1 Kings 20 Cross References - ISV

¹ Ahab Attacks the ArameansA little while later, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered an army of cavalry and chariots in a military confederacy with 32 kings, invaded Samaria, and set up siege encampments there. ² Then he sent envoys to visit King Ahab of Israel and told him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ³ ‘Your silver and gold belong to me. So do the most beautiful of your wives and children.’”
⁴ “Whatever you want, your majesty,” the king of Israel answered. “I belong to you, as does everything I own.”
⁵ After delivering Ahab’s answer, the envoys returned with this message: “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I’ve sent my envoys to you to tell you that your silver, gold, wives, and children are to be given to me. ⁶ About this time tomorrow, I’ll send my servants to you, and they’ll search through your palace and your servants’ houses. Whatever is important to you will be seized and taken away.’”
⁷ Then the king of Israel called together all of the elders of the land and told them, “Please note that this man is here looking for trouble. He sent a message to me, demanding my wives, my children, and my silver and gold, and I haven’t refused him.”
⁸ “Don’t listen to him,” all the elders and the people replied. “And don’t agree to his terms.”
⁹ So he told Ben-hadad’s envoys, “Tell his majesty the king, ‘Everything that you asked for the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the envoys left to deliver Ahab’s response. They returned a little while later.
¹⁰ Beh-hadad sent this message back: “May the gods do so to me, and more than that also, if the dust that remains of Samaria is enough to fill up a few handfuls for all of the armies at my disposal.”
¹¹ But the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘The one who is starting to strap on his battle armor should never brag like the one who is taking it off.’”
¹² Ben-hadad received Ahab’s response while he was celebrating with his kings in the battle pavilions. “Sound ‘Battle Stations!’” he ordered, and the army began to prepare their attack.
¹³ God’s Prophets Rebuke AhabRight about then, a prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You see all of this great big army, do you? Well now, I’m going to deliver them all right into your hand, and you will learn that I am the LORD!’”
¹⁴ “By whom?” Ahab asked.
“This is what the LORD says,” the prophet replied. “‘By the young men who serve as officials within the provinces.’”
“Who is to begin the battle?” Ahab asked.
“You,” the prophet answered.
¹⁵ So Ahab gathered together 232 young men who served as officials within the provinces and then mustered 7,000 soldiers from among the Israelis. ¹⁶ They attacked at noon, just as Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the battle pavilions, along with the 32 kings who had joined him. ¹⁷ The young men who served as officials within the provinces led the charge, and somebody informed Ben-hadad, “Some men have come out from Samaria.”
¹⁸ “Take them alive, whether they’ve come in peace or not,” he ordered.
¹⁹ Meanwhile, as the young men who served as officials within the provinces left the city, their army followed after them. ²⁰ Each man struck down his opponent, and the Arameans ran away with Israel in pursuit. King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on horseback with the help of his cavalry. ²¹ The king of Israel went out and attacked the cavalry and chariots and killed the Arameans in a massive victory.
²² The prophet approached the king of Israel and told him, “Go replenish your forces and prepare for the future, because early this next year the king of Aram will attack you again.”
²³ The Arameans are DefeatedSure enough, the advisors to the king of Aram told him, “Their gods are mountain gods. That’s why they were stronger than we were. But when we fight them on the plains, we’re certain to be the stronger army! ²⁴ So do this: remove the kings from command and replace them with captains. ²⁵ Then replace the army that you lost, horse-for-horse and chariot-for-chariot. We’ll fight them on the plains, and we’re certain to be the stronger army.” Ben-hadad listened to what they had to say and carried out their advice.
²⁶ Early the next year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and invaded Aphek in a battle against Israel. ²⁷ The Israelis were mustered, equipped with provisions, and sent out to fight. The Israeli encampment looked like two little flocks of goats compared to how the Aramean encampments filled the countryside!
²⁸ Right about then, a man of God approached and told the king of Israel, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans keep saying “The LORD is a mountain god, but isn’t a valley god,” I’m going to deliver this entire vast army right into your control, so you’ll learn that I really am the LORD.’” ²⁹ So they remained in opposing camps for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle commenced, and the Israelis killed 100,000 Aramean infantry troops in a single day. ³⁰ The rest of the Aramean army retreated into Aphek, but the city wall collapsed on 27,000 soldiers who had taken shelter there. Ben-hadad himself ran away and hid inside a closet somewhere in the city.
³¹ “Look, now,” his advisors suggested, “we’ve heard that the Israeli kings are merciful. So let’s clothe ourselves with sackcloth, tie our hair back with ropes, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he’ll spare your life.” ³² So they put on some sackcloth, tied their hair back with ropes, and approached the king of Israel. “Your servant Ben-hadad says this,” they said. “Please let me live.”
“Is he still alive?” Ahab asked. “He’s my brother.”
³³ Ben-hadad’s advisors, quickly analyzing the signs in what Ahab was saying, responded, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.”
“Go get him,” Ahab responded. So Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab took him up into his personal chariot.
³⁴ Ben-hadad made this promise to Ahab: “I will restore the cities that my ancestors took from your ancestors. You’ll be able to build streets named after yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”
“With this promise I will release you,” Ahab replied. So Ahab made a treaty with Ben-hadad and let him go.
³⁵ Ahab is CondemnedRight about then, one of the members of the guild of prophets told another through a message from the LORD: “Please strike me!” But the man refused to do so, ³⁶ so he told him, “Because you haven’t obeyed the LORD’s voice, as soon as you leave here, a lion will kill you.” As soon as the man left, a lion found him and killed him.
³⁷ Later, he found another man and told him, “Please strike me!” So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸ Then the prophet left and waited for the king to pass by, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
³⁹ As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and told him, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle, and a soldier turned aside, brought a prisoner to me, and told me, ‘Guard this man. If he turns up missing for any reason at all, you’ll pay for it with your life or be fined one talent of silver.’ ⁴⁰ While your servant was busy here and there, the prisoner escaped.”
The king told him, “By your actions you’ve earned the proper judgment!”
⁴¹ Then the prophet quickly tore off his bandage, and the king of Israel recognized him as being one of the prophets. ⁴² He told the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you let the man whom I had dedicated to destruction go free, therefore your life is to be forfeited for his life, and your people for his people.’”
⁴³ After hearing this, the king of Israel rode back to his palace in Samaria, frustrated and in a foul mood.

