Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁹ That night Paul had a dream. A man was standing in front of him crying out, “Come over to the country of Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰ After he had seen this, we agreed that God told us to go to Macedonia to tell them the Good News.

Lydia, the First Christian in Europe

¹¹ We took a ship from the city of Troas to the city of Samothracia. The next day we went to the city of Neapolis. ¹² From there we went to the city of Philippi. This was an important city in Macedonia. It was ruled by the leaders of the country of Rome. We stayed here for some days. ¹³ On the Day of Rest we went outside the city to a place down by the river. We thought people would be gathering there for prayer. Some women came and we sat down and talked to them. ¹⁴ One of the women who listened sold purple cloth. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia and she was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to hear what Paul said. ¹⁵ When she and her family had been baptized, she said to us, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” She kept on asking. Then we went with her.

Nations Praise God

67 May God show loving-kindness toward us and bring good to us. May He make His face shine upon us. ² May Your way be known on the earth, and Your saving power among all nations. ³ May the people praise You, O God. May all the people praise You. ⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy. For You will be fair when You judge the people and rule the nations of the earth. ⁵ May the people praise You, O God. May all the people praise You. ⁶ The earth has given its fruit. God, our God, will bring good to us. ⁷ God will bring good to us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

¹⁰ I was carried away in the Spirit by the angel to a very high mountain. He showed me the Holy City of Jerusalem. It was coming out of heaven from God.

²² I did not see a house of God in the city. The All-powerful Lord God and the Lamb are the house of God in this city. ²³ There is no need for the sun and moon to shine in the city. The shining-greatness of God makes it full of light. The Lamb is its light. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light. The kings of the earth will bring their greatness into it. ²⁵ The gates are open all day. They will never be shut. There will be no night there. ²⁶ The greatness and honor of all the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Nothing sinful will go into the city. No one who is sinful-minded or tells lies can go in. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life can go in.

More About the New Jerusalem

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was as clear as glass and came from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It runs down the center of the street in the city. On each side of the river was the tree of life. It gives twelve different kinds of fruit. It gives this fruit twelve times a year, new fruit each month. Its leaves are used to heal the nations.

³ There will be nothing in the city that is sinful. The place where God and the Lamb sit will be there. The servants He owns will serve Him. ⁴ They will see His face and His name will be written on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no night there. There will be no need for a light or for the sun. Because the Lord God will be their light. They will be leaders forever.

²³ Jesus said, “The one who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love him. We will come to him and live with him. ²⁴ The one who does not love Me does not obey My teaching. The teaching you are now hearing is not My teaching but it is from My Father Who sent Me.

²⁵ “I have told you these things while I am still with you. ²⁶ The Helper is the Holy Spirit. The Father will send Him in My place. He will teach you everything and help you remember everything I have told you.

Jesus Gives His Followers Peace

²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give peace to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. ²⁸ You heard Me say that I am going away. But I am coming back to you. If you love Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father. The Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you this before it happens. Then when it does happen, you will believe.

Jesus Heals the Man at the Pool of Bethesda

5 Some time later, there was a religious gathering of the Jews. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² In Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches called Bethesda near the sheep gate. ³ Inside these porches lay many sick people. Some were blind. Some could not walk. Some could not move their bodies. ⁴ (*An angel of the Lord came at certain times and made the water move. All of them were waiting for it to move. Whoever got in the water first after it was moving was healed of whatever sickness he had.)

⁵ A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ Jesus saw him lying there and knew the man had been sick a long time. Jesus said to him, “Would you like to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man said, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is moving. While I am coming, another one gets in first.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your bed and walk.” ⁹ At once the man was healed and picked up his bed and walked. This happened on the Day of Rest.