Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁴ Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and ^(A)used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. ⁵ But ^(B)when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. ⁶ And King Jehoram went out of Samaria ^[a]at that time and mustered all Israel. ⁷ Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; ^(C)I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” ⁸ He said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he ^[b]answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

⁹ So ^(D)the king of Israel went with ^(E)the king of Judah and ^(F)the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them. ¹⁰ Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” ¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said, “^(G)Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “^(H)Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, ^(I)who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” ¹² Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

¹³ Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? ^(J)Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.” ¹⁴ Elisha said, “^(K)As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you. ¹⁵ But now ^(L)bring me a minstrel.” And it came about, when the minstrel played, that ^(M)the hand of the Lord came upon him. ¹⁶ He said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ ¹⁷ For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley ^(N)shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. ¹⁸ This is but a ^(O)slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. ^19 (P)Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’” ²⁰ It happened in the morning ^(Q)about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

¹² So, as those who have been ^(A)chosen of God, holy and beloved, ^(B)put on a ^(C)heart of compassion, kindness, ^(D)humility, gentleness and ^[a](E)patience; ^13 (F)bearing with one another, and ^(G)forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; ^(H)just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is ^[b](I)the perfect bond of ^(J)unity. ¹⁵ Let ^(K)the peace of Christ ^[c]rule in your hearts, to which ^[d]indeed you were called in ^(L)one body; and ^[e]be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(M)the word of ^[f]Christ richly dwell within you, ^[g]with all wisdom ^(N)teaching and admonishing ^[h]one another ^(O)with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(P)singing ^[i]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ^17 (Q)Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(R)giving thanks through Him to God the Father.