Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 116

Thanks to God for Deliverance

¹⁵ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city. ¹⁶ “Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won’t find you,” she said to them. “Hide yourselves there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.”

¹⁷ The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear, ¹⁸ unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. ¹⁹ If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his blood will be on his own head,^(A) and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed,^[a] his blood will be on our heads. ²⁰ And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”

²¹ “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.

²² So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them. ²³ Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them. ²⁴ They told Joshua, “The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”^[b]

¹⁷ In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”^[a] Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.^{[b](A) 19} You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.^(B)

²⁰ Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? ²¹ Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected.^{(C) 23} So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,^(D)[c] and he was called God’s friend.^{(E) 24} You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route?^{(F) 26} For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.