Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening [a]rejoice.
9 You [b]visit the earth and (A)water it,
You greatly enrich it;
(B)The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10 You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
(C)The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
Jacob’s Agreement with Laban
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, (A)“Send me away, that I may go to (B)my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children (C)for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.”
27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for (D)I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” 28 Then he said, (E)“Name me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 So Jacob said to him, (F)“You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you [a]since my coming. And now, when shall I also (G)provide for my own house?”
31 So he said, “What shall I give you?”
And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and (H)these shall be my wages. 33 So my (I)righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”
34 And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!” 35 So he removed that day the male goats that were (J)speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
13 (A)Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have (B)bitter envy and [a]self-seeking in your hearts, (C)do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 (D)This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For (E)where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But (F)the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, (G)without partiality (H)and without hypocrisy. 18 (I)Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.