2nd September

¹ Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.² Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.³ And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?⁴ If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.⁵ And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.⁶ For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.⁷ Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.⁸ And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.⁹ Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.¹⁰ So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.¹¹ And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.¹² And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.¹³ And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.¹⁴ They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.¹⁵ And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.¹⁶ And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.¹⁷ And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.¹⁸ And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:¹⁹ And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.²⁰ And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

¹ I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.² He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.³ Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.⁴ My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.⁵ He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.⁶ He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.⁷ He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.⁸ Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.⁹ He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.¹⁰ He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.¹¹ He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.¹² He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.¹³ He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.¹⁴ I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.¹⁷ And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.¹⁸ And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:¹⁹ Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.²⁰ My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.²² It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.²³ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.²⁴ The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.²⁵ The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.²⁶ It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.²⁷ It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth.²⁸ He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.²⁹ He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.³⁰ He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.³¹ For the LORD will not cast off for ever:³² But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.³³ For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.³⁴ To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.³⁵ To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,³⁶ To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not.³⁷ Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?³⁸ Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?³⁹ Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?⁴⁰ Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.⁴¹ Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.⁴² We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.⁴³ Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.⁴⁴ Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.⁴⁵ Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.⁴⁶ All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.⁴⁷ Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.⁴⁸ Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.⁴⁹ Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.⁵⁰ Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.⁵¹ Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.⁵² Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.⁵³ They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.⁵⁴ Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.⁵⁵ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.⁵⁶ Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.⁵⁷ Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.⁵⁸ O LORD, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.⁵⁹ O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.⁶⁰ Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;⁶² The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.⁶³ Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.⁶⁴ Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.⁶⁵ Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.⁶⁶ Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

¹ Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.² Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.³ And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.⁴ And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.⁵ Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.⁶ And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.⁷ For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.⁸ But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.⁹ For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.¹⁰ Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.¹¹ Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.¹² As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.¹³ Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.¹⁴ Let all your things be done with charity.¹⁵ I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)¹⁶ That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.¹⁷ I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.¹⁸ For they have refreshed my spirit and your's: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.¹⁹ The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.²⁰ All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.²¹ The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.²² If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.