Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹³ For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith is but vain, and the promise of no effect. ¹⁵ Because the law causes wrath.

But where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore it is by faith that the inheritance is given, so that it may come by favour, and so the promise may be sure to all the seed – not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: I have made you a father to many nations, even before God whom you have believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which are not, as though they were.

¹⁸ This Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope that he would be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: Thus shall your seed be. ¹⁹ And he fainted not in the faith, nor yet considered his own body (which was now dead inasmuch as he was almost a hundred years old), nor yet that Sarah was past childbearing. ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was made strong in the faith and gave honour to God, ²¹ fully persuaded that what he had promised, that he was able to make good. ²² And therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

²³ It is not written for him only that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom it will be credited as righteousness if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from death, ²⁵ who was delivered for our sins, and rose up again to justify us.

⁹ And as Jesus passed onwards from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at receipt of custom, and said to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

¹⁰ And it came to pass, as he sat at food in Matthew’s house, that many publicans and sinners came and sat down also with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with publicans and sinners?

¹² When Jesus heard this, he said to them, The whole do not need the physician, but they that are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: I have pleasure in mercy, and not in offering. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

¹⁸ While he was thus speaking to them, a certain leader came and did reverence to him, saying, My daughter is even now deceased. But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live. ¹⁹ And Jesus arose and followed him with his disciples.

²⁰ And behold, a woman who had been diseased for 12 years with an issue of blood came up behind him and touched the hem of his vesture. ²¹ For she said in herself, If I may touch but even his vesture only, I will be healed. ²² Then Jesus, turning about and seeing her, said, Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole. And she was healed even that same hour.

²³ And when Jesus came into the leader’s house and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise ²⁴ he said to them, All of you, go away, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they laughed him to scorn. ²⁵ But as soon as the people were put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ And news of this spread throughout all that land.