¹ Abram Battles Kings for LotAt the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch was king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer was king of Elam, and Tidal was king of the Goiim, ² they engaged in war against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, along with the king of Bela (which was also known as Zoar). ³ All of this latter group of kings allied together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴ They were subject to Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but they rebelled in the thirteenth year.
⁵ In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

⁷ He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers in charge of each one.

²⁵ I’ll bring the sword against you to execute the vengeance of my covenant. When you gather in your cities, I’ll send a pestilence. As a result, you’ll be delivered into the control of your enemies.

¹ Rules of War“When you go to war against your enemies and observe more horses, chariots, and soldiers than you have, don’t be afraid of them, for the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt is with you.

⁵² They’ll besiege all your cities until your high and fortified walls in which you have trusted collapse throughout the land. Indeed, they will besiege all your cities, which the LORD your God gave you.”

⁷ Adoni-bezek used to brag, “Seventy kings without thumbs and big toes used to eat what was left under my table. God has repaid me for what I’ve done.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he later died there.

³ The Israelis cried out to the LORD, because of his 900 iron chariots. Jabin oppressed the Israelis forcefully for twenty years.

⁵ The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they advanced and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

¹⁸ But Asa removed all the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and from his royal palace, placed them into the care of some servants, and then sent them to Tabrimmon’s son King Ben-hadad of Aram, the grandson of Hezion, who lived in Damascus.

²⁰ So King Ben-hadad did just what King Asa had asked: he sent his commanding officers to attack the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, all of Chinneroth, and the territory of Naphtali.

²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, fortified the hill, and named the city Samaria after Shemer, the former owner of the hill.

¹⁶ They attacked at noon, just as Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the battle pavilions, along with the 32 kings who had joined him.

²⁴ So do this: remove the kings from command and replace them with captains.

³¹ Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to 32 of his chariot commanders: “Don’t attack unimportant soldiers or ranking officers. Go after only the king of Israel.”

²⁴ Ben-hadad Attacks SamariaSome time later, King Ben-hadad from Aram mustered his army, invaded the land, and attacked Samaria ²⁵ until there was a great famine throughout Samaria. The siege lasted until a donkey’s head cost 80 silver coins and one quarter of a unit of dove’s dung cost five silver coins.
²⁶ While the king of Israel was walking along the city wall, a woman cried out to him. “Help me, your majesty!” she said.
²⁷ He replied, “No! Since the LORD won’t give you victory, how will I be able to deliver you? From the threshing floor? From the wine press?” ²⁸ Then the king asked her, “What’s bothering you?”
She said, “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son, and we’ll eat him today, and we’ll eat your son tomorrow.’” ²⁹ So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day, I told her, ‘Give me your son so we can eat him!’ But she has hidden her son!”

