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Psalm 143

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord,
      and in your faithfulness give ear to my supplications; ♦︎
   answer me in your righteousness.
2  Enter not into judgement with your servant, ♦︎
   for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
3  For the enemy has pursued me,
      crushing my life to the ground, ♦︎
   making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4  My spirit faints within me; ♦︎
   my heart within me is desolate.
5  I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; ♦︎
   I consider the works of your hands.
6  I stretch out my hands to you; ♦︎
   my soul gasps for you like a thirsty land.
7  O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; ♦︎
   hide not your face from me
      lest I be like those who go down to the Pit.
8  Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning,
      for in you I put my trust; ♦︎
   show me the way I should walk in,
      for I lift up my soul to you.
9  Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies, ♦︎
   for I flee to you for refuge.
10  Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; ♦︎
   let your kindly spirit lead me on a level path.
11  Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; ♦︎
   for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.
12  In your faithfulness, slay my enemies,
      and destroy all the adversaries of my soul, ♦︎
   for truly I am your servant.

18 When the child was older, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. ¹⁹He complained to his father, ‘Oh, my head, my head!’ The father said to his servant, ‘Carry him to his mother.’ ²⁰He carried him and brought him to his mother; the child sat on her lap until noon, and he died. ²¹She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, closed the door on him, and left. ²²Then she called to her husband, and said, ‘Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.’ ²³He said, ‘Why go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.’ She said, ‘It will be all right.’ ²⁴Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, ‘Urge the animal on; do not hold back for me unless I tell you.’ ²⁵So 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 woman; ²⁶run at once to meet her, and say to her, Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is the child all right?’ She answered, ‘It is all right.’ ²⁷When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi approached to push her away. But the man of God said, ‘Let her alone, for she is in bitter distress; the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.’ ²⁸Then she said, ‘Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, Do not mislead me?’ ²⁹He said to Gehazi, ‘Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet anyone, give no greeting, and if anyone greets you, do not answer; and lay my staff on the face of the child.’ ³⁰Then the mother of the child said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave without you.’ So he rose up and followed her. ³¹Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. He came back 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. ³³So he went in and closed the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. ³⁴Then he got up on the bed^* and lay upon the child, putting his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and while he lay bent over him, the flesh of the child became warm. ³⁵He got down, walked once to and fro in the room, then got up again and bent over him; the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. ³⁶Elisha^* summoned Gehazi and said, ‘Call the Shunammite woman.’ So he called her. When she came to him, he said, ‘Take your son.’ ³⁷She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground; then she took her son and left.

From Death to Life

2You were dead through the trespasses and sins ²in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ^*—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.