Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”

³ When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs 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 juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”

⁵ He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat!”

⁶ He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. ⁷ Yahweh’s angel came again the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

⁸ He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, God’s Mountain. ⁹ He came to a cave there, and camped there; and behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰ He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

¹¹ He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.”

Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

¹⁵ Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

BOOK 2

For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah.

²³ But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. ²⁴ So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ²⁶ For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

²⁶ Then they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!” ²⁹ For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bonds apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him. ³¹ They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

³² Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. Then he allowed them. ³³ The demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

³⁴ When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵ People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed. ³⁷ All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. Then he entered into the boat and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.