The Season of Epiphany
Scripture Selections from the Evangelical Heritage Version® 
following the Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Revised November 14, 2020

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) copyright © 2019 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved.
www.wartburgproject.org

Lectionary listings from Christian Worship: Supplement © 2008 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved. 

The Epiphany of Our Lord
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
Ruth 4:13-17
13Then Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went to her. The Lord enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. 14Then the women said to Naomi:
Blessed is the Lord, who has not left you without a redeemer today.
May his name be proclaimed in Israel!
15He will restore your life	
and care for you in your old age,
because your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to him.
She is better for you than seven sons!
16Then Naomi took the boy and put him on her lap, and she became his caregiver. 17The neighboring women named him, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Second Lesson
Ephesians 3:2-12
2Surely you have heard of the administration of God’s grace given to me for you, 3namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation (as I have already written briefly). 4When you read this, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5This mystery was not made known to people in past generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and people who also share in the promise through the gospel. 
7I became a servant of this gospel, in keeping with the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8To me—even though I am the very least of all the saints—was given this grace: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 9and to enlighten everyone about the administration of this mystery. In past ages this mystery remained hidden in God, who created all things. 10He did this so that, through the church, the multifaceted wisdom of God in the heavenly places might now be made known to the rulers and authorities. 11This was done according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In him we can freely approach God with confidence through faith in him. 

Gospel 
Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, when Herod was king, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, 2“Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4He gathered together all the people’s chief priests and experts in the law. He asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because this was written through the prophet: 
6You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not least among the rulers of Judah: because out of you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people, Israel.” 
7Then Herod secretly summoned the Wise Men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report to me, so that I may also go and worship him.” 
9After listening to the king, they went on their way. Then the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them, until it stood still over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with overwhelming joy. 11After they went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12Since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. 

The First Sunday after the Epiphany—The Baptism of our Lord
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
Isaiah 49:1-6
Listen to me, you coastlands.
Pay attention, you faraway peoples!
The Lord called me from the womb.
When I was inside my mother, he mentioned my name.
2He made my mouth like a sharpened sword.
He hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me a polished arrow.
He concealed me in his quiver.
3He said to me, “You are my servant Israel,
in whom I will display my glory.”
4But I said to myself, “I have labored in vain.
I spent my strength and came up empty, with nothing.
Yet a just verdict for me rests with the Lord,
and my reward is with my God.”
5But now the Lord,
who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to turn Jacob back to him,
so that Israel might be gathered to him,
so that I will be honored in the eyes of the Lord,
because my God has been my strength—
6the Lord said:
It is too small a thing that you should just be my servant
to raise up only the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the ones I have preserved in Israel,
so I will appoint you to be a light for the nations,
so that my salvation will be known to the end of the earth.

Second Lesson
Acts 16:25-34
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Instantly all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27When the jailer woke up and saw that the prison doors were opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted with a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we are all here!” 
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 
31They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his home. 33At the same hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Without delay, he and all his family were baptized. 34Then he brought Paul and Silas into his house and set food before them. He rejoiced, because he and his whole household had come to believe in God. 

Gospel 
Mark 1:4-11
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 
5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. 6John was clothed in camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, “One more powerful than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals! 8I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Just as Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with you.” 

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
1 Samuel 3:1-10
The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days. Prophetic vision was not common.
2Now it happened that Eli’s eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see. Once when Eli was lying down in his place 3and God’s lamp had not yet gone out, Samuel was lying down in the Lord’s temple, where God’s ark was. 4The Lord called Samuel, and Samuel said, “I am here.” 5He ran to Eli, and said, “I am here, since you called me.”
Eli said, “I did not call. Lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6Then the Lord called once more, “Samuel!”
So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, since you called me.”
He answered, “I did not call, my son. Lie down again.”
7Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord’s presence, that is, the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8The Lord called Samuel for the third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, since you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the young man. 9So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”
So Samuel went and once again lay down in his place. 10The Lord came and stood there and called as he had the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Second Lesson
2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
13But we are always obligated to thank God for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation by the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14For this reason he also called you through our gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the teachings that were passed along to you, either by word of mouth or by a letter from us. 16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. 

Gospel 
John 1:43-51
43The next day, Jesus wanted to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 
45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 
46Nathanael said to him, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” 
“Come and see!” Philip told him. 
47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Truly, here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 
48Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” 
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 
49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 
50Jesus replied, “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that!” 51Then he added, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” 

 

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
1 Kings 19:19-21
19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. Elisha was doing the plowing with twelve teams of oxen in front of him, and he himself was driving the twelfth team. Elijah crossed over to him and threw his cloak over him. 20Then Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye! Then I will follow you.”
Then Elijah said, “Go back! For what have I done to you?”
21So Elisha turned back from following him. Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him.

