Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.

A ^[a]Mikhtam of David.

Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah

1 Now ^(A)Moab broke with Israel after the death of Ahab. ² And Ahaziah fell through the window lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, ^(B)inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, ^(C)whether I will recover from this sickness.” ³ But the angel of the Lord said to ^(D)Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of ^(E)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ ⁴ Now therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘^[a](F)You will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die.’” Then Elijah departed.

⁵ When the messengers returned to ^[b]Ahaziah, he said to them, “^[c]Why have you returned?” ⁶ They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers ^(G)to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore ^[d]you will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die.’”’” ⁷ Then he said to them, “What ^[e]did the man look like, who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” ⁸ And they said to him, “^(H)He was a hairy man with a leather ^[f]belt worn around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹ Then the king ^(I)sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “You man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” ¹⁰ But Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, ^(J)may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” ^(K)Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

¹¹ So the king again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he said to him, “You man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down quickly!’” ¹² But Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

¹³ So the king ^(L)again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty men. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, “You man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. ¹⁴ Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my ^[g]life be precious in your sight.” ¹⁵ And ^(M)the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; ^(N)do not be afraid of him.” So he got up and went down with him to the king. ¹⁶ Then he said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since you have sent messengers ^(O)to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore ^[h]you will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die.’”

⁸ However at that time, ^(A)when you did not know God, you were ^(B)slaves to ^(C)those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ^(D)known by God, ^(E)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^[a](F)elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You ^(G)meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ^[b]over you in vain.

¹² I beg of you, ^(H)brothers and sisters, ^(I)become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; ¹³ but you know that it was because of a ^[c]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the ^[d]first time; ¹⁴ and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my ^[e]bodily condition, nor express contempt, but ^(J)you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. ¹⁵ Where then is ^[f]that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ So have I become your enemy ^(K)by ^[g]telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They eagerly seek you, not ^[h]in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. ¹⁸ But it is good always to be eagerly sought ^[i]in a commendable way, and ^(L)not only when I am present with you. ^19 (M)My children, with whom ^(N)I am again in labor until ^(O)Christ is formed in you— ²⁰ but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for ^(P)I am at a loss about you!