Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Rendezvous in the Countryside
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look! Here he[a] comes leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills!
9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.[b]
Look! He is[c] standing behind our wall,
gazing through[d] the window,
looking through[e] the lattice.
10 My beloved answered and said to me,
“Arise,[f] my beloved! Come, my beauty![g]
11 For look! The winter is over;
the rainy season[h] has turned and gone away.[i]
12 The blossoms appear[j] in the land;[k]
the time of singing[l] has arrived;[m]
the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth her figs,
and the vines are in blossom; they give fragrance.
Arise,[n] my beloved! Come, my beauty!”[o]
30 And as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, immediately after[a] Jacob had gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came back from his hunting. 31 He too prepared tasty food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat from the wild game of his son, that you[b] may bless me.” 32 And Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled violently.[c] Then he said, “Who then was he that hunted wild game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I blessed him? Moreover, he will be blessed!” 34 When Esau heard the words of his father he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry of distress. And he said to his father, “Bless me as well, my father!” 35 And he said, “Your brother came in deceit and took your blessing.” 36 Then he said, “Isn’t that why he is named Jacob?[d] He has deceived me these two times. He took my birthright and, look, now he has taken my blessing!” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you and I have given him all his brothers as servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. Now what can I do for you, my son?” 38 And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me also, my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. 39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him,
“Your home shall be from[e] the fatness of the land,
and from the dew of heaven above.
40 But by your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother.
But it shall be that when free yourself
you shall tear off his yoke from your neck.
41 Then Esau held a grudge against Jacob on account of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart,[f] “The days of mourning for my father are coming, then I will kill Jacob my brother.” 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called for her younger son Jacob. And she said to him, “Look, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you, intending to kill you. 43 Now then, my son, listen to my voice; arise and flee to Haran to Laban my brother. 44 Stay with him a few days until the wrath of your brother has turned— 45 until the anger of your brother turns from you and he has forgotten what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I lose the two of you in one day?” 46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women.[g] If Jacob takes a wife from Hittite women[h] like these, from the native women,[i] what am I living for?”[j]
God’s Wrath Revealed Against Sinful Humanity
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what can be known about God is evident among[a] them, for God made it clear to them. 20 For from the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen.
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