Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of ^rthe temple.

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

1 ^lNaaman, ^mcommander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.¹ 2 Now the Syrians on ⁿone of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, ^otaking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels² of gold, and ten ^pchanges of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, ^qhe tore his clothes and said, ^r“Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only ^sconsider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

8 But when Elisha the ^tman of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ^u“Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana³ and Pharpar, the rivers of ^vDamascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, ^w“My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, ^xand his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, ^yand he was clean.

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

1 After this the Lord appointed ^xseventy-two¹ others and ^ysent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 ^zAnd he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ^aTherefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; ^bbehold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 ^cCarry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and ^dgreet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ^e‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, ^fit will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for ^gthe laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ^h‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ⁱ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that ^jthe kingdom of God has come near.’

16 ^r“The one who hears you hears me, and ^sthe one who rejects you rejects me, and ^tthe one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

The Return of the Seventy-Two

17 ^uThe seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, ^veven the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, ^w“I saw Satan ^xfall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority ^yto tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of ^zthe enemy, and ^anothing shall hurt you. 20 ^bNevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that ^cyour names are written in heaven.”

Bear One Another’s Burdens

1 Brothers,^{1 o}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^pyou who are spiritual should restore him in ^qa spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 ^rBear one another’s burdens, and ^sso fulfill ^tthe law of Christ. 3 For ^uif anyone thinks he is something, ^vwhen he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one ^wtest his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For ^xeach will have to bear his own load.

6 ^yLet the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 ^zDo not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^awhatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For ^bthe one who sows to his own flesh ^cwill from the flesh reap corruption, but ^dthe one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And ^elet us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^fif we do not give up. 10 So then, ^gas we have opportunity, let us ^hdo good to everyone, and especially to those who are ⁱof the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you ^jwith my own hand. 12 ^kIt is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^lwho would force you to be circumcised, and only ^min order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast ⁿexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which² the world ^ohas been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For ^pneither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^qa new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, ^rpeace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^sthe Israel of God.