Zimri Reigns in Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days. And the people were encamped ^(A)against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. ¹⁶ Now the people who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and also has killed the king.” So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon, and they besieged Tirzah. ¹⁸ And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was ^[a]taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house ^[b]down upon himself with fire, and died, ¹⁹ because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, ^(B)in walking in the ^(C)way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin.

²⁰ Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the treason he committed, 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 prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned. ²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in ^(D)Tirzah. ²⁴ And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, ^(E)Samaria,^[c] after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill. ^25 (F)Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all who were before him. ²⁶ For he ^(G)walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their ^(H)idols.^[d]

²⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²⁸ So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Then 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 became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰ Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. ³¹ And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, ^(I)that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the ^(J)Sidonians; ^(K)and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. ³² Then he set up an altar for Baal in ^(L)the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. ^33 (M)And Ahab made a ^[e]wooden image. Ahab ^(N)did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ³⁴ In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation ^[f]with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, ^(O)according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

²⁰ Now then, we are ^(A)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For ^(B)He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ^(C)the righteousness of God in Him.

Marks of the Ministry

6 We then, as ^(D)workers together with Him also ^(E)plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For He says:

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

^3 (G)We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves ^(H)as ministers of God: in much ^[a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ^5 (I)in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶ by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ^[b]sincere love, ^7 (J)by the word of truth, by ^(K)the power of God, by ^(L)the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸ by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹ as unknown, and ^(M)yet well known; ^(N)as dying, and behold we live; ^(O)as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many ^(P)rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Be Holy

¹¹ O Corinthians! ^[c]We have spoken openly to you, ^(Q)our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but ^(R)you are restricted by your own affections. ¹³ Now in return for the same ^(S)(I speak as to children), you also be open.

^14 (T)Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For ^(U)what ^[d]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what ^[e]communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(V)you^[f] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

¹⁷ Therefore

The Corinthians’ Repentance

7 Therefore,^(AA) having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Elijah Proclaims a Drought

17 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the ^(A)inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ^(B)“As the Lord God of Israel lives, ^(C)before whom I stand, ^(D)there shall not be dew nor rain ^(E)these years, except at my word.”

² Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ³ “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ⁴ And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ^(F)ravens to feed you there.”

⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ⁶ 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 it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁹ “Arise, go to ^(G)Zarephath, which belongs to ^(H)Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” ¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” ¹¹ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

¹² So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a ^[a]jar; and see, 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 ^(I)die.”

¹³ And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ”

¹⁵ So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son

¹⁷ Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so ^[b]serious that ^[c]there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸ So she said to Elijah, ^(J)“What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”

¹⁹ And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” ^21 (K)And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” ²² Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he ^(L)revived.

²³ And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this ^(M)I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple^(A)

^5 (B)Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was ^[a]adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, ⁶ “These things which you see—the days will come in which ^(C)not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age^(D)

⁷ So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”

⁸ And He said: ^(E)“Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ ^[b]Therefore do not ^[c]go after them. ⁹ But when you hear of ^(F)wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”

^10 (G)Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ And there will be great ^(H)earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. ^12 (I)But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and ^(J)prisons. ^(K)You will be brought before kings and rulers ^(L)for My name’s sake. ¹³ But ^(M)it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. ^14 (N)Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will ^[d]answer; ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom ^(O)which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or ^[e]resist. ^16 (P)You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put ^(Q)some of you to death. ¹⁷ And ^(R)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. ^18 (S)But not a hair of your head shall be lost. ¹⁹ By your patience possess your souls.

The Destruction of Jerusalem^(T)

^20 (U)“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. ²² For these are the days of vengeance, that ^(V)all things which are written may be fulfilled. ^23 (W)But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles ^(X)until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man^(Y)

^25 (Z)“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, ^(AA)for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man ^(AB)coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because ^(AC)your redemption draws near.”

The Parable of the Fig Tree^(AD)

^29 (AE)Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. ³¹ So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. ^33 (AF)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My ^(AG)words will by no means pass away.

The Importance of Watching^(AH)

³⁴ “But ^(AI)take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with ^[f]carousing, drunkenness, and ^(AJ)cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵ For ^(AK)it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ^36 (AL)Watch therefore, and ^(AM)pray always that you may ^[g]be counted ^(AN)worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and ^(AO)to stand before the Son of Man.”

^37 (AP)And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but ^(AQ)at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. ³⁸ Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.