⁷ The Murder of King Ben-hadad of AramLater on, Elisha traveled to Damascus. King Ben-hadad of Aram was ill, but someone informed him, “The man of God has come here!”
⁸ So the king told Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go meet the man of God. Inquire of the LORD through him and ask, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
⁹ So Hazael went out to meet with him and took a gift with him—40 camel loads filled with samples of everything good in Damascus. He approached the man of God and said, “Your son King Ben-hadad from Aram has sent me to you to ask you, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
¹⁰ But Elisha told him, “Go tell him, ‘You will certainly recover,’ but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die.”

⁵ After this, the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, approached Samaria, and began a three year siege. ⁶ As a result, during the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelis off to Assyria, placing them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in cities ruled by the Medes.

² But Asa removed some silver and gold from the treasuries of the LORD’s Temple and from his royal palace and sent them to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who lived in Damascus. ³ “Let’s make a treaty between you and me,” he said, “just like the one between my father and your father. Notice that I’ve sent you silver and gold to break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he’ll retreat from his attack on me.”
⁴ So King Ben-hadad did just what King Asa had asked: he sent his commanding officers to attack the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Bel-maim, and all of the storage centers in Naphtali.

¹² From: Artaxerxes, King of Kings To: Ezra, the Priest, a scholar in matters concerning the laws of the God of Heaven Greetings!

⁸ “Because this is what he is saying: ‘My commanders are all kings, are they not?

²⁴ By your messengers you have insulted the LORD, and you have said, “With my many chariots I have climbed the heights of mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines; I reached its remotest heights, the most verdant of its forests.

²⁷ “I’ll kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.”

⁷ Nebuchadnezzar’s Invasion“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Watch out! I’m about to bring from the north King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, that king of kings. He’ll come with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a vast army.

³⁷ You, your majesty, king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory,

⁴ So I will send down fire upon the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.

⁹ When he heard that it was being said about King Tirhakah of Ethiopia, “Look! He has come out to attack you!” he again sent messengers to Hezekiah.
The messengers were told,

² Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander, along with a very large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the field commander stopped at the aqueduct at the Upper Pool on the road to Laundryman’s Field, ³ Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, the recorder, went out to him.
⁴ The field commander told them: “Tell Hezekiah, king of Judah, ‘This is what the mighty king, the king of Assyria, has to say: What is this “guarantee” that makes you yourself rely on it? ⁵ Do you really think that guarantees alone can withstand strategy and military strength? On whom are you now depending, that you’re rebelling against me? ⁶ Take note: you’re relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the palm of anyone who leans on it. This is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like to everybody who depends on him! ⁷ But if you all say to me, “We are depending on the LORD our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, while he kept on telling Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You are to worship in front of this altar in Jerusalem’? ⁸ Come now, all of you, make a bet with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you can furnish riders for them! ⁹ How, then, can you repulse even one officer from the least of my master’s officials, when you are depending for yourselves on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? ¹⁰ One other thing: have I really marched against this country to destroy it apart from the LORD’s direction? The LORD himself ordered me, ‘March against this country to destroy it.’”
¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah replied to him, “Please speak with your servants—with us—in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew where the people sitting on the wall can hear.”
¹² But the field commander asked, “Was it only to all of you and to your master that my master sent me to speak these things? Wasn’t it also to the men sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”
¹³ Then the commander stood up and shouted out loud in Hebrew: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! ¹⁴ This is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you—for he cannot save you! ¹⁵ Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the LORD when he says, “The LORD will really deliver us!” and “This city will never be handed over to the king of Assyria!” ¹⁶ Don’t listen to Hezekiah, because this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then everyone will eat from his own vine and from his own fig tree, and everyone will drink water from his own cistern, ¹⁷ until I come and take you away to a land like your own land—to a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.’ ¹⁸ Be careful not to let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, “The LORD will save us.” Has any god of any nation ever delivered his country from the king of Assyria? ¹⁹ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sephar-vaim? Have they saved Samaria from me? ²⁰ Who among all the gods of these countries has delivered their land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from me?’”
²¹ But the people remained silent and didn’t respond to him with so much as a single word, because the king had commanded, “Don’t answer him.”
²² Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, the recorder, approached Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and let him know what the field commander had said.

