Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 Those who live far away are awed by Your signs;
You make east and west shout for joy.(A)
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly,
enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water,
for You prepare the earth[a] in this way,
providing people with grain.(B)
10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.(C)
11 You crown the year with Your goodness;
Your ways overflow with plenty.[b](D)
12 The wilderness pastures overflow,
and the hills are robed with joy.(E)
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks
and the valleys covered with grain.(F)
They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.(G)
37 Jacob then took branches of fresh poplar, almond, and plane wood, and peeled the bark, exposing white stripes on the branches. 38 He set the peeled branches in the troughs in front of the sheep—in the water channels where the sheep came to drink. And the sheep bred when they came to drink. 39 The flocks bred in front of the branches and bore streaked, speckled, and spotted young.(A) 40 Jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks face the streaked and the completely dark sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and didn’t put them with Laban’s sheep.
41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs, in full view of the flocks, and they would breed in front of the branches. 42 As for the weaklings of the flocks, he did not put out the branches. So it turned out that the weak sheep belonged to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. 43 And the man became very rich.[a] He had many flocks, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.(B)
Christian Warfare
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.(A) 11 Put on(B) the full armor(C) of God so that you can stand against the tactics[a] of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh(D) and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,(E) against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil(F) in the heavens.(G) 13 This is why you must take up the full armor(H) of God, so that you may be able to resist(I) in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand,(J) therefore,
with truth(K) like a belt around your waist,
righteousness(L) like armor on your chest,(M)
15 and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.[b]
16 In every situation take the shield(N) of faith,(O)
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.(P)
17 Take the helmet(Q) of salvation,
and the sword(R) of the Spirit,(S)
which is God’s word.
18 Pray(T) at all times in the Spirit(U) with every prayer and request, and stay alert(V) in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
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