Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 6

For the music leader. On stringed instruments. According to the eighth.^[a] A psalm of David.

¹⁹ Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.”

But when Naaman had gone some distance from Elisha, ²⁰ Gehazi (who was the servant of Elisha the man of God) thought, My master let this Aramean Naaman off the hook by not accepting the gift he brought! As surely as the Lord lives, I’ll go after him and accept something from him. ²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman.

Naaman saw him running after him, so he got down off his chariot to meet him. He said, “Is everything okay?”

²² Gehazi answered, “Yes, but my master sent me to say, ‘Two young men who are members of a group of prophets have just now come to me from the hills of Ephraim. Give them a kikkar of silver and two changes of clothing.’”

²³ Naaman said, “By all means, take two kikkars!” He encouraged Gehazi to accept them. He tied two kikkars of silver up in two bags, along with two changes of clothes. Naaman gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them in front of Gehazi. ²⁴ When Gehazi arrived at the elevated fortress,^[a] he took the items from them and stored them in his house. Then he sent the servants away, and they left. ²⁵ Gehazi then went and stood before his master.

Elisha said to Gehazi, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi replied.

²⁶ Elisha said to him, “Wasn’t my heart going along with you^[b] when the man got off his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept silver, clothes, olive trees, vineyards, sheep, cattle, or male and female servants? ²⁷ Naaman’s skin disease will now cling to you and to your descendants forever!” And Gehazi left Elisha’s presence, flaky like snow with skin disease.

²⁸ Once they heard this, they were beside themselves with anger and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

²⁹ The city was thrown into turmoil. They rushed as one into the theater. They seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from the province of Macedonia. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the assembly, but the disciples wouldn’t allow him. ³¹ Even some officials of the province of Asia, who were Paul’s friends, sent word to him, urging him not to risk going into the theater. ³² Meanwhile, the assembly was in a state of confusion. Some shouted one thing, others shouted something else, and most of the crowd didn’t know why they had gathered. ³³ The Jews sent Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd directed their words toward him. He gestured that he wanted to offer a defense before the assembly, ³⁴ but when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” This continued for about two hours.

³⁵ The city manager brought order to the crowd and said, “People of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you must calm down. Don’t be reckless. ³⁷ The men you brought here have neither robbed the temple nor slandered our goddess. ³⁸ Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftspeople with him have a charge against anyone, the courts are in session and governors are available. They can press charges against each other there. ³⁹ Additional disputes can be resolved in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As for us, we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since we can’t justify this unruly gathering.” ⁴¹ After he said this, he dismissed the assembly.