⁹ Now King Sennacherib had received this report concerning King Tirhakah of Cush: “He has marched out to fight against you.”
When he heard it, he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah: ¹⁰ “Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Don’t let your God on whom you depend deceive you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”

⁹ “The enemy said, ‘I’ll pursue them, I’ll overtake them, I’ll divide the spoil. I’ll satisfy my anger on them, I’ll draw my sword, and my hand will bring them to ruin.’

¹³ He keeps bragging: ‘I’ve done it by the strength of my hand, and by my wisdom, because I’m so clever. I removed the boundaries of peoples, and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat on thrones. ¹⁴ My hand has found, as if in a nest, the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned, so I have gathered all the inhabitants of the earth. Nothing moved a wing, opened its mouth, or chirped.’

³⁶ “As for the remnants among you, I’ll bring despair in their hearts in the land of their enemies so that even the sound of a blown leaf will chase them and they flee as though pursued by the sword and fall when no one is pursuing.

⁴⁸ you’ll serve your enemies whom the LORD your God will send against you. You will serve in famine and in drought, in nakedness, and in lack of everything. They’ll set a yoke of iron upon your neck until they have exterminated you.

¹¹ In response, 3,000 soldiers from the tribe of Judah went down to the caves of the rock of Etam and asked Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines have us in their control? What have you done to us?”
“I did to them what they did to me,” he answered.
¹² They responded, “We’ve come here to arrest you and transfer you to the custody of the Philistines.”
Samson told them, “Promise me that you won’t kill me.”
¹³ So they said, “No, we won’t. But we’re going to tie you up securely and transfer you to their custody. But we won’t kill you.” Then they bound him with two ropes and brought him up from the caves.

⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in distress (for the people were in a tight spot), the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in crags, in tombs, and in pits. ⁷ Hebrews went across the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but Saul remained in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

¹⁴ So Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have offended you. Withdraw from me, and I’ll accept whatever tribute you impose.” So the king of Assyria required Hezekiah to pay him 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold. ¹⁵ Hezekiah gave him all the silver that could be removed from the LORD’s Temple and from the treasuries in the king’s palace. ¹⁶ At that time, Hezekiah removed the doors to the LORD’s Temple and the doorposts that he had overlaid with gold, and gave the gold to the king of Assyria.

¹⁵ Rebekah and Jacob Deceive IsaacThen Rebekah took some garments that belonged to her elder son Esau—the best ones available—and put them on her younger son Jacob.

¹⁹ The Philistine Monopoly on Metal WorkingNo blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines thought, “This will keep the Hebrews from making swords or spears.” ²⁰ Everyone in Israel would have to go to the Philistines so each person could sharpen his plow, his mattock, his axe, and his sickle. ²¹ The charge was one pin for plows, mattocks, three pronged forks, and axes, or for setting the goads.

¹⁴ So David replied to Gad, “This is a very difficult choice for me to make! Let me now please fall into the hand of the LORD, since his mercy is very great, but may I never fall into human hands!”

³¹ Don’t listen to Hezekiah, because this is what the king of Assyria says: “Make peace with me and come out to me! Each of you will eat from his own vine. Each will eat from his own fig tree. And each of you will drink water from his own cistern ³² until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, one overflowing with grain and new wine, a land filled with bread and vineyards, with olive trees and honey, so you may live and not die.” ‘But don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The LORD will deliver us!”

²⁷ 20 gold basins weighing 1,000 darics each, and two vessels made of polished brass, as valuable as gold.

⁹ A Rebuke to Idol WorshipNow, all the forming of images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they know nothing. So they will be put to shame.

³⁴ “Scream, you shepherds! Cry out! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! Indeed, the time for your slaughter and your dispersion has arrived, and you will break like a choice vessel.

⁷ Jerusalem remembers her time of affliction and misery; all her valued belongings of days gone by, when her people fell into enemy hands, with no one to help her, and her enemies stared at her, mocking her downfall.

¹⁰ The adversary seized in his hands everything she valued. She watched the nations enter her sanctuary; those you forbade to enter your place of meeting.

¹⁵ Even though he is fruitful compared to his relatives, an east wind will come, the LORD’s wind storm from the wilderness, and his spring will evaporate. His fountain will dry up, and the LORD’s wind storm will plunder all the expensive vessels of the treasury.

⁵ since you took my silver and gold, carried my precious treasures into your temples,

¹ The Temple is Dedicated
Then Solomon gathered together the elders of Israel, including all the heads of the tribes and the leaders of the ancestral households of the Israelis, to meet with him in Jerusalem so they could bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David.

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes and cried out, “Am I God? Can I kill and give life? Is this man sending me a request to heal a man’s leprosy? Let’s think about this—he’s looking for a reason to start a fight with me!”

