Thanksgiving for Escaping Death

A psalm of David. A song for ·giving the Temple to the Lord [^Lthe dedication of the Temple; ^Cperhaps written by David in anticipation of the dedication of the Temple under Solomon; the connection with healing is uncertain].

³² When Elisha came into the house, the boy was lying dead on ·his [Elisha’s] bed. ³³ Elisha entered the room and shut the door on the two of them. Then he prayed to the Lord. ³⁴ He went to the bed and lay on the boy, putting his mouth on the boy’s mouth, his eyes on the boy’s eyes, and his hands on the boy’s hands. He stretched himself out on top of the boy. Soon the boy’s ·skin [body; ^Lflesh] became warm. ³⁵ Elisha ·turned away [got up] and walked ·around [back and forth once across] the room. Then he went back and ·put himself [stretched out] on the boy again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

³⁶ Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite!” So he did. When she came, Elisha said, “·Pick up [Take] your son.” ³⁷ She came in and fell at Elisha’s feet, bowing facedown to the floor. Then she ·picked up [took] her son and went out.

Jesus Sends Out the Apostles^(A)

9 Jesus called ·the twelve apostles [^Lthe Twelve] together and gave them power and authority ·over all [to cast out] demons and the ability to heal ·sicknesses [diseases]. ² He sent the ·apostles [^Lthem] out to ·tell about [preach; proclaim] God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. ³ He said to them, “Take nothing for your ·trip [journey], neither a ·walking stick [staff], ·bag [or beggar’s bag], ·bread [food], money, or ·extra clothes [^Ltwo shirts/tunics]. ⁴ When you enter a house, stay there ·until it is time to leave [^Land depart from there; ^Cprobably to avoid temptation to move to better accommodations]. ⁵ If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off of your feet [^Ca sign of rejection and coming judgment] as you leave the town, as a ·warning to [testimony/evidence against] them.”

⁶ So the apostles went out and traveled ·through all the towns [from town to town], ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·Good News [Gospel] and healing people everywhere.

Praise God for What He Has Done

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹⁰ All the land south of Jerusalem from Geba [^Csix miles northeast of Jerusalem, the northern boundary of Judah] to ·Rimmon [^Cthirty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem] will be ·turned into a plain [or like the Arabah; ^Cthe Jordan Valley, from Mount Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba]. Jerusalem will be raised up, but it will stay in the same place. The city will reach from the Benjamin Gate and to the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. ¹¹ People will live there, and it will never be destroyed again. Jerusalem will ·be safe [dwell in security].

¹² But the Lord will bring a terrible ·disease [plague] on the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still standing up. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. ¹³ ·At that time [^LOn that day] the Lord will cause panic. Everybody will grab ·his [^Lthe hand of his] neighbor, and they will ·attack each other [^Lraise his hand against the hand of his neighbor]. ¹⁴ ·The people of Judah [^LJudah] will fight in Jerusalem. And the wealth of the nations around them will be collected—much gold, silver, and clothes. ¹⁵ A similar ·disease [plague] will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals in the camps.

¹⁶ All of those left alive of the ·people [nations] who came to fight Jerusalem will come back to Jerusalem year after year to worship the King, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], and to celebrate the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles; Deut. 31:9–13]. ¹⁷ Anyone from the nations who does not go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], will not have rain fall on his land. ¹⁸ If the Egyptians do not go to Jerusalem, they will not have rain. Then the Lord will send them the same ·terrible disease [plague] he sent the other nations that did not celebrate the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles]. ¹⁹ This will be the punishment for Egypt and any nation that does not go up to celebrate the Feast of Shelters.

²⁰ ·At that time [^LOn that day] the horses’ bells will have written on them: holy to the lord. The cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be like the holy altar bowls. ²¹ Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], and everyone who offers sacrifices will be able to take food from them and cook in them. ·At that time [^LOn that day] there will not be any ·buyers or sellers [or Canaanite] in the Temple of the Lord [Matt. 21:12–13; John 2:13–16] ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].

Jesus Sends Out the Apostles^(A)

9 Jesus called ·the twelve apostles [^Lthe Twelve] together and gave them power and authority ·over all [to cast out] demons and the ability to heal ·sicknesses [diseases]. ² He sent the ·apostles [^Lthem] out to ·tell about [preach; proclaim] God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. ³ He said to them, “Take nothing for your ·trip [journey], neither a ·walking stick [staff], ·bag [or beggar’s bag], ·bread [food], money, or ·extra clothes [^Ltwo shirts/tunics]. ⁴ When you enter a house, stay there ·until it is time to leave [^Land depart from there; ^Cprobably to avoid temptation to move to better accommodations]. ⁵ If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off of your feet [^Ca sign of rejection and coming judgment] as you leave the town, as a ·warning to [testimony/evidence against] them.”

⁶ So the apostles went out and traveled ·through all the towns [from town to town], ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·Good News [Gospel] and healing people everywhere.