Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Help in Time of Trouble

6 O Lord, do not speak sharp words to me in Your anger, or punish me when You are angry. ² Be kind to me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me for my bones are shaken. ³ My soul is in great suffering. But You, O Lord, how long? ⁴ Return, O Lord. Set my soul free. Save me because of Your loving-kindness. ⁵ No one remembers You when he is dead. Who gives You praise from the grave? ⁶ I am tired of crying inside myself. All night long my pillow is wet with tears. I flood my bed with them. ⁷ My eye has grown weak with sorrow. It has grown old because of all who hate me. ⁸ Go away from me, all you who sin. For the Lord has heard the sound of my crying. ⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for help. The Lord receives my prayer. ¹⁰ All those who hate me will be ashamed and worried. They will turn away. They will be put to shame right away.

¹⁹ And Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” So Naaman went away from him a short way.

Gehazi Wants More

²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “See, my owner has let Naaman the Syrian go without receiving the gift he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he stepped off the war-wagon to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” ²² Gehazi said, “All is well. My owner has sent me, saying, ‘See, just now two young sons of the men who tell what will happen in the future have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. I ask of you, give them a man’s weight in silver and two changes of clothes.’” ²³ Naaman said, “Be pleased to take silver weighing as much as two men.” And he had him take two bags of silver weighing as much as two men, with two changes of clothes. He gave them to two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. ²⁴ When he came to the hill, Gehazi took them from the servants and put them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they left. ²⁵ And Gehazi went in and stood in front of his owner. Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not leave.” ²⁶ Elisha said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his war-wagon to meet you? Was it a time to receive money and clothes and olive fields and grape-fields and sheep and cattle and men servants and women servants? ²⁷ So now the bad skin disease will be upon you and your children forever.” And Gehazi went away from Elisha with a bad skin disease. He was as white as snow.

²⁸ They became angry when they heard this and cried out, “Great is Diana of Ephesus.” ²⁹ The whole city was filled with loud cries. They caught Gaius and Aristarchus. These two men from Macedonia were with Paul. They gathered around them at the meeting place in the city.

³⁰ Paul wanted to stand in front of all the people but his followers would not let him. ³¹ Some of the city leaders who were his friends told him not to go to the meeting. ³² All this time some were crying out one thing and some another. The meeting was all noise. Most of the people did not know why they had come together. ³³ Then the Jews pushed Alexander to the front. Alexander held his hand up and was going to speak. ³⁴ As soon as they saw he was a Jew, they cried out with a loud voice for two hours, “Great is Diana of Ephesus!”

³⁵ One of the city leaders stopped the noise. He spoke, “Men of Ephesus, everyone knows our city is where the god of Diana is kept. That is the stone god that fell from the sky. ³⁶ Everyone knows this is true, so you must not cry out or do anything foolish. ³⁷ The men you brought here do not rob houses of worship or talk against our god. ³⁸ If Demetrius and his workmen have something against anyone, we have special days for courts. Let them go to court. ³⁹ If you want anything else, it should be done in another meeting. ⁴⁰ We are in danger of being asked about this trouble today. There is no good reason we can give for this meeting.” ⁴¹ When he had said this, he told them to leave.