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (AE)fire that burns the forest,
And like a flame that (AF)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (AG)with Your heavy gale,
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
So that they will seek Your name, Lord.
17 May they be (AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And may they be humiliated and perish,
18 So that they will (AJ)know that (AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (AL)Most High over all the earth.
17 Then Jacob stood up and put his children and his wives on camels; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had acquired, the livestock he possessed which he had acquired in Paddan-aram, (A)to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stole the [a](B)household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob [b]deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he got up and crossed the Euphrates River, and set [c]out for the hill country of (C)Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22 When Laban was informed on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 However, (D)God came to Laban the Aramean in a (E)dream of the night and said to him, “[d](F)Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
25 And Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done [e]by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and [f]deceive me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with (G)tambourine and with (H)lyre; 28 and did not allow me (I)to kiss my [g]grandchildren and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in [h]my power to do you harm, but (J)the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘[i](K)Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’ 30 Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal (L)my gods?” 31 Then Jacob replied to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 (M)The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our relatives [j]point out what is yours [k]among my belongings and take it for yourself.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two slave women, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the [l]household idols and put them in the camel’s saddlebag, and she sat on them. So Laban searched through all the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “May my lord not be angry that I cannot (N)stand in your presence, because the [m]way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the [n](O)household idols.
Faith Brings Righteousness
3 [a]You foolish (A)Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ (B)was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of [b]the Law, or by (C)hearing [c]with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—(D)if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who (E)provides you with the Spirit and (F)works [g]miracles among you, do it by works of [h]the Law, or by (G)hearing [i]with faith?
6 Just as (H)Abraham (I)believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, recognize that (J)it is those who are of faith who are (K)sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God [j]would justify the [k]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “(L)All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then, (M)those who are of faith are blessed with [l]Abraham, the believer.
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