Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 125[a]
Israel’s Protector
1 A song of ascents.
Those trusting in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
unshakable, forever enduring.(A)
2 As mountains surround Jerusalem,
the Lord surrounds his people
both now and forever.(B)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not prevail
in the land allotted to the just,[b]
Lest the just themselves
turn their hands to evil.
9 (A)When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Request whatever I might do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”[a] 10 He replied, “You have asked something that is not easy. Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.” 11 As they walked on still conversing, a fiery chariot and fiery horses came between the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind,(B) 12 and Elisha saw it happen. He cried out, “My father! my father![b] Israel’s chariot and steeds!” Then he saw him no longer.
He gripped his own garment, tore it into two pieces, 13 and picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah. Then he went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan. 14 Wielding the mantle which had fallen from Elijah, he struck the water and said, “The Lord, the God of Elijah—where is he now?”[c] He struck the water: it divided, and he crossed over.
Elisha’s Journey. 15 The guild prophets in Jericho, who were on the other side, saw him and said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They went to meet him, bowing to the ground before him.(C) 16 They said, “Among your servants are fifty brave men. Let them go in search of your master. Perhaps the spirit of the Lord has lifted him up and left him on some mountain or in some valley.” He answered, “Do not send them.”(D) 17 But they kept urging him, until he was embarrassed and said, “Send them.” So they sent the fifty men, who searched for three days without finding him.(E) 18 When they returned to Elisha in Jericho, where he was staying, he said to them, “Did I not tell you not to go?”
19 (F)The inhabitants of the city complained to Elisha, “The site of the city is fine indeed, as my lord can see, but the water is bad and the land sterile.” 20 Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt into it.” When they had brought it to him, 21 he went out to the spring and threw salt into it, saying, “Thus says the Lord: I have purified this water. Never again shall death or sterility come from it.” 22 And the water has stayed pure even to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
17 Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance,[a] just as your leaders did;(A) 18 but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets,[b] that his Messiah would suffer.(B) 19 Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,(C) 20 and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus,[c] 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration[d] of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22 For Moses said:[e]
‘A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kinsmen;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.(D)
23 Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.’(E)
24 Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. 25 You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’(F) 26 For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”(G)
Chapter 4
1 While they were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees[f] confronted them, 2 disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.(H) 3 They laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word came to believe and [the] number of men grew to [about] five thousand.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.