Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Sarah Turns against Hagar
9 Now Sarah saw (A)the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, [a](B)mocking. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “(C)Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son [b]Isaac.” 11 (D)The matter [c]distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “[d]Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for (E)through Isaac [e]your descendants shall be named. 13 And of (F)the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your [f]descendant.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a [g]skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 When the water in the skin was used up, she [h]left the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me [i]see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and (G)lifted up her voice and wept. 17 God (H)heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? (I)Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by [j]the hand, (J)for I will make a great nation of him.” 19 Then God (K)opened her eyes and she saw (L)a well of water; and she went and filled the [k]skin with water and gave the lad a drink.
20 (M)God was with the lad, and he grew; and he [l]lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 (N)He [m]lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 (A)Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am (B)afflicted and needy.
2 (C)Preserve my [a]soul, for I am a (D)godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who (E)trusts in You.
3 Be (F)gracious to me, O Lord,
For (G)to You I cry all day long.
4 Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, (H)I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are (I)good, and (J)ready to forgive,
And (K)abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
6 (L)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In (M)the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For (N)You will answer me.
8 There is (O)no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works (P)like Yours.
9 (Q)All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are (R)great and (S)do [b]wondrous deeds;
You alone (T)are God.
Believers Are Dead to Sin, Alive to God
6 (A)What shall we say then? Are we to (B)continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 (C)May it never be! How shall we who (D)died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been (E)baptized into (F)Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been (G)buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was (H)raised from the dead through the (I)glory of the Father, so we too might walk in (J)newness of life. 5 For (K)if we have become [a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [b]in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our (L)old [c]self was (M)crucified with Him, in order that our (N)body of sin might be [d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for (O)he who has died is [e]freed from sin.
8 Now (P)if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been (Q)raised from the dead, [f]is never to die again; (R)death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be (S)dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
The Meaning of Discipleship
24 “(A)A [a]disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. (B)If they have called the head of the house [b](C)Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
26 “Therefore do not (D)fear them, (E)for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 (F)What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim (G)upon the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather (H)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [c](I)hell. 29 (J)Are not two sparrows sold for a [d]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But (K)the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; (L)you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 “Therefore (M)everyone who [e]confesses Me before men, I will also confess [f]him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But (N)whoever [g]denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34 “(O)Do not think that I came to [h]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to (P)set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and (Q)a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
37 “(R)He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And (S)he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 (T)He who has found his [i]life will lose it, and he who has lost his [j]life for My sake will find it.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.