3 Kingdoms 19:9b-21:22
Behold, the word of the Lord came to him and said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” 10 And Elijah said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord Almighty since the children of Israel have forsaken You. They tore down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” 11 Then He replied, “Go out tomorrow and stand on the mountain before the Lord; and behold, the Lord will pass by, and before the Lord, a great and powerful wind will be rending the mountains and shattering the rocks; but the Lord will not be in the wind. After the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord will not be in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there will be a fire, but the Lord will not be in the fire. After the fire, there will be a sound of a gentle breeze, and the Lord will be there.”
13 So when Elijah heard this, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a Voice came to him and said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord Almighty, since the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return on your way to the desert of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 You shall also anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel, and shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 And you will leave seven thousand in Israel; all those whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and whose mouth has not kissed him.”
Elisha Follows after Elijah
19 Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 So Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah and said, “I will kiss my father, then I will follow after you.” Elijah said to him, “Return, for I have done this for you.” 21 Elisha returned from following him, and took a pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. He boiled their flesh with the proper equipment, and gave it to the people to eat. He then arose and followed Elijah, and ministered to him.
Naboth Killed for His Vineyard
1 Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the threshing floor of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, and it will be my garden for herbs; for it is near my house. In return, I will give you a better vineyard. Or if you prefer, I will give you money for it, and it will be my herb garden.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.”
4 So Ahab’s spirit was disturbed; and he lay down on his bed and covered his face. He would not eat any food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit disturbed, and you are not eating any food?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money. Otherwise, if you like, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ ” 7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you not now exercise authority over Israel? Arise, eat some food, and be yourself. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote a letter in Ahab’s name, sealed it with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders and the nobles dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men before him, scoundrels, to bear witness against him, saying, ‘He cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him, that he dies.”
11 Thus the men of his city, the elders and nobles, inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel requested them, as it was written in the letters she sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. 13 Two men, scoundrels, also came in and sat before him. The scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, and in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, that he might die. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” 15 When Jezebel heard it, she said to Ahab, “Arise and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he did not give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth the Jezreelite was dead, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. After that, Ahab arose and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
The Evil Deeds of Ahab
17 Then the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. He is there in the vineyard of Naboth, for he went there to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak this to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “As you were involved in murder, and took possession,” therefore, Thus says the Lord: “In every place where the swine and dogs licked the blood of Naboth, in the same place shall the dogs lick your blood; and in your blood the prostitutes shall bathe themselves.” ’ ” 20 So Ahab said to Elijah, “My enemy, you have surely found me.” Elijah replied, “I have found you because you sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 21 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I shall bring evils upon you, and before you, fires kindle. I will utterly destroy the males of Ahab, and him who is shut up and left in Israel. 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the way you provoked Me to anger and made Israel sin.’ 23 The Lord spoke of Jezebel, saying, ‘The dogs shall devour her by the outer wall of Jezreel.’ 24 The dogs shall devour the one of Ahab who dies in the city, and the one of Ahab who dies in the field, the birds of the sky shall devour.”
25 Nevertheless, Ahab sold himself to vainly do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, because his wife Jezebel led him astray. 26 He behaved abominably in following after idols, just as all the Amorites had done, whom the Lord utterly cast out before the sons of Israel. 27 But as a result of the word, Ahab became deeply troubled before the Lord. He fasted, he ripped his shirt, and put sackcloth on his body. He also put on sackcloth the day he killed Naboth the Jezreelite. 28 Concerning Ahab, the word of the Lord came by the hand of His servant Elijah the Tishbite. The Lord said, 29 “Did you see how Ahab humbled himself before Me? I will not bring the evil in his days. But in the days of his son, I will bring evil upon his house.”
Ahab’s Defeat of Syria
1 Now the son of Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces, and went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it. He had thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots. 2 Then he sent notice to Ahab king of Israel in the city 3 and said to him, “Thus says the son of Hadad, ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children are mine.’ ”
4 The king of Israel answered and said, “O lord and king, I am yours, and everything I have.” 5 Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus says the son of Hadad, ‘Indeed I sent notice to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and gold, your wives and children,” 6 for I will send my servants to you at this time tomorrow, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. Whatever is pleasant in their eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’ ” 7 The king of Israel then called all the elders and said, “Know and consider, this man seeks to ruin us. He sent notice to me concerning my wives, my sons and daughters, although I did not deny him my silver and my gold.” 8 But all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” 9 Thus he said to the messengers of the son of Hadad, “Tell your lord, ‘Everything you sent as a demand to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ”
The messengers departed and carried back to him a response. 10 Then the son of Hadad sent word back and said to him, “May God do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall be sufficient for all the cunning people of my infantry.” 11 So the king of Israel answered and said, “Enough! Let the hunchback not boast like a man who stands erect.” 12 And it came to pass, when the son of Hadad heard this answer, he and all the kings were drinking in their tents. He said to his servants, “Build ramparts, and place ramparts against the city.”
13 Then behold, a prophet approached the king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Have you seen this great multitude? Behold today, I will deliver it into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” 14 So Ahab said, “In what way?” The prophet said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘By the young men of the governors of the regions.’ ” Then Ahab said, “Who will set the battle in order?” The prophet answered, “You.” 15 So Ahab visited the young men of the governors of the regions, and they were two hundred thirty. After them he reviewed all the people, every son of the army, sixty thousand.
16 Then he marched out at noon, while the son of Hadad was drinking himself senseless in Sochoh, he and his allies of thirty-two kings. 17 The young men of the governors of the regions went out first. Those of Syria sent a report to the king of Syria, saying, “Men have come out from Samaria.” 18 The son of Hadad said to them, “If they have come for peace, take them alive. If they have come out for war, take them alive”; 19 because he did not believe the young men of the governors of the regions had marched out of the city. 20 But the army that went out behind them, each of them struck down the man beside him, and each of them struck down two more. So the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them vigorously. The son of Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse of a cavalryman. 21 Then the king of Israel went out and took the horses and chariots. He killed those of Syria with a great slaughter. 22 Then the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen and reinforce yourself; learn and observe what you will do, because the son of Hadad the king of Syria will be returning within the year to march against you.”
Psalm 104:16–27
16 And He called a famine upon the land;
He shattered all their provision of bread;
17 He sent a man before them;
He sold Joseph into slavery.
18 They humbled his feet with fetters;
His soul passed into the iron
19 Until his word came to pass;
The revelation of the Lord tried him in the fire.
20 The king, the ruler of the people, sent and released him,
And he acquitted him.
21 He made him lord of his house
And ruler of all his domain,
22 To instruct his rulers as himself
And to teach his elders wisdom.
23 And Israel came into Egypt,
And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham;
24 He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He changed their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
26 He sent Moses His servant;
He sent Aaron, whom He chose.
27 He put among them the words of His signs
And of His wonders in the land of Ham.
Proverbs 22:21–26
21 And if you apply them to your heart,
They will gladden you and at the same time be upon your lips;
22 That your hope might be in the Lord,
And His way might be known to you.
23 And register them upon the breadth of your heart for yourself threefold,
For counsel and knowledge.
24 Therefore, I teach you a true word and good knowledge to be obeyed,
That you might answer words of truth to those who question you.
25 Do not rob the poor, for he is needy,
And do not dishonor the helpless at the gates;
26 For the Lord will judge his cause,
And you will deliver your soul from violence.
Luke 23:1–25
1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”
5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”
Jesus Faces Herod
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.
7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.
9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.
12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
Taking the Place of Barabbas
(Matt. 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; John 18:38—19:16)
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;
15 “no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
16 “I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”
17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—
19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.
21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.