Book of Common Prayer
To the Director of music: A Psalm. A song.
A Song of Praise to God
68 God arises,
and his enemies are scattered.
Those who hate him flee from his presence.[a]
2 As smoke is driven away, so you drive them away.
As wax melts in the presence of fire,
so the wicked die in the presence of God.
3 But the righteous rejoice and exult before God;
they are overwhelmed with joy.
4 Sing to God!
Sing praise to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds.
The Lord is his name.
Be jubilant in his presence.
5 A father to orphans and an advocate for widows
is God in his holy dwelling place.
6 God causes the lonely to dwell in families.[b]
He leads prisoners into prosperity,
but rebels live on parched land.
7 God, when you led out your people,
when you marched through the desert,
8 the land quaked.
Indeed, the heavens poured down rain
from the presence of God,
this God of Sinai,
from the presence of God,
the God of Israel.
9 God, you poured out abundant rain on your inheritance.
When Israel[c] was weary, you sustained her.
10 Your people live[d] there;
you sustain the needy[e] with your goodness, God.
11 The Lord issues a command.
Numerous are the women who announce the news:
12 “Kings of armies retreat and flee,
while the lady of the house divides the spoil.
13 When you men lie down among the sheepfolds,
you are like[f] the wings of the dove covered with silver,
with its feathers in glittering gold.”
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings there,
there was snow on Mt. Zalmon.
15 The mountain of God is as the mountain of Bashan;
a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.
16 You mountains of many peaks, why do you watch with envy
the mountain in which God has chosen to dwell?
Indeed, the Lord will live there forever.
17 God’s chariots were many thousands.
The Lord was there with them at Sinai in holiness.
18 You ascended to the heights,
you took captives.
You received gifts among mankind,
even the rebellious,
so the Lord God may live there.[g]
19 Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us.
God is our deliverer.
20 God is for us the God of our deliverance.
The Lord God rescues us from death.
Elijah is Taken to Heaven
2 As the time drew near when the Lord was about to take Elijah to heaven in a wind storm, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah instructed Elisha, “Remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me as far as Bethel.”
But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives, I’m not going to leave you while you’re still alive!” So they both went on to Bethel.
3 When the Guild of Prophets[a] who lived in Bethel came out to greet Elisha, they asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the Lord is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”[b]
“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”
4 Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”
But Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went to Jericho.
5 The Guild of Prophets who lived in Jericho approached Elisha and asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the Lord is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”[c]
“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”
6 Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me to the Jordan River.”[d]
But Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went on their way,[e] 7 accompanied by 50 men from the Guild of Prophets, who stood at a short distance from them while they were both standing by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took off his ornamented cloak, wrapped it up in a roll, struck the water, and all of a sudden the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood still opposite the other until the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed the Jordan River,[f] Elijah invited Elisha, “Ask me what you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you.”
So Elisha asked, “Please, may there be a double portion of[g] your spirit upon me!”
10 “That’s a hard thing to ask for,” Elijah answered, “but if you see me while I’m being taken from you, it will happen for you. But if you don’t see me, it won’t happen.”
11 As they continued on, talking as they went, suddenly chariots blazing with fire and pulled by fiery horses appeared, separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a wind storm to heaven! 12 As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!”[h] Then he did not see Elijah anymore.
After this, Elisha[i] gripped his clothes that he was wearing, tore them apart into two pieces, 13 picked up Elijah’s ornamented cloak that had fallen from him, and went back to stand on the bank of the Jordan River.[j] 14 Elisha[k] took hold of Elijah’s ornamental cloak that had been left behind,[l] struck the water, and cried out: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” All of a sudden, after he had struck the water, the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood opposite the other, and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha is Recognized as Elijah’s Successor
15 As soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha,[m] they began to announce, “The spirit[n] of Elijah is at rest on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him and they greeted him by bowing low to the ground in front of him.
The Vision of the Scroll with Seven Seals
5 Then I saw in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the outside, sealed with seven seals. 2 I also saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside it. 4 I began to cry bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.
5 “Stop crying,” one of the elders told me. “Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered. He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
The Vision of the Lamb Taking the Scroll
6 Then I saw a lamb standing in the middle of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders. He looked[a] like he had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne.
8 When the lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of the saints. 9 They sang a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals,
because you were slaughtered.
With your blood you purchased us[b] for God
from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
10 You made us[c] a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
The Vision of the Song of the Lamb
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels, the living creatures, and the elders surrounding the throne. They numbered 10,000’s times 10,000 and thousands times thousands. 12 They sang with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered
to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise!”
13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and everything that is in them, saying,
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb
be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever!”
14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!”, and the elders bowed down and worshipped.
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