Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

For the music director; with stringed instruments, ^[a]upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

¹⁹ He said to him, “^(A)Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.

²⁰ But ^(B)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, ^[a]thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, ^[b]by not accepting from his hand what he brought. ^(C)As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything well?” ²² And he said, “^(D)Everything is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from ^(E)the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and ^(F)two changes of clothes.’” ²³ Naaman said, “^(G)Be sure to take two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. ²⁴ When he came to the ^[c]hill, he took them from their hand and ^(H)deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. ²⁵ But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “^(I)Your servant went nowhere.”

²⁶ Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? ^(J)Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? ²⁷ Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your ^[d]descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence ^(K)afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

²⁸ When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is ^[a]Artemis of the ^(A)Ephesians!” ²⁹ The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along ^(B)Gaius and ^(C)Aristarchus, Paul’s ^(D)Macedonian traveling ^(E)companions. ³⁰ And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, ^(F)the disciples would not let him. ³¹ Also some of the ^[b]Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him and repeatedly urged him not to ^[c]venture into the theater. ^32 (G)So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the ^[d]assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know ^[e]for what reason they had come together. ³³ Some of the crowd ^[f]concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having ^(H)motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. ³⁴ But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is ^[g]Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of ^(I)Ephesus, what person is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great ^[h]Artemis and of the image which fell down from ^[i]the sky? ³⁶ So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. ³⁷ For you have brought these men here who are neither ^(J)temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. ³⁸ So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and ^[j](K)proconsuls are available; have them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the ^[k]lawful ^[l]assembly. ⁴⁰ For indeed, we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real reason for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” ⁴¹ After saying this he dismissed the ^[m]assembly.