Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions.[a]
162 I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder.[b]
163 I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
164 Seven times[c] a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
165 Those who love your law are completely secure;[d]
nothing causes them to stumble.[e]
166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey[f] your commands.
167 I keep your rules;
I love them greatly.
168 I keep your precepts and rules,
for you are aware of everything I do.[g]
Ahab Murders Naboth
21 After this the following episode took place.[a] Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.[b] 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer,[c] I will pay you silver for it.”[d] 3 But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.”[e]
4 So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said,[f] “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.”[g] He lay down on his bed, pouted,[h] and would not eat. 5 Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?” 6 He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’”[i] 7 His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel![j] Get up, eat some food, and have a good time.[k] I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
8 She wrote out orders,[l] signed Ahab’s name to them,[m] and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders[n] to the leaders[o] and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.[p] 9 This is what she wrote:[q] “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. 10 Also seat two villains 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[r] city, the leaders,[s] and the nobles who lived there[t] followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them.[u] 12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. 13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him[v] outside the city and stoned him to death.[w] 14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”[x]
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she[y] said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,[z] he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
9 Now on the topic of brotherly love[a] you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters[b] in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,[c] 11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. 12 In this way you will live[d] a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.[e]
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