Psalm 94

The Just Judge

Ahab and Naboth’s Vineyard

21 Some time passed after these events. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard; it was in Jezreel^(A) next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.^{(B) 2} So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard^(C) so I can have it for a vegetable garden, since it is right next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”

³ But Naboth said to Ahab, “I will never give my fathers’ inheritance^(D) to you.”

⁴ So Ahab went to his palace resentful and angry^(E) because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had told him. He had said, “I will not give you my fathers’ inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away,^(F) and didn’t eat any food.^(G)

⁵ Then his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, “Why are you so upset that you refuse to eat?”

⁶ “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite,” he replied. “I told him: Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you a vineyard in its place. But he said, ‘I won’t give you my vineyard!’”

⁷ Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Now, exercise your royal power over Israel. Get up, eat some food, and be happy. For I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”^{(H) 8} So she wrote letters^(I) in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal.^(J) She sent the letters to the elders^(K) and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. ⁹ In the letters, she wrote:

¹¹ The men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had commanded them, as was written in the letters she had sent them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ The two wicked men came in and sat opposite him. Then the wicked men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. ¹⁴ Then they sent word to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”^(P)

¹⁵ When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite who refused to give it to you for silver,^(Q) since Naboth isn’t alive, but dead.” ¹⁶ When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

The Lord’s Judgment on Ahab

¹⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:^{(R) 18} “Get up and go to meet Ahab king of Israel,^(S) who is in Samaria.^(T) You’ll find him in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. ¹⁹ Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you murdered^(U) and also taken possession?’^(V) Then tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where the dogs licked Naboth’s blood, the dogs will also lick your blood!’”^(W)

²⁰ Ahab said to Elijah, “So, you have caught me, my enemy.”^(X)

He replied, “I have caught you because you devoted^(Y) yourself to do what is evil in the Lord’s sight. ²¹ This is what the Lord says:^[a] ‘I am about to bring disaster on you and will sweep away your descendants:

²² I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam^(AA) son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha^(AB) son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.^{(AC) 23} The Lord also speaks of Jezebel: The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land^[c] at Jezreel:^(AD)

²⁵ Still, there was no one like Ahab, who devoted himself to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight, because his wife Jezebel incited him.^{(AF) 26} He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols^(AG) as the Amorites^(AH) had, whom the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.

²⁷ When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth^(AI) and walked around subdued. ²⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ²⁹ “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime,^(AJ) because he has humbled himself before Me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”^(AK)

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

2 When^(A) He entered Capernaum^(B) again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. ² So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message^(C) to them. ³ Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic,^(D) carried by four men. ⁴ Since they were not able to bring him to^[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

⁵ Seeing their faith,^(E) Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins^(F) are forgiven.”^(G)

⁶ But some of the scribes^(H) were sitting there, thinking^(I) to themselves:^{[b] 7} “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming!^(J) Who can forgive^(K) sins^(L) but God alone?”^(M)

⁸ Right away^(N) Jesus understood in His spirit^(O) that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?^{[c] 9} Which is easier:^(P) to say to the paralytic,^(Q) ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?^{(R) 10} But so you may know that the Son of Man^(S) has authority^(T) on earth to forgive sins,”^(U) He told the paralytic, ¹¹ “I tell you: get up,^(V) pick up your mat, and go home.”

¹² Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded^(W) and gave glory^(X) to God,^(Y) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”^(Z)

The Call of Matthew

¹³ Then^(AA) Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught^(AB) them. ¹⁴ Then, moving on, He saw Levi^(AC) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(AD) and He said to him, “Follow Me!”^(AE) So he got up and followed^(AF) Him.

Dining with Sinners

¹⁵ While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors^(AG) and sinners^(AH) were also guests^[d](AI) with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(AJ) of the Pharisees^[e](AK) saw that He was eating^(AL) with sinners^(AM) and tax collectors,^(AN) they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat^[f] with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need^(AO) a doctor,^(AP) but the sick^(AQ) do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous,^(AR) but sinners.”^(AS)

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(AT) John’s^(AU) disciples^(AV) and the Pharisees^[g](AW) were fasting.^(AX) People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests^[h] cannot fast while the groom^(AY) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[i] will come^(AZ) when the groom is taken away from them,^(BA) and then they will fast^(BB) in that day. ²¹ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,^(BC) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(BD) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(BE) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins.^[j] But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

²³ On^(BF) the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples^(BG) began to make their way picking some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees^(BH) said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful^(BI) on the Sabbath?”

²⁵ He said to them, “Have you never read what David^(BJ) and those who were with him did when he was in need^(BK) and hungry^(BL)— ²⁶ how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar^(BM) the high priest^(BN) and ate the sacred bread^(BO)—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests^(BP)—and also gave some to his companions?” ²⁷ Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for^[k] man and not man for^[l] the Sabbath.^{(BQ) 28} Therefore, the Son of Man^(BR) is Lord^(BS) even of the Sabbath.”^(BT)