Second Lesson
Acts 13:1–5
Now in the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas; Simeon, who was called Niger; Lucius of Cyrene; Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch; and Saul. 2While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, after they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off. 
4So they were sent out by the Holy Spirit and went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. 

Gospel 
Mark 1:14-20
14After John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. 15“The time is fulfilled,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near! Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 
16As Jesus was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. 17Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat mending the nets. 20Immediately Jesus called them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. 

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
Deuteronomy 18:15–20
15The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brother Israelites. Listen to him. 
16That is exactly what you asked from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly. You said, “Do not let me hear the voice of the Lord my God anymore, and do not let me see this great fire again, or I will die.” 
17Then the Lord said to me, “They have done well by saying what they said. 18I will raise up a prophet for them from among their brothers, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them everything that I command him. 19Anyone who will not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20Any prophet who presumes to speak something in my name that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks something in the name of other gods—that prophet shall die.” 

Second Lesson
Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, focus your attention on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in God’s whole house. 3In fact, Jesus is worthy of greater glory than Moses, in the same way that the builder of a house has more honor than the house. 4For every house is built by someone, and God is the one who built everything. 
5Moses was faithful as a servant within God’s whole house by testifying to the things that would be spoken. 6But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. We are his house, if we hold on firmly to our confidence and the hope about which we boast until the end. 

Gospel 
Mark 1:21-28
21Then they went into Capernaum. 
On the next Sabbath day, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22They were amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them as one who has authority and not as the experts in the law. 23Just then there was a man with an unclean spirit in their synagogue. It cried out, 24“What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 
25Jesus rebuked the spirit, saying, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” 
26The unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions, and after crying out with a loud voice, it came out of him. 27Everyone was so amazed that they began to discuss this with each other. They said, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” 28News about him spread quickly through all the region of Galilee. 

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
Job 7:1-7
Isn’t man’s time on earth like being compelled to serve in the army?
Aren’t his days like those of a hired man?
2Like a slave, he longs for shade,
or like a day laborer, he waits for his pay.
3In the same way, I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of agony have been assigned to me.
4When I lie down, I think, “How long before I get up?”
But the night drags on,
and I am filled with restlessness until dawn.
5My flesh is clothed with maggots and caked with dirt.
My skin scabs over and then oozes again.
6My days pass by more swiftly than the shuttle of a weaver’s loom.
They come to an end without hope.
7Remember that my life is just a breath.
My eyes will never again see good fortune.

Second Lesson
Romans 8:28–30
28We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, 29because those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. And those he justified, he also glorified. 

Gospel 
Mark 1:29-39
29They left the synagogue and went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever. Without delay they told Jesus about her. 31He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32That evening, when the sun had set, the people kept bringing to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 33The whole town gathered at the door. 34He healed many people who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was. 
35Jesus got up early in the morning, while it was still dark, and went out. He withdrew to a solitary place and was praying there. 36Simon and his companions searched for him, 37and, when they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is looking for you!” 
38He told them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the neighboring villages, so that I can preach there too. In fact, that is why I have come.” 39Then he went throughout the whole region of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. 

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
2 Kings 5:1-14
Na'aman, the commander of the king of Aram’s army, was a great man in the opinion of his master. He was highly honored because the Lord had provided victory for Aram through him. Although he was a powerful warrior, he had leprosy.
2Raiding parties had once gone out from Aram and brought back a young girl. She served Na'aman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, “I wish my master stood before the prophet who is in Samaria, because he would cure him of his leprosy.”
4So Na'aman went and told his master what the servant girl from the land of Israel had said.
5Then the king of Aram said, “Go there. I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Na'aman went, and he took ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6Then he took the letter to the king of Israel. The letter said, “Now, when you receive this letter, you will know that I am sending my officer Na'aman to you so that you can cure him of his leprosy.”
7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothing and said, “Am I God that I can kill and make alive? Why is he sending a man to me for me to heal him from his leprosy? See how he is looking for a pretext to fight against me.”
8But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9So Na'aman went with his horses and chariots and stopped in front of the door of Elisha’s house. 10But Elisha sent a messenger out to him to say, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan. Then your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.”
11But Na'aman was angry and he left, saying, “Look, I said to myself, ‘He will certainly come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over the place, and I will be cured of the leprosy!’ 12Aren’t the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a burning rage.
13But his servants approached and spoke to him. They said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not do it? How much more when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
14So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a small child, and he was clean.

Second Lesson
2 Corinthians 1:3–7
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our trouble, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows. 6If we are troubled, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the ability to endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7Our hope for you is sure, since we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so you also share in our comfort. 

