Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A psalm of David.
143 Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry for mercy.
You are faithful and right.
Come and help me.
2 Don’t take me to court and judge me,
because in your eyes no living person does what is right.
3 My enemies chase me.
They crush me down to the ground.
They make me live in the darkness
like those who died long ago.
4 So I grow weak.
Deep down inside me, I’m afraid.
5 I remember what happened long ago.
I spend time thinking about all your acts.
I consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you in prayer.
I’m thirsty for you, just as dry ground is thirsty for rain.
7 Lord, answer me quickly.
I’m growing weak.
Don’t turn your face away from me,
or I will be like those who go down into the grave.
8 In the morning let me hear about your faithful love,
because I’ve put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should live,
because I trust you with my life.
9 Lord, save me from my enemies,
because I go to you for safety.
10 Teach me to do what you want,
because you are my God.
May your good Spirit
lead me on a level path.
11 Lord, bring yourself honor by keeping me alive.
Because you do what is right, get me out of trouble.
12 Because your love is faithful, put an end to my enemies.
Destroy all of them, because I serve you.
18 The child grew. One day he went out to get his father. His father was with the people who were gathering the crops. 19 The boy said to his father, “My head hurts! It really hurts!”
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 The servant lifted up the boy. He carried him to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon. Then he died. 21 She went up to the room on the roof. There she laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.
22 She sent for her husband. She said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey. Then I can go quickly to the man of God and return.”
23 “Why do you want to go to him today?” he asked. “It isn’t the time for the New Moon feast. It isn’t the Sabbath day.”
“Don’t let that bother you,” she said.
24 She put a saddle on her donkey. She said to her servant, “Let’s go. Don’t slow down for me unless I tell you to.” 25 So she started out. She came to Mount Carmel. That’s where the man of God was.
When she was still a long way off, he saw her coming. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the woman from Shunem! 26 Run out there to meet her. Ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27 She came to the man of God at the mountain. Then she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is suffering terribly. But the Lord hasn’t told me the reason for it. He has hidden it from me.”
28 “My master, did I ask you for a son?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t make me hope for something that won’t happen’?”
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your coat into your belt. Take my walking stick and run to Shunem. Don’t say hello to anyone you see. If anyone says hello to you, don’t answer. Lay my walking stick on the boy’s face.”
30 But the child’s mother said, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” So Elisha got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead. He laid Elisha’s walking stick on the boy’s face. But there wasn’t any sound. The boy didn’t move at all. So Gehazi went back to Elisha. He told him, “The boy hasn’t awakened.”
32 Elisha arrived at the house. The boy was dead. He was lying on Elisha’s bed. 33 Elisha went into the room. He shut the door. He was alone with the boy. He prayed to the Lord. 34 Then Elisha got on the bed. He lay down on the boy. His mouth touched the boy’s mouth. His eyes touched the boy’s eyes. And his hands touched the boy’s hands. As Elisha lay on the boy, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away. He walked back and forth in the room. Then he got on the bed again. He lay down on the boy once more. The boy sneezed seven times. After that, he opened his eyes.
36 Elisha sent for Gehazi. He said to him, “Go and get the woman from Shunem.” So he did. When she came, Elisha said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in and fell at Elisha’s feet. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
God Has Given Us New Life Through Christ
2 You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead. 2 You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God. 3 At one time we all lived among them. Our desires were controlled by sin. We tried to satisfy what they wanted us to do. We followed our desires and thoughts. God was angry with us like he was with everyone else. That’s because of the kind of people we all were. 4 But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. 5 So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you. 6 God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. 7 He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us. He was kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. 9 It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. 10 We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.
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