¹ The Ark is Moved from Kiriath-jearim
Later, David conferred with every officer in charge of groups of thousands and groups of hundreds.

¹ David Addresses IsraelDavid gathered together all of the leaders of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, division officers who reported to the king, the commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, the supervisors of the property and livestock that belonged to the king and to his sons, along with all of the officers of the palace, the elite forces, and all of the soldiers.

³⁵ For they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb is pregnant with deception.”

¹⁴ But the wicked one travails with evil, he conceives malice and gives birth to lies.

⁴ He devises iniquity on his bed and is determined to follow a path that is not good. He does not resist evil.

³ How long will you rage against someone? Would you attack him as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence?

² who craft evil plans in their minds, inciting wars every day.

¹⁴ planning evil with a perverse mind, continually stirring up discord.

¹⁴ A nation falls through a lack of guidance, but victory comes through the counsel of many.

²⁷ The person seeking good will find favor, but anyone who searches for evil—it will find him!

² because they plan violence, and they are always talking about trouble.

²⁷ Now as for the two kings, their intentions will be evil, and they’ll promote deception at their dinner table, but none of this will succeed, because the end won’t have come yet.

¹³ Their throats are open graves. With their tongues they deceive. The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips. ¹⁴ Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. ¹⁵ They run swiftly to shed blood. ¹⁶ Ruin and misery characterize their lives. ¹⁷ They have not learned the path to peace. ¹⁸ They don’t fear God.

⁸ All these officials of yours will come down to me, prostrate themselves to me, and say, ‘Get out, you and all the people following you!’ After that I’ll go out.” Then Moses angrily left Pharaoh.

¹⁰ Barak called out the army of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to march on Kedesh, and 10,000 men went out to war with him, along with Deborah.

¹² We’ll go find David wherever he’s hiding. We’ll fall on him like dew on the ground! We’ll kill him and all of his men, and we won’t leave even one man alive! ¹³ If he escapes into a city, we’ll bring ropes to that city and tear it down! We won’t leave a single stone left in the valley!”

² Jezebel sent a messenger to tell Elijah, “May the gods do the same to me and even more if tomorrow about this time I haven’t made you like one of those prophets you had killed.”

²³ By your messengers you have insulted the LORD. You have claimed, “With my many chariots I ascended the heights of the mountains, including the remotest regions of Lebanon; I cut down its tall cedars and the best of its cypress trees. I entered its most remote lodging place and its most fruitful forest. ²⁴ I myself dug for and drank foreign water. With the sole of my foot I dried up all the streams of Egypt!”

²⁴ By your messengers you have insulted the LORD, and you have said, “With my many chariots I have climbed the heights of mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines; I reached its remotest heights, the most verdant of its forests. ²⁵ I myself dug wells and drank foreign waters; with the soles of my feet I dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

¹² Some Jews Plot to Kill PaulIn the morning, the Jewish leaders formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink anything before they had killed Paul.

⁶ Jonathan told his armor bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. Perhaps the LORD will work for us, since nothing prevents the LORD from delivering, whether by many or by a few.”

¹² The men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer: “Come up and fight us, and we will show you something.”
Jonathan then told his armor bearer, “Follow me, for the LORD has given them into Israel’s control.”
¹³ Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer who was behind him also killed some.

⁴⁴ told David, “Come to me! I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field.”
⁴⁵ Then David told the Philistine, “You come at me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I’ll strike you down and remove your head from you. And this very day I’ll give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the earth, so that all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and this whole congregation will know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or spear. Indeed, the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hands.”

¹ General Counsel Never brag about the day to come, because you don’t know what it might bring.

¹¹ I considered and observed on earth the following: The race doesn’t go to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor food to the wise, nor wealth to the smart, nor recognition to the skilled. Instead, timing and circumstances meet them all.

¹⁵ “Does the ax exalt itself over the one who swings it? Or does the saw magnify itself in opposition to the one who wields it? As if a rod were to wield those who lift it, or as if a club were to brandish the one who is not wood! ¹⁶ Therefore, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s sturdy warriors, and under its glory a conflagration will be kindled, like a blazing bonfire.

³³ But Peter told him, “Even if everyone else turns against you, I certainly won’t!”
³⁴ Jesus told him, “I tell you with certainty, before a rooster crows this very night, you will deny me three times.”
³⁵ Peter told him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

⁷⁵ Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said, “Before a rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.” Then he went outside and cried bitterly.

