⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”

^17 (A)And I will come down and talk with you there. And ^(B)I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and ^(C)they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

¹⁷ but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is ^(A)the firstfruits of his strength. ^(B)The right of the firstborn is his.

⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for ^(A)if I do not go away, ^(B)the Helper will not come to you. But ^(C)if ^(D)I go, ^(E)I will send him to you.

^8 (A)On that day ^(B)the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that ^(C)the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, ^(D)like the angel of the Lord, going before them.

⁹ O Lord God, ^(A)let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous ^(B)as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Give me now wisdom and knowledge to ^(C)go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?”

²⁵ Then ^(A)the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

²⁵ And now, behold, ^(A)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(B)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore ^(C)I testify to you this day that ^(D)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for ^(E)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(F)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (G)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(H)the flock, in which ^(I)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(J)overseers, ^(K)to care for ^(L)the church of God,^[a] which he ^(M)obtained ^(N)with his own blood.^{[b] 29} I ^(O)know that after my departure ^(P)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(Q)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(R)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(S)be alert, remembering that ^(T)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(U)to admonish every one ^(V)with tears. ³² And now ^(W)I commend you to God and to ^(X)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(Y)build you up and to give you ^(Z)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ^33 (AA)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ^34 (AB)You yourselves know that ^(AC)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(AD)to those who were with me. ³⁵ In all things ^(AE)I have shown you that ^(AF)by working hard in this way we must ^(AG)help the weak and ^(AH)remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed ^(AI)to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, ^(AJ)he knelt down and prayed with them all.

¹⁷ Then ^(A)they laid their hands on them and ^(B)they received the Holy Spirit.