Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ And the Lord has brought much good to my boss. He has become rich. The Lord has given him flocks and cattle, silver and gold, men and women servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ My boss’s wife Sarah gave birth to my boss’s son when she was very old. And he has given him all he has.

³⁷ “My boss made me promise, saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live. ³⁸ But go to my father’s house, to those of my family, and take a wife for my son there.’

⁴² “So I came to the well today. I said, ‘O Lord, the God of my boss Abraham, may all go well during my visit here. ⁴³ See, I am standing by the well of water. If I say to the girl who comes out for water, “Let me drink a little water from your jar,” ⁴⁴ and she says, “You drink, and I will get water for your camels also,” then let her be the woman whom the Lord has chosen for my boss’s son.’ ⁴⁵ Before I had finished speaking in my heart, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the well and got water. I asked her, ‘Let me drink.’ ⁴⁶ And she was quick to take down her jar from her shoulder. She said, ‘Drink, and I will give water to your camels also.’ So I drank and she gave water to the camels also. ⁴⁷ Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.’ And I put the gold objects on her nose and arms. ⁴⁸ Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I gave honor and thanks to the Lord, the God of my boss Abraham. For He had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my boss’s brother for his son. ⁴⁹ So now if you will show kindness and be true to my boss, tell me. And if not, tell me so I may know which way to turn.”

⁵⁸ They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” ⁵⁹ So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse. They went with Abraham’s servant and the men who were with him. ⁶⁰ They prayed that good would come to Rebekah, and said to her, “You are our sister. May you become the mother of millions. May your children and all their children’s children after them take over the cities of those who hate them.” ⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her servants got up on the camels and followed the man. So the servant of Abraham took Rebekah and left.

⁶² Now Isaac had come from Beerlahairoi, and was living in the Negev. ⁶³ Isaac had gone out to pray in the field in the evening. He looked up and saw that camels were coming. ⁶⁴ And Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got off the camel ⁶⁵ and said to Abraham’s servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” Abraham’s servant said, “He is my boss.” So she took a cloth and covered her face. ⁶⁶ The servant told Isaac all the things he had done. ⁶⁷ Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. And he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother’s death.

¹⁰ Listen, O daughter, hear my words and think about them. Forget your people and your father’s house. ¹¹ Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. ¹² And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift. The rich people will ask for your favor.

¹³ The daughter of the King is beautiful within. Her clothes are made with gold. ¹⁴ She will be led to the King in clothes sewed for beauty. The young women who have never had men are her friends. They follow her and will be brought to You. ¹⁵ They will be led in with joy and happiness, because they will come into the King’s palace.

¹⁶ Instead of Your fathers, it will be Your sons whom You will make rulers over all the earth. ¹⁷ I will make Your name to be remembered to all the children-to-come. So that the nations will honor You forever and ever.

The Second Song

The Woman

⁸ “Listen, it is the voice of my loved one! See, he is coming! He is running over the mountains, jumping across the hills. ⁹ My love is like a gazelle or a young deer. See, he is standing behind our wall. He is looking through the windows, through the wood cross-pieces.

¹⁰ “My love speaks and says to me, ‘Get up, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me. ¹¹ For see, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. ¹² The flowers are coming through the ground. The time for singing has come. The voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land. ¹³ The fig tree has its fruits. The flowers on the vines spread their sweet smell. Get up, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me!

¹⁵ I do not understand myself. I want to do what is right but I do not do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ When I do the thing I do not want to do, it shows me that the Law is right and good. ¹⁷ So I am not doing it. Sin living in me is doing it. ¹⁸ I know there is nothing good in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do good but I do not. ¹⁹ I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I am always doing the sinful things I do not want to do. ²⁰ If I am always doing the very thing I do not want to do, it means I am no longer the one who does it. It is sin that lives in me. ²¹ This has become my way of life: When I want to do what is right, I always do what is wrong. ²² My mind and heart agree with the Law of God. ²³ But there is a different law at work deep inside of me that fights with my mind. This law of sin holds me in its power because sin is still in me. ²⁴ There is no happiness in me! Who can set me free from my sinful old self? ²⁵ God’s Law has power over my mind, but sin still has power over my sinful old self. I thank God I can be free through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Jesus Speaks Against Cities in Galilee

¹⁶ “What are the people of this day like? They are like children playing in the center of town where people gather. They call to their friends. ¹⁷ They say, ‘We played music for you, but you did not dance. We showed sorrow in front of you, but you did not show sorrow.’ ¹⁸ John came and did not eat or drink. They said, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ Then the Son of Man came and ate and drank. They said, ‘See! He eats too much and likes wine. He is a friend of men who gather taxes and of sinners!’ But wisdom shows itself to be right by what it does.”

Jesus Prays to His Father

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “Thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You hid these things from the wise and from those who have much learning. You have shown them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, it was good in Your sight.

²⁷ “Everything has been given to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son but the Father. No one knows the Father but the Son, and those to whom the Son wants to make the Father known.

Jesus Calls People to Follow Him

²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. ²⁹ Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy.”