Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
13 For Thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from Thee when I was made in secret, and intricately wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuity were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee.
33 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau came and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two handmaids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him; and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are those with thee?” And he said, “The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.”
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near and bowed themselves; and after these came Joseph and Rachel near, and they bowed themselves.
8 And he said, “What meanest thou by all this drove which I met?” And he said, “These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.”
9 And Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what thou hast unto thyself.”
10 And Jacob said, “Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; for therefore I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” And he urged him, and he took it.
12 And he said, “Let us take our journey; and let us go, and I will go before thee.”
13 And he said unto him, “My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me; and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant; and I will lead on gently, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children are able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.”
15 And Esau said, “Let me now leave with thee some of the folk who are with me.” And he said, “What need is there? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord.”
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth [that is, Booths].
21 Tell me, ye who desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 These things are an allegory, for these are the two covenants: The one is from Mount Sinai, which engendereth bondage; this is Hagar.
25 For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem as it is now, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written: “Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband.”
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then, he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the Scripture? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.