Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

42 As the deer desires rivers of water, so my soul desires You, O God. ² My soul is thirsty for God, for the living God. When will I come and meet with God? ³ My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” ⁴ These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with many people and lead them to the house of God, with the voice of thankful joy, among the many happy people.

⁵ Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise Him again for His help of being near me. ⁶ O my God, my soul is troubled within me. So I remember You from the land of the Jordan and the tops of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. ⁷ Sea calls to sea at the sound of Your waterfalls. All Your waves have rolled over me. ⁸ The Lord will send His loving-kindness in the day. And His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I have sorrow because those who hate me come against me with power?” ¹⁰ As a breaking of my bones, those who hate me speak sharp words to me. All day long they say to me, “Where is your God?” ¹¹ Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my help and my God.

Prayer to Be Kept Safe

43 Stand by me, O God, and speak in my favor against a sinful nation. Save me from the lying and sinful man. ² For You are the God of my strength. Why have You turned away from me? Why do I have sorrow because those who hate me come against me with power?

³ Send out Your light and Your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to the places where You live. ⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, the God of my joy. And I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise Him again, my help and my God.

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Now Abraham was old. He had lived many years. And the Lord had brought good to Abraham in every way. ² Abraham said to the oldest servant in his house and the one who took care of all that he owned, “Place your hand under my hip, ³ and I will have you promise by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. Promise that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, who live around me. ⁴ But go to my country and to those of my family. Take a wife for my son Isaac from there.” ⁵ The servant said to Abraham, “What if the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land? Should I take your son to the land you came from?” ⁶ Abraham said to him, “Make sure that you do not take my son there. ⁷ The Lord, the God of heaven, Who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, spoke to me and promised me. He said, ‘I will give this land to your children and to their children’s children.’ He will send His angel in front of you. And you will take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this promise to me. Only do not take my son there.” ⁹ So the servant placed his hand under the hip of Abraham, and he promised to do this.

¹⁰ Then the servant took ten of Abraham’s camels and left. He took with him all kinds of gifts from Abraham. Then he went to the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia. ¹¹ He made the camels get down on their knees outside the city by the well of water in the evening. It was the time when women go out to get water. ¹² He said, “O Lord, the God of my boss Abraham, let all go well for me today. Show loving-kindness to my boss Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing here by the well of water. And the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to get water. ¹⁴ If I say to a girl, ‘Let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and she answers, ‘Drink, and I will give water to your camels also,’ let her be the one whom You have chosen for your servant Isaac. I will know by this that You have shown loving-kindness to my boss.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah came out, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor, the brother of Abraham. She had a jar on her shoulder. ¹⁶ The girl was very beautiful and had never lain with a man. She went down to the well, filled her jar and came up. ¹⁷ Then the servant ran to meet her. He said, “Let me drink a little water from your jar.” ¹⁸ She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she was quick to lift her jar to her hand and give him a drink. ¹⁹ When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will get water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ She was quick to empty her jar into the animals’ drinking place. Then she ran to the well for more water, and got enough for all his camels.

²¹ The man was quiet and watched her, waiting to know if the Lord had made all go well or not during his visit.

¹⁷ You are a Jew and think you are safe because of the Law. You tell others about how you know God. ¹⁸ You know what He wants you to do. You understand how the Law works. You know right from wrong. ¹⁹ You think you can lead a blind man. You think you can give light to those in darkness. ²⁰ You think you can teach foolish people and children about God. You have in the Law the plan of truth and wisdom. ²¹ You teach others. Why do you not teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal. Do you steal? ²² You say that no one should do sex sins. Do you do sex sins? You hate false gods. Do you rob the houses where they are kept? ²³ You are proud of the Law. Do you take honor away from God when you do not obey the Law? ²⁴ The Holy Writings say, “God’s name is hated by the people who are not Jews because of you.” ^(A)

²⁵ Going through the religious act of becoming a Jew is worth something if you obey the Law. If you do not obey the Law, it is worth nothing to you. ²⁶ If a person who is not a Jew and has not gone through the act of becoming a Jew, obeys the Law, God will think of him as a Jew. ²⁷ You Jews have the Law but do not obey it. You have gone through the religious act also. At the same time those who are not Jews obey the Law even if they have not gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. In this way, these people show you are guilty. ²⁸ A man is not a Jew just because he goes through the religious act of becoming a Jew. ²⁹ The true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. The religious act of becoming a Jew must be done in the heart. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Law does not do that kind of work. The true Jew gets his thanks from God, not from men.