[Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTIETH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 
October 10, (Proper 23) according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal 
(ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common 
Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard 
Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and 
C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 29: 1, 4 - 7   (RCL)

Jere 29:1 (NRSV) These are the words of the letter that the prophet 
Jeremi'ah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and 
to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnez'zar had 
taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I 
have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in 
them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons 
and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in 
marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not 
decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into 
exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find 
your welfare.


Micah 1: 2, 2: 1 - 10   (Can. BAS)

Mica 1:2 (NRSV) Hear, you peoples, all of you;
listen, O earth, and all that is in it;
and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.

2:1 Alas for those who devise wickedness
and evil deeds on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in their power.
2 They covet fields, and seize them;
houses, and take them away;
they oppress householder and house,
people and their inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the LORD:
Now, I am devising against this family an evil
from which you cannot remove your necks;
and you shall not walk haughtily,
for it will be an evil time.
4 On that day they shall take up a taunt song against you,
and wail with bitter lamentation,
and say, "We are utterly ruined;
the LORD alters the inheritance of my people;
how he removes it from me!
Among our captors he parcels out our fields."
5 Therefore you will have no one to cast the line by lot
in the assembly of the LORD.
6 "Do not preach"-thus they preach-
""one should not preach of such things;
disgrace will not overtake us."
7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
Is the LORD's patience exhausted?
Are these his doings?
Do not my words do good
to one who walks uprightly?
8 But you rise up against my people as an enemy;
you strip the robe from the peaceful,
from those who pass by trustingly
with no thought of war.
9 The women of my people you drive out
from their pleasant houses;
from their young children you take away
my glory forever.
10 Arise and go;
for this is no place to rest,
because of uncleanness that destroys
with a grievous destruction.


2 Kings 5: 1 - 3, 7 - 15c (alt. for RCL)
2 Kings 5: 14 - 17 (Roman Catholic)

2Kin 5:1 (NRSV) Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Ar'am, was a 
great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had 
given victory to Ar'am. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from 
leprosy. 2 Now the Arame'ans on one of their raids had taken a young girl 
captive from the land of Israel, and she served Na'aman's wife. 3 She said 
to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! 
He would cure him of his leprosy."
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am 
I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man 
of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with 
me."
8 But when Eli'sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his 
clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let 
him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So 
Na'aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of 
Eli'sha's house. 10 Eli'sha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in 
the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be 
clean." 11 But Na'aman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that 
for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD 
his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are 
not Aba'na and Phar'par, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters 
of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away 
in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the 
prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done 
it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So 
he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to 
the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young 
boy, and he was clean.
15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and 
stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth 
except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant." 16 But he 
said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!" He urged him 
to accept, but he refused. 17 Then Na'aman said, "If not, please let two 
mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no 
longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the LORD.


PSALM 66: 1 - 12 (RCL)

Psal 66:1 (NRSV) Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name." [Se'lah]
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There we rejoiced in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- 
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. [Se'lah]
8 Bless our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept us among the living,
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid burdens on our backs;
12 you let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.

Note: Verse numbeirng in your psalter may differ from the above.


Psalm 26   (Can. BAS)

Psal 26:1 (NRSV) Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.
4 I do not sit with the worthless,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;
5 I hate the company of evildoers,
and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and go around your altar, O LORD,
7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O LORD, I love the house in which you dwell,
and the place where your glory abides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 those in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the LORD.


Psalm 111 (alt. for RCL)

Psal 111:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.


Psalm 98: 1 - 4 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 98:1 (NRSV) O sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.


NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Timothy 2: 8 - 15 (RCL)
                                    2 Timothy 2: 8 - 13 (Roman Catholic)

2Tim 2:8 (NRSV) 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant 
of David--that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the 
point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may 
also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 
The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful-- 
for he cannot deny himself.
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid 
wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are 
listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by 
him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of 
truth.


GOSPEL: Luke 17: 11 - 19 (all)

Luke 17:11 (NRSV) On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region 
between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers 
approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, "Jesus, 
Master, have mercy on us!" 14 When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and 
show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. 15 
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God 
with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. 
And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But 
the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give 
praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Get up and go 
on your way; your faith has made you well."


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu