Scripture Readings

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
For Year B

Scripture readings are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Old Testament
Psalm
Epistle Reading
Gospel Reading

Old Testament

Forget the former things;
     do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
     Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
     and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor me,
     the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
     and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
     the people I formed for myself
     that they may proclaim my praise.
"Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
     you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.
You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
     nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
     nor wearied you with demands for incense.
You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
     or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
     and wearied me with your offenses.
I, even I, am he who blots out
     your transgressions, for my own sake,
     and remembers your sins no more.
—Isaiah 43:18-25, NIV

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Psalm

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
     the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
The LORD will protect him and preserve his life;
     he will bless him in the land
     and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed
     and restore him from his bed of illness.
I said, “O LORD, have mercy on me;
     heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
     ”When will he die and his name perish?”
Whenever one comes to see me,
     he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
     then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
All my enemies whisper together against me;
     they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has beset him;
     he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
     he who shared my bread,
     has lifted up his heel against me.
But you, O LORD, have mercy on me;
     raise me up, that I may repay them.
I know that you are pleased with me,
     for my enemy does not triumph over me.
In my integrity you uphold me
     and set me in your presence forever.
Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
     from everlasting to everlasting.
     Amen and Amen.
—Psalm 41, NIV

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Epistle

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
—2 Corinthians 1:18-22, NIV

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Gospel

     A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
     Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
     Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
—Mark 2:1-12, NIV

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