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The Call of Abram

12Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ²I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’^*

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. ⁵Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, ⁶Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak^* of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring^* I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. ⁸From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. ⁹And Abram journeyed on by stages towards the Negeb.

Psalm 135

1  Alleluia.
      Praise the name of the Lord; ♦︎
   give praise, you servants of the Lord,
2  You that stand in the house of the Lord, ♦︎
   in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; ♦︎
   make music to his name, for it is lovely.
4  For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself ♦︎
   and Israel for his own possession.
5  For I know that the Lord is great ♦︎
   and that our Lord is above all gods.
6  The Lord does whatever he pleases
      in heaven and on earth, ♦︎
   in the seas and in all the deeps.
7  He brings up the clouds from the ends of the earth; ♦︎
   he makes lightning with the rain
      and brings the winds out of his treasuries.
8  He smote the firstborn of Egypt, ♦︎
   the firstborn of man and beast.
9  He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, ♦︎
   upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10  He smote many nations ♦︎
   and slew mighty kings:
11  Sihon, king of the Amorites,
      and Og, the king of Bashan, ♦︎
   and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12  He gave their land as a heritage, ♦︎
   a heritage for Israel his people.
13  Your name, O Lord, endures for ever ♦︎
   and shall be remembered through all generations.
14  For the Lord will vindicate his people ♦︎
   and have compassion on his servants.
15  The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, ♦︎
   the work of human hands.
16  They have mouths, but cannot speak; ♦︎
   eyes have they, but cannot see;
17  They have ears, but cannot hear; ♦︎
   neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  Those who make them shall become like them, ♦︎
   and so will all who put their trust in them.
19  Bless the Lord, O house of Israel; ♦︎
   O house of Aaron, bless the Lord.
20  Bless the Lord, O house of Levi; ♦︎
   you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21  Blessed be the Lord from Zion, ♦︎
   who dwells in Jerusalem.
      Alleluia.

Psalm 135

Praise for God’s Goodness and Might

¹ Praise the Lord!
   Praise the name of the Lord;
   give praise, O servants of the Lord,
² you that stand in the house of the Lord,
   in the courts of the house of our God.
³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
   sing to his name, for he is gracious.
⁴ For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
   Israel as his own possession.

⁵ For I know that the Lord is great;
   our Lord is above all gods.
⁶ Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
   in heaven and on earth,
   in the seas and all deeps.
⁷ He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
   he makes lightnings for the rain
   and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸ He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
   both human beings and animals;
⁹ he sent signs and wonders
   into your midst, O Egypt,
   against Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰ He struck down many nations
   and killed mighty kings—
¹¹ Sihon, king of the Amorites,
   and Og, king of Bashan,
   and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
¹² and gave their land as a heritage,
   a heritage to his people Israel.

¹³ Your name, O Lord, endures for ever,
   your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
¹⁴ For the Lord will vindicate his people,
   and have compassion on his servants.

The Meaning of Faith

11Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ²Indeed, by faith^* our ancestors received approval. ³By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.^*

The Faith of Abraham

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised.^{* 12}Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, ¹⁴for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

⁵¹Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ ⁵²The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” ⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ ⁵⁴Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, ⁵⁵though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ⁵⁷Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’^{* 58}Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ ⁵⁹So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.