Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 Even those living in the remotest areas are awestruck by your acts;[a]
you cause those living in the east and west to praise you.[b]
9 You visit the earth and give it rain;[c]
you make it rich and fertile.[d]
God’s streams are full of water;[e]
you provide grain for the people of the earth,[f]
for you have prepared the earth in this way.[g]
10 You saturate[h] its furrows,
and soak[i] its plowed ground.[j]
With rain showers you soften its soil,[k]
and make its crops grow.[l]
11 You crown the year with your good blessings,[m]
and you leave abundance in your wake.[n]
12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture,[o]
and the hills are clothed with joy.[p]
13 The meadows are clothed with sheep,
and the valleys are covered with grain.
They shout joyfully, yes, they sing.
37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink.[a] 39 When the sheep mated[b] in front of the branches, they[c] gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face[d] the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 41 When the stronger females were in heat,[e] Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there.[f] So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban[g] and the stronger animals to Jacob. 43 In this way Jacob[h] became extremely prosperous. He owned[i] large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.
Exhortations for Spiritual Warfare
10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes[a] of the devil. 12 For our struggle[b] is not against flesh and blood,[c] but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,[d] against the spiritual forces[e] of evil in the heavens.[f] 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground[g] on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening[h] the belt of truth around your waist,[i] by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 by fitting your[j] feet with the preparation that comes from the good news[k] of peace,[l] 16 and in all of this,[m] by taking up the shield[n] of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation[o] and the sword[p] of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 18 With every prayer and petition, pray[q] at all times in the Spirit, and to this end[r] be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints.
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