Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praise to the Loving God

Finding a Bride for Isaac

24 Now Abraham had grown old, was well advanced in age, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. ² So Abraham instructed his servant, who was the oldest member of his household and in charge of everything he owned, “Make this solemn oath to me^{[a] 3} as a promise to the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you won’t acquire a wife for my son from the Canaanite women among whom I’m living. ⁴ Instead, you are to go to my country and to my family and acquire a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵ “What if the woman doesn’t want to come back with me to this land?” the servant asked. “Shouldn’t I have your son go to the land from which you came?”

⁶ “Make sure not to take my son there,” Abraham replied. ⁷ “The Lord God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and from my family’s land, who spoke to me and promised me ‘I will give this land to your descendants,’ will send his angel ahead of you, and you are to acquire a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you’ll be free from this oath to me. Just don’t take my son back there!” ⁹ So the servant made a solemn oath^[b] to his master Abraham regarding this matter.

The Servant Encounters Rebekah

¹⁰ Then Abraham’s servant took ten camels from his master’s herd of^[c] camels and left on his journey with all kinds of gifts from his master’s inventory. Eventually, he traveled as far as Aram-naharaim, Nahor’s home town.

Treatment of Widows

5 Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat^[a] younger men like brothers, ² older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters, with absolute purity.

³ Honor widows who have no other family members to care for them.^{[b] 4} But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight. ⁵ A woman who has no other family members to care for her^[c] and who is left all alone has placed her hope in God and devotes herself to petitions and prayers night and day. ⁶ But the self-indulgent widow^[d] is just as good as dead.

⁷ Continue to give these instructions, so that they may be blameless. ⁸ If anyone does not take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.