Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
12 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I am withering away like grass.
13 [a]But, you, O Lord, are enthroned forever,
and your renown will endure for all generations.
14 You will arise and show mercy to Zion,
for it is time for you to have pity on her;
the appointed time[b] has come.
15 For her stones are precious to your servants,
and her dust causes them to weep.[c]
16 The nations will revere your name,[d] O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth will sing of your glory.
17 For the Lord will rebuild Zion
and reveal himself in all his glory.[e]
18 He will answer the prayer of the destitute,
and he will not ignore their petition.
19 Let this be written[f] for future generations
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
20 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high
and gazed on the earth from heaven,
21 to hear the sighs of the prisoners
and to set free those under sentence of death.”[g]
22 Then the name of the Lord will be proclaimed in Zion,
and his praise[h] in Jerusalem
23 when all peoples and kingdoms come together
to worship the Lord.[i]
24 [j]He has taken away my strength on my life’s journey;
he has cut short my days.
25 So I said: “Do not carry me off, O my God,
before half my days are done,[k]
for your years endure from age to age.
26 [l]“Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
27 They will pass away but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like clothing,
and they will perish.[m]
28 “However, you remain always the same,
and your years will have no end.[n]
Elisha and the Shunammite.[a] 8 One day Elisha traveled to Shunem.[b] There was an important woman there, and she insisted that he stop to eat. Whenever he passed by there, he would stop to eat.
9 She said to her husband, “Behold, this man who often visits us is a holy man of God. 10 We should prepare a small room on the roof, and place a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it for him. Then he can stay there when he visits us.”
11 One day he arrived, and he went into the room to lie down. 12 He said to Gehazi, his servant, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 He said to him, “Say to her, ‘You have put yourself through all this trouble for us. What could be done for you? Should we speak to the king or the commander of the army for you?’ ” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
14 He said, “Then what can be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “She and her husband are old, and they have no children.” 15 Elisha said, “Summon her.” He called her and she stood in the doorway. 16 He said, “You will embrace a son around this time next year.” She said, “No, my lord, O man of God. Do not lie to your servant.”
17 The woman became pregnant, and she had a son that time the next year, just as Elisha had predicted.
32 When Elisha arrived at the house, the child was lying dead upon his bed. 33 He went in, and he shut the door on the two of them, and then he prayed to the Lord. 34 He got up and lay upon the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, and hands to hands. He stretched himself out upon the child, and the child’s flesh grew warm. 35 He turned and walked back and forth in the room, and then he went and stretched himself out again. The boy sneezed seven times, and then the boy opened his eyes.
36 Elisha called for Gehazi, and he said, “Call this Shunammite.” He called her, and she came, and he said to her, “Take your son.” 37 She came in and bowed down, falling to the ground at Elisha’s feet. She then took her son and left.
Chapter 14
Jews and Gentiles at Iconium.[a] 1 In Iconium, they went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke so effectively that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 However, the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore, they stayed there for a considerable period of time, speaking boldly on behalf of the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to work signs and wonders.
4 However, the people in the city were divided, some siding with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 Eventually, a plot was hatched by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone them. 6 When they became aware of this, they fled to the Lycaonian cities[b] of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding area. 7 There they preached the good news.
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