Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

⁹ Then the Lord stretched out His hand and ^(J)touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance.

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

^18 (A)For you have not come to ^(B)a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, ¹⁹ and to the ^(C)blast of a trumpet and the ^(D)sound of words which sound was such that those who heard ^(E)begged that no further word be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not bear the command, “^(F)If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” ²¹ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “^(G)I am full of fear and trembling.” ²² But ^(H)you have come to Mount Zion and to ^(I)the city of ^(J)the living God, ^(K)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(L)myriads of ^[a]angels, ²³ to the general assembly and ^(M)church of the firstborn who ^(N)are enrolled in heaven, and to God, ^(O)the Judge of all, and to the ^(P)spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the ^(Q)mediator of a new covenant, and to the ^(R)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than ^(S)the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom

^25 (T)See to it that you do not refuse Him who is ^(U)speaking. For ^(V)if those did not escape when they ^(W)refused him who ^(X)warned them on earth, ^[b]much less will we escape who turn away from Him who ^(Y)warns from heaven. ²⁶ And ^(Z)His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “^(AA)Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes ^(AB)the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a ^(AC)kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us ^[c]show gratitude, by which we may ^(AD)offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for ^(AE)our God is a consuming fire.

Healing on the Sabbath

¹⁰ And He was ^(A)teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had ^(B)a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” ¹³ And He ^(C)laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began ^(D)glorifying God. ¹⁴ But ^(E)the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus ^(F)had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “^(G)There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ But ^(H)the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, ^(I)does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? ¹⁶ And this woman, ^(J)a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom ^(K)Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” ¹⁷ As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and ^(L)the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.