Thursday, 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.

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.

24Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

25Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.

26I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is:

27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

28But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

29But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none,

30those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,

31and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

32But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord —how he may please the Lord.

33But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.

34There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

35And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

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.

12Then His disciples came and said to Him, 'Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?'

13But He answered and said, 'Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.'

15Then Peter answered and said to Him, 'Explain this parable to us.'

16So Jesus said, 'Are you also still without understanding?

17Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?

18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

20These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.'

21Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

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.