Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Joyful Restoration of Zion
Psalm 126
1 A Song of Ascents.
When Adonai restored the captives of Zion,
it was as if we were dreaming.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with a song of joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“Adonai has done great things for them.”
3 Adonai has done great things for us
—we are joyful!
4 Restore us from captivity, Adonai,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with a song of joy.
6 Whoever keeps going out weeping,
carrying his bag of seed,
will surely come back with a song of joy,
carrying his sheaves.
Parashat Chayei Sarah
Abraham Purchases Machpelah
23 Now Sarah’s life was 127 years—the years of Sarah’s life. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3 Then Abraham rose from before his dead one and spoke to the sons of Heth saying, 4 “I am an outsider and a sojourner among you. Give me a gravesite among you so that I may bury my dead from before my presence.”
5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our graves. None among us will withhold his grave from you, to bury your dead one.”
7 Then Abraham got up and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, 8 and spoke with them saying, “If you are of a mind to let me bury my dead from before my presence, listen to me. Plead with Ephron son of Zophar on my behalf, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, that is at the end of his field. At the full price let him give it to me in your midst for a gravesite.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, all those who enter the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, listen to me. The field—I hereby give it to you. Also the cave that is in it—I hereby give it to you. In the eyes of the sons of my people, I hereby give it to you. Bury your dead one.”
12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land, 13 and spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land saying, “But if only you would please listen to me. I hereby give the price of the field. Accept it from me that I may bury my dead one there.”
14 So Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. A land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead one.”
16 Abraham heard Ephron. So Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth—400 shekels of silver at the merchant’s rate. 17 Now Ephron’s field that is in Machpelah next to Mamre—the field and the cave that is in it, and all the trees that are in the field in all its surrounding territory—was handed over 18 to Abraham as a purchased possession in the eyes of the sons of Heth, before all those who enter the gate of his city.
19 Afterward, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind alone in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the Good News of Messiah, in order to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know we are destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer persecution—just as has happened, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faithfulness, for fear that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be in vain.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.