Psalm 77

God’s Mighty Deeds Recalled

To the leader: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A Psalm.

¹³ Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. So the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.^{(A) 14} Look, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” ¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he set out and went down with him to the king^{(B) 16} and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.”^(C)

Death of Ahaziah

¹⁷ So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. His brother^[a] Jehoram succeeded him as king in the second year of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.^{(D) 18} Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

³ The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”^(A)

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.^{(B) 5} The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”^(C)

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

²¹ He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone,^{(A) 22} saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.”^(B)

²³ Then he said to them all, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.^{(C) 24} For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.^{(D) 25} For what does it profit them if they gain the whole world but lose or forfeit themselves?^{(E) 26} Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.^{(F) 27} Indeed, truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”^(G)