Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
126 1 This Psalm was made after the return of the people from Babylon, and showeth that the means of their deliverance was wonderful after the seventy years of captivity forspoken by Jeremiah, in Jer. 25:12 and 29:10.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that [a]dream.
2 Then was our mouth [b]filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy: then said they among the [c]heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.
4 O Lord, bring again our captivity, as the [d]rivers in the South.
5 They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
6 They went weeping, and carried [e]precious seed: but they shall return with joy, and bring their sheaves.
23 2 Abraham laments the death of Sarah. 4 He buyeth a field to bury her, of the Hittites. 13 The equity of Abraham. 19 Sarah is buried in Machpelah.
1 When Sarah was an hundred twenty and seven years old ([a]so long lived she.)
2 Then Sarah died in Kirjath Arba: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 ¶ Then Abraham [b]rose up from the sight of his corpse, and talked with the [c]Hittites, saying,
4 I am a stranger, and a foreigner among you: give me a possession of burial with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 Then the Hittites answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a prince [d]of God among us: in the chiefest of our sepulchers bury the dead: none of us shall forbid thee his sepulcher, but thou mayest bury thy dead therein.
7 Then Abraham stood up, and bowed himself before the people of the land of the Hittites.
8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be [e]your mind, that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 That he would give me the cave of [f]Machpelah, which he hath in the end of his field: that he would give it me for as much [g]money as it is worth, for a possession to bury in among you.
10 (For Ephron dwelt among the Hittites) Then Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of all the Hittites that [h]went in at the gates of his city, saying,
11 No, my Lord, hear me: the field give I thee and the cave that therein is, I give it thee: even in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee to bury thy dead.
12 Then Abraham [i]bowed himself before the people of the land,
13 And spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the country, saying, Seeing thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me, I will give the price of the field: receive it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 Ephron then answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred [j]shekels of silver: what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
16 So Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named, in the audience of the Hittites, even four hundred silver shekels of current money among merchants.
17 ¶ So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, and over against Mamre, even the field and the cave that was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, which were in all the borders round about, was made sure
18 Unto Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the Hittites, even of all that [k]went in at the gates of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah over against Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
3 1 To show his affection towards them, he sendeth Timothy unto them: 6 He is so moved by the report of their prosperous state, 9 that he cannot give sufficient thanks, 11 and therefore he breaketh out into prayer.
1 Wherefore since we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to remain at Athens alone,
2 (A)And have sent Timothy our brother and minister of God, and our labor fellow in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you touching your faith,
3 That no man should be moved with these afflictions: [a]for ye yourselves know, that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulations, even as it came to pass, and ye know it.
5 Even for this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent him that I might know of your faith, lest the tempter had tempted you in any sort, and that our labor had been in vain.
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