Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
16 Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, “Thou art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to Thee,
3 but to the saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.”
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; Thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. And he sent messengers and aid unto them, “Go, inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover from this disease.”
3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say unto them, ‘Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?’
4 Now therefore thus saith the Lord: ‘Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou hast gone up, but shalt surely die!’” And Elijah departed.
5 And when the messengers returned unto the king, he said unto them, “Why have ye now turned back?”
6 And they said unto him, “There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, ‘Go, return unto the king who sent you and say unto him, “Thus saith the Lord: Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou hast gone up, but shalt surely die!”’”
7 And he said unto them, “What manner of man was he that came up to meet you and told you these words?”
8 And they answered him, “He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah he Tishbite.”
9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him; and behold, he sat on the top of a ill. And he spoke unto him, “Thou man of God, the king hath said, ‘Come down.’”
10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume hee and thy fifty.” And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, “O man of God, thus hath the king said, ‘Come down quickly.’”
12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, “If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him and said unto him, “O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these fifty, thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven and burned up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties. Therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight!”
15 And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, “Go down with him; be not afraid of him.” And he arose and went down with him unto the king.
16 And he said unto him, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou hast gone up, but shalt surely die!’”
8 However that be, then when ye knew not God, ye did service unto those which by nature are not gods.
9 But now after ye have known God, or rather are known by God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements unto which ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days and months and times and years.
11 I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.
12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, for I am as ye are. Ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spoke of? For I bear you record that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me.
16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously seek after you, but for no good; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might seek after them.
18 But it is good to be zealously sought after, always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, over whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I stand in doubt of you.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.