Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

53 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They have corrupted and done abominable wickedness. There is no one that does good.

² God looked down from Heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who would understand and seek God.

³ Everyone has gone back. They are altogether corrupt. There is no one who does good; no, not one.

⁴ Do not the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people as they eat bread? They do not call upon God.

⁵ There they were in fear where no fear was. For God has scattered the bones of him who besieged you. You have put them to confusion because God has cast them off.

⁶ Oh, give salvation to Israel out of Zion! When God turns the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice; and Israel shall be glad. To him who excels on Neginoth: A Psalm of David, to give instruction, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, “Is not David hidden among us?”

4 And one of the wives of the sons of the Prophets cried to Elisha, saying, “Your servant, my husband, is dead! And you know that your servant feared the LORD! And the creditor has come to take my two sons to be his bondmen.”

² Then Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have at home?” And she said, “Your handmaid has nothing at home, except a pitcher of oil.”

³ And he said, “Go around and borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels, and not just a few.

⁴ “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door upon yourself and upon your sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and set aside those that are full.”

⁵ So she departed from him and shut the door upon herself and upon her sons. And they brought to her, and she poured out.

⁶ And when the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There are no more vessels.” And the oil ceased.

⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go. Sell the oil and pay those to whom you are in debt, and you and your children live off the rest.”

¹⁰ And when the Apostles returned, they told Him what great things they had done. Then He took them and went aside into a solitary place, near the city called Bethsaida.

¹¹ But when the people knew of it, they followed Him. And He received them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and healed those needing to be healed.

¹² And when the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the people away, so that they may go into the surrounding towns and villages, and lodge, and get food. For we are here in a desert place.

¹³ But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”

¹⁵ And they did so and made all sit down.

¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves, and the two fish, and looked up to Heaven and blessed them; and broke and gave to the disciples to set before the people.

¹⁷ So they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces from what remained.