Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

To the Chief Musician; on wind instruments. A Psalm of David.

War with Aram

20 Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel’s capital], and fought against it. ² Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel; and he said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ³ ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children, even the fairest, also are mine [as conditions of peace].’” ⁴ The king of Israel [conceded his defeat and] answered, “By your word, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.” ⁵ The messengers returned and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I indeed sent word to you, saying, “You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children,” ⁶ but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take with their hands (confiscate) whatever is desirable in your eyes and carry it away.’”

⁷ Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please observe and see how this man is seeking our destruction. For he sent messengers to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.” ⁸ All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent [to this additional demand].” ⁹ So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Every demand you first sent to your servant I will do, but I cannot do this [additional] thing [as a condition of peace].’” And the messengers left; then they brought him word again. ¹⁰ Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May the gods do so to me, and more also, if there is enough dust left of Samaria for handfuls for all the [armed] people who follow me.” ¹¹ The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘A man who puts on [his armor to go to battle] should not boast like the man who takes it off [after the battle has been won].’” ¹² When Ben-hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking in the temporary shelters, he said to his servants, “Station yourselves.” So they stationed themselves against the city [of Samaria].

Ahab Victorious

¹³ Then a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have you seen all this great army? Behold, I will hand them over to you, and you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.’” ¹⁴ Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘By the young men [the attendants or bodyguards] of the governors of the districts.’” Then Ahab said, “Who shall begin the battle?” And he answered, “You.” ¹⁵ Then Ahab assembled and counted the young men of the governors of the districts, and there were 232. After them he assembled and counted all the people, all the sons of Israel, 7,000.^(A)

¹⁶ They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was getting drunk in the temporary shelters, he and the thirty-two kings who were helping him. ¹⁷ The young men of the governors of the districts went out first; and Ben-hadad sent men out and they told him, saying, “Men have come out of Samaria.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive.”

¹⁹ So these young men of the governors of the districts went out of the city, and the army followed them. ²⁰ And each one killed his man; and the Arameans (Syrians) fled and Israel pursued them. Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen. ²¹ The king of Israel went out and struck [the riders of] the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.

²² Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for at the first of next year the king of Aram (Syria) will come up against you.”

Things to Avoid

4 What leads to [the unending] ^[a]quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]? ² You are jealous and covet [what others have] and ^[b]your lust goes unfulfilled; so you ^[c]murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].^{(A) 3} You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask ^[d]with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. ⁴ You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose ^[e]that the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy?^{(B) 6} But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”^{(C) 7} So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.