Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to (A)“Do[a] Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2 “When I choose the [b]proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’
And to the wicked, (B)‘Do not [c]lift up the horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with [d]a stiff neck.’ ”
6 For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7 But (C)God is the Judge:
(D)He puts down one,
And exalts another.
8 For (E)in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
Elisha and the Widow’s Oil(A)
4 A certain woman of the wives of (B)the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming (C)to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; (D)do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”
And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
Persecutions Are Coming(A)
16 (B)“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. (C)Therefore be wise as serpents and (D)harmless[a] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for (E)they will deliver you up to councils and (F)scourge you in their synagogues. 18 (G)You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 (H)But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For (I)it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 (J)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 (K)“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And (L)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. (M)But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 (N)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have (O)gone through the cities of Israel (P)before the Son of Man comes.
24 (Q)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If (R)they have called the master of the house [b]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.