Zimri Reigns in Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against ^(A)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, ¹⁶ and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. ¹⁷ So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. ¹⁸ And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, ¹⁹ because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, ^(B)walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. ²⁰ Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Omri Reigns in Israel

²¹ Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. ²² But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. ²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought the hill of ^(C)Samaria from Shemer for two talents^[a] of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built ^(D)Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

^25 (E)Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil ^(F)than all who were before him. ²⁶ For ^(G)he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, ^(H)provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. ²⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ²⁸ And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns in Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰ And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, ^(I)more than all who were before him. ³¹ And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, ^(J)he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the ^(K)Sidonians, ^(L)and went and served Baal and worshiped him. ³² He erected an altar for Baal in ^(M)the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. ³³ And Ahab made an ^(N)Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger ^(O)than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ^34 (P)In his days Hiel of Bethel built ^(Q)Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

²⁰ Therefore, ^(A)we are ambassadors for Christ, ^(B)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ^21 (C)For our sake he made him to be sin ^(D)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become ^(E)the righteousness of God.

6 ^(F)Working together with him, then, ^(G)we appeal to you ^(H)not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

Behold, ^(J)now is the ^(K)favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³ We ^(L)put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴ but ^(M)as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: ^(N)by great endurance, ^(O)in afflictions, ^(P)hardships, calamities, ^5 (Q)beatings, imprisonments, ^(R)riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ^6 (S)by purity, ^(T)knowledge, patience, kindness, ^(U)the Holy Spirit, ^(V)genuine love; ⁷ by ^(W)truthful speech, and ^(X)the power of God; with ^(Y)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸ through honor and dishonor, ^(Z)through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹ as unknown, and ^(AA)yet well known; ^(AB)as dying, and behold, we live; ^(AC)as punished, and yet not killed; ^10 (AD)as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; ^(AE)as poor, yet making many rich; ^(AF)as having nothing, ^(AG)yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you,^[a] Corinthians; ^(AH)our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but ^(AI)you are restricted in your own affections. ^13 (AJ)In return (I speak ^(AK)as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Temple of the Living God

^14 (AL)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For ^(AM)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or ^(AN)what fellowship has light with darkness? ^15 (AO)What accord has Christ with Belial?^[b] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(AP)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, ^(AV)let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body^[c] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Elijah Predicts a Drought

17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of ^(A)Tishbe^[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, ^(B)“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, ^(C)before whom I stand, ^(D)there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” ² And the word of the Lord came to him: ³ “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. ⁴ You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” ⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. ⁶ And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. ⁷ And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

The Widow of Zarephath

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him, ⁹ “Arise, go to ^(E)Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” ¹⁰ So he arose and went to ^(F)Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there ^(G)gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” ¹¹ And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” ¹² And she said, ^(H)“As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” ¹³ And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” ¹⁵ And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Elijah Raises the Widow's Son

¹⁷ After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸ And she said to Elijah, ^(I)“What have you against me, O ^(J)man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” ¹⁹ And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” ^21 (K)Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life^[b] come into him again.” ²² And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and ^(L)he revived. ²³ And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” ²⁴ And the woman said to Elijah, ^(M)“Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

^5 (A)And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see, ^(B)the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” ⁷ And they asked him, “Teacher, ^(C)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, ^(D)“See that you are not led astray. For ^(E)many will come in my name, saying, ^(F)‘I am he!’ and, ^(G)‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be ^(H)terrified, for these things ^(I)must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

¹⁰ Then he said to them, ^(J)“Nation will rise against nation, and ^(K)kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great ^(L)earthquakes, and in various places ^(M)famines and pestilences. And there will be ^(N)terrors and great ^(O)signs from heaven. ¹² But before all this ^(P)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to ^(Q)the synagogues and ^(R)prisons, and you ^(S)will be brought before ^(T)kings and ^(U)governors for my name's sake. ^13 (V)This will be your opportunity to bear witness. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your minds ^(W)not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵ for ^(X)I will give you a mouth and ^(Y)wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or ^(Z)contradict. ¹⁶ You will be delivered up ^(AA)even by parents and brothers^[a] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. ^17 (AB)You will be hated by all for my name's sake. ¹⁸ But ^(AC)not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your ^(AD)endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

²⁰ “But ^(AE)when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that ^(AF)its desolation has come near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, ²² for these are ^(AG)days of ^(AH)vengeance, to fulfill ^(AI)all that is written. ^23 (AJ)Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and ^(AK)wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and ^(AL)be led captive among all nations, and ^(AM)Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, ^(AN)until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And ^(AO)there will be signs in sun and moon ^(AP)and stars, and on the earth ^(AQ)distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For ^(AR)the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see ^(AS)the Son of Man coming in a cloud ^(AT)with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and ^(AU)raise your heads, because ^(AV)your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they come out in leaf, you see ^(AW)for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ^32 (AX)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. ^33 (AY)Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(AZ)my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

³⁴ “But watch yourselves ^(BA)lest ^(BB)your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and ^(BC)cares of this life, and ^(BD)that day come upon you suddenly ^(BE)like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But ^(BF)stay awake at all times, ^(BG)praying that you may ^(BH)have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and ^(BI)to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ And ^(BJ)every day he was teaching in the temple, but ^(BK)at night he went out and lodged on ^(BL)the mount called Olivet. ³⁸ And early in the morning ^(BM)all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.