Old/New Testament
The Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite
21 It happened after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard that it may be mine for a garden of vegetable plants, because it is near, beside my house, and I will give to you a better vineyard in place of it. If it is better in your eyes, I will give you the money of its price.” 3 Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me from Yahweh that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors[a] to you.” 4 Then Ahab went to his house, sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him when he had said, “I will not give to you the inheritance of my ancestors.”[b] So he lay on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat any food.
5 Then Jezebel his wife came to him, and she said to him, “What is this, that your spirit is sullen and you are not eating food?” 6 Then he said to her, “When I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or it you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in place of it,’ he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Now, you rule[c] over Israel. Get up, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful.[d] I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling with Naboth in his city. 9 She had written in the letters, saying, “Call a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. 10 Seat two men, scoundrels,[e] opposite him. Let them witness against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then you shall bring him out and stone him so that he dies.” 11 The men of his city and the elders and nobles who were living in his city did according to what Jezebel had sent to them, as was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 They called a fast, and they seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 Then the two men, scoundrels,[f] came, sat opposite him, and the scoundrels[g] witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king,” so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
14 They sent to Jezebel saying, “Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead.” 15 It happened at the moment Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and died, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he had refused to give to you for money, for Naboth is not 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.
Elijah Responds to Ahab
17 The word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel who is in Samaria. Look in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 You shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Have you committed murder and also taken possession?”’ You shall also say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will also lick your blood.”’”
20 Then Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He said, “I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 21 ‘Look, I am bringing disaster on you, and I will sweep away after you. I will cut off for Ahab every male[h] in Israel, bond or free. 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 you made me angry[i] and have caused Israel to sin.’ 23 Moreover, concerning Jezebel, Yahweh has said, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the outer rampart of Jezreel.’ 24 The one who dies for Ahab in the city, the dogs will eat; the one who dies in the open country, the birds of heaven will eat.”
25 Truly, there was no one like Ahab who had sold himself by doing evil in the eyes of Yahweh, whose wife Jezebel urged him on. 26 Also, he acted very abominably by going after idols like all the Amorites had done whom Yahweh had driven out from before the Israelites.”[j]
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his flesh, fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly. 28 Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring disaster in his days. I will bring the disaster on his house in the days of his son.”
Jehoshaphat of Judah Allies with Ahab of Israel
22 They lived three years, and there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 It happened in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to the king of Israel, 3 and the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know Ramoth-Gilead belongs to us, and we are doing nothing about taking it from the hand of the king of Aram?” 4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to the battle for Ramoth-Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am like you;[k] my people are like your people;[l] my horses are like your horses.”[m]
5 Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of Yahweh today.” 6 Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead for the battle, or should I refrain?” Then they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7 So Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here that we might still inquire from him?” 8 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man to inquire from Yahweh, but I despise him, for he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but only bad: Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say so.” 9 The king of Israel summoned a certain court official, and he said, “Quickly fetch Micaiah son of Imlah.” 10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until finishing them.’” 12 All of the prophets were likewise prophesying, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”
13 Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Please now, the words of the prophet are unanimously[n] favorable to the king. Please let your words be as one word with them, and speak favorably.” 14 Then Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives,[o] surely only as Yahweh speaks to me, that will I speak.” 15 When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to the battle, or shall we refrain?” He said to him, “Go up and triumph, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.” 16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you shall not tell me anything but truth in the name of Yahweh?” 17 So he said, “I saw all of Israel scattering to the mountains, like the sheep without a shepherd. Yahweh also said, ‘There are no masters for these, let them return in peace, each to his house.’” 18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but disaster?”
19 And he[p] said, “Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne with all the hosts of heaven standing beside him from his right hand and from his left hand. 20 And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ Then this one was saying one thing and the other one was saying another.[q] 21 Then a spirit came out and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him,’ and Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ 22 He said, ‘I will go out and I will be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he[r] said, ‘You shall entice and succeed, go out and do so.’ 23 So then, see that Yahweh has placed a false spirit in the mouth of all of these your prophets, and Yahweh has spoken disaster concerning you.”
