Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

²⁴ And he increased his people exceedingly: and strengthened them over their enemies,

²⁵ He turned their heart to hate his people: and to deal deceitfully with his servants.

²⁶ He sent Moses his servant: Aaron the man whom he had chosen.

²⁷ He gave them power to shew his signs, and his wonders in the land of Cham.

²⁸ He sent darkness, and made it obscure: and grieved not his words.

²⁹ He turned their waters into blood, and destroyed their fish.

³⁰ Their land brought forth frogs, in the inner chambers of their kings.

³¹ He spoke, and there came divers sorts of flies and sciniphs in all their coasts.

³² He gave them hail for rain, a burning fire in the land.

³³ And he destroyed their vineyards and their fig trees: and he broke in pieces the trees of their coasts.

³⁴ He spoke, and the locust came, and the bruchus, of which there was no number.

³⁵ And they devoured all the grass in their land, and consumed all the fruit of their ground.

2 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal.

² And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel,

³ The sons of the prophets, that were at Bethel, came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it: hold your peace.

⁴ And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay here because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come to Jericho,

⁵ The sons of the prophets that were at Jericho, came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace.

⁶ And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee; and they two went on together,

⁷ And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan.

⁸ And Elias took his mantle and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground.

⁹ And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit.

¹⁰ And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it.

¹¹ And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

¹² And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces.

¹³ And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood upon the bank of the Jordan,

¹⁴ And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over.

¹⁵ And the sons of the prophets at Jericho, who were over against him, seeing it said: The spirit of Elias hath rested upon Eliseus. And coming to meet him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground,

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

⁶ And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame.

⁷ And they had no son, for that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

⁸ And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God,

⁹ According to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot to offer incense, going into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰ And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense.

¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense.

¹² And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John:

¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity.

¹⁵ For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

¹⁶ And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.