First Reading

Reading from the Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25, 1-12

On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem with his whole army; he besieged it and built siege towers all around it. The city remained besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

On the ninth day of the fourth month, when famine had become severe in the city and the people had nothing left to eat, a breach was made in the city wall. King Zedekiah and his men fled by night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, and while the Chaldeans surrounded the city, they escaped toward the Arabah.

The Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; his army scattered, leaving him alone. The Chaldeans captured the king and brought him to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, passed sentence on him. Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s sons slaughtered before his eyes, then put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in Babylon, Nebuzaradan, commander of the imperial guard and servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned down the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. The whole Chaldean army that was with the commander of the guard tore down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, along with those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, but he left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew

Mark 8, 1-4

At that time, when Jesus came down from the mountain, a large crowd followed him. Suddenly a man with leprosy approached him, knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”