Old/New Testament
Naboth’s Vineyard
21 Some time passed after these events.
Naboth from Jezre’el had a vineyard in Jezre’el, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a vegetable garden, because it is beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard in exchange. Or if you prefer, I will give you the purchase price in silver.”
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “May I be cursed by the Lord, if I were to give you the inheritance from my fathers.”
4 Ahab went to his house sullen and angry because of what Naboth from Jezre’el had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” Ahab lay down on his bed and turned his face away and would not eat anything.
5 Then his wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why is your spirit so sullen, and why don’t you eat?”
6 Then he told her, “I said to Naboth from Jezre’el, ‘Sell your vineyard to me, or if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7 Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Are you now acting like the king over Israel? Get up! Eat something, and cheer up. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezre’el.”
8 Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who were living in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast and then seat Naboth at the head of the people. 10 Seat two wicked, worthless men opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11 The men of the city—the elders and the nobles who lived there—did exactly as Jezebel had commanded them, exactly as she had written in the letters she had sent them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and then seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 They brought two wicked, worthless men and seated them opposite him. The wicked men testified against Naboth before the people, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Go and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezre’el, which he refused to sell to you, because Naboth is no longer alive but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he went and took possession of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezre’el.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah from Tishbe:
18 Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. Right now he is in Naboth’s vineyard because he has gone down to take possession of it.
19 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord says. Have you committed murder and seized this man’s property?
Then you will say to him: This is what the Lord says. In the place where dogs licked Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick your blood also.
20 Then Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?”
Elijah said, “I have found you, because you sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, who says, 21 ‘I am bringing disaster against you, and I will burn you up. I will cut off from Ahab in Israel all those who urinate against the wall,[a] both bound and free.[b] 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Ba’asha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and caused Israel to sin.’
23 “Concerning Jezebel the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezre’el.’ 24 The dead who belong to Ahab in the city the dogs will eat, and the dead in the country the birds of the air will eat.”
25 There had never been anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, incited by his wife Jezebel. 26 He committed obscene acts by following filthy idols, like everything that the Amorites had done, for which the Lord drove them out before the people of Israel. 27 But when Ahab heard these words, he cried out and tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and went around in a subdued manner.
28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah from Tishbe, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring this disaster during his days, but during the days of his son I will bring disaster upon his house.”
Jehoshaphat Visits Ahab
22 Three years went by without any warfare between Aram and Israel. 2 In the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.
3 The king of Israel said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us? But we have done nothing to take it from the king of Aram.” 4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come with me to wage war at Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am like you. My people are like your people. My horses are like your horses.”
5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the word of the Lord.”
6 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and he said to them, “Should I go up to make war at Ramoth Gilead or should I refrain?”
They said, “Go up, for the Lord[c] will give it into the hand of the king.”
7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here who can inquire of the Lord for us?”
8 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one man who could inquire of the Lord for us, but I hate him because he does not prophesy anything good about me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not talk like that.”
9 So the king of Israel summoned one of his court officials and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah here.”
10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were seated, each on his own throne, arrayed in their robes. They were sitting by the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them.
11 Zedekiah son of Kena’anah had made iron horns for himself, and he said, “This is what the Lord says. With these you will gore Aram to death.” 12 All the prophets were prophesying in this same way: “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and triumph, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
A Lying Spirit
13 The messenger who was sent to summon Micaiah said to him, “Pay attention to the words of the prophets. With one mouth they are promising good things to the king. Let your words be like the words of one of them and say something good.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that is what I will say.”
15 Then he came to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go up to make war on Ramoth Gilead, or should we refrain?”
He answered him, “Go up and triumph, for the Lord will give them into the hand of the king.”
16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘They have no masters. Each one should return to his home in peace.’”
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he does not prophesy anything good about me, but only bad?”
The Lord’s Proclamation Against Ahab
19 Then Micaiah said:
Now hear this word from the Lord.
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole army of heaven was standing around him, on his right and on his left.
20 Then the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab so that he goes up and falls at Ramoth Gilead?”
One spirit said this. Another one said that. 21 Finally a spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, “I will entice him.”
The Lord said to him, “How?”
22 He said, “I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”
Then the Lord said, “You will entice him successfully. Go and do it.”
23 Now look! The Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all these prophets of yours, for the Lord has decreed disaster for you.
24 Then Zedekiah son of Kena’anah came up and struck Micaiah on his cheek and said, “Where is this pathway on which the spirit of the Lord has traveled from me to speak to you?”
25 Micaiah said, “Listen to me. You will see it on the day you go into the inner room to hide.”
26 Then the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the administrator of the city, and to Joash son of the king. 27 Then say, ‘This is what the king says. Put this man in prison and feed him nothing more than bread and water until I come back safely.’”
28 Then Micaiah said, “If you ever come back safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Hear this, you people, all of you!”
Ahab Dies in Battle
29 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself when I go into the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 The king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone small or great, but only against the king of Israel.”
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “That is the king of Israel!” They turned to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried for help.
33 When the chariot commanders realized that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him. 34 But a man shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Israel in the seam between two parts of his armor.
So Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I have been wounded.”
35 The battle went on all that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing Aram. He died in the evening, and the blood from his wound ran down onto the floor of the chariot. 36 Then, as the sun was going down, a cry went up through the army: “Every man to his own city and every man to his own land!”
37 So the king died, and they brought him to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 They washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, and dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed there, in fulfillment of the word which the Lord had spoken.
39 As for the rest of Ahab’s acts and everything he did, and the ivory house he built, and all the cities he built, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel? 40 Ahab rested with his fathers. Then his son Ahaziah became king in his place.
Jehoshaphat Son of Asa, King of Judah
41 Jehoshaphat 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 ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. The name of his mother was Azubel daughter of Shilhi.
43 Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn from them. He did what is right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places were not removed. The people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.[d]
45 As for the rest of Jehoshaphat’s acts, the mighty deeds which he did, and the wars he fought, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Judah?
46 He removed from the land the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa. 47 There was no king in Edom, but rather a governor represented the king.
48 Jehoshaphat constructed trading ships[e] to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set out, because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.[f] 49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing.
50 Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. Then his son Jehoram became king in his place.
Ahaziah Son of Ahab, King of Israel
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He ruled over Israel for two years. 52 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father and in the ways of his mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53 He served Baal and bowed down to him, and he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in all the same ways that his father did.
The Crucifixion
26 As they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country. They placed the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd of people was following him, including women who were mourning and wailing for him. 28 Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 Be sure of this: The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never gave birth, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’[a] 31 For if they do these things to the green wood, what will happen to the dry?”
32 Two other men, who were criminals, were led away with Jesus to be executed.
33 When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
They cast lots to divide his garments among them. 35 The people stood watching. The rulers were ridiculing him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!”
36 The soldiers also made fun of him. Coming up to him, they offered him sour wine, 37 saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 There was also an inscription written above him: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same condemnation? 41 We are punished justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me[b] when you come in[c] your kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus’ Death
44 It was now about the sixth hour,[d] and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,[e] 45 while the sun was darkened. Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”[f] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 When the centurion saw what had happened, he began to glorify God, saying, “This man really was righteous.” 48 When all the groups of people who had gathered to see this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their chests. 49 All those who knew Jesus, and the women who followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Jesus’ Burial
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man. 51 He had not agreed with their plan and action. He was looking forward to the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 He took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb that was cut out of rock, where no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed after Joseph, and they observed the tomb and how his body was laid there. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.