Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118[a]
Psalm 113[b]
Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly
1 Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the Lord,[c]
praise the name of the Lord.
2 [d]Blessed be the name of the Lord
now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 [e]High is the Lord over all the nations,
and supreme over the heavens is his glory.
5 Who is like the Lord, our God,
the one who is enthroned on high
and who stoops down to look
6 on the heavens and the earth?
7 [f]He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the rubbish heap,
8 seating them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the barren woman[g] in a home
and makes her the joyful mother of children.
Alleluia.
Chapter 30
1 Rachel, seeing that it had not been granted to her to bear sons to Jacob, became jealous of her sister and said to Jacob, “Give me sons, or I shall die!”
2 Jacob was irritated with Rachel and said, “Am I God? He is the one who did not grant you the fruit of the womb.”
3 She answered, “Here is my servant Bilhah; sleep with her so that she may give birth upon my knees[a] and I also may have offspring through her.”
4 She gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore a son to Jacob. 6 Rachel said, “God has been just to me and has also listened to my voice, giving me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.
7 Bilhah, the slave of Rachel, conceived a second time and bore another son to Jacob. 8 Rachel said, “I have undergone a great struggle with my sister and I have won.” Because of this she named him Naphtali.
9 Leah, seeing that she had ceased bearing children, took her slave Zilpah and gave her as a wife to Jacob. 10 Zilpah, the slave of Leah, bore Jacob a son. 11 Leah said, “What good luck!” And she named him Gad.
12 Zilpah, the slave of Leah, bore a second son to Jacob. 13 Leah said, “What joy! The women shall call me truly happy.” Therefore, she named him Asher.
14 Around the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes,[b] and he brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me a little of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But Leah answered, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Why do you want to take away my son’s mandrakes as well?” Rachel answered, “Then he can lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 That night, when Jacob arrived from the fields, Leah went out to him and said to him, “You must sleep with me because I paid for the right to have you with my son’s mandrakes.” Thus, he slept with her that night. 17 God heard Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18 Leah said, “God has rewarded me for having given my slave to my husband.” This is why she named him Issachar.
19 Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Leah said, “God gave me a beautiful gift. This time my husband will prefer me because I have borne him six sons.” She therefore named him Zebulun.
21 She then bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 God also remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has removed my dishonor.” 24 She named him Joseph saying, “May the Lord grant me another son.”
18 The Future Glory That Shall Be Revealed.[a] I consider that the sufferings we presently endure are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed in us. 19 Indeed, creation itself eagerly awaits the revelation of the children of God. 20 For creation was subjected to frustration, not of its own choice but by the will of the one who subjected it, in the hope 21 that creation itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 As we know, the entire creation has been groaning in labor pains until now— 23 and not only creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption as children, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now to see something does not involve hope. For why should we hope for what we have already seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, then we wait for it with patience.
26 In the same way, even the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs that cannot be put into words. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
28 We know that God makes all things work together for good for those who love him[b] and who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son so that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
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