Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ ¶ Halelu-JAH. Praise, O ye slaves of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

² Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

³ From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the LORD’s name is to be praised.

⁴ The LORD is high above all Gentiles and his glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwells on high,

⁶ who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth!

⁷ He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts the destitute out of the dunghill;

⁸ that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

⁹ He makes the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of sons. Halelu-JAH.

24 ¶ And Abraham was old and well stricken in age, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

² And Abraham said unto his eldest slave of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,

³ and I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

⁴ but thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

⁵ And the slave said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land, must I therefore bring thy son again unto the land from which thou didst come?

⁶ And Abraham said unto him, Beware that thou not bring my son there again.

⁷ The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred and who spoke unto me and swore unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from there.

⁸ And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be free from this my oath; only do not bring my son there again.

⁹ Then the slave put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning that matter.

¹⁰ ¶ And the slave took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed with the best of what his master had in his hand; and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, unto the city of Nahor.

5 ¶ Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren,

² the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity.

³ ¶ Honour widows that are widows indeed.

⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let those learn first to govern their house in piety and to recompense their parents, for this is honest and pleasing before God.

⁵ Now she that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusts in God, and is diligent in supplications and prayers night and day,

⁶ but she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

⁷ Therefore command these things, that they may be blameless.

⁸ But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.