15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; (A)and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint (B)Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And (C)Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

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15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael(A) king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint(B) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha(C) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah(D) to succeed you as prophet.

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Elisha Follows Elijah

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his (A)mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, (B)“Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.”

And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and (C)boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

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The Call of Elisha

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak(A) around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”(B) he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen(C) and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.(D)

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The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory

A (A)Michtam of David.

16 Preserve[a] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
(B)My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in (C)whom is all my delight.”

Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of (D)blood I will not offer,
(E)Nor take up their names on my lips.

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You [b]maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My [c]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
(F)I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will [d]rest in hope.
10 (G)For You will not leave my soul in [e]Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to [f]see corruption.
11 You will show me the (H)path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 16:1 Watch over
  2. Psalm 16:5 Lit. uphold
  3. Psalm 16:7 Mind, lit. kidneys
  4. Psalm 16:9 Or dwell securely
  5. Psalm 16:10 The abode of the dead
  6. Psalm 16:10 undergo

Psalm 16

A miktam[a] of David.

Keep me safe,(A) my God,
    for in you I take refuge.(B)

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(C)
    apart from you I have no good thing.”(D)
I say of the holy people(E) who are in the land,(F)
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods(G) will suffer(H) more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names(I) on my lips.

Lord, you alone are my portion(J) and my cup;(K)
    you make my lot(L) secure.
The boundary lines(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.(N)
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(O)
    even at night(P) my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,(Q) I will not be shaken.(R)

Therefore my heart is glad(S) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,(T)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(U)
    nor will you let your faithful[b] one(V) see decay.(W)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(X)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,(Y)
    with eternal pleasures(Z) at your right hand.(AA)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 16:10 Or holy

Christian Liberty

(A)Stand[a] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a (B)yoke of bondage.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:1 NU For freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast therefore, and

Freedom in Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.(A) Stand firm,(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.(C)

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13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only (A)do not use liberty as an (B)opportunity for the flesh, but (C)through love serve one another. 14 For (D)all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: (E)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Walking in the Spirit

16 I say then: (F)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For (G)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, (H)so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But (I)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now (J)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that (K)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But (L)the fruit of the Spirit is (M)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, (N)goodness, (O)faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. (P)Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s (Q)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 (R)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:19 NU omits adultery
  2. Galatians 5:19 sexual immorality
  3. Galatians 5:21 NU omits murders
  4. Galatians 5:23 meekness

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.(A) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a];(B) rather, serve one another(C) humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](D) 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,(E) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.(F) 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.(G) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.(H) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,(I) you are not under the law.(J)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,(K) impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.(L) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.(M)

22 But the fruit(N) of the Spirit is love,(O) joy, peace,(P) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.(Q) Against such things there is no law.(R) 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh(S) with its passions and desires.(T) 25 Since we live by the Spirit,(U) let us keep in step with the Spirit.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
  2. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
  3. Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior

51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for (A)Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But (B)they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples (C)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, [a]just as (D)Elijah did?”

55 But He turned and rebuked them, [b]and said, “You do not know what manner of (E)spirit you are of. 56 [c]For (F)the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. And they went to another village.

The Cost of Discipleship(G)

57 (H)Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man (I)has nowhere to lay His head.”

59 (J)Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

61 And another also said, “Lord, (K)I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is (L)fit for the kingdom of God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 9:54 NU omits just as Elijah did
  2. Luke 9:55 NU omits the rest of v. 55.
  3. Luke 9:56 NU omits For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.

Samaritan Opposition

51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,(A) Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.(B) 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan(C) village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John(D) saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?”(E) 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus(F)

57 As they were walking along the road,(G) a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man(H) has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”(I)

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”(J)

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”(K)

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 9:54 Some manuscripts them, just as Elijah did