Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 143
A Cry for Help
A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, hear my prayer.
In Your faithfulness listen to my plea,
and in Your righteousness answer me.(A)
2 Do not bring Your servant into judgment,(B)
for no one alive is righteous in Your sight.(C)
3 For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing me to the ground,
making me live in darkness
like those long dead.(D)
4 My spirit is weak within me;
my heart is overcome with dismay.(E)
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all You have done;
I reflect on the work of Your hands.(F)
6 I spread out my hands to You;
I am like parched land before You.(G)
7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.(H)
Don’t hide Your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.(I)
8 Let me experience
Your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in You.(J)
Reveal to me the way I should go
because I long for You.(K)
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I come to You for protection.[a](L)
10 Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God.(M)
May Your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.(N)
The Shunammite’s Son Raised
18 The child grew and one day went out to his father and the harvesters.(A) 19 Suddenly he complained to his father, “My head! My head!”
His father told his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 So he picked him up and took him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon and then died. 21 Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in, and left.
22 She summoned her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can hurry to the man of God and then come back.”
23 But he said, “Why go to him today? It’s not a New Moon or a Sabbath.”(B)
She replied, “Everything is all right.”(C)
24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Hurry, don’t slow the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.(D)
When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his attendant Gehazi,(E) “Look, there’s the Shunammite woman.(F) 26 Run out to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your son all right?’”
And she answered, “Everything’s all right.”
27 When she came up to the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet.(G) Gehazi came to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone—she is in severe anguish,(H) and the Lord has hidden it from me. He hasn’t told me.”
28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”(I)
29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your mantle(J) under your belt, take my staff with you, and go. If you meet anyone, don’t stop to greet him, and if a man greets you, don’t answer him.(K) Then place my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 The boy’s mother said to Elisha, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”(L) So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went ahead of them and placed the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life, so he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy didn’t wake up.”(M)
32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed.(N) 33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.(O) 34 Then he went up and lay on the boy:(P) he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy’s flesh became warm.(Q) 35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.(R)
36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; she picked up her son and left.(S)
From Death to Life
2 And you were dead(A) in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,(B) according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,[a](C) the spirit(D) now working in the disobedient.[b] 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly(E) desires, carrying out the inclinations(F) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath(G) as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy,(H) because of His great love(I) that He had for us,[c] 5 made us alive(J) with the Messiah even though we were dead(K) in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,(L) 7 so that in the coming ages(M) He might display the immeasurable riches(N) of His grace through His kindness(O) to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace(P) through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created(Q) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time(R) so that we should walk in them.
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