Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A psalm by David; to be kept in mind.
38 O Lord, do not angrily punish me
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have struck me.
Your hand has struck me hard.
3 No healthy spot is left on my body
because of your rage.
There is no peace in my bones
because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me.
Like a heavy load, it is more than I can bear.
5 My wounds smell rotten.
They fester because of my stupidity.
6 I am bent over and bowed down very low.
All day I walk around in mourning.
7 My insides are filled with burning pain,
and no healthy spot is left on my body.
8 I am numb and completely devastated.
I roar because my heart’s in turmoil.
9 You know all my desires, O Lord,
and my groaning has not been hidden from you.
10 My heart is pounding.
I have lost my strength.
Even the light of my eyes has left me.
11 My loved ones and my friends keep their distance
and my relatives stand far away because of my sickness.
12 Those who seek my life lay traps for me.
Those who are out to harm me talk about ruining me.
All day long they think of ways to deceive me.
13 But I am like a person who cannot hear
and like a person who cannot speak.
14 I am like one who cannot hear
and who can offer no arguments.
15 But I wait with hope for you, O Lord.
You will answer, O Lord, my God.
16 I said, “Do not let them gloat over me.
When my foot slips,
do not let them promote themselves at my expense.”
17 I am ready to fall.
I am continually aware of my pain.
18 I confess my guilt.
My sin troubles me.
19 My mortal enemies are growing stronger.
Many hate me for no reason.
20 They pay me back with evil instead of good,
and they accuse me because I try to do what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
O my God, do not be so distant from me.
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord, my savior.
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Jacob saw Esau coming with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slaves. 2 He put the slaves and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 He went on ahead of them and bowed seven times with his face touching the ground as he came near his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet Jacob. Esau hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They both cried. 5 When he saw the women and children, Esau asked, “Who are these people here with you?”
“The children God has graciously given me, sir,” Jacob answered.
6 Then the slaves and their children came forward and bowed down. 7 Likewise, Leah and her children came forward and bowed down. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
8 Then Esau asked, “Why did you send this whole group ⌞of people and animals⌟ I met?”
He answered, “To win your favor, sir.”
9 Esau said, “I have enough. Keep what you have, Brother.”
10 Jacob said, “No, please take the gift I’m giving you, because I’ve seen your face as if I were seeing the face of God, and yet you welcomed me so warmly. 11 Please take the present I’ve brought you, because God has been gracious to me and has given me all that I need.” So Esau took it because Jacob insisted.
12 Then Esau said, “Let’s get ready to go, and I’ll go with you.”
13 Jacob said to him, “Sir, you know that the children are frail and that I have to take care of the flocks and cattle that are nursing their young. If they’re driven too hard for even one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Go ahead of me, sir. I will slowly and gently guide the herds that are in front of me at their pace and at the children’s pace until I come to you in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“Why do that?” Jacob asked. “I only want to win your favor, sir.”
16 That day Esau started back to Seir. 17 But Jacob moved on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is named Succoth [Shelters].
Advice about Worship
2 I praise you for always thinking about me and for carefully following the traditions that I handed down to you.
3 However, I want you to realize that Christ has authority over every man, a husband has authority over his wife, and God has authority over Christ. 4 Every man who covers his head when he prays or speaks what God has revealed dishonors the one who has authority over him. 5 Every woman who prays or speaks what God has revealed and has her head uncovered while she speaks dishonors the one who has authority over her. She is like the woman who has her head shaved. 6 So if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should cut off her hair. If it’s a disgrace for a woman to cut off her hair or shave her head, she should cover her head. 7 A man should not cover his head. He is God’s image and glory. The woman, however, is man’s glory. 8 Clearly, man wasn’t made from woman but woman from man. 9 Man wasn’t created for woman but woman for man. 10 Therefore, a woman should wear something on her head to show she is under ⌞someone’s⌟ authority, out of respect for the angels.
11 Yet, as believers in the Lord, women couldn’t exist without men and men couldn’t exist without women. 12 As a woman came into existence from a man, so men come into existence by women, but everything comes from God.
13 Judge your own situation. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Doesn’t nature itself teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 Doesn’t it teach you that it is a woman’s pride to wear her hair long? Her hair is given to her in place of a covering. 16 If anyone wants to argue about this ⌞they can’t, because⌟ we don’t have any custom like this—nor do any of the churches of God.
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