Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Song of Ascents.

²⁴ Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, ²⁵ “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶ “Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in Yahweh’s house, for every man who is crazy and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles. ²⁷ Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you, ²⁸ because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long. Build houses, and dwell in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit?”’”

²⁹ Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰ Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying, ³¹ “Send to all of the captives, saying, ‘Yahweh says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I didn’t send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie,” ³² therefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. He will not have a man to dwell among this people. He won’t see the good that I will do to my people,” says Yahweh, “because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.”’”

²² He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. ²³ He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

²⁴ He looked up, and said, “I see men, but I see them like walking trees.”

²⁵ Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. ²⁶ He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”