Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 93

Psalm 96^(A)

Psalm 34

A Psalm of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he departed.

Elisha Raises the Shunammite’s Son

⁸ One day Elisha passed through Shunem, and a noble woman was there who urged him to eat a meal. So whenever he passed through, he stopped there to eat a meal. ⁹ And she said to her husband, “I know that he is a holy man of God regularly passing through near us. ¹⁰ Let us make a little walled upper room and put for him there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so when he comes to us he can stay there.”

¹¹ One day he came by there, and he turned aside to the upper room and lay down. ¹² He said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she stood before him. ¹³ He said to him, “Say to her, Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What may be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king, or to the captain of the army?”

And she answered, “I am living among my people.”

¹⁴ He said, “What may be done for her?”

And Gehazi said, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

¹⁵ He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the entrance. ¹⁶ He said, “At this season, when it is time, you will embrace a son.”

And she said, “No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to your servant.”

¹⁷ But the woman conceived and bore a son at that season, at the time that Elisha had told her.

¹⁸ When the child was older, he went out one day to his father with the reapers. ¹⁹ He said to his father, “My head, my head!”

And he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ²⁰ When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, the boy sat on her knees until noon, and died. ²¹ She went up, and laid him down on the bed of the man of God, shut the door on him, and went out.

²² Then she called to her husband, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may run to the man of God and return.”

²³ He said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither New Moon nor Sabbath.”

She said, “It will be all right.”

²⁴ Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on, and do not hold back for me unless I tell you.” ²⁵ So she went and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

And when the man of God saw her far off, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, over there is the Shunammite woman. ²⁶ Now run to meet her, and say to her, Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is the child all right?”

And she said, “It is all right.”

²⁷ When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she grabbed his feet. Gehazi approached to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

²⁸ Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, Do not give me false hope?”

²⁹ Then he said to Gehazi, “Prepare yourself, take my staff in your hand, and go. If you find anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him, and lay my staff on the face of the boy.”

³⁰ Then the boy’s mother said, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave without you.” And he got up and followed her.

³¹ Gehazi passed through ahead of them and laid the staff on the face of the boy, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The boy is not awake.”

³² When Elisha came into the house, he saw that the boy was dead, lying on his bed. ³³ So he went in, and shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. ³⁴ He went up and lay on the child, put his face on his face, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. Then he bent over the child, and the child’s flesh warmed. ³⁵ Then he got down, walked once back and forth in the house, and went up, and bent over him; the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.

³⁶ Then Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her, and she came to him. Then he said, “Pick up your son.” ³⁷ Then she came in, fell at his feet, and bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

¹⁰ A disciple named Ananias was in Damascus. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”

He said, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Rise and go to Straight Street, and inquire at Judas’ house for someone named Saul of Tarsus, for he is praying, ¹² and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he may see again.”

¹³ Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evil things he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go your way. For this man is a chosen vessel of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the sons of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

¹⁷ Then Ananias went his way and entered the house. Putting his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. And he rose up and was baptized. ¹⁹ When he had eaten, he was strengthened.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days Saul was with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ Immediately he preached in the synagogues that the Christ is the Son of God. ²¹ All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this he who killed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and came here with that intent, to bring them bound to the chief priests?” ²² Yet Saul increased all the more with power and confounded the Jews living in Damascus, proving that this One is the Christ.

Saul Escapes from the Jews

²³ After many days had passed, the Jews arranged to kill him. ²⁴ But their scheme was known by Saul. They watched the gates day and night to kill him. ²⁵ But the disciples took him by night, and lowered him in a basket through the wall.

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples. But they all feared him, not believing he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him, and led him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had boldly preached in Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So he stayed with them while coming in and going out of Jerusalem. ²⁹ And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists. But they tried to kill him. ³⁰ When the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and were built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

⁷ Then he said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You children of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is put to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ The people asked him, “What then must we do?”

¹¹ John answered, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.”

¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed you.”

¹⁴ Then the soldiers likewise demanded of him, “And what must we do?”

He said to them, “Do no violence to anyone nor accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and everyone reflected in their hearts upon John, whether he might be the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water. But One mightier than I is coming, the strings of whose shoes I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into His granary. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ Then he preached many other things in his exhortation to the people.