Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
13 You ·made [created] my ·whole being [inward parts];
you ·formed [knitted] me in my mother’s ·body [belly; womb].
14 I ·praise [thank] you because you made me in an ·amazing [awesome] and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.
15 ·You saw my bones being formed [L My bones were not hidden from you]
as I ·took shape [was made] in ·my mother’s body [L secret].
When I was ·put together [L woven] ·there [L in the depths of the earth],
16 ·you [L your eyes] saw my ·body as it was formed [L embyro].
All the days ·planned [L formed] for me
were written in your book
·before I was one day old [not one of them existed].
17 God, your thoughts are precious to me.
·They are so many [L How vast are their sum; Job 42:3]!
18 If I could count them,
they would be more than all the grains of sand.
When I ·wake up [or come to the end],
I am still with you.
Rachel Dies Giving Birth
16 ·Jacob and his group [L They] ·left [departed from] Bethel. ·Before they came to [or While still some distance from] Ephrath [C near Bethlehem four miles south of Jerusalem; 35:19], Rachel began giving birth to her baby [L and had hard labor], 17 but she was having ·much trouble [hard labor]. When ·Rachel’s nurse [L the midwife] saw this, she said, “Don’t be afraid, Rachel. You are giving birth to another son.” 18 Rachel gave birth to the son, but she herself died. As she lay dying, she named the boy ·Son of My Suffering [Ben-oni], but Jacob called him Benjamin [C “son of my right hand/the south”].
19 Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath, ·a district of [or which is] Bethlehem, 20 and Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. It is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel [C Jacob’s new name] continued his journey and ·camped [L pitched his tent] just south of ·Migdal Eder [or the tower of Eder; C Eder means “the flock”; perhaps located near Jerusalem; Mic. 4:8].
22 While Israel was there, Reuben ·had sexual relations [L lay] with Israel’s ·slave woman [concubine] Bilhah, and Israel heard about it [49:3–4].
The Family of Israel
Jacob had twelve sons. 23 He had six sons by his wife Leah: Reuben, his ·first son [firstborn], then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 He had two sons by his wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 He had two sons by Rachel’s slave girl Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.
26 And he had two sons by Leah’s slave girl Zilpah: Gad and Asher.
These are Jacob’s sons who were born in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram].
27 Jacob went to his father Isaac at Mamre near Hebron [13:18; 18:1; 23:17–18; 25:9], where Abraham and Isaac had ·lived [sojourned; lived as an alien]. 28 Isaac lived one hundred eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last breath and died [L and was gathered to his people/relatives; 25:8] when he was very old [L and full of days], and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Jesus Is God’s Chosen Servant(A)
15 Jesus knew ·what the Pharisees were doing [L this], so he left that place. ·Many people [Large crowds] followed him, and he healed all who were sick. 16 But Jesus warned the people not to ·tell who he was [make him known]. 17 He did these things to ·bring about [fulfill] what Isaiah the prophet had said:
18 “·Here is [L Behold; Look!] my servant whom I have chosen.
·I love him [The one I love; My beloved], ·and I am pleased with him [L in whom my soul delights/is well pleased].
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will ·tell of my [proclaim] justice to ·all people [the nations/Gentiles].
19 He will not ·argue [quarrel; fight] or ·cry out [shout];
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a ·crushed blade of grass [battered/bruised reed]
or ·put out [extinguish] ·even a weak flame [a flickering candle; L a smoldering wick]
until he ·makes justice win the [leads justice to] victory.
21 In ·him [L his name] will the ·Gentiles [nations; non-Jewish people] ·find [put their] hope [Is. 42:1–4].”
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