³⁶ Nabal’s DeathAbigail returned to Nabal, and he was there in his house holding a festival like the festival of a king. Nabal’s heart was glad, and he was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything at all until morning.

²⁸ Then Absalom instructed his young men, “Please keep watching Amnon until he’s drunk. Then I’ll tell you, ‘Attack Amnon!’ As soon as I do, kill him and don’t be afraid! You have your orders, so be strong and brave!”

⁹ But his servant Zimri, who commanded half of his chariot forces, conspired against Elah while he was drinking himself drunk in the home of Arza, who managed the household at Tirzah.

⁴ It is not for kings, Lemuel— Not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire liquor. ⁵ Otherwise, they may drink and forget what has been ordained, perverting justice for all the oppressed.

¹⁰ Then say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I’m going to send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I’ll take him and set his throne over these stones that I’ve buried, and he will spread his canopy over them.

² Under the influence of wine, Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver vessels his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem be brought in so the king, his officials, his wives, and his mistresses could drink from them.

³⁰ That night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed,

³⁴ Be Alert“Constantly be on your guard so that your hearts will not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, or that day will take you by surprise

¹⁸ Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit.

¹⁸ Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I receive honor by means of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

¹² “I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis. Tell them, ‘At twilight you are to eat meat and in the morning you are to be filled with bread, so you may know that I am the LORD your God.’”

³⁶ Elijah’s Prayer and God’s Answer by FireAs the time for the evening offering arrived, Elijah the prophet approached and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I, your servant, have done all of this in obedience to your word. ³⁷ Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning back their hearts again.”

²⁸ Right about then, a man of God approached and told the king of Israel, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans keep saying “The LORD is a mountain god, but isn’t a valley god,” I’m going to deliver this entire vast army right into your control, so you’ll learn that I really am the LORD.’”

⁸ The Arameans AttackEventually the king of Aram went to war against Israel, taking counsel with his advisors and concluding, “In such and such a place I’ll build my encampment.”
⁹ So the man of God sent a message to the king of Israel, warning him, “Keep an eye on that area, because the Arameans are going to be there!” ¹⁰ The king of Israel confirmed the matter about which the man of God had warned him. Having been forewarned, he was able to protect himself there on more than one or two occasions.
¹¹ The king of Aram flew into a rage over this, so he called in his advisors and asked them, “Will you please tell me which of us has joined the king of Israel?”
¹² “No, your majesty,” one of his servants said. “Elisha the prophet, who lives in Israel, tells the king of Israel what you talk about in your bedroom!”

¹ Elisha Predicts Deliverance the Next DaySo Elisha responded, “Listen to this message from the LORD! ‘This is what the LORD says: “At about this time tomorrow, in Samaria’s city gate, a seah of finely ground flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel.”’”

²³ but the LORD showed grace to them, displayed his compassion toward them, and turned to them due to his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would not destroy them or evict them from his presence up until that time.

¹⁸ Then they will know that you alone— whose name is LORD— are the Most High over all the earth.

¹ The Message to AhazDuring the reign of Jotham’s son Ahaz, Uzziah’s grandson, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Remaliah’s son Pekah, king of Israel, approached Jerusalem and waged war against it, but they could not mount an attack against it. ² When it was reported to the house of David, “Aram has joined forces with Ephraim!” the heart of the people of Ahaz trembled like forest trees in a windstorm.
³ So the LORD told Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool that proceeds along the highway to Launderer’s Field. ⁴ Tell him, ‘Be careful, be calm, don’t be afraid, and don’t lose heart because of these two smoldering stumps of torches, that is, because of the fierce anger of Rezin, from Aram, and Remaliah’s son. ⁵ Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son have plotted this evil against you: ⁶ “Let’s go attack Judah, let’s terrorize it, and let’s conquer it for ourselves. Then we’ll install Tabeel’s son as king!”’
⁷ ‘But this is what the Lord GOD has to say: “‘It won’t take place. It won’t ever happen. ⁸ Because Aram’s head is Damascus, and Rezin is its king, within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people. ⁹ Furthermore, Ephraim’s head is Samaria, and Remaliah’s son is its king. If all of you don’t keep on believing,
you’ll never remain loyal.’”

²⁰ So now, LORD our God, save us from his oppressive hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

⁷ The fatally wounded among you will fall, and at that time you’ll know that I am the LORD.

¹⁴ I did this so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished among the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.

²² But I withdrew my decision so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished among the nations before whose eyes I brought them out.

¹⁷ God’s Blessings on His People“And truly you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no foreigners will invade her again.

