Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

6 O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chastise me in Your wrath.

² Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak. O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

³ My soul is also very troubled. But LORD, how long will You delay?

⁴ Return, O LORD. Deliver my soul. Save me for Your mercy’s sake.

⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of You. In the grave, who shall praise You?

⁶ I fainted in my mourning. Every night I cause my bed to swim, and water my couch with my tears.

⁷ My eye is dimmed for grief, and sunk in because of all my enemies.

⁸ Away from me all you workers of iniquity. For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

⁹ The LORD has heard my petition. The LORD will receive my prayer.

¹⁰ All my enemies shall be confounded and very vexed. They shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly. Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD, concerning the words of Cush, the son of Benjamin.

¹⁹ To whom he said, “Go in peace.” So, he departed from him, about half a day’s journey of ground.

²⁰ And Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Aramite, Naaman, not receiving those things from his hand that he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

²¹ So, Gehazi followed speedily after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he dismounted the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”

²² And he answered, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, “Behold, two young men have come to me from Mount Ephraim, of the children of the Prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.”

²³ And Naaman said, “Yes. Take two talents.” And he broke open some bundles and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and gave them to two of his servants, so that they might bear them before him.

²⁴ And when he came to the tower, he took them out of their hands and laid them in the house and sent away the men. And they departed.

²⁵ Then, he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.”

²⁶ But he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to take money, and to receive garments and olives and vineyards and sheep and oxen and menservants and maidservants?

²⁷ “The leprosy, therefore, of Naaman shall cling to you, and to your seed, forever.” And he went out from his presence as a leper, white as snow.

²⁸ Now when they heard it, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

²⁹ And the whole city was full of confusion. And having caught Gaius and Aristarchus (men of Macedonia, and Paul’s companions on his journey), they rushed into the theatre with one mind.

³⁰ And when Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples did not allow him.

³¹ Then, some of the rulers of Asia who were his friends sent word to him, begging him not to show himself in the theatre.

³² Therefore some cried one thing, and some another. For the assembly was out of order, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

³³ And they brought Alexander out, the Jews thrusting him forward. Alexander then beckoned with his hand, wanting to make a defense to the people.

³⁴ But when they knew that he was a Jew, they all began chanting for almost two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ Then the town clerk, after he had silenced the people, said, “Men of Ephesus, what man does not know that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which came down from heaven?

³⁶ “Seeing, then, that these things are indisputable, you should calm down, and do nothing rashly.

³⁷ “For you have brought these men here who have committed neither sacrilege nor blasphemy of your goddess.

³⁸ “Therefore, if indeed Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the law is open. And there are proconsuls. Let them accuse one another.

³⁹ “But, if you inquire about other matters, that shall be settled in a lawful assembly.

⁴⁰ “For we are also in danger of being accused of sedition today, because there is no reason we may give for this riotous multitude.”

⁴¹ And after he had said this, he let the assembly depart.