Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Jacob at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed:(A) A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.(B) 13 The Lord was standing there beside him,[a] saying, “I am the Lord,(C) the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. 14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth,(D) and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.(E) 15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land,(F) for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”(G) 17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it 19 and named the place Bethel,[b] though previously the city was named Luz.(H)
Psalm 139
The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, you have searched me and known me.(A)
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away.(B)
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
you are aware of all my ways.(C)
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
you know all about it, Lord.(D)
5 You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.(E)
6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.(F)
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?(G)
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;(H)
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.(I)
9 If I fly on the wings of the dawn
and settle down on the western horizon,[a]
10 even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.(J)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”(K)—
12 even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you.(L)
The Holy Spirit’s Ministries
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,(A) you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit(B) are God’s sons.(C) 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.(D) Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption,(E) by whom we cry out, “Abba,[a] Father!” (F) 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit(G) that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs(H)—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him(I) so that we may also be glorified with him.
From Groans to Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing(J) with the glory(K) that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation(L) for God’s sons(M) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected(N) to futility(O)—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it(P)—in the hope 21 that the creation itself(Q) will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains(R) until now. 23 Not only that,(S) but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits(T)—we also groan within ourselves,(U) eagerly waiting for adoption,(V) the redemption of our bodies.(W) 24 Now in this hope(X) we were saved, but hope(Y) that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see,(Z) we eagerly wait for it with patience.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.(A) 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s servants(B) came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”
Jesus Interprets the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”(A)
37 He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,(B) 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.(C) 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.(D) 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin[a] and those guilty of lawlessness.[b](E) 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace(F) where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(G) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears[c] listen.(H)
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