Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 143
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no man living is [in himself] righteous or justified.(A)
3 For the enemy has pursued and persecuted my soul, he has crushed my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in dark places as those who have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed and faints within me [wrapped in gloom]; my heart within my bosom grows numb.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I ponder the work of Your hands.
6 I spread forth my hands to You; my soul thirsts after You like a thirsty land [for water]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
7 Answer me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit fails; hide not Your face from me, lest I become like those who go down into the pit (the grave).
8 Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I flee to You to hide me.
10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me into a level country and into the land of uprightness.
11 Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake; in Your righteousness, bring my life out of trouble and free me from distress.
12 And in your mercy and loving-kindness, cut off my enemies and destroy all those who afflict my inner self, for I am Your servant.
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father with the reapers.
19 But he said to his father, My head, my head! The man said to his servant, Carry him to his mother.
20 And when he was brought to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him and went out.
22 And she called to her husband and said, Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and come back again.
23 And he said, Why go to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath. And she said, It will be all right.
24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, Ride fast; do not slacken your pace for me unless I tell you.
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite.
26 Run to meet her and say, Is it well with you? Well with your husband? Well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
27 When she came to the mountain to the man of God, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came to thrust her away, but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is bitter and vexed within her, and the Lord has hid it from me and has not told me.
28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?
29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go lay my staff on the face of the child. If you meet any man, do not salute him. If he salutes you, do not answer him.
30 The mother of the child said, As the Lord lives and as my soul lives, I will not leave you. And he arose and followed her.
31 Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the child’s face, but the boy neither spoke nor heard. So he went back to meet Elisha and said to him, The child has not awakened.
32 When Elisha arrived in the house, the child was dead and laid upon his bed.
33 So he went in, shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
34 He went up and lay on the child, put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself on him and embraced him, the child’s flesh became warm.
35 Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro and went up again and stretched himself upon him. And the child sneezed seven times, and then opened his eyes.
36 Then [Elisha] called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she came, he said, Take up your son.
37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing herself to the ground. Then she took up her son and went out.
2 And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins
2 In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].
3 Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,
5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved ([a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).
6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us [b]joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
7 He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved ([c]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;
9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]
10 For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), [d]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
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