Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A song. A psalm by the descendants of Korah. According to Machalath Leannoth. An instruction[a] by Heman the Ezrahite.
A Cry for Help
88 Lord, God of my salvation,
by day and by night I cry out before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
listen[b] to my cry.
3 For my life is filled with troubles
as I approach Sheol.[c]
4 I am considered as one of those descending into the Pit,[d]
like a mighty man without strength,
5 released to remain[e] with the dead,
lying in a grave like a corpse,
remembered no longer,
and cut off from your power.
6 You have assigned me to the lowest part of the Pit,[f]
to the darkest depths.
7 Your anger lies heavily upon me;
you pound[g] me with all your waves.
8 You caused my acquaintances to shun me;[h]
you make me extremely abhorrent to them.
Restrained, I am unable to go out.
9 My eyes languish on account of my affliction;
all day long I call out to you, Lord,
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Can you perform wonders for the dead?
Can departed spirits stand up to praise you?
11 Can your gracious love be declared in the grave
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?[i]
12 Can your awesome deeds be known in darkness
or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
13 As for me, I cry out to you Lord,
and in the morning my prayer greets you.
14 Why, Lord, have you rejected me?
Why have you hidden your face from me?
15 Since my youth I have been oppressed
and in danger of death.
I bear your dread
and am overwhelmed.
16 Your burning anger overwhelms me;
your terrors destroy me.
17 Like waters, they engulf me all day long;
they surround me on all sides.
18 You caused my friend and neighbor to shun me;[j]
and my acquaintances are confused.[k]
Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery(A)
20 During this time, Hezekiah became sick with a fatal illness, so Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, approached him and told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Put your household in order, because you are dying. You will not survive.’”
2 So Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 “Remember me, Lord,” he said, “how I have walked in your presence with integrity, with an undivided heart, and I have accomplished what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept deeply.
4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, this message from the Lord came to him. 5 “Return to Hezekiah,” he said, “and tell the Commander-in-Chief[a] of my people: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: “I’ve heard your prayer and I’ve observed your tears. Look! I’m healing you. Three days from now, you’ll go visit the Lord’s Temple. 6 Furthermore, I’ll add fifteen years to your life. I’ll deliver you and this city from domination by[b] the king of Assyria, and I’ll defend this city for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”’”
7 Isaiah said, “Take a fig cake.” So some attendants[c] took it, laid it on Hezekiah’s[d] boil, and he recovered.
8 Now Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What is to be the sign that the Lord is healing me and that I’ll be going up to the Lord’s Temple three days from now?”
9 So Isaiah replied, “This will be your sign from the Lord that the Lord will do what he has promised. Shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?”
10 Hezekiah answered, “It’s an easy thing for a shadow to lengthen ten steps. So let the shadow go backward ten steps.”
11 So Isaiah cried out to the Lord, who brought the shadow back ten steps after it had gone down the stairway of Ahaz.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon(A)
14 As they approached the other[a] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them. 15 The whole crowd was very surprised to see Jesus[b] and ran to welcome him.
16 He asked the scribes,[c] “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 Whenever it brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. So I asked your disciples to drive the spirit[d] out, but they didn’t have the power.”
19 Jesus[e] told them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”
20 So they brought the boy[f] to him. When the spirit saw Jesus,[g] it immediately threw the boy[h] into convulsions. He fell on the ground and kept rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 Then Jesus[i] asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He said, “Since he was a child. 22 The spirit[j] has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us!”
23 Jesus told him, “‘If you are able?’ Everything is possible for the person who believes!”
24 With tears flowing,[k] the child’s father at once cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that won’t let him talk or hear—I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 The spirit[l] screamed, shook the child[m] violently, and came out. The boy was like a corpse, and many said that he was dead. 27 But Jesus took his hand and helped him up, and he stood up.
28 When Jesus[n] came home, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive the spirit[o] out?”
29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”[p]
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