Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

113 Praise ye the Lord! Praise, O ye servants 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 nations, and His glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high,

⁶ who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and on the earth?

⁷ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill,

⁸ that He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people.

⁹ He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord!

¹¹ And he made his camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

¹² And he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

¹³ Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

¹⁴ And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, ‘Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,’ and she shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also’ — let the same be she whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.”

¹⁵ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

¹⁶ And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up.

¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water from thy pitcher.”

¹⁸ And she said, “Drink, my lord”; and she hastened and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

¹⁹ And when she had done giving him drink, she said, “I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.”

²⁰ And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

²¹ And the man, wondering at her, held his peace to learn whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²² And it came to pass, as the camels were done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,

²³ and said, “Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee, is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?”

²⁴ And she said unto him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor.”

²⁵ She said moreover unto him, “We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.”

²⁶ And the man bowed down his head, and worshiped the Lord.

²⁷ And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master from His mercy and His truth. I, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

⁹ Let not a widow be taken into the number under three score years old, having been the wife of one man,

¹⁰ well reported of for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

¹¹ But the younger widows refuse, for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry,

¹² having damnation because they have cast off their first faith.

¹³ And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

¹⁴ It is my will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

¹⁵ For some have already turned aside after Satan.

¹⁶ If any man or woman who believeth have widows, let them relieve them and let not the church be burdened, that it may assist those who are widows indeed.