Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Worship in the Splendour of Holiness

Elijah Confronts Ahab

18 ^(A)After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” ² So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. ³ And Ahab called Obadiah, who was ^(B)over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, ⁴ and ^(C)when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) ⁵ And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” ⁶ So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

⁷ And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” ⁸ And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” ⁹ And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? ^10 (D)As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ‘He is not here’, he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. ¹¹ And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ ¹² And as soon as I have gone from you, ^(E)the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth. ¹³ Has it not been told my lord what I did ^(F)when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? ¹⁴ And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; and he will kill me.” ¹⁵ And Elijah said, ^(G)“As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” ¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ^(H)“Is it you, you ^(I)troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸ And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have ^(J)abandoned the commandments of the Lord and ^(K)followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount ^(L)Carmel, and the ^(M)450 prophets of Baal and ^(N)the 400 prophets of Asherah, ^(O)who eat at Jezebel's table.”

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon

^31 (A)And he ^(B)went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And ^(C)he was teaching them ^(D)on the Sabbath, ³² and ^(E)they were astonished at his teaching, ^(F)for his word possessed authority. ³³ And ^(G)in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴ “Ha!^{[a] (H)}What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? ^(I)I know who you are—^(J)the Holy One of God.” ³⁵ But Jesus ^(K)rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. ³⁶ And ^(L)they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? ^(M)For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” ³⁷ And ^(N)reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.