Old/New Testament

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

17 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel. ² And he put troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had taken. ³ And Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of David his father and did not seek after the Baals, ⁴ but he sought after the God of his ancestors^[a] and walked in his commandments and not according to the works of Israel. ⁵ So Yahweh established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had much wealth and honor. ⁶ And his heart was courageous in the ways of Yahweh. Moreover, he removed the high places and the Asherahs from Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; ⁸ and with them the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; and with them the priests Elisham and Joram. ⁹ And they taught in Judah, and the scroll of the law of Yahweh was with them when they went around in all the cities of Judah, and they taught the people.

¹⁰ And the fear of Yahweh was upon all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, and they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ And some of the Philistines brought a gift and silver to Jehoshaphat as tribute. The Arabians also brought him seven thousand seven hundred sheep and seven thousand seven hundred goats.

¹² And Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater,^[b] and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. ¹³ And he had many supplies in the cities of Judah and mighty warriors for battle in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Now these were their enrollment by the house of their ancestors:^[c] of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah, the commander, and with him were three hundred thousand mighty armed warriors; ¹⁵ and at his side,^[d] Jehohanan the commander, and with him were two hundred and eighty thousand; ¹⁶ and at his side,^[e] Amasiah the son of Zicri, who had made a freewill offering to Yahweh, and with him were two hundred thousand mighty armed warriors. ¹⁷ And from Benjamin: Eliada, a powerful mighty warrior, and with him were two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸ and at his side,^[f] Jehozabad, and with him were one hundred and eighty thousand armed for war. ¹⁹ These were serving the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab

18 Now Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor, and he became son-in-law to Ahab. ² And after some years^[g] he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead. ³ And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people with you in war.”

⁴ Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Seek first of all^[h] the word of Yahweh.” ⁵ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men. And he said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we cease?” And they said, “Go up, since God will give it into the hand of the king.” ⁶ Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of Yahweh that we might inquire of him?” ⁷ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always^[i] disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say thus.” ⁸ Then the king of Israel called to a eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

⁹ Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you will gore Aram^[j] to their destruction.’” ¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph! Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹² Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets are good with one voice to the king. Please let your word be as one with them and speak good.” ¹³ But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak.”

¹⁴ And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war or shall I cease?” And he said, “Go up and triumph! They shall be given into your hand.” ¹⁵ But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing except the truth in the name of Yahweh?” ¹⁶ Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let them return to his own house in peace.’” ¹⁷ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?” ¹⁸ Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. ¹⁹ And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel that he would go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one said this, and another said that. ²⁰ Then a spirit came forth and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Then Yahweh said to him, ‘By what means?’ ²¹ Then he said, ‘I will go forth and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him and will also succeed. Go out and do so.’ ²² So now, behold, Yahweh has put a spirit of deception into the mouths of these your prophets. Yahweh has spoken disaster against you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way^[k] did the Spirit of Yahweh come from me to speak to you?” ²⁴ Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into a private room to hide yourself.” ²⁵ Then 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, ²⁶ and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this one into the prison house, and let him eat a meager ration of bread and water^[l] until I return in peace.”’” ²⁷ And Micaiah said, “If you surely return in peace Yahweh has not spoken with me.” Then he said, “Hear, peoples, all of them!”

The Death of Ahab

²⁸ Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. ²⁹ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you, wear your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to war. ³⁰ Now the king of Aram^[m] had commanded the commanders of his chariots,^[n] saying, “Do not fight with the small or the great, but only with the king of Israel.” ³¹ And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots^[o] saw Jehoshaphat, then they said, “It is the king of Israel!” And they turned against him to fight. Then Jehoshaphat cried out and Yahweh helped him. God drove them away from him. ³² And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots^[p] saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him. ³³ Now a certain man drew the bow at random^[q] and struck the king of Israel between the soldering of his breastplate armor. Then he said to the chariot driver, “Turn around;^[r] get me away from the war camp, for I am wounded.” ³⁴ And the battle went on that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in the chariot facing Aram^[s] until the evening. And he died at the time of the going down of the sun.

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, and^[a] having loved his^[b] own in the world, loved them to the end. ² And as^[c] a dinner was taking place, when^[d] the devil had already put into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him, ³ because he^[e] knew that the Father had given him all things into his^[f] hands, and that he had come forth from God and was going away to God, ⁴ he got up from the dinner and took off his^[g] outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it^[h] around himself. ⁵ Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them^[i] dry with the towel which he had tied around himself.^[j]

⁶ Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet forever!”^[k] Jesus replied to him, “Unless I wash you, you do not have a share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my^[l] hands and my^[m] head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed only needs^[n] to wash his^[o] feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ (For he knew the one who would betray him; because of this he said, “Not all of you are clean.”)

¹² So when he had washed their feet and taken his outer clothing and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? ¹³ You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, for I am. ¹⁴ If then I—your^[p] Lord and Teacher—wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do. ¹⁶ Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.

¹⁸ “I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but in order that the scripture would be fulfilled, ‘The one who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’^{[q] 19} From now on I am telling you before it happens, in order that when it happens you may believe that I am he.^{[r] 20} Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.”