Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Elijah Ascends to Heaven

2 And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to ^(A)take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with ^(B)Elisha from Gilgal. ² Then Elijah said to Elisha, ^(C)“Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and ^(D)as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.

³ Now ^(E)the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master ^[a]from over you today?”

And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.”

But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho.

⁵ Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?”

So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”

But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. ⁷ And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and ^(F)it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ^(G)ground.

⁹ And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

¹⁰ So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly ^(H)a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah ^(I)went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

¹² And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, ^(J)“My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. ¹³ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, ^(K)it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

¹⁵ Now when the sons of the prophets who were ^(L)from^[b] Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.

John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

⁵ There was ^(A)in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, ^(B)of the division of ^(C)Abijah. His ^(D)wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

⁸ So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, ^[a]his lot fell ^(E)to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ^10 (F)And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of ^(G)the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, ^(H)he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(I)you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and ^(J)many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be ^(K)great in the sight of the Lord, and ^(L)shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, ^(M)even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ^17 (N)He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”