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.’

29 Then Jacob lifted up his feet and came into the east country.

² And as he looked around, behold, there was a well in the field; and lo, three flocks of sheep lay nearby (for the flocks were watered at that well). And there was a great stone upon the well’s mouth.

³ And all the flocks were gathered there. And they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the sheep and put the stone back in its place upon the well’s mouth.

⁴ And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they answered, “We are from Haran.”

⁵ Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” Who said, “We know him.”

⁶ Again, he said to them, “Is he in good health?” And they answered, “He is in good health. And behold, his daughter, Rachel, comes with the sheep.”

⁷ Then he said, “Lo, it is still midday; nor is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water the sheep and go feed them.

⁸ But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are brought together and the stone is rolled from the well’s mouth. Then we may water the sheep.”

⁹ While he talked with them, Rachel also came with her father’s sheep (for she kept them).

¹⁰ And as soon as Jacob saw Rachel (the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother) and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, then Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother.

¹¹ And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.

¹² For Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. Then she ran and told her father.

¹³ And when Laban heard tell of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

¹⁴ To whom Laban said, “Well, you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

3 What, then, is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

² Much in every way! Firstly, because indeed the oracles of God were entrusted to them.

³ For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

⁴ Absolutely not! Indeed, let God be true, and every man a liar! As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and overcome when you are judged.”

⁵ Now, if our unrighteousness exhibits the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous in punishing? (I speak as a man.)

⁶ Absolutely not! Or else, how shall God judge the world?

⁷ For if the truth of God has abounded more through my lie, unto His Glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

⁸ Rather, why not say (as we are slanderously accused of saying, and as some affirm that we say) “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Their damnation is just.