Gospel 
Mark 1:40-45
40A leper came to Jesus. He knelt down and begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 
41Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be clean.” 42Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was healed. 43Then Jesus gave him a stern warning and immediately sent him away. 44He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone. Instead go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices for your cleansing that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 
45But after the man left, he began to proclaim it widely. He spread the word so much that Jesus was no longer able to enter a town openly but stayed outside in deserted places. Yet people kept coming to him from all directions. 

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
Isaiah 43:18-25
18Do not remember the former things.
Do not keep thinking about ancient things.
19Watch, I am about to do a new thing.
Now it will spring up. Don’t you know about it?
Indeed I will make a road in the wilderness.
In the wasteland I will make rivers.
20The wild animals, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me,
because I am providing water in the wilderness,
rivers in a parched wasteland,
to provide water for my chosen people to drink.
21This people that I formed for myself will declare my praise.
22But you have not called on me, O Jacob.
Instead, you have become weary of me, O Israel.
23You have not brought me sheep as your whole burnt offerings.
You did not glorify me with your sacrifices.
I did not make you serve me with a grain offering.
I did not make you weary with demands for incense.
24You did not purchase fragrant cane for me with silver
or satisfy me with the fat from your sacrifices.
Instead you have made me serve because of your sins.
You have made me weary because of your guilt.
25I, yes I, am he.
I blot out your rebellious deeds for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.

Second Lesson
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
18As surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us (by me, Silas, and Timothy), was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him the “Yes” stands firm. 20In fact, as many promises as God has made, they have always been “Yes” in him. For that reason we also say “Amen” through him to the glory of God. 
21God is the one who makes both us and you to be strong in Christ. He anointed us. 22He sealed us as his own and gave us the Spirit as the down payment in our hearts. 

Gospel 
Mark 2:1-12
When Jesus again entered Capernaum some days later, people heard that he was home. 2So many people were gathered together that there was no more room, not even by the door, and he was speaking the word to them. 3Some people came to him bringing a paralyzed man, carried by four men. 4Since they could not bring the man to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug through the roof above where he was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 
6But there were some experts in the law sitting there and thinking in their hearts, 7“Why does this fellow speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 
8Jesus immediately knew in his spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. He asked them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier: to tell the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and walk’? 10But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man, 11“I tell you, get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 
12At once the man got up, picked up the stretcher, and went out in front of everyone. So they were all amazed and glorified God. They said, “We have never seen anything like this!” 

The Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
Hosea 2:14-16, 19-20
14But watch! I am going to court her.
I will bring her into the wilderness.
I will speak tenderly to her.
15There I will give her vineyards back to her.
The Valley of Achor will be a door of hope.
She will respond there as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up from the land of Egypt.
16In that day, declares the Lord, this is what will take place:
You will call me “my husband.”
You will no longer call me “my master.”
19I will pledge you to myself in marriage forever.
I will pledge you to myself in marriage—
with righteousness, justice, mercy, and compassion.
20In faithfulness I will pledge you to myself in marriage,
and you will know the Lord.

Second Lesson
Revelation 21:1–6
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer existed. 2And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
3And from the throne I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.” 
5The one who was seated on the throne said to me, “Look, I am making everything new!” He also said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6And he said to me: 
It is done. 
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. 
To anyone who is thirsty, 
I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. 

Gospel 
Mark 2:18-22
18John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. They came and asked Jesus, “Why is it that John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 
19Jesus said to them, “The friends of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then on that day they will fast. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the patch shrinks, the new tears away from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.” 

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany—The Transfiguration of Our Lord
Christian Worship: Supplement 3-Year Lectionary, Year B
Evangelical Heritage Version®

First Lesson
2 Kings 2:1-12a
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah was traveling with Elisha from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3The sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master away from you?”
Then he said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
4Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here because the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
But he said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master away from you?”
He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here because the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
But he said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7Then fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood and watched them from a distance, while the two of them were standing at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak, folded it together, and struck the water. The water divided to the right and to the left. Then the two of them crossed on dry land.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me for whatever I can do for you before I am taken from you.”
Then Elisha said, “Let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”
10He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing. If you see me being taken from you, it will surely be yours. But if not, then it will not.”
11While they were walking and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire, and horses of fire came and separated them. So Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha was watching and crying out, “My father! My father! Israel’s chariot and its charioteers!” Then he did not see him anymore.

Second Lesson
2 Corinthians 4:3–6
3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing. 4In the case of those people, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from clearly seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image. 
5Indeed, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” is the same one who made light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. 

Gospel 
Mark 9:2-9
2After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain where they were alone by themselves. There he was transfigured in front of them. 3His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 
5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say because they were terrified. 
7A cloud appeared and overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.” 
8Suddenly when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone. 
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.