Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Healing of Naaman the Syrian
5 Now Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man before his master and highly regarded,[a] for by him Yahweh had given victory to Aram. Now the man was a mighty warrior, but he was afflicted with a skin disease. 2 When the Arameans went on a raid, they brought back a young girl from the land of Israel, and she came into the service of[b] the wife of Naaman. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord would come before the prophet who is in Samaria; then he would cure his skin disease.”[c] 4 He came and told his master, saying, “Thus and so the girl who is from the land of Israel said.” 5 So the king of Aram said, “Go, I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He went and took with him[d] ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
6 So he brought the letter of the king to Israel, saying, “Now, when this letter comes to you, I have just sent Naaman my servant to you that you may cure him from his skin disease.” 7 It happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God to cause death or to give life? This man is sending a man to me to cure his disease. Indeed! But know and see that he seeks an opportunity against me.”
8 It happened that as soon as Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please may he come to me, that he might know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Then Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and he stopped at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, you must wash seven times in the Jordan, then your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and he went and said, “Look, I said to myself, ‘Surely he will come out, stand, call upon the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hands over the spot; then he would take away the skin disease.’ 12 Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all of the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them that I may be clean?” Then he turned and left in anger. 13 But his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had spoken a difficult thing to you to do, would you not have done it? Why not even when he says to you, ‘Wash and you shall be clean’?” 14 So he went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh returned as the flesh of a small boy, and he was clean.
Thanksgiving for Answered Prayer
A psalm; a song for the dedication of the house.[a] Of David.[b]
30 I will exalt you, O Yahweh,
because you have drawn me up,
and have not made my enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Yahweh, my God,
I cried for help to you,
and you healed me.
3 O Yahweh, you have brought my life up from Sheol.
You preserved me alive
from among those going down [c] to the pit.
4 Sing praises to Yahweh, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy fame.[d]
5 For there is a moment in his anger;
there is a lifetime in his favor.
Weeping lodges for the evening,
but in the morning comes rejoicing.
6 But as for me, I had said in my prosperity,
“I shall not be moved ever.”
7 O Yahweh, by your favor
you caused my strong mountain to stand.
You hid your face. I was bewildered.
8 To you, O Yahweh, I called,
and to the Lord I pleaded for grace saying,
9 “What gain is there in my death,[e]
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 “O Yahweh, hear and be gracious to me.
O Yahweh, be my helper.”
11 You have turned my wailing into my dancing.
You have removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy
12 so that I[f] may sing praises to you
and not be quiet.
O Yahweh, my God,
I will give thanks to you forever.
24 Do you not know that those who run in the stadium all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Thus those do so in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 Therefore I run in this way, not as running aimlessly; I box in this way, not as beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and subjugate it, lest somehow after[a] preaching to others, I myself should become disqualified.
A Leper Cleansed
40 And a leper came to him, entreating him and kneeling down, saying[a] to him, “If you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” 41 And becoming angry,[b] he stretched out his hand and[c] touched him[d], and said to him, “I am willing; be made clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy went away from him and he was made clean. 43 And warning him sternly, he sent him away at once. 44 And he said to him, “See to it that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and bring for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 45 But he went out and[e] began to proclaim it[f] freely and to spread abroad the account, so that he was no longer able to enter publicly into a town. But he was staying outside in deserted places, and they were coming to him from all directions.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software