Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁴ Then Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah came up, slapped Mikhay’hu in the face and said, “And how did the Spirit of Adonai leave me to speak to you?” ²⁵ Mikhay’hu said, “You’ll find out the day you go into an inside room, trying to hide.”

²⁶ The king of Isra’el said, “Seize Mikhay’hu, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and Yo’ash the king’s son. ²⁷ Say, ‘The king says to put this man in prison; and feed him only bread and water, and not much of that, until I return in peace.’” ²⁸ Mikhay’hu said, “If you return in peace at all, Adonai has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Did you hear me, you peoples, all of you?”

²⁹ So the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah went up to Ramot-Gil‘ad. ³⁰ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you, put on your robes.” So the king of Isra’el disguised himself and went into battle. ³¹ Now the king of Aram had ordered the thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t attack anyone of either high or low rank, only the king of Isra’el.” ³² So when the chariot commanders saw Y’hoshafat they said, “This must be the king of Isra’el,” and turned to attack him. But Y’hoshafat gave a yell, ³³ so that the chariot commanders saw that he wasn’t the king of Isra’el and stopped pursuing him. ³⁴ However, one soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Isra’el between his lower armor and his breastplate. So the king said to his chariot-driver, “Turn the reins, and take me out of the fighting; I’m collapsing from my wounds.” ³⁵ But the fighting grew fiercer that day; and they propped the king upright in his chariot facing Aram until he died, in the evening, with the blood streaming from his wound onto the floor of the chariot. ³⁶ Around sundown, a cry spread through the ranks: “Every man to his own town! Every man to his own land!” ³⁷ So the king died and was brought to Shomron, and they buried the king in Shomron. ³⁸ They washed the chariot at the Pool of Shomron where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, in keeping with the word Adonai had spoken.

³⁹ Other activities of Ach’av’s reign, all his accomplishments, the ivory palace he built and all the cities he built are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. ⁴⁰ So Ach’av slept with his ancestors, and Achazyah his son became king in his place.

²⁵ For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; ²⁶ and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says,

²⁸ With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake, ²⁹ for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. ³⁰ Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience; ³¹ so also Isra’el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God’s mercy. ³² For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.