Day 187 of 365

2 Kgs 2:1–3:27

2:1 It happened, when the Lord would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2:2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Please wait here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

2:3 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 from your head today?" He said, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace."

2:4 Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please wait here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho." He said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.

2:5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from your head today?" He answered, "Yes, I know it. Hold your peace."

2:6 Elijah said to him, "Please wait here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." He said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." They both went on.

2:7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.

2:8 Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they two went over on dry ground.

2:9 It happened, when they had gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me."

2:10 He said, "You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."

2:11 It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2:12 Elisha saw it, and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" He saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.

2:13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

2:14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" When he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over.

2:15 When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

2:16 They said to him, "See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up, and put him on some mountain, or into some valley. He said, "You shall not send them."

2:17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send them." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him.

2:18 They came back to him, while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not go?'"

2:19 The men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land miscarries."

2:20 He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." They brought it to him.

2:21 He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, "Thus says the Lord, 'I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.'"

2:22 So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

2:23 He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldhead!"

2:24 He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths.

2:25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

3:1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

3:2 He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.

3:3 Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.

3:4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he rendered to the king of Israel the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams.

3:5 But it happened, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

3:6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.

3:7 He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?" He said, "I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

3:8 He said, "Which way shall we go up?" He answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."

3:9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. There was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them.

3:10 The king of Israel said, "Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

3:11 But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?" One of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."

3:12 Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the Lord is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

3:13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother." The king of Israel said to him, "No; for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

3:14 Elisha said, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you.

3:15 But now bring me a minstrel." It happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came on him.

3:16 He said, "Thus says the Lord, 'Make this valley full of trenches.'

3:17 For thus says the Lord, 'You will not see wind, neither will you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your animals.

3:18 This is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

3:19 You shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.'"

3:20 It happened in the morning, about the time of offering the offering, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

3:21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.

3:22 They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood.

3:23 They said, "This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

3:24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites.

3:25 They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the springs of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth only they left its stones; however the men armed with slings went about it, and struck it.

3:26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.

3:27 Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

Acts 13:1–13

1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them."

3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant.

6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

10 and said, "Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!" Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

Ps 80:1–19

1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine forth.

2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might! Come to save us!

3 Turn us again, God. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

4 Lord God of Hosts, How long will you be angry against the prayer of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.

6 You make us a source of contention to our neighbors. Our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Turn us again, God of Hosts. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt. You drove out the nations, and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it. It took deep root, and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shadow. Its boughs were like God's cedars.

11 It sent out its branches to the sea, Its shoots to the River.

12 Why have you broken down its walls, so that all those who pass by the way pluck it?

13 The boar out of the wood ravages it. The wild animals of the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, we beg you, God of Hosts. Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine,

15 the stock which your right hand planted, the branch that you made strong for yourself.

16 It's burned with fire. It's cut down. They perish at your rebuke.

17 Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

18 So we will not turn away from you. Revive us, and we will call on your name.

19 Turn us again, Lord God of Hosts. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.