Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Abram Journeys to Egypt

12 Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram,

⁴ So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. ⁵ Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the people (servants) which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, ⁶ Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the [great] terebinth (oak) tree of Moreh. Now the ^[b]Canaanites were in the land at that time. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to [honor] the Lord who had appeared to him. ⁸ Then he moved on from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving]. ⁹ Then Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev (the South country of Judah).

Praise to the Creator and Preserver.

¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through [observing the requirements of] the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.^{(A) 14} If those who are [followers] of the Law are [the true] heirs [of Abraham], then faith [leading to salvation] is of no effect and void, and the promise [of God] is nullified. ¹⁵ For the Law results in [God’s] wrath [against sin], but where there is no law, there is no violation [of it either].

¹⁶ Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]—not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all— ¹⁷ (as it is written [in Scripture], “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the sight of Him in whom he believed, that is, God ^[a]who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.^{(B) 18} In hope against hope Abraham believed that he would become a father of many nations, as he had been promised [by God]: “So [numberless] shall your descendants be.”^{(C) 19} Without becoming weak in faith he considered his own body, now as good as dead [for producing children] since he was about a hundred years old, and [he considered] the deadness of Sarah’s womb.^{(D) 20} But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised. ²² Therefore his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).^{(E) 23} Now not for his sake alone was it written that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but for our sake also—to whom righteousness will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead— ²⁵ who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].

Matthew Called

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And Matthew got up and followed Him.^(A)

¹⁰ Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ^[a]sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”^(B)

Miracles of Healing

¹⁸ While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”^{(A) 19} Jesus got up and began to accompany the ruler, with His disciples.

²⁰ Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe;^{(B) 21} for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.” ²² But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed.

²³ When Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players [who were professional, hired mourners] and the [grieving] crowd making an uproar, ²⁴ He said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed and jeered at Him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶ And the news about this spread throughout all that district.