Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer of a Sick Man about False Friends

41 Happy is the man who cares for the poor. The Lord will save him in times of trouble. ² The Lord will keep him alive and safe. And he will be happy upon the earth. You will not give him over to the desire of those who hate him. ³ The Lord will give him strength on his bed of sickness. When he is sick, You will make him well again.

⁴ As for me, I said, “O Lord, have loving-kindness for me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” ⁵ Those who hate me speak bad words against me, saying, “When will he die, and his name be forgotten?” ⁶ When one comes to see me, he speaks lies. His heart gathers up bad stories. Then he goes outside and tells them. ⁷ All who hate me speak in secret together against me. They make plans to hurt me, saying, ⁸ “A bad thing has come over him. When he lies down, he will not rise again.” ⁹ Even a friend of mine whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has turned against me.

¹⁰ Have loving-kindness for me, O Lord. Raise me up, so that I may pay them back. ¹¹ Then I will know that You are pleased with me, because he who hates me does not win over me. ¹² As for me, You hold me up in my honesty. And You set me beside You forever.

¹³ Honor be to the Lord, the God of Israel, forever and ever! Let it be so!

Men Come from Babylon

39 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. He heard that he had been sick and had become well. ² Hezekiah was pleased and showed them all his store-house of riches. He showed them the silver, the gold, the spices, the oil of much worth, and all his objects used in battle. He showed them everything that was in his store-houses. There was nothing in his house or under his rule that Hezekiah did not show them. ³ Then Isaiah the man of God came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say? From where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” ⁴ Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything in my house. There is nothing among my riches that I have not shown them.”

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the Word of the Lord of All: ⁶ ‘See, the days are coming when everything in your house, and everything your fathers have stored up to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ⁷ ‘And some of your own sons who are born to you will be taken away. They will work in the house of the king of Babylon.’” ⁸ Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and truth in my days.”

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed ^(A)

³⁸ Jesus went away from the Jewish place of worship and went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed, very sick. They asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ He stood by her and told the disease to leave. It went from her. At once she got up and cared for them.

Jesus Heals in Galilee ^(B)

⁴⁰ As the sun went down, the people took all that were sick with many kinds of diseases to Jesus. He put His hands on all of them and they were healed. ⁴¹ Also demons came out of many people. The demons cried out and said, “You are Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus spoke strong words to them and would not let them speak. They knew He was the Christ.