Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Verse 8. Listen! My beloved approaches. Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. Verse 9. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. Verse 10. My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one. Verse 11. For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. Verse 12. The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land. Verse 13. The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come away with me, my beautiful one.”

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Jeremiah 28:10-17

Verse 10. Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. Verse 11. And in the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations.’” At this, Jeremiah the prophet went on his way. Verse 12. But shortly after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke off his neck, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: Verse 13. “Go and tell Hananiah that this is what the LORD says: ‘You have broken a yoke of wood, but in its place you have fashioned a yoke of iron.’ Verse 14. For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have even given him control of the beasts of the field.’” Verse 15. Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, but you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie. Verse 16. Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.’” Verse 17. And in the seventh month of that very year, the prophet Hananiah died.

PSALM

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me.

Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, both now and forevermore.

SECOND READING

Genesis 29:1-14

Verse 1. Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. Verse 2. He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. Verse 3. When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. Verse 4. “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered. Verse 5. “Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied. Verse 6. “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.” Verse 7. “Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.” Verse 8. But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.” Verse 9. While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Verse 10. As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Verse 11. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. Verse 12. He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father. Verse 13. When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened. Verse 14. Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,

SECOND READING

Romans 3:1-8

Verse 1. What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Verse 2. Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. Verse 3. What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Verse 4. Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.” Verse 5. But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. Verse 6. Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world? Verse 7. However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? Verse 8. Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!