¹⁴ When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken prisoner, he gathered together 318 of his trained men, who had been born in his household, and they went out in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ During the night, Abram and his servants divided his forces, conquered his enemies, and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot, together with his possessions, the women, and the other people.

¹⁶ Then he separated the 300 men into three companies, gave them each trumpets to carry, along with jars into which he placed lit torches.
¹⁷ He instructed them, “Watch me, and do what I do. When we come to the outer perimeter of the encampment, do what I do. ¹⁸ When I sound my trumpet, accompanied by everyone who is with me, you must blow your trumpets all around the entire encampment. Then shout out, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
¹⁹ So Gideon and the 100 men with him arrived at the outer perimeter of the encampment at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had posted sentries. They blew their trumpets and smashed the jars that they were carrying in their hands. ²⁰ When the three companies sounded their trumpets and broke the jars, they held the torches in their left hands and sounded their trumpets with their right hands. Then they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

⁵⁰ David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone; he struck down the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand.

⁴⁴ On the seventh look, he said, “Look! There’s a cloud, a small one, about the size of a man’s hand. It’s coming up out of the sea!”
“Get up and find Ahab!” Elijah said. “Tell him, ‘Mount your chariot and ride down the mountain so the storm doesn’t stop you.’”

²⁷ But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed. ²⁸ And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something, ²⁹ so that no one may boast in God’s presence.

⁷ Then the LORD told Gideon, “I’m going to deliver you with the 300 soldiers who lapped by giving the Midianites into your control. Send everyone else back to their own homes.”

¹⁶ Then he separated the 300 men into three companies, gave them each trumpets to carry, along with jars into which he placed lit torches.

² Saul was sitting on the outskirts of Geba under the pomegranate tree which was at Migron, and with him were about 600 men.

¹⁸ Nevertheless, I’ve reserved 7,000 in Israel who have neither bowed their knees to Baal nor kissed him.”

⁷ For the Aramean king had left only 50 cavalry, ten chariots, and 10,000 soldiers out of the army belonging to Jehoahaz, because the king of Aram had destroyed the others, making them like chaff left over after threshing.

¹¹ Asa cried out to the LORD his God, telling him, “LORD, there is no one except for you to help between the powerful and the weak. So help us, LORD God, because we’re depending on you and have come against this vast group in your name. LORD, you are our God. Let no mere mortal man defeat you!”

⁴⁰ The LORD’s anger burned against his people, so that he despised his own inheritance. ⁴¹ He turned them over to domination by nations where those who hated them ruled over them. ⁴² Their enemies oppressed them, so that they were humiliated by their power. ⁴³ He delivered them many times, but they demonstrated rebellion by their evil plans; therefore they sunk deep in their sins.

⁷ In addition, a message from the LORD came through Hanani’s son Jehu the prophet against Baasha and his household, not only because of all of the things that Baasha did that the LORD considered to be evil, including provoking the LORD to anger by what he did and by being like the household of Jeroboam, but also because Baasha had destroyed Jeroboam’s household.

¹¹ But the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘The one who is starting to strap on his battle armor should never brag like the one who is taking it off.’”
¹² Ben-hadad received Ahab’s response while he was celebrating with his kings in the battle pavilions. “Sound ‘Battle Stations!’” he ordered, and the army began to prepare their attack.

²⁹ On SobrietyWho has woe? Who has grief? Who has contention? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has bloodshot eyes? ³⁰ Those who linger over their wine, who consume mixed drinks. ³¹ Don’t stare into red wine, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. ³² Eventually it will bite like a snake and sting like a serpent.

¹⁶ Woe to the land whose king is a youth and whose princes feast in the morning. ¹⁷ That land is blessed whose king is of noble birth, whose princes feast at the right time, for strength, and not to become drunk.

¹⁵ Watch! If anyone does attack you, it will not be from me; whoever may attack you will fall because of you.

¹¹ “Sexual immorality, wine, and fresh wine seduce the heart of my people.

¹⁴ “By whom?” Ahab asked.
“This is what the LORD says,” the prophet replied. “‘By the young men who serve as officials within the provinces.’”
“Who is to begin the battle?” Ahab asked.
“You,” the prophet answered.
¹⁵ So Ahab gathered together 232 young men who served as officials within the provinces and then mustered 7,000 soldiers from among the Israelis.

¹⁹ Meanwhile, as the young men who served as officials within the provinces left the city, their army followed after them.

³ Don’t continue to talk proudly, and don’t speak arrogantly, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. ⁴ The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble are equipped with strength.

