Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

¹⁵ Then she ^(A)let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. ¹⁶ And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”

¹⁷ So the men said to her: “We will be ^(B)blameless^[a] of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, ^18 (C)unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, ^(D)and unless you ^[b]bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. ¹⁹ So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be ^[c]guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, ^(E)his ^[d]blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰ And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be ^[e]free from your oath which you made us swear.”

²¹ Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. ²³ So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. ²⁴ And they said to Joshua, “Truly ^(F)the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” ^(A)Show me your faith without ^[a]your works, ^(B)and I will show you my faith by ^[b]my works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is ^[c]dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works ^(C)when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see ^(D)that faith was working together with his works, and by ^(E)works faith was made ^[d]perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ^(F)“Abraham believed God, and it was ^[e]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called ^(G)the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

²⁵ Likewise, ^(H)was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.