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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.
Duration: 1245 days
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Version
Psalm 87

(A psalm and a song by the clan of Korah.)

The Glory of Mount Zion

Zion was built by the Lord
    on the holy mountain,
and he loves that city
more than any other place
    in all of Israel.
Zion, you are the city of God,
and wonderful things
    are told about you.

Egypt,[a] Babylonia, Philistia,
    Phoenicia,[b] and Ethiopia[c]
are some of those nations
    that know you,
and their people all say,
    “I was born in Zion.”

God Most High will strengthen
    the city of Zion.
Then everyone will say,
    “We were born here too.”
The Lord will make a list
    of his people,
and all who were born here
    will be included.

All who sing or dance will say,
    “I too am from Zion.”

Isaiah 66:18-23

18 I know everything you do and think! The time has now come[a] to bring together the people of every language and nation and to show them my glory 19 by proving what I can do.[b] I will send the survivors to Tarshish, Pul,[c] Lud, Meshech,[d] Tubal, Javan,[e] and to the distant islands. I will send them to announce my wonderful glory to nations that have never heard about me.

20 They will bring your relatives from the nations as an offering to me, the Lord. They will come to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, on horses, chariots, wagons, mules, and camels.[f] It will be like the people of Israel bringing the right offering to my temple. 21 I promise that some of them will be priests and others will be helpers in my temple. I, the Lord, have spoken.

22 (A) I also promise that you will always have descendants and will never be forgotten, just as the new heavens and the new earth that I create will last forever. 23 On the first day of each month and on each Sabbath, everyone will worship me. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Matthew 8:1-13

Jesus Heals a Man

(Mark 1.40-45; Luke 5.12-16)

As Jesus came down the mountain, he was followed by large crowds. Suddenly a man with leprosy[a] came and knelt in front of Jesus. He said, “Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”

Jesus put his hand on the man and said, “I want to! Now you are well.” At once the man's leprosy disappeared. (A) Jesus told him, “Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed.”[b]

Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant

(Luke 7.1-10; John 4.43-54)

When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can't even move.”

“I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.

But the officer said, “Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. (B) I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith! 11 (C) Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 (D) But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”

13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”

Right then his servant was healed.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

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