Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A psalm of David. A song for setting apart the completed temple to God.
30 Lord, I will give you honor.
You brought me out of deep trouble.
You didn’t give my enemies the joy of seeing me die.
2 Lord my God, I called out to you for help.
And you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from the place of the dead.
You kept me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you who are faithful to him.
Praise him, because his name is holy.
5 His anger lasts for only a moment.
But his favor lasts for a person’s whole life.
Weeping can stay for the night.
But joy comes in the morning.
6 When I felt safe, I said,
“I will always be secure.”
7 Lord, when you gave me your help,
you made Mount Zion stand firm.
But when you took away your help,
I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called out to you.
I cried to you for mercy.
9 I said, “What good will come if I become silent in death?
What good will come if I go down into the grave?
Can the dust of my dead body praise you?
Can it tell how faithful you are?
10 Lord, hear me. Have mercy on me.
Lord, help me.”
11 You turned my loud crying into dancing.
You removed my clothes of sadness and dressed me with joy.
12 So my heart will sing your praises. I can’t keep silent.
Lord, my God, I will praise you forever.
The Son of a Woman From Shunem Is Brought Back to Life
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A rich woman lived there. She begged him to stay and have a meal. So every time he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 The woman said to her husband, “That man often comes by here. I know that he is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room for him on the roof. We’ll put a bed and a table in it. We’ll also put a chair and a lamp in it. Then he can stay there when he comes to visit us.”
11 One day Elisha came. He went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Go and get the woman from Shunem.” So he did. She stood in front of Elisha. 13 He said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to a lot of trouble for us. Now what can we do for you? Can we speak to the king for you? Or can we speak to the commander of the army for you?’ ”
She replied, “I live among my own people. I have everything I need here.”
14 After she left, Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi said, “She doesn’t have a son. And her husband is old.”
15 Then Elisha said, “Bring her here again.” So he did. She stood in the doorway. 16 “You will hold a son in your arms,” Elisha said. “It will be about this time next year.”
“No, my master!” she objected. “You are a man of God. So please don’t lie to me!”
17 But the woman became pregnant. She had a baby boy. It happened the next year about that same time. That’s exactly what Elisha had told her would happen.
14 We know that the law is holy. But I am not. I have been sold to be a slave of sin. 15 I don’t understand what I do. I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate to do. 16 I do what I don’t want to do. So I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, I am no longer the one who does these things. It is sin living in me that does them. 18 I know there is nothing good in my desires controlled by sin. I want to do what is good, but I can’t. 19 I don’t do the good things I want to do. I keep on doing the evil things I don’t want to do. 20 I do what I don’t want to do. But I am not really the one who is doing it. It is sin living in me that does it.
21 Here is the law I find working in me. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 Deep inside me I find joy in God’s law. 23 But I see another law working in me. It fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of sin. That law controls me. 24 What a terrible failure I am! Who will save me from this sin that brings death to my body? 25 I give thanks to God who saves me. He saves me through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law. But sin controls my desires. So I am a slave to the law of sin.
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