Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer for Guidance and Protection
For the music director; with the flutes. A psalm of David.[a]
5 Hear my words, O Yahweh.
Give heed to my sighing.[b]
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading,[c] my king and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice.
In the morning I will set forth[d] my case to you and I will watch.[e]
4 For you are not a God who desires[f] wickedness.
Evil cannot dwell with you.
5 The boastful do not stand before[g] your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy speakers of lies.[h]
A man of bloodshed[i] and deceit Yahweh abhors.
7 But as for me,[j] through the abundance of your steadfast love[k]
I will enter your house.[l]
I will bow down[m] toward your holy temple[n] in awe of you.
8 O Yahweh, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make straight before me your way.
9 For there is not anything reliable in his mouth;
their inner part is destruction.[o]
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.[p]
10 Treat them as guilty, O God;
let them fall because of their plans.
Because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take shelter in you rejoice.
Let them ever[q] sing for joy,
because[r] you spread protection over them;
And let those[s] who love your name exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous.
O Yahweh, like a[t] shield you surround him with good favor.
Nehemiah’s Prayer for the People
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.
It happened in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, that I myself was in the citadel in Susa, 2 and one of my brothers, Hanani, came with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had escaped the captivity and about Jerusalem. 3 They replied to me, “The survivors in the province who have survived the captivity are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned in the fire.”
4 When I heard these words, I sat and wept and mourned for days, and I was fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said, “O Yahweh God of the heavens, the great and awesome one who keeps the covenant and loyal love for the ones who love him and for those who keep his commands. 6 Please, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying before you by day and by night for your servants, the Israelites,[a] and confessing the sins of the Israelites[b] that we have sinned against you. I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have certainly offended you and have not kept the commands, regulations, and judgments that you have commanded your servant Moses. 8 Please, remember the word that you have commanded to your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you act unfaithfully I will scatter you all among the nations. 9 But if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, even though all of your outcasts are at the furthest parts of heaven, I will gather them and bring them to the place which I have chosen to make my name dwell.’ 10 They are your servants and your people whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight to revere in your name. Please, let your servant be successful this day and give him compassion before this man.”
I was cupbearer for the king.
A Lame Beggar Healed at the Temple
3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man was being carried who was lame from birth.[a] He[b] was placed every day at the gate of the temple called “Beautiful,” so that he could ask for charitable gifts from those who were going into the temple courts.[c] 3 When he[d] saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts,[e] he began asking to receive alms. 4 And Peter looked intently at him, together with John, and[f] said, “Look at us!” 5 So he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not possess,[g] but what I have, this I give to you—in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”[h] 7 And taking hold of him by the right hand, he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began walking around[i] and entered into the temple courts[j] with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 And they recognized him, that this one[k] was the one who used to sit asking for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.
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