Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

42 As the deer desires rivers of water, so my soul desires You, O God. ² My soul is thirsty for God, for the living God. When will I come and meet with God? ³ My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” ⁴ These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with many people and lead them to the house of God, with the voice of thankful joy, among the many happy people.

⁵ Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise Him again for His help of being near me. ⁶ O my God, my soul is troubled within me. So I remember You from the land of the Jordan and the tops of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. ⁷ Sea calls to sea at the sound of Your waterfalls. All Your waves have rolled over me. ⁸ The Lord will send His loving-kindness in the day. And His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I have sorrow because those who hate me come against me with power?” ¹⁰ As a breaking of my bones, those who hate me speak sharp words to me. All day long they say to me, “Where is your God?” ¹¹ Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my help and my God.

The Lord Promises to Build Jerusalem Again

8 Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, ² “The Lord of All says, ‘I am very jealous for Zion. I am jealous for her with much anger.’ ³ The Lord says, ‘I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of All will be called the Holy Mountain.’ ⁴ The Lord of All says, ‘Old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem again. Each man will have a walking stick in his hand because he will be old. ⁵ And the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.’ ⁶ The Lord of All says, ‘It may be wonderful to the few people here in those days, but will it be wonderful to Me also?’ says the Lord of All. ⁷ The Lord of All says, ‘I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. ⁸ I will bring them back and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be My people and I will be their God. I will be faithful and do what is right and good for them.’

⁹ “The Lord of All says, ‘You who are now listening to these words spoken through the men of God who were there when the Lord’s house was started, let your hands be strong for building the Lord’s house. ¹⁰ Before that time there was no pay for man or animal. No one could come in or go out in peace because of those who hated him. I turned people against one another. ¹¹ But now I will not do to the rest of these people as I did in the past,’ says the Lord of All. ¹² ‘The seed will grow in peace. The vine will give its fruit. The land will give its food. The heavens will give water on the grass in the early morning. And I will let the rest of this people have all these things. ¹³ O people of Judah and Israel, just as you were a curse among the nations, I will save you and make you something good. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong.’

¹⁴ “The Lord of All says, ‘I wanted to hurt you because your fathers made Me angry. ¹⁵ But now I want to do good to Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. Do not be afraid. ¹⁶ These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another. Judge with truth so there will be peace within your gates. ¹⁷ Do not make sinful plans against one another in your hearts. And do not love to make false promises. For I hate all these things,’ says the Lord.”

Peter’s Mother-In-Law Healed ^(A)

¹⁴ Jesus came to Peter’s house. He saw Peter’s wife’s mother in bed. She was very sick. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the sickness left her. She got up and cared for Jesus.

Many People Are Healed ^(B)

¹⁶ That evening they brought to Jesus many people who had demons in them. The demons were put out when Jesus spoke to them. All the sick people were healed. ¹⁷ It happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen. He said, “He took on Himself our sickness and carried away our diseases.” ^(C)

Demons Ask Jesus to Let Them Live in Pigs ^(A)

²⁸ Jesus came to the other side of the lake into the country of the Gadarenes. Two men came to Him from among the graves. They had demons in them and were very wild men. They were so bad that no one would go near them. ²⁹ They called out, saying, “What do You want of us, You Son of God? Have You come here to make us suffer before it is our time to suffer?”

³⁰ A long way from there many pigs were eating. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, saying, “If You put us out, send us into the pigs.” ³² Jesus said to the demons, “Go!” They came out of the men and went into the pigs. At once the pigs ran down the mountain side. They fell into the water and died.

³³ The men who cared for the pigs ran fast into the city and told everything. They told what happened to the men who had the demons. ³⁴ Every person in the city came to meet Jesus. When they saw Jesus, they asked Him to leave their country.