Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 35
Prayer for Victory
Davidic.
1 Oppose my opponents, Lord;
fight those who fight me.(A)
2 Take Your shields—large and small—
and come to my aid.(B)
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers,
and assure me: “I am your deliverance.”(C)
4 Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who plan to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.(D)
5 Let them be like chaff in the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away.(E)
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(F)
7 They hid their net for me without cause;
they dug a pit for me without cause.(G)
8 Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his ruin.(H)
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
29 This is the text of the letter(A) that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar(B) had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah,[a](C) the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah(D) whom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter stated:
4 This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them.(E) Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf,(F) for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”
8 For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you(G) and your diviners deceive you,(H) and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them.”(I) This is the Lord’s declaration.
10 For this is what the Lord says: “When 70 years for Babylon are complete,(J) I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you”(K)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.(L) 13 You will seek Me(M) and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes[b](N) and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.”(O)
Demons Driven Out by the Master
5 Then(A) they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 As soon as He got out of the boat, a man with an unclean(B) spirit(C) came out of the tombs(D) and met Him. 3 He lived in the tombs.(E) No one was able to restrain him anymore—even with chains(F)— 4 because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had snapped off the chains and smashed(G) the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue(H) him. 5 And always, night(I) and day, he was crying out among the tombs(J) and in the mountains(K) and cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do You have to do with me,[b] Jesus, Son(L) of the Most High God?(M) I beg[c] You before God, don’t torment(N) me!” 8 For He had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean(O) spirit!”(P)
9 “What is your name?” He asked him.
“My name is Legion,”[d](Q) he answered Him, “because we are many.” 10 And he kept begging Him not to send them out of the region.
11 Now a large herd of pigs(R) was there, feeding(S) on the hillside. 12 The demons[e] begged Him, “Send us to the pigs, so we may enter them.” 13 And He gave them permission. Then the unclean(T) spirits(U) came out and entered the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there. 14 The men who tended them[f] ran off(V) and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed(W) by the legion,(X) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;(Y) and they were afraid.(Z) 16 The eyewitnesses described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed(AA) man and told about the pigs. 17 Then they began to beg Him to leave their region.
18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging Him to be with Him. 19 But He would not let him; instead, He told him, “Go back home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord(AB) has done(AC) for you and how He has had mercy on you.” 20 So he went out and began to proclaim(AD) in the Decapolis(AE) how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.(AF)
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