Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
161 [a]The powerful persecute me without cause,
but it is your word that awes my heart.[b]
162 I rejoice in your word
like one who discovers a great treasure.
163 Falsehood I abhor and detest,
but I love your law.
164 Seven times[c] a day I praise you
for your righteous judgments.
165 Those who love your law have great peace;[d]
they encounter no stumbling blocks.
166 I await your salvation, O Lord,
and I carry out your precepts.
167 I obey your statutes,
for I love them dearly.
168 I obey your commands and your statutes;
indeed, all my ways are known to you.[e]
Taw
Chapter 21
Naboth’s Vineyard. 1 After these things, it happened that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel near the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so that I can use it as a vegetable garden since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you its worth in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
4 [a]So Ahab entered his palace furious that Naboth, the Jezreelite, had said to him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid down upon his bed and turned his face away, refusing to eat anything.
5 Jezebel his wife entered and said to him, “Why is your spirit so depressed that you refuse to eat anything?” 6 He said to her, “It is because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and I said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard in exchange for money, or, if you like, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ But he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7 Jezebel, his wife, said to him, “Do you not reign over the kingdom of Israel? Get up and eat something. Cheer up, and I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote some letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. 9 In the letters she wrote, “Proclaim a fast, and have Naboth sit in a prominent place among the people. 10 But place two sons of Belial opposite him to bear false witness, saying, ‘You blasphemed God and the king.’ Then carry him out and stone him to death.”
11 So the men in his city, the elders, and the nobles who lived in his city did what had been written in the letters that had been sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and had Naboth sit in a prominent place among the people. 13 Two men then came in, sons of Belial, and they sat opposite him. The sons of Belial bore witness before the people saying, “Naboth blasphemed God and the king.” They carried him out of the city and they stoned him to death.
14 They then sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” 15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, and take possession of the vineyard that Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you. Naboth is no longer alive; he is dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab got up and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.
An Honorable Life.[a] 9 In respect to brotherly love, there is no necessity to write to you about that, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you have shown your love to all the brethren throughout Macedonia. However, we urge you, brethren, to make even greater progress in this regard.
11 Strive to live quietly, to attend to your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.[b] 12 In this way, you will earn the respect of outsiders and not have to be dependent on anyone.
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