Lectionary 27, Year B

¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.” ¹⁹ Out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature became its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper comparable to him. ²¹ The LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. As the man slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. ²² The LORD God made a woman from the rib which he had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. ²³ The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.

¹ O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens! ² From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger. ³ When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; ⁴ what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him? ⁵ For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. ⁶ You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet: ⁷ All sheep and cattle, yes, and the animals of the field, ⁸ the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the seas. ⁹ O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Chapter 1

¹ God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. ³ His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs.

Chapter 2

⁵ For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. ⁶ But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? ⁷ You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. ⁸ You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t see all things subjected to him, yet. ⁹ But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone. ¹⁰ For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹¹ For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, ¹² saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the congregation I will sing your praise.”