Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

This psalm is a song that Asaph wrote.

Israel's enemies

⁵ At that time, I will come among you as your judge. I will speak clearly against those who have done wrong things. I will punish the magicians, the adulterers and those who tell lies against other people. I will punish those people who are cruel to their workers, or they deceive widows or children who have no family. And I will punish those who do not help foreigners who live among them. People who do those things show that they do not respect me.’

That is what the Lord Almighty says.

The Israelites are robbing God

⁶ ‘I am the Lord and I do not change. Because of my promises to my people, I have not destroyed you, descendants of Jacob. ⁷ I have told you my commands. But you do not listen to me any longer. You have not obeyed me, even since the time of your ancestors. Now, return to me! Then I will return to bless you.’

That is what the Lord Almighty says.

‘But you ask, “How do we return to you?”

⁸ I say to you, “A man should not rob God. But you are robbing me.”

But you ask, “How do we rob you?”

I say, “You do not give to me the tithes and the offerings that you should give.” ⁹ Yes, all of you are robbing me. The whole nation of Israel is guilty. So you will receive the punishment of a curse.

¹⁰ Now you must bring the whole tithe that belongs to me.^[a] Store it in my temple, so that there will be food in my house.^[b] Obey me and then see what I will do.’

That is what the Lord Almighty says.

‘You will see how much I will bless you! You will not have enough room to store all the good things that I will give to you. I will pour blessings out of the sky like rain. ¹¹ I will stop insects from eating your crops. The grapes will not fall from your vines before they are ready to eat. ¹² You will be happy to live in your land. The people of all the other nations will see that God has blessed you.’

That is what the Lord Almighty says.

Jesus helps a man who cannot walk

2 Several days after that, Jesus returned to Capernaum. People heard the news that he had come back to his home. ² Many people came into the house. The house was so full that there was no room, even outside the door. Jesus was teaching people about the good news. ³ Four men came. They were carrying another man on a mat. That man could not move his legs. ⁴ They could not reach Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above the place where Jesus was.^[a] They helped the man to go down through the hole. He was still lying on his mat. ⁵ Jesus saw the man and his friends. He knew that they believed in him. So he said to the man who could not walk, ‘My friend, I forgive you for your sins.’

⁶ But some teachers of God's Law were sitting there. They thought about the words that Jesus had spoken to the man. ⁷ They thought, ‘This man Jesus should not have said that. He is speaking as if he is God. Only God can forgive people for their sins.’

⁸ Immediately, Jesus knew in his spirit what the teachers were thinking. He said to them, ‘You should not think these things. ⁹ I said to this man who cannot walk, “I forgive you for your sins.” Instead, I could have said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Which of those is easier for me to say? ¹⁰ But I want you to know this. I, the Son of Man, have authority on earth to forgive people for their sins.’^[b] Then he said to the man who could not walk, ¹¹ ‘I am saying to you, stand up! Pick up your mat and go home.’ ¹² Immediately, the man stood up. He picked up his mat and he walked out of the house. Everyone watched him do this. The people were very surprised. They praised God and they said, ‘God is great. We have never seen anything like this before.’