The Commissioning of the Eleven. 14^h [But] later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. 15ⁱ He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. 18They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”^j

The Ascension of Jesus. 19So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.^k 20But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.]^l

[And they reported all the instructions briefly to Peter’s companions. Afterwards Jesus himself, through them, sent forth from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]

9^b When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Request whatever I might do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”^* 10He replied, “You have asked something that is not easy. Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.” 11As they walked on still conversing, a fiery chariot and fiery horses came between the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind,^c 12and Elisha saw it happen. He cried out, “My father! my father!^* Israel’s chariot and steeds!” Then he saw him no longer.

He gripped his own garment, tore it into two pieces, 13and picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah. Then he went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan. 14Wielding the mantle which had fallen from Elijah, he struck the water and said, “The LORD, the God of Elijah—where is he now?”^* He struck the water: it divided, and he crossed over.

Elisha’s Journey. 15The guild prophets in Jericho, who were on the other side, saw him and said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They went to meet him, bowing to the ground before him.^d

1Hear me, coastlands,

listen, distant peoples.^a

Before birth the LORD called me,

from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.^*

2He made my mouth like a sharp-edged sword,

concealed me, shielded by his hand.

He made me a sharpened arrow,

in his quiver he hid me.

3He said to me, You are my servant,

in you, Israel,^* I show my glory.

4Though I thought I had toiled in vain,

for nothing and for naught spent my strength,

Yet my right is with the LORD,

my recompense is with my God.^b

5For now the LORD has spoken

who formed me as his servant from the womb,

That Jacob may be brought back to him

and Israel gathered to him;

I am honored in the sight of the LORD,

and my God is now my strength!

6It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,

to raise up the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the survivors of Israel;^c

I will make you a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.^*

7Thus says the LORD,

the redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

To the one despised, abhorred by the nations,

the slave of rulers:

When kings see you, they shall stand up,

and princes shall bow down

Because of the LORD who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.^d

Diversity of Gifts. 7But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.^g 8Therefore, it says:

“He ascended^* on high and took prisoners captive;

he gave gifts to men.”^h

9What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower [regions] of the earth? 10The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

11^* And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,ⁱ 12to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,^* for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,^* to the extent of the full stature of Christ,^j 14so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.^k 15Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head,^l Christ,^* 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.^m