Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 126

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

¹ When the Lord brought back the captives [who returned] to Zion, we were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal].^(A)

² Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.

³ The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad!

⁴ Turn to freedom our captivity and restore our fortunes, O Lord, as the streams in the South (the Negeb) [are restored by the torrents].

⁵ They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing.

⁶ He who goes forth bearing seed and weeping [at needing his precious supply of grain for sowing] shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

23 Sarah lived 127 years; this was the length of the life of Sarah.

² And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, ^[a]that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

³ And Abraham stood up from before his dead and said to the sons of Heth,

⁴ I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

⁵ And the Hittites replied to Abraham,

⁶ Listen to us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in any tomb or grave of ours that you choose; none of us will withhold from you his tomb or hinder you from burying your dead.

⁷ And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the Hittites.

⁸ And he said to them, If you are willing to grant my dead a burial out of my sight, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar for me,

⁹ That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns—it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me here in your presence as a burial place to which I may hold fast among you.

¹⁰ Now Ephron was present there among the sons of Heth; so, in the hearing of all who went in at the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, saying,

¹¹ No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and the cave that is in it I give you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.

¹² Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

¹³ And he said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, But if you will give it, I beg of you, hear me. I will give you the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.

¹⁴ Ephron replied to Abraham, saying,

¹⁵ My lord, listen to me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver; what is that between you and me? So bury your dead.

¹⁶ So Abraham listened to what Ephron said and acted upon it. He weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

¹⁷ So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre [Hebron]—the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and in all its borders round about—was made over

¹⁸ As a possession to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at his city gate.

¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of ^[b]Machpelah to the east of Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

3 Therefore, when [the suspense of separation and our yearning for some personal communication from you] became intolerable, we consented to being left behind alone at Athens.

² And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in [spreading] the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, to strengthen and establish and to exhort and comfort and encourage you in your faith,

³ That no one [of you] should be disturbed and beguiled and led astray by these afflictions and difficulties [to which I have referred]. For you yourselves know that this is [unavoidable in our position, and must be recognized as] our appointed lot.

⁴ For even when we were with you, [you know] we warned you plainly beforehand that we were to be pressed with difficulties and made to suffer affliction, just as to your own knowledge it has [since] happened.

⁵ That is the reason that, when I could bear [the suspense] no longer, I sent that I might learn [how you were standing the strain, and the endurance of] your faith, [for I was fearful] lest somehow the tempter had tempted you and our toil [among you should prove to] be fruitless and to no purpose.