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¹⁸ Do not remember the former things,
   or consider the things of old.
¹⁹ I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert.
²⁰ The wild animals will honour me,
   the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
   rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
²¹   the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

²² Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
   but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
²³ You have not brought me your sheep for burnt-offerings,
   or honoured me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
   or wearied you with frankincense.
²⁴ You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
   or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
   you have wearied me with your iniquities.

²⁵ I, I am He
   who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
   and I will not remember your sins.

Psalm 41

1  Blessed are those who consider the poor and needy; ♦︎
   the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble.
2  The Lord preserves them and restores their life,
      that they may be happy in the land; ♦︎
   he will not hand them over to the will of their enemies.
3  The Lord sustains them on their sickbed; ♦︎
   their sickness, Lord, you will remove.
4  And so I said, ‘Lord, be merciful to me; ♦︎
   heal me, for I have sinned against you.’
5  My enemies speak evil about me, ♦︎
   asking when I shall die and my name perish.
6  If they come to see me, they utter empty words; ♦︎
   their heart gathers mischief;
      when they go out, they tell it abroad.
7  All my enemies whisper together against me, ♦︎
   against me they devise evil,
8  Saying that a deadly thing has laid hold on me, ♦︎
   and that I will not rise again from where I lie.
9  Even my bosom friend, whom I trusted,
      who ate of my bread, ♦︎
   has lifted up his heel against me.
10  But you, O Lord, be merciful to me ♦︎
   and raise me up, that I may reward them.
11  By this I know that you favour me, ♦︎
   that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12  Because of my integrity you uphold me ♦︎
   and will set me before your face for ever.
13  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, ♦︎
   from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

¹⁸As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been ‘Yes and No.’ ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not ‘Yes and No’; but in him it is always ‘Yes.’ ²⁰For in him every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes.’ For this reason it is through him that we say the ‘Amen’, to the glory of God. ²¹But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, ²²by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ²So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. ³Then some people^* came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. ⁴And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. ⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ ⁶Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ ⁸At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? ¹⁰But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ ¹²And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’