Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁷ Do good to Your servant so I may live and obey Your Word. ¹⁸ Open my eyes so that I may see great things from Your Law. ¹⁹ I am a stranger on the earth. Do not hide Your Word from me. ²⁰ My soul is crushed with a desire for Your Law at all times. ²¹ You speak sharp words to the proud, the hated ones, because they turn from Your Word. ²² Take away shame and bad feelings from me, for I have kept Your Law. ²³ Even if rulers sit together and speak against me, Your servant thinks about Your Law. ²⁴ Your Law is my joy and it tells me what to do.

Syrian Army Loses the Battle

⁸ Now the king of Syria was fighting a war against Israel. He had a meeting with his servants, and said, “This is the place where I will be staying.” ⁹ The man of God sent news to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place. For the Syrians are coming down there.” ¹⁰ The king of Israel sent men to the place where the man of God said there would be danger. So he saved himself there more than once or twice. ¹¹ The heart of the king of Syria was angry because of this. He called his servants and said to them, “Will you show me which one of us is helping the king of Israel?” ¹² And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king. Elisha, the man of God who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you say in your bedroom.” ¹³ So he said, “Go and see where Elisha is, that I may send men to take him.” And he was told, “See, he is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ So the king of Syria sent horses and war-wagons and an army of many soldiers there. They came during the night and gathered around the city.

¹⁵ The servant of the man of God got up early and went out. And he saw an army with horses and war-wagons around the city. The servant said to Elisha, “It is bad, sir! What should we do?” ¹⁶ He answered, “Do not be afraid. For those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw. He saw that the mountain was full of horses and war-wagons of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸ When the Syrians came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, saying, “Make these people blind, I pray.” So the Lord made them blind, as Elisha had said. ¹⁹ Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way. This is not the city. Follow me and I will bring you to the man you are looking for.” And he brought them to Samaria.

²⁰ When they had come to Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men. Let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw. They saw they were in the center of Samaria. ²¹ When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?” ²² He answered, “Do not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken against their will with your sword and bow? Give them bread and water. Let them eat and drink and return to their owner.” ²³ So he made a big supper for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away. And they went to their owner. The Syrians sent no more small groups of soldiers into the land of Israel.

Aeneas Is Healed

³² When Peter was visiting all parts of the country, he came to the faithful followers who were living in the city of Lydda. ³³ A man there named Aeneas could not move his body. He had been in bed eight years. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your bed.” He got up at once. ³⁵ All the people who lived in Lydda and in the city of Sharon saw Aeneas and they turned to the Lord.