Luke 5:1-11
[1]
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the
word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, [2] and he saw
two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were
washing their nets. [3] Getting into one of the boats, which was
Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down
and taught the people from the boat. [4] And when he had finished
speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your
nets for a catch.” [5] And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night
and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” [6] And
when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their
nets were breaking. [7] They signaled to their partners in the other
boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so
that they began to sink. [8] But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down
at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O
Lord.” [9] For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch
of fish that they had taken, [10] and so also were James and John, sons
of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do
not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” [11] And when they
had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Philippians 1:12-20
[12]
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really
served to advance the gospel, [13] so that it has become known
throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my
imprisonment is for Christ. [14] And most of the brothers, having become
confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak
the word without fear.
[15]
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good
will. [16] The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for
the defense of the gospel. [17] The former proclaim Christ out of
selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my
imprisonment. [18] What then? Only that in every way, whether in
pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes,
and I will rejoice, [19] for I know that through your prayers and the
help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my
deliverance, [20] as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not
be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will
be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
Psalm 119:113-120
[113] I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.
[114] You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
[115] Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.
[116] Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
[117] Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
[118] You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
for their cunning is in vain.
[119] All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.
[120] My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.
2 Kings 4
[1]
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your
servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the
LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his
slaves.” [2] And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me;
what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in
the house except a jar of oil.” [3] Then he said, “Go outside, borrow
vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. [4] Then
go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all
these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” [5] So she went
from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she
poured they brought the vessels to her. [6] When the vessels were full,
she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her,
“There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. [7] She came and
told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts,
and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
[8]
One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who
urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would
turn in there to eat food. [9] And she said to her husband, “Behold now,
I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our
way. [10] Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there
for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes
to us, he can go in there.”
[11]
One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.
[12] And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he
had called her, she stood before him. [13] And he said to him, “Say now
to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be
done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or
to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own
people.” [14] And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi
answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” [15] He said,
“Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. [16]
And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall
embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to
your servant.” [17] But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about
that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.
[18]
When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the
reapers. [19] And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The
father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” [20] And when he
had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap
till noon, and then he died. [21] And she went up and laid him on the
bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. [22]
Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants
and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come
back again.” [23] And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is
neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” [24] Then she
saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do
not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” [25] So she set out and
came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When
the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look,
there is the Shunammite. [26] Run at once to meet her and say to her,
‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with
the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” [27] And when she came to
the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi
came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for
she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has
not told me.” [28] Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I
not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” [29] He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your
garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do
not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff
on the face of the child.” [30] Then the mother of the child said, “As
the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he
arose and followed her. [31] Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on
the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore
he returned to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.”
[32]
When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his
bed. [33] So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and
prayed to the LORD. [34] Then he went up and lay on the child, putting
his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his
hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child
became warm. [35] Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in
the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child
sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. [36] Then he
summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And
when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” [37] She came and
fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and
went out.
[38]
And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land.
And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his
servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the
prophets.” [39] One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and
found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and
came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.
[40] And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were
eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the
pot!” And they could not eat it. [41] He said, “Then bring flour.” And
he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they
may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.
[42]
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the
firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his
sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” [43] But
his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he
repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the
LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” [44] So he set it before
them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.
2 Kings 5
[1]
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man
with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given
victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. [2]
Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from
the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. [3]
She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who
is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” [4] So Naaman went in
and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of
Israel.” [5] And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a
letter to the king of Israel.”
So
he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of
gold, and ten changes of clothing. [6] And he brought the letter to
the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that
I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his
leprosy.” [7] And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his
clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man
sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see
how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
[8]
But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn
his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your
clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a
prophet in Israel.” [9] So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and
stood at the door of Elisha’s house. [10] And Elisha sent a messenger to
him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh
shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” [11] But Naaman was angry
and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out
to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his
hand over the place and cure the leper. [12] Are not Abana and Pharpar,
the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I
not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
[13] But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a
great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he
actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” [14] So he went down and
dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the
man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child,
and he was clean.
[15]
Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came
and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God
in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your
servant.” [16] But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I
will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. [17]
Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two
mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt
offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. [18] In this matter may
the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of
Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the
house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD
pardon your servant in this matter.” [19] He said to him, “Go in
peace.”
But
when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, [20] Gehazi, the
servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this
Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As
the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” [21]
So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after
him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?”
[22] And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There
have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men
of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two
changes of clothing.’” [23] And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two
talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two
bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his
servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. [24] And when he came to
the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he
sent the men away, and they departed. [25] He went in and stood before
his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And
he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” [26] But he said to him, “Did not
my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a
time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep
and oxen, male servants and female servants? [27] Therefore the leprosy
of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he
went out from his presence a leper, like snow.
