Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
(A psalm by David.)
A Prayer in Time of Danger
1 Listen, Lord, as I pray!
You are faithful and honest
and will answer my prayer.
2 (A) I am your servant.
Don't try me in your court,
because no one is innocent
by your standards.
3 My enemies are chasing me,
crushing me in the ground.
I am in total darkness,
like someone long dead.
4 I have given up hope,
and I feel numb all over.
5 I remember to think about
the many things you did
in years gone by.
6 Then I lift my hands in prayer,
because my soul is a desert,
thirsty for water from you.
7 Please hurry, Lord,
and answer my prayer.
I feel hopeless.
Don't turn away
and leave me here to die.
8 Each morning let me learn
more about your love
because I trust you.
I come to you in prayer,
asking for your guidance.
9 Please rescue me
from my enemies, Lord!
I come to you for safety.[a]
10 You are my God. Show me
what you want me to do,
and let your gentle Spirit
lead me in the right path.
11 Be true to your name, Lord,
and keep my life safe.
Use your saving power
to protect me from trouble.
12 I am your servant.
Show how much you love me
by destroying my enemies.
18 One day while the boy was still young, he was out in the fields with his father, where the workers were harvesting the crops. 19 Suddenly he shouted, “My head hurts. It hurts a lot!”
“Carry him back to his mother,” the father said to his servant. 20 The servant picked up the boy and carried him to his mother. The boy lay on her lap all morning, and by noon he was dead. 21 She carried him upstairs to Elisha's room and laid him across the bed. Then she walked out and shut the door behind her.
22 The woman called to her husband, “I need to see the prophet. Let me use one of the donkeys. Send a servant along with me, and let me leave now, so I can get back quickly.”
23 “Why do you need to see him today?” her husband asked. “It's not the Sabbath or time for the New Moon Festival.”
“That's all right,” she answered. 24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Let's go. And don't slow down unless I tell you to.” 25 She left at once for Mount Carmel to talk with Elisha.[a]
When Elisha saw her coming, he said, “Gehazi, look! It's the woman from Shunem. 26 Run and meet her. And ask her if everything is all right with her and her family.”
“Everything is fine,” she answered Gehazi. 27 But as soon as she got to the top of the mountain, she went over and grabbed Elisha by the feet.
Gehazi started toward her to push her away, when Elisha said, “Leave her alone! Don't you see how sad she is? But the Lord hasn't told me why.”
28 The woman said, “Sir, I begged you not to get my hopes up, and I didn't even ask you for a son.”
29 “Gehazi, get ready and go to her house,” Elisha said. “Take along my walking stick, and when you get there, lay it on the boy's face. Don't stop to talk to anyone, even if they try to talk to you.”
30 But the boy's mother said to Elisha, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I won't leave without you.” So Elisha got up and went with them.
31 Gehazi ran on ahead and laid Elisha's walking stick on the boy's face, but the boy didn't move or make a sound. Gehazi ran back to Elisha and said, “The boy didn't wake up.”
32 Elisha arrived at the woman's house and went straight to his room, where he saw the boy's body on his bed. 33 He walked in, shut the door, and prayed to the Lord. 34 (A) Then he got on the bed and stretched out over the dead body, with his mouth on the boy's mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hand on his hands. As he lay there, the boy's body became warm. 35 Elisha got up and walked back and forth in the room, then he went back and leaned over the boy's body. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha called out to Gehazi, “Ask the boy's mother to come here.” Gehazi did, and when she was at the door, Elisha said, “You can take your son.”
37 She came in and bowed down at Elisha's feet. Then she picked up her son and left.
From Death to Life
2 (A) In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2 You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. 3 Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7 God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.[a] This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10 God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.