Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
15 Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah had tender eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, “I’ll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”(A)
19 Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Since my time is complete, give me my wife, so I can sleep with[a] her.” 22 So Laban invited all the men of the place and sponsored a feast. 23 That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, “What have you done to me? Wasn’t it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban answered, “It is not the custom in our country to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. 27 Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me.”
28 And Jacob did just that. He finished the week of celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
Psalm 105
God’s Faithfulness to His People
1 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
proclaim his deeds among the peoples.(A)
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell about all his wondrous works!(B)
3 Boast in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.(C)
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.(D)
5 Remember the wondrous works he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,[a](E)
6 you offspring of Abraham his servant,
Jacob’s descendants—his chosen ones.(F)
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments govern the whole earth.(G)
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he ordained
for a thousand generations(H)—
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
swore[b] to Isaac,(I)
10 and confirmed to Jacob as a decree
and to Israel as a permanent covenant:(J)
11 “I will give the land of Canaan to you
as your inherited portion.”(K)
45 All this happened
so that they might keep his statutes
and obey his instructions.(A)
Hallelujah!
Psalm 128
Blessings for Those Who Fear God
A song of ascents.
1 How happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!(A)
2 You will surely eat
what your hands have worked for.(B)
You will be happy,
and it will go well for you.(C)
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house,
your children, like young olive trees
around your table.(D)
4 In this very way
the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed.(E)
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should,(A) but the Spirit himself intercedes for us[a](B) with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts(C) knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together[b] for the good[c] of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.(D) 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined(E) to be conformed to the image of his Son,(F) so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.(G) 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified;(H) and those he justified, he also glorified.(I)
The Believer’s Triumph
31 What, then, are we to say about these things?(J) If God is for us, who is against us?(K) 32 He did not even spare his own Son(L) but gave him up for us all.(M) How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?(N) God is the one who justifies.(O) 34 Who is the one who condemns?(P) Christ Jesus is the one who died,(Q) but even more, has been raised;(R) he also is at the right hand of God(S) and intercedes for us.(T) 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction(U) or distress or persecution(V) or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;(W)
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.[d](X)
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(Y) through him who loved us.(Z) 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,(AA) nor angels nor rulers,(AB) nor things present nor things to come,(AC) nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God(AD) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(AE)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Leaven
31 He(A) presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven(B) is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”(C)
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven[a] that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds[b] of flour until all of it was leavened.”(D)
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the Priceless Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.(A)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless[a] pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.(B)
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish,(C) 48 and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,(D) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(E)
The Storehouse of Truth
51 “Have you understood all these things?”[b]
They answered him, “Yes.”
52 “Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law[c] who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”(F)
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