Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁴ O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom, You have made them all. The Earth is full of Your riches!

²⁵ So great and wide is the sea; in which are innumerable creeping things, both small beasts and great.

²⁶ Thereupon go the ships, and therein plays that Leviathan, whom You have made.

²⁷ All these wait upon You, so that You may give them food in due season.

²⁸ You give it to them, and they gather it. You open Your hand, and they are filled with good things.

²⁹ If You hide Your face, they are troubled. If You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

³⁰ You send forth Your spirit, and they are created; You renew the face of the Earth.

³¹ Glory be to the LORD forever. Let the LORD rejoice in His works!

³² He looks on the Earth and it trembles. He touches the mountains and they smoke.

³³ I will sing to the LORD all my life. I will praise my God while I live.

³⁴ Let my words be acceptable to Him. I will rejoice in the LORD.

³⁵ Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth, and the wicked, until there are no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

2 And when the LORD was ready to take up Elijah into Heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

² Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here. For the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So, they came down to Bethel.

³ And the children of the Prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you this day?” And he said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

⁴ Again, Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here. For the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So, they came to Jericho.

⁵ And the children of the Prophets who were in Jericho came to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you this day?” And he said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

⁶ Moreover, Elijah said to him, “Please wait here. For the LORD has sent me to Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So, they both went.

⁷ And fifty men of the sons of the Prophets went and stood on the other side, far off. And those two stood by Jordan.

⁸ Then, Elijah took his cloak and wrapped it up and struck the waters. And they were divided here and there. And the two of them went over on the dry land.

⁹ Now, when they had passed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let your spirit be double upon me.”

¹⁰ And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. If, when I am taken from you, you see me, you shall have it so. But if not, it shall not be.”

¹¹ And as they went walking and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which separated the two of them. So, Elijah went up, in a whirlwind, into Heaven.

¹² And Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father! My father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he no longer saw him. And he took his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

¹³ He also took up the cloak of Elijah which fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of Jordan.

¹⁴ Afterward, he took the cloak of Elijah which fell from him and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And so, he also, after he had struck the waters, so that they were divided this way and that way, went over, Elisha.

¹⁵ And when the children of the Prophets who were at Jericho saw him on the other side, they said, “The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha!” And they came to meet him, and fell to the ground before him,

⁵ In the time of Herod, King of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the class of Abijah. And his wife was among the daughters of Aaron. And her name was Elizabeth.

⁶ Both were righteous before God and walked in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, without reproof.

⁷ And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were well-advanced in age.

⁸ And it so happened that as he executed the priest’s office before God (as per his class),

⁹ the lot fell to him to burn incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord, according to the custom of the priest’s office.

¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were outside in prayer while the incense was burning.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the Altar of Incense.

¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him, “Fear not, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son. And you shall call his name, John.

¹⁴ “And you shall have joy and gladness. And many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵ “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶ “And he shall turn many of the children of Israel to their Lord God.

¹⁷ “For he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”