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.

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 Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable^* sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith^* he still speaks. ⁵By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’ ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

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.’

Psalm 20

1  May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, •
   the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2  Send you help from his sanctuary •
   and strengthen you out of Zion;
3  Remember all your offerings •
   and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4  Grant you your heart’s desire •
   and fulfil all your mind.
5  May we rejoice in your salvation
      and triumph in the name of our God; •
   may the Lord perform all your petitions.
6  Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed; •
   he will answer him from his holy heaven,
      with the mighty strength of his right hand.
7  Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, •
   but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
8  They are brought down and fallen, •
   but we are risen and stand upright.
9  O Lord, save the king •
   and answer us when we call upon you.

Proverbs

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

Prologue

² For learning about wisdom and instruction,
   for understanding words of insight,
³ for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
   righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴ to teach shrewdness to the simple,
   knowledge and prudence to the young—
⁵ let the wise also hear and gain in learning,
   and the discerning acquire skill,
⁶ to understand a proverb and a figure,
   the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
   fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for^* those who make peace.

Psalm 110

1  The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, •
   until I make your enemies your footstool.’
2  May the Lord stretch forth the sceptre of your power; •
   rule from Zion in the midst of your enemies.
3  ‘Noble are you on this day of your birth; •
   on the holy mountain, from the womb of the dawn
      the dew of your new birth is upon you.’
4  The Lord has sworn and will not retract: •
   ‘You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’
5  The king at your right hand, O Lord, •
   shall smite down kings in the day of his wrath.
6  In all his majesty, he shall judge among the nations, •
   smiting heads over all the wide earth.
7  He shall drink from the brook beside the way; •
   therefore shall he lift high his head.

Proverbs

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

Prologue

² For learning about wisdom and instruction,
   for understanding words of insight,
³ for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
   righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴ to teach shrewdness to the simple,
   knowledge and prudence to the young—
⁵ let the wise also hear and gain in learning,
   and the discerning acquire skill,
⁶ to understand a proverb and a figure,
   the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
   fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for^* those who make peace.

Psalm 72

1  Give the king your judgements, O God, •
   and your righteousness to the son of a king.
2  Then shall he judge your people righteously •
   and your poor with justice.
3  May the mountains bring forth peace, •
   and the little hills righteousness for the people.
4  May he defend the poor among the people, •
   deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor.
5  May he live as long as the sun and moon endure, •
   from one generation to another.
6  May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, •
   like the showers that water the earth.
7  In his time shall righteousness flourish, •
   and abundance of peace
      till the moon shall be no more.
8  May his dominion extend from sea to sea •
   and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9  May his foes kneel before him •
   and his enemies lick the dust.
10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute; •
   the kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts.
11  All kings shall fall down before him; •
   all nations shall do him service.
12  For he shall deliver the poor that cry out, •
   the needy and those who have no helper.
13  He shall have pity on the weak and poor; •
   he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14  He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, •
   and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15  Long may he live;
      unto him may be given gold from Sheba; •
   may prayer be made for him continually
      and may they bless him all the day long.
16  May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
      standing thick upon the hilltops; •
   may its fruit flourish like Lebanon
      and its grain grow like the grass of the field.
17  May his name remain for ever
      and be established as long as the sun endures; •
   may all nations be blest in him
      and call him blessed.
18  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, •
   who alone does wonderful things.
19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever. •
   May all the earth be filled with his glory.
      Amen. Amen.