Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Birth of Isaac Promised
18 Now (A)the Lord appeared to [a]Abraham by the [b](B)oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three (C)men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, 3 and said, “[c]My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not [d]pass Your servant by. 4 Please let a little water be brought and (D)wash [e]your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree; 5 and I will [f](E)bring a piece of bread, so that you may [g]refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have [h]visited your servant.” And they said, “So do as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “[i]Quickly, prepare three [j]measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and [k]choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree [l]as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 He said, “(F)I will certainly return to you [m]at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now (G)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was (H)past [n]childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed [o]to herself, saying, “(I)After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my (J)lord being old also?” 13 But the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I actually give birth to a child, when I am so old?’ 14 (K)Is anything too [p]difficult for the Lord? At the (L)appointed time I will return to you, [q]at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Sarah denied it, however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Isaac Is Born
21 (A)Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had [a]promised. 2 (B)So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at (C)the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him, the son whom Sarah bore to him, (D)Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was (E)eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was (F)a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has made (G)laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh [b]with me.” 7 And she said, “(H)Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son in his old age.”
12 What shall I (A)repay to the Lord
For all His (B)benefits [a]to me?
13 I will lift up the (C)cup of salvation,
And (D)call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will (E)pay my vows to the Lord;
May it be (F)in the presence of all His people!
15 (G)Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
16 O Lord, [b]I surely am (H)Your slave,
I am Your slave, the (I)son of Your female slave,
You have (J)unfastened my restraints.
17 I will offer You (K)a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And (L)call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will (M)pay my vows to the Lord,
May it be in the presence of all His people,
19 In the (N)courtyards of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, (O)Jerusalem!
[c]Praise [d]the Lord!
Results of Justification
5 (A)Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a](B)we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have (C)obtained our introduction by faith into this grace (D)in which we stand; and [b]we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 3 (E)And not only this, but [c]we also (F)celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about (G)perseverance; 4 and (H)perseverance, (I)proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope (J)does not disappoint, because the love of God has been (K)poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were still (L)helpless, (M)at the right time (N)Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous person; [d]though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. 8 But God (O)demonstrates (P)His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, (Q)Christ died for us.
35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, (A)teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
36 (B)Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, (C)because they were [a]distressed and downcast, like sheep [b]without a shepherd. 37 Then He *said to His disciples, “(D)The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service
10 Jesus (E)summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to (F)heal every disease and every sickness.
2 (G)Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, (H)Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother (I)Andrew; and [c](J)James the son of Zebedee, and his brother [d]John; 3 (K)Philip and [e]Bartholomew; (L)Thomas and (M)Matthew the tax collector; [f](N)James the son of Alphaeus, and (O)Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the [g]Zealot, and (P)Judas Iscariot, the one who also betrayed Him.
5 (Q)These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road [h]to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of (R)Samaritans; 6 but rather go to (S)the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, [i]preach, saying, ‘(T)The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
9 (A)Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a [a]bag for your journey, or even two [b]tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for (B)the worker is deserving of his [c]support. 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [d]at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the [e]house, (C)give it your [f]greeting. 13 If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, [g]take back your blessing of peace. 14 And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, (D)shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, (E)it will be more tolerable for the land of (F)Sodom and Gomorrah on (G)the day of judgment, than for that city.
A Hard Road Ahead of Them
16 “(H)Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as (I)wary as serpents, and as (J)innocent as doves. 17 But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the (K)courts and flog you (L)in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 (M)But when they hand you over, (N)do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. 20 For (O)it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking [h]in you.
21 “Now (P)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and (Q)children will rise up against parents and [i]cause them to be put to death. 22 And (R)you will be hated by all because of My name, but (S)it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
23 “But whenever they (T)persecute you in [j]one city, flee to the [k]next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel (U)until the Son of Man comes.
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