Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Elisha Heals Naaman

5 ^(A) Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army. The Lord had helped him and his troops defeat their enemies, so the king of Syria respected Naaman very much. Naaman was a brave soldier, but he had leprosy.^[a]

² One day while the Syrian troops were raiding Israel, they captured a girl, and she became a servant of Naaman's wife. ³ Some time later the girl said, “If your husband Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy.”

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in fear and shouted, “That Syrian king believes I can cure this man of leprosy! Does he think I'm God with power over life and death? He must be trying to pick a fight with me.”

⁸ As soon as Elisha the prophet^[a] heard what had happened, he sent the Israelite king this message: “Why are you so afraid? Send the man to me, so that he will know there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹ Naaman left with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent someone outside to say to him, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then you'll be completely cured.”

¹¹ But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, “Why couldn't he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the Lord his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. ¹² What about the Abana River^[b] or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as any river in Israel. I could have washed in them and been cured.”

¹³ His servants went over to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured.”

¹⁴ Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. At once, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child's.

¹⁵ Naaman and his officials went back to Elisha. Naaman stood in front of him and announced, “Now I know that the God of Israel is the only God in the whole world. Sir, would you please accept a gift from me?”

Praise the Lord for All He Has Done

⁸ Keep your mind on Jesus Christ! He was from the family of David and was raised from death, just as my good news says. ⁹ And because of this message, I am locked up in jail and treated like a criminal. But God's good news isn't locked in jail, ¹⁰ and so I am willing to put up with anything. Then God's special people will be saved and given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus. ¹¹ Here is a true message:

An Approved Worker

¹⁴ Don't let anyone forget these things. And with God^[a] as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don't help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them. ¹⁵ Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message.

Ten Men with Leprosy

¹¹ On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy^[a] came toward him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

^14 (A) Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”^[b]

On their way they were healed. ¹⁵ When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. ¹⁶ He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” ¹⁹ Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”