Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 “It is the voice of my well-beloved. Behold, he comes leaping by the mountains, and skipping by the hills.
9 “My well-beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag. Lo, he stands behind our wall, looking forth from the windows, showing himself through the grates.
10 “My well-beloved spoke and said to me, ‘Arise, my love, my fair one, and come your way.
11 ‘For behold, winter has passed. The rain has ended and has gone away.
12 ‘The flowers appear on the Earth. The time of the singing of birds has come. And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
13 ‘The fig tree has brought forth her young figs. And the vines, with small grapes, have cast a savor. Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.’
30 And when Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob and Jacob had barely gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father, then Esau, his brother, came from his hunting.
31 And he also prepared savory meat and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s food, so that your soul may bless me.”
32 But his father, Isaac, said to him, “Who are you?” And he answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who and where is he who hunted food and brought it to me; and I have eaten of all before you came? And I have blessed him; therefore, he shall be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great cry and bitter, out of measure, and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, my father.”
35 Who answered, “Your brother came with subtlety and has taken away your blessing.”
36 Then he said, “Was he not justly called “Jacob”? For he has deceived me these two times. He took my birthright; and lo, now has he taken my blessing.” Also, he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Then Isaac answered, and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord; and I have made all his brothers his servants. And I have furnished him with wheat and wine. And what now shall I do for you, my son?”
38 Then Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me; me, also, my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Then Isaac, his father, answered, and said to him, “Behold, the fatness of the Earth shall be your dwelling place, and you shall have of the dew of Heaven from above.
40 “And by your word you shall live and shall be your brother’s servant. But it shall come to pass, when you shall get restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
41 Therefore Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. And Esau thought in his mind, “The days of mourning for my father will come shortly. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”
42 And the words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother, Esau, is comforting himself by plotting to kill you.
43 “Now therefore my son, hear my voice. Arise and flee to Haran, to my brother Laban,
44 “and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fierceness is assuaged,
45 “and until your brother’s wrath turns away from you and he forget the things which you have done to him. Then I will send and take you from there. Why should I be deprived of you both in one day?”
46 Also, Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth like these of the daughters of the land, what good will my life be?”
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who withhold the truth in unrighteousness.
19 Because that which may be known of God is visible among them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For the invisible things of Him - that is, His eternal power and Godhead - are seen by the creation of the world; being perceived in His works, so that they are without excuse.
21 Because when they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful; but became vain in their thoughts. And their foolish heart was full of darkness.
22 When they professed themselves to be wise, they became fools.
23 For they turned the Glory of the incorruptible God to the likeness of the image of a corruptible man; and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and of creeping things.
24 Therefore, God also gave them up to the lusts of their hearts—unto uncleanness—to defile their own bodies among themselves.
25 They turned the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature, forsaking the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen.
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