Baramhat 21, 1739

8Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.

9And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.

10Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there."

11And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.

12Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman." When he had called her, she stood before him.

13And he said to him, "Say now to her, "Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?"' She answered, "I dwell among my own people."

14So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old."

15So he said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

16Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!"

17But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

18And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.

19And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "Carry him to his mother."

20When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.

22Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back."

23So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well."

24Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you."

25And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!

26Please run now to meet her, and say to her, "Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?"' And she answered, "It is well."

27Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me."

28So she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, "Do not deceive me'?"

29Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child."

30And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.

31Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."

32When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.

33He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.

34And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.

35He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."

37So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

1"Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-- To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:

2"I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.

3I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.

4For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,

6That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other;

7I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.'

8"Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it.

9"Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, "What are you making?' Or shall your handiwork say, "He has no hands'?

10Woe to him who says to his father, "What are you begetting?' Or to the woman, "What have you brought forth?"'

1Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;

2She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table.

3She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city,

4"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

5"Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed.

6Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.

7"He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

8Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

1Moreover Elihu answered and said:

2"Do you think this is right? Do you say, "My righteousness is more than God's'?

3For you say, "What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?'

4"I will answer you, And your companions with you.

5Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds-- They are higher than you.

6If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?

7If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?

8Your wickedness affects a man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man.

9"Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.

10But no one says, "Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,

11Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?'

12There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men.

13Surely God will not listen to empty talk, Nor will the Almighty regard it.

14Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.

15And now, because He has not punished in His anger, Nor taken much notice of folly,

16Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain; He multiplies words without knowledge."

13Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,

9Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.

10Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

12And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

13"Then the owner of the vineyard said, "What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'

14But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

15So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

16He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"

17Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?

18Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

19And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

1Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

2for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

7for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle--I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

9in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

10but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

11Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.

12And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

13For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

15Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

19These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

21keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22And on some have compassion, making a distinction;

23but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

24Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

25To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.