Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

² God has not left his people whom he knew from the first. Do you not know what the holy writings say about the prophet Elijah? He talked to God against the people of Israel.

³ He said, `Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have pulled down your holy places. I am the only one that is left, and they are trying to kill me.'

⁴ But what did God answer him? He said, `I have seven thousand men who have not kneeled down to the idol god Baal.'

⁵ So now some are left because God was kind to them, and chose them.

⁶ But if it was a gift because he was kind to them, then it was no longer because of the things they did. Or else a gift would no longer be a gift.

⁷ So what does that mean? The Jews did not get what they tried to get. Only the people God chose got it. The hearts of the rest of the people became hard.

⁸ The holy writings say, `God made them dull with sleep. He gave them eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear. They have been like that until today.'

⁹ And David said long ago, `May the table where they eat be like a net and like a trap. May it make them fall down. May it punish them.

¹⁰ Make their eyes become blind so that they cannot see. Make their backs bent all the time.'