Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Sin and Shin
161 (A)Princes persecute me (B)without cause,
but my heart (C)stands in awe of your words.
162 I (D)rejoice at your word
like one who (E)finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love (F)your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your (G)righteous rules.
165 Great (H)peace have those who love your law;
(I)nothing can make them stumble.
166 I (J)hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
I (K)love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
(L)for all my ways are before you.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
17 (A)Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in (B)Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19 And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: (C)“In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, (D)“Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because (E)you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and (F)will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like (G)the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like (H)the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you (I)have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the Lord also said, (J)‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within (K)the walls of Jezreel.’ 24 (L)Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”
Ahab's Repentance
25 ((M)There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after (N)idols, as (O)the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.)
27 And when Ahab heard those words, he (P)tore his clothes and (Q)put sackcloth on his flesh and (R)fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; (S)but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”
Test the Spirits
4 Beloved, (A)do not believe every spirit, but (B)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for (C)many (D)false prophets (E)have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: (F)every spirit that confesses that (G)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit (H)that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and (I)now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for (J)he who is in you is greater than (K)he who is in the world. 5 (L)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and (M)the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. (N)Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know (O)the Spirit of truth and (P)the spirit of error.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.