Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work[a] for me for nothing because you are my relative?[b] Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 (Now Laban had two daughters;[c] the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were tender,[d] but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.)[e] 18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with[f] Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man.[g] Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel.[h] But they seemed like only a few days to him[i] because his love for her was so great.[j]
21 Finally Jacob said[k] to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up.[l] And I want to sleep with her.”[m] 22 So Laban invited all the people[n] of that place and prepared a feast. 23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah[o] to Jacob,[p] and he slept with her.[q] 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)[r]
25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah![s] So Jacob[t] said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me?[u] Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked[v] me?” 26 “It is not our custom here,”[w] Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage[x] before the firstborn. 27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week.[y] Then we will give you the younger one[z] too, in exchange for seven more years of work.”[aa]
28 Jacob did as Laban said.[ab] When Jacob[ac] completed Leah’s bridal week,[ad] Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.[ae]
Psalm 105[a]
105 Give thanks to the Lord.
Call on his name.
Make known his accomplishments among the nations.
2 Sing to him.
Make music to him.
Tell about all his miraculous deeds.
3 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives.
Seek his presence continually.
5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,[b]
6 O children[c] of Abraham,[d] God’s[e] servant,
you descendants[f] of Jacob, God’s[g] chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.[h]
8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made[i] to a thousand generations—
9 the promise[j] he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac.
10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,[k]
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey[a] his laws.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 128[a]
A song of ascents.[b]
128 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers,[c]
each one who keeps his commands.[d]
2 You[e] will eat what you worked so hard to grow.[f]
You will be blessed and secure.[g]
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine[h]
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children[i] will be like olive branches,
as they sit all around your table.
4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed in this way.[j]
5 May the Lord bless you[k] from Zion,
that you might see[l] Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life,
6 and that you might see[m] your grandchildren.[n]
May Israel experience peace.[o]
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray,[a] but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he[b] who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit[c] intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. 28 And we know that all things work together[d] for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, 29 because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son[e] would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.[f] 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Indeed, he who[g] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?[h] It is God who justifies. 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ[i] is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?[j] 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[k] 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory[l] through him[m] who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers,[n] nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He gave[a] them another parable:[b] “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed[c] that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree,[d] so that the wild birds[e] come and nest in its branches.”[f]
The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[g] three measures[h] of flour until all the dough had risen.”[i]
Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace,[a] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” 52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law[b] who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
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