Sunday, July 20

1So Elijah went and obeyed the word of the Lord, and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

2The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening, and he drank water from the brook.

3But after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

4Again the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying,

5'Arise, go to Zarephath of Sidon and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'

6So he arose and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the city, there was a widow gathering firewood. Elijah called to her and said, 'Please bring me a little water in a cup so I can drink.'

7She went to get it, and Elijah called after her and said, 'Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.'

8But the woman said, 'As the Lord your God lives, I do not have any bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar. You see I am gathering a couple of sticks, so I can go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.'

9But Elijah said to her, 'Take courage, and do as you say, but make me a small cake from it first and bring it to me. Afterward make some for yourself and your son.

10For thus says the Lord, 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, and the jar of oil shall not run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.' '

11So the woman went and did it. Thus she and he and her children ate for many days.

12The bin of flour was not used up, and the jar of oil did not run dry, according to the word the Lord spoke by Elijah.

13Now after this, the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. His sickness was so serious there was no breath left in him.

14So she said to Elijah, 'What have I to do with you, O man of God? You came to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son.'

15But Elijah said to her, 'Give me your son.' So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.

16Then Elijah cried out to the Lord and said, 'Woe is me, O Lord! The witness of the widow with whom I lodge, you have embittered her by killing her son.'

17Then he stretched himself out on the child three times, and called on the Lord and said, 'O Lord my God, let the soul of this child come back to him.'

18So it happened, and the child cried out.

19He took the child and brought him down from the upper room of the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, 'Behold, your son lives.'

20Then the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God, and the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.'

21It came to pass many days later, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, 'Go and appear to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.'

22So Elijah went and appeared to Ahab, and there was a severe famine in Samaria.

23Then Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.

19So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, 'Give me your vineyard, and it will be my garden for herbs; for it is near my house. In return, I will give you a better vineyard. Or if you prefer, I will give you money for it, and it will be my herb garden.'

20But Naboth said to Ahab, 'The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.'

21So Ahab's spirit was disturbed; and he lay down on his bed and covered his face. He would not eat any food.

1As the time came to be for the Lord to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.

2Then Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here, please, for the Lord sent me to Bethel.' But Elisha said, 'As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So they went to Bethel.

3Now the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that this day the Lord will take away your master from over your head?' And he said, 'I know. Please be silent!'

4Then Elijah said to him, 'Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord sent me to Jericho.' But he said, 'As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' And they went to Jericho.

5Now the sons of the prophets in Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that this day the Lord will take away your master from over your head?' So he answered, 'I know, please be silent!'

6Then Elijah said to him, 'Stay here, please, for the Lord sent me on to the Jordan.' But Elisha said, 'As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So both of them went on.

7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

8Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water. The water divided this way and that, and the two of them crossed on dry ground.

9So it was that during the time they crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I may do for you, before I am taken away from you.' Elisha said, 'Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'

10So Elijah said, 'You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken up from you, it shall be so for you; and if not, it shall not be so.'

11Thus it came to be, as they walked and continued to talk, behold a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and the fire separated them one from the other; and Elijah was taken up into heaven by a whirlwind.

12Then Elisha saw it and cried aloud, 'Father, O father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!' He saw Elijah no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

13Then he raised Elijah's mantle, which fell from Elijah and upon Elisha, and Elisha returned and stood on the bank of the River Jordan.

14He took Elijah's mantle which had fallen upon him and struck the water, but it did not divide. Then he said, 'Where is the Lord God of Elijah himself?' And he struck the water again, and it divided this way and that. So Elisha crossed over.

36Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, 'Peace to you.'

37But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.

38And He said to them, 'Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?

39Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.'

40When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

41But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, 'Have you any food here?'

42So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

43And He took it and ate in their presence.

44Then He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.'

45And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

46Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48And you are witnesses of these things.

49Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.'

50And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

51Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

52And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

53and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;

8he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

11not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

12rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

13distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

10My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.

11Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

12But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No,' lest you fall into judgment.

13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,

20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

1So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.

2Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.'

3And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, 'This Man blasphemes!'

4But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?

6But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins'—then He said to the paralytic, 'Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.'

7And he arose and departed to his house.

8Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

22So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, 'Is this not Joseph's son?'

23He said to them, 'You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.' '

24Then He said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

25But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;

26but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.'

28So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

30Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.