Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 125[a]
A song of ascents.[b]
125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved and will endure forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
3 Indeed,[c] the scepter of a wicked king[d] will not settle[e]
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly
might do what is wrong.[f]
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright.[g]
5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path,[h]
may the Lord remove them,[i] along with those who behave wickedly.[j]
May Israel experience peace.[k]
9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you,[a] before I am taken away from you?” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you?”[b] 10 Elijah[c] replied, “That’s a difficult request![d] If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don’t, it will not happen.”
11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot[e] pulled by fiery horses appeared.[f] They went between Elijah and Elisha,[g] and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm. 12 While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!”[h] Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. 13 He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen off him, and went back and stood on the shore of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah,[i] hit the water with it, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over.
15 When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho, who were standing at a distance,[j] saw him do this, they said, “The spirit that energized Elijah[k] rests upon Elisha.” They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “Look, there are fifty capable men with your servants. Let them go and look for your master, for the wind sent from the Lord[l] may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.” But Elisha[m] replied, “Don’t send them out.” 17 But they were so insistent that he became embarrassed. So he said, “Send them out.” They sent the fifty men out, and they looked for three days, but could not find Elijah.[n] 18 When they came back, Elisha[o] was staying in Jericho. He said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”
Elisha Demonstrates His Authority
19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, the city has a good location, as our[p] master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn’t produce crops.”[q] 20 Elisha[r] said, “Get me a new jar and put some salt in it.” So they got it. 21 He went out to the spring and threw the salt in. Then he said, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘I have purified[s] this water. It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops.’”[t] 22 The water has been pure to this very day, just as Elisha prophesied.[u]
17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance,[a] as your rulers did too. 18 But the things God foretold[b] long ago through[c] all the prophets—that his Christ[d] would suffer—he has fulfilled in this way. 19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing[e] may come from the presence of the Lord,[f] and so that he may send the Messiah[g] appointed[h] for you—that is, Jesus. 21 This one[i] heaven must[j] receive until the time all things are restored,[k] which God declared[l] from times long ago[m] through his holy prophets. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey[n] him in everything he tells you.[o] 23 Every person[p] who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed[q] from the people.’[r] 24 And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced[s] these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors,[t] saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants[u] all the nations[v] of the earth will be blessed.’[w] 26 God raised up[x] his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning[y] each one of you from your iniquities.”[z]
The Arrest and Trial of Peter and John
4 While Peter and John[aa] were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander[ab] of the temple guard[ac] and the Sadducees[ad] came up[ae] to them, 2 angry[af] because they were teaching the people and announcing[ag] in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 So[ah] they seized[ai] them and put them in jail[aj] until the next day (for it was already evening). 4 But many of those who had listened to[ak] the message[al] believed, and the number of the men[am] came to about 5,000.
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