Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

²⁴ O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom thou hast made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.

²⁵ So is this great and wide sea, wherein are innumerable creeping things, both small and great beasts.

²⁶ There go the ships; there is that leviathan, whom thou didst make to play therein.

²⁷ These wait all upon thee, that thou may give them their food in due season.

²⁸ Thou givest unto them, they gather; thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

²⁹ Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their spirit, they cease to exist and return to their dust.

³⁰ Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth.

³¹ ¶ Let the glory of the LORD endure for ever; let the LORD rejoice in his works.

³² He looks on the earth, and it trembles: he touches the mountains, and they smoke.

³³ I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

³⁴ My meditation of him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the LORD.

³⁵ Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Halelu- JAH (Praise ye the LORD).

2 ¶ And it came to pass, when the LORD would take Elijah up into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

² And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

³ And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; be silent.

⁴ And Elijah said unto him again, Elisha, tarry here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

⁵ And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; be silent.

⁶ And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan. And he said, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And thus the two went on.

⁷ And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood in front of them afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan.

⁸ And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, and they separated to one side and the other so that they both went over on dry ground.

⁹ ¶ And when they had gone over, Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

¹⁰ And he said, Thou hast asked a difficult thing. If thou shalt see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so.

¹¹ And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that, behold, a chariot of fire with horses of fire separated the two, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.

¹² And as Elisha saw it, he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces.

¹³ ¶ And lifting up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, he went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

¹⁴ And taking up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, he smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? And when he smote the waters, they separated to one side and the other, and Elisha went over.

¹⁵ And seeing him, the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

⁵ ¶ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.

⁷ And they had no child because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well advanced in years.

⁸ And it came to pass that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

⁹ according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense entering into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.

¹¹ And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶ And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the rebellious to the prudence of the just, to make ready a prepared people for the Lord.