Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

19 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. ² Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time. ³ And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. ⁴ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a ^[a]juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

⁵ And he lay down and slept under a juniper-tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. ⁶ And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baken on the ^[a]coals, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. ⁷ And the angel of Jehovah came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee.

⁸ And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

⁹ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? ¹⁰ And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. ¹¹ And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake: ¹² and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire ^[a]a still small voice. ¹³ And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? ¹⁴ And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

¹⁵ And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way ^[b]to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

Book II

Thirsting for God in trouble and exile.

For the Chief Musician. Maschil of the sons of Korah.

Prayer for deliverance.

²³ But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. ²⁴ So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor. ²⁶ For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. ²⁸ There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

²⁶ And they arrived at the country of the ^[a]Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee. ²⁷ And when he was come forth upon the land, there met him a certain man out of the city, who had demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and abode not in any house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ And when he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee, torment me not. ²⁹ For he was commanding the unclean spirit to come out from the man. For ^[b]oftentimes it had seized him: and he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters; and breaking the bands asunder, he was driven of the demon into the deserts. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, What is thy name? And he said, Legion; for many demons were entered into him. ³¹ And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. ³² Now there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they entreated him that he would give them leave to enter into them. And he gave them leave. ³³ And the demons came out from the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the lake, and were drowned. ³⁴ And when they that fed them saw what had come to pass, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ And they went out to see what had come to pass; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, from whom the demons were gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus: and they were afraid. ³⁶ And they that saw it told them how he that was possessed with demons was ^[c]made whole. ³⁷ And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him to depart from them; for they were holden with great fear: and he entered into a boat, and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons were gone out prayed him that he might be with him: but he sent him away, saying, ³⁹ Return to thy house, and declare how great things God hath done for thee. And he went his way, publishing throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done for him.