Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

Message to Shemaiah

²⁴ Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, ²⁵ “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^(A) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, ²⁶ ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac^(B) who acts like a prophet into the stocks^(C) and neck-irons. ²⁷ So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? ²⁸ He has sent this message^(D) to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.^(E) Therefore build^(F) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”

²⁹ Zephaniah^(G) the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹ “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah^(H) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send^(I) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, ³² this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.^(J) He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good^(K) things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion^(L) against me.’”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²² They came to Bethsaida,^(A) and some people brought a blind man^(B) and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit^(C) on the man’s eyes and put his hands on^(D) him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴ He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into^[a] the village.”