Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. ^(A)On ^[a]an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

Uzziah Reigns in Judah^(A)

26 Now all the people of Judah took ^[a]Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. ² He built ^[b]Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.

³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. ⁴ And he did what was ^(B)right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ^5 (C)He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who ^(D)had understanding in the ^[c]visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him ^(E)prosper.

⁶ Now he went out and ^(F)made war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him against ^(G)the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites. ⁸ Also the Ammonites ^(H)brought tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.

⁹ And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the ^(I)Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall; then he fortified them. ¹⁰ Also he built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains; he also had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in ^[d]Carmel, for he loved the soil.

¹¹ Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies, according to the number on their roll as prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. ¹² The total number of ^[e]chief officers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred. ¹³ And under their authority was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. ¹⁴ Then Uzziah prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slings to cast stones. ¹⁵ And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by ^(J)skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.

The Penalty for Uzziah’s Pride^(K)

¹⁶ But ^(L)when he was strong his heart was ^(M)lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God ^(N)by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ So ^(O)Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. ¹⁸ And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It ^(P)is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the ^(Q)priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.”

¹⁹ Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, ^(R)leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. ²⁰ And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also ^(S)hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him.

^21 (T)King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an ^(U)isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

A Lame Man Healed

3 Now Peter and John went up together ^(A)to the temple at the hour of prayer, ^(B)the ninth hour. ² And ^(C)a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, ^(D)to ^[a]ask alms from those who entered the temple; ³ who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. ⁴ And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: ^(E)In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. ⁸ So he, ^(F)leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ^9 (G)And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰ Then they knew that it was he who ^(H)sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.