Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which, when the Egyptians attempted it, they were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about for seven days.

³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with the unbelievers when she took in the spies peaceably.

³² And what more shall I say? The time would be too short for me to tell of Gideon, Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, also of David and Samuel, and of the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, wrought righteousness, received promises fulfilled, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the force of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the other nations. ³⁵ And the women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were racked, and would not be delivered, so that they might receive a better resurrection. ³⁶ Others tasted of mockings and scourgings; moreover of bonds and imprisonment; ³⁷ were stoned, were hewn asunder, were sorely tried, were slain with swords, walked up and down in sheepskins, in goatskins, in need, tribulation, and vexation – ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in wilderness, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And these all through faith obtained good report, and yet did not obtain the promise, ⁴⁰ God providing a better thing for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

An exhortation to be patient and steadfast in trouble and adversity, in the hope of everlasting reward. A commendation of the new testament above the old.

12 Therefore let us also (seeing that we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses) lay away all that presses down, and the sin that hangs on, and let us run with patience to the battle that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him suffered the cross, disregarding the shame, and is seated on the right hand of the throne of God.

⁴⁹ I have come to send fire on earth. And what is my desire, but that it were already kindled? ⁵⁰ But I must be baptized with a baptism – and how I am pained till it be ended! ⁵¹ Do you suppose that I have come to send peace on earth? I tell you no, but rather division. ⁵² For from henceforth there will be five in one house, divided three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ The father will be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

⁵⁴ Then he said to the people, When you see a cloud rise out of the west, straightaway you say we will have a rain shower, and so it is. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blow, you say we will have heat, and it comes to pass. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites, you know how to interpret the aspect of the earth and of the sky, but why is it that you cannot interpret this present time?