Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite
21 It happened after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard that it may be mine for a garden of vegetable plants, because it is near, beside my house, and I will give to you a better vineyard in place of it. If it is better in your eyes, I will give you the money of its price.” 3 Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me from Yahweh that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors[a] to you.” 4 Then Ahab went to his house, sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him when he had said, “I will not give to you the inheritance of my ancestors.”[b] So he lay on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat any food.
5 Then Jezebel his wife came to him, and she said to him, “What is this, that your spirit is sullen and you are not eating food?” 6 Then he said to her, “When I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or it you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in place of it,’ he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Now, you rule[c] over Israel. Get up, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful.[d] I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling with Naboth in his city. 9 She had written in the letters, saying, “Call a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. 10 Seat two men, scoundrels,[e] opposite him. Let them witness against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then you shall bring him out and stone him so that he dies.”
11 The men of his city and the elders and nobles who were living in his city did according to what Jezebel had sent to them, as was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 They called a fast, and they seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 Then the two men, scoundrels,[a] came, sat opposite him, and the scoundrels[b] witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king,” so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
14 They sent to Jezebel saying, “Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead.”
15 It happened at the moment Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and died, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he had refused to give to you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.
Elijah Responds to Ahab
17 The word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel who is in Samaria. Look in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 You shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Have you committed murder and also taken possession?”’ You shall also say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will also lick your blood.”’”
20 Then Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He said, “I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 21 ‘Look, I am bringing disaster on you, and I will sweep away after you. I will cut off for Ahab every male[a] in Israel, bond or free.
A Prayer for Guidance and Protection
For the music director; with the flutes. A psalm of David.[a]
5 Hear my words, O Yahweh.
Give heed to my sighing.[b]
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading,[c] my king and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice.
In the morning I will set forth[d] my case to you and I will watch.[e]
4 For you are not a God who desires[f] wickedness.
Evil cannot dwell with you.
5 The boastful do not stand before[g] your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy speakers of lies.[h]
A man of bloodshed[i] and deceit Yahweh abhors.
7 But as for me,[j] through the abundance of your steadfast love[k]
I will enter your house.[l]
I will bow down[m] toward your holy temple[n] in awe of you.
8 O Yahweh, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make straight before me your way.
Justified by Faith in Christ
15 We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles, 16 but knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, if not by faith in Jesus Christ,[a] and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ[b] and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified[c]. 17 But if while seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also have been found to be sinners, then is Christ an agent of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I build up again these things which I destroyed, I show myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, 20 and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not declare invalid the grace of God, for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.
A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus’ Feet
36 Now one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he entered into the house of the Pharisee and[a] reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, when she[b] learned that he was dining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of perfumed oil, 38 and standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and was wiping them[c] with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing them[d] with the perfumed oil. 39 Now when[e] the Pharisee who invited him saw this,[f] he spoke to himself, saying, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered and[g] said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.”[h] 41 “There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. 42 When[i] they were not able to repay him,[j] he forgave the debts[k] of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and[l] said, “I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them[m] with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. 47 For this reason[n] I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 And those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Some Women Accompany Jesus
8 And it happened that afterward[o] also he was going about from one town and village to another preaching and proclaiming the good news concerning the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him, 2 and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza (Herod’s household manager), and Susanna, and many others who were helping to support them from their possessions.
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