Psalm 46

For the music leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth.^[a] A song.

Abram’s family moves to Canaan

12 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you. ² I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing.

⁴ Abram left just as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. ⁵ Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all of their possessions, and those who became members of their household in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, ⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites lived in the land at that time. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I give this land to your descendants,” so Abram built an altar there to the Lord who appeared to him. ⁸ From there he traveled toward the mountains east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshipped in the Lord’s name. ⁹ Then Abram set out toward the arid southern plain, making and breaking camp as he went.

¹⁷ Nevertheless, each person should live the kind of life that the Lord assigned when he called each one. This is what I teach in all the churches. ¹⁸ If someone was circumcised when called, he shouldn’t try to reverse it. If someone wasn’t circumcised when he was called, he shouldn’t be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing; not being circumcised is nothing. What matters is keeping God’s commandments. ²⁰ Each person should stay in the situation they were in when they were called. ²¹ If you were a slave when you were called, don’t let it bother you. But if you are actually able to be free, take advantage of the opportunity. ²² Anyone who was a slave when they were called by the Lord has the status of being the Lord’s free person. In the same way, anyone who was a free person when they were called is Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought and paid for. Don’t become slaves of people. ²⁴ So then, brothers and sisters, each of you should stay with God in the situation you were in when you were called.