Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double^(A) portion of your spirit,”^(B) Elisha replied.

¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire^(C) and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven^(D) in a whirlwind.^{(E) 12} Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots^(F) and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore^(G) it in two.

¹³ Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the cloak^(H) that had fallen from Elijah and struck^(I) the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

¹⁵ The company^(J) of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit^(K) of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. ¹⁶ “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit^(L) of the Lord has picked him up^(M) and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹⁷ But they persisted until he was too embarrassed^(N) to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

Healing of the Water

¹⁹ The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

²⁰ “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

²¹ Then he went out to the spring and threw^(O) the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” ²² And the water has remained pure^(P) to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

¹⁷ “Now, fellow Israelites,^(A) I know that you acted in ignorance,^(B) as did your leaders.^{(C) 18} But this is how God fulfilled^(D) what he had foretold^(E) through all the prophets,^(F) saying that his Messiah would suffer.^{(G) 19} Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,^(H) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah,^(I) who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹ Heaven must receive him^(J) until the time comes for God to restore everything,^(K) as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.^{(L) 22} For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.^{(M) 23} Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’^[a](N)

²⁴ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets^(O) who have spoken have foretold these days. ²⁵ And you are heirs^(P) of the prophets and of the covenant^(Q) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’^{[b](R) 26} When God raised up^(S) his servant, he sent him first^(T) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard^(U) and the Sadducees^(V) came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ² They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.^{(W) 3} They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail^(X) until the next day. ⁴ But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew^(Y) to about five thousand.