Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Song of Ascents
God is Secure
125 Those who are trusting in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, which cannot be overthrown.
They remain forever.
2 Just as mountains encircle Jerusalem,
so the Lord encircles his people,
from now to eternity.
3 For evil’s scepter will not rest
on the land that has been allotted to the righteous,
and so the righteous will not direct themselves[a] to do wrong.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in heart.[b]
5 But for those who choose their own devious paths,
the Lord will lead them away,
along with those who practice evil.
Peace be upon Israel.
9 When they had crossed the Jordan River,[a] Elijah invited Elisha, “Ask me what you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you.”
So Elisha asked, “Please, may there be a double portion of[b] your spirit upon me!”
10 “That’s a hard thing to ask for,” Elijah answered, “but if you see me while I’m being taken from you, it will happen for you. But if you don’t see me, it won’t happen.”
11 As they continued on, talking as they went, suddenly chariots blazing with fire and pulled by fiery horses appeared, separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a wind storm to heaven! 12 As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!”[c] Then he did not see Elijah anymore.
After this, Elisha[d] gripped his clothes that he was wearing, tore them apart into two pieces, 13 picked up Elijah’s ornamented cloak that had fallen from him, and went back to stand on the bank of the Jordan River.[e] 14 Elisha[f] took hold of Elijah’s ornamental cloak that had been left behind,[g] struck the water, and cried out: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” All of a sudden, after he had struck the water, the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood opposite the other, and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha is Recognized as Elijah’s Successor
15 As soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha,[h] they began to announce, “The spirit[i] of Elijah is at rest on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him and they greeted him by bowing low to the ground in front of him.
16 Then they asked Elisha,[j] “Look! We have 50 valiant men here with your servant! Please let them go out and search for your master Elijah.[k] Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up on a mountain or into a valley.”
Elisha responded, “Don’t bother searching.”
17 But they persisted until he was frustrated, so he said, “Send them out!” So they sent out the 50 men, and they looked around for three days but did not find Elijah.[l] 18 By the time they returned, Elisha[m] was living in Jericho. Then Elisha asked them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Elisha Cures the Waters of Jericho
19 The men who lived in the city addressed Elisha. “Look now,” they said, “our[n] city’s location is good, as you[o] have been observing, but the water springs[p] here are bad and the land isn’t sustaining crops.”
20 Elisha ordered them, “Bring me a new bowl and put some salt in it.” So they brought him what he had requested.[q]
21 Elisha went out to the springs, threw the salt into them, and declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have purified these waters. Neither death nor barrenness is to flow from them anymore.’” 22 As a result, the water springs[r] remain pure to this day, just as[s] Elisha had declared.
17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance like your leaders. 18 This is how God fulfilled what he had predicted through the voice of all the prophets—that his Messiah[a] would suffer. 19 Therefore, repent and turn to him to have your sins blotted out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and so that he may send you Jesus, whom he appointed long ago to be the Messiah.[b] 21 He must remain in heaven until the time of universal restitution, which God announced long ago through the voice of his holy prophets. 22 In fact, Moses said,
‘The Lord[c] your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you.[d] 23 Any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’[e]
24 “Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who followed him, also announced these days. 25 You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs[f] of the covenant that God made with your[g] ancestors when he told Abraham, ‘Through your descendant[h] all the families of the earth will be blessed.’[i] 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning every one of you from your evil ways.”
Peter and John are Tried before the Jewish Council
4 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the Temple guards, and the Sadducees came to them. 2 They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John[j] were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected[k] from the dead. 3 So they arrested them and placed them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard their message believed, and the men grew to number about 5,000.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.