Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁸ The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills.

⁹ My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices.

¹⁰ Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come.

¹¹ For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone.

¹² The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land:

¹³ The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come:

29 Then Jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country.

² And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone.

³ And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together to roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again.

⁴ And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They answered: Of Haran.

⁵ And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban the son of Nachor? They said: We know him.

⁶ He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold Rachel his daughter cometh with his flock.

⁷ And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed.

⁸ They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well's mouth, that we may water the flocks.

⁹ They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she fed the flock.

¹⁰ And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin-german, and that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed.

¹¹ And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice, wept.

¹² And he told her that he was her father's brother, and the son of Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father.

¹³ Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister's son was come, ran forth to meet him; and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey,

¹⁴ He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of one month were expired,

3 What advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

² Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them.

³ For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.

⁴ But God is true; and every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.

⁵ But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?

⁶ (I speak according to man.) God forbid: otherwise how shall God judge this world?

⁷ For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?

⁸ And not rather (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that there may come good? whose damnation is just.