24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came near and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and said, “When did the Spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak with you?” 25 Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you are about to see on that day when you go from room to room[s] to hide.” 26 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the commander of the city and to Jehoash the son of the king; 27 and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in the house of imprisonment and feed him reduced rations of food and water until I come in peace.”’” 28 Then Micaiah said, “If you indeed return in peace, then Yahweh has not spoken with me.” Then he said, “Let all the peoples hear!”
29 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 30 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and he went into the battle. 31 The king of Aram commanded his thirty-two chariot commanders, saying, “You shall not fight with small or great, but only against the king of Israel, him alone!” 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely he is the king of Israel,” and they turned to fight against him, so Jehoshaphat called out. 33 When the chariot commanders saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 34 But another man drew his bow fully and struck the king of Israel between the armor scales and the breastplate; so he said to his chariot driver, “Turn the chariot[t] and bring me out from the camp, for I am wounded.”
35 The battle intensified on that day, and the king was being propped up in the chariot opposite Aram, but he died in the evening, and the blood of the wound ran out to the floor of the chariot. 36 Then the shout passed through the camp about sunset, saying, “Each man to his city and each to his land!” 37 So the king died, and they brought him[u] to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked his blood (now, the prostitutes washed themselves there) according to the word of Yahweh which he had spoken. 39 The remainder of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory palace and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his ancestors,[v] and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah
41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 He walked in all of the way of Asa his father, and he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the eyes of Yahweh.[w] Only he did not remove the high places; the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. 44 [x] But, Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. 45 The remainder of the acts of Jehoshaphat, his powerful deeds he did, and how he fought, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? 46 The remainder of the male shrine prostitutes who were left over in the days of Asa his father he exterminated from the land. 47 There was not a king in Edom; a governor served as king. 48 Jehoshaphat built[y] ships of the Tarshish type to go to Ophir for the gold; but he did not go because the ships were destroyed at Ezion-Geber. 49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his ancestors[z] and was buried with his ancestors[aa] in the city of David his ancestor,[ab] and Joram his son became king in his place.
King Ahaziah of Israel
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 52 He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and he went in the way of his father and his mother and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin. 53 He served Baal and bowed down to him; and he provoked Yahweh the God of Israel according to all that his father did.
Jesus Is Crucified
26 And as they led him away, they seized Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and[a] placed the cross on him, to carry it[b] behind Jesus. 27 And a great crowd of the people were following him, and of women who were mourning and lamenting him. 28 But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children! 29 For behold, days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green,[c] what will happen when it is dry?”[d]
32 And two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” there they crucified him, and the criminals, the one on his right and the other on his left. 34 [[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]][e] And they cast lots to divide his clothes. 35 And the people stood there watching, but the rulers also ridiculed him,[f] saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if this man is the Christ[g] of God, the Chosen One!” 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming up and[h] offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 And there was also an inscription over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”
39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there reviled him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself—and us!” 40 But the other answered and[i] rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, because you are undergoing the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve[j] for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong!” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!” 43 And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus Dies on the Cross
44 And by this time it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour 45 because[k] the light of the sun failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn apart down the middle. 46 And Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit!”[l] And after he[m] said this, he expired.
47 Now when[n] the centurion saw what had happened, he began to praise[o] God, saying, “Certainly this man was righteous!” 48 And all the crowds that had come together for this spectacle, when they[p] saw the things that had happened, returned home[q] beating their[r] breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances, and the women who had followed him from Galilee who saw these things, stood at a distance.
Jesus Is Buried
50 And behold, a man named[s] Joseph, who was a member of the council,[t] a good[u] and righteous man 51 (this man was not consenting to their plan and deed), from Arimathea, a Judean town,[v] who was looking forward to the kingdom of God. 52 This man approached Pilate and[w] asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it[x] down and[y] wrapped it in a linen cloth and placed him in a tomb cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed. 54 And it was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. 55 And the women who had been accompanying him from Galilee followed and[z] saw the tomb and how his body was placed. 56 And they returned and[aa] prepared fragrant spices and perfumes, and on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
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