¹¹ When the two of them showed themselves to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have been hiding.”
¹² The men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer: “Come up and fight us, and we will show you something.”
Jonathan then told his armor bearer, “Follow me, for the LORD has given them into Israel’s control.”

⁴⁴ told David, “Come to me! I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field.”

⁸ Later, Amaziah sent couriers to Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash, grandson of king Jehu of Israel, challenging him, “Come on! Let’s fight face to face!”
⁹ But king Jehoash of Israel sent this message to king Amaziah of Judah: “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to the cedar of Lebanon: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But just then a wild beast from Lebanon wandered by and trampled down the thorn bush. ¹⁰ You just defeated Edom and you’re arrogant. Bask in your victory and stay home. Why incite trouble so that you—yes, you!—fall, along with Judah with you?”
¹¹ But Amaziah refused to listen. So Israel’s king Jehoash and Judah’s king Amaziah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which is part of Judah. ¹² Judah was defeated by Israel, and everybody fled to their own tents.

¹² Before a man’s downfall, his mind is arrogant, but humility precedes honor.

⁸ Five of you will chase a hundred, a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

²⁰ When the three companies sounded their trumpets and broke the jars, they held the torches in their left hands and sounded their trumpets with their right hands. Then they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” ²¹ They stood up, each soldier in his assigned place surrounding the encampment, and the entire army ran away, sounding the alarm to retreat.
²² As the 300 trumpets were being sounded, the LORD turned the swords of the Midianite soldiers against one another throughout the entire army, and the army ran away as far as Beth-shittah in the direction of Zererah. They got as far as the outskirts of Abel-meholah, near Tabbath.

¹³ Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer who was behind him also killed some. ¹⁴ In the initial attack, Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area of about half an acre of land. ¹⁵ There was terror in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders were terrified. The earth shook, and there was even greater terror.

¹⁶ David Defeats the AmalekitesThe Egyptian led him to the camp, and there the Amalekites were spread out over the whole area, eating, drinking, and celebrating with the great amount of spoil they had taken from the territory belonging to the Philistines and to Judah. ¹⁷ David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not one of them escaped except for 400 young men who mounted camels and fled.

¹⁶ Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged his sword into his opponent’s side, and then they both fell together. That’s why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords.

⁶ The LORD had made the Aramean army hear the sounds of chariots, horses, and a large army, so they told one another, “Look! The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the Egyptians to come attack us!” ⁷ So the Arameans got up and ran away in the gathering darkness. They left behind their tents, horses, and donkeys just as they were—and fled for their lives!

³⁶ As a result, King Sennacherib of Assyria left and returned to Nineveh where he lived.

¹⁶ A king is not saved by a large army; a mighty soldier is not delivered by his great strength.

⁶ The nations roared; the kingdoms were shaken. His voice boomed; the earth melts.

²⁸ he told them, “Attack them, because the LORD has given your enemies—the Moabites—into your control.” So the Israeli army followed after him, seized the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.

²³ Israeli soldiers were called out from the territories of Naphtali, Asher, and throughout Manasseh, and they chased after the Midianites.
²⁴ Gideon dispatched messengers throughout the mountainous region of Ephraim, notifying them, “Come down to fight Midian. Capture the water crossings as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan River before they can get to them.” ²⁵ They captured two Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. While they were pursuing the Midianites, they executed Oreb at Oreb’s Rock and Zeeb at Zeeb’s Winepress, and then they carried the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from the east bank of the Jordan River.

²⁰ Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled and went into battle. Now the swords of all the Philistines were against each other, and there was very great confusion. ²¹ The Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines, who had gone up with them from the surrounding areas to the camp, even they joined Israel and those who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² All the Israelis who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, and even they pursued the Philistines in the battle.

⁵² The men of Israel and Judah got up with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines fell along the way to Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.

¹⁸ And this is the easy part for the LORD—he’s also going to hand the Moabites over to you!

²⁴ But when the Moabites arrived at the Israeli encampment, the Israelis got up and attacked them. The Moabites ran away from the Israelis, who followed them into the land as they continued their pursuit against Moab.

¹ David’s AdulteryOne spring day, during the time of year when kings go off to war, David sent out Joab, along with his personal staff and all of Israel’s army. They utterly destroyed the Ammonites and then attacked Rabbah while David remained in Jerusalem.

¹⁰ “I’ve been very zealous for the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies,” he replied. “The Israelis have abandoned your covenant, demolished your altars, executed your prophets with swords, and I—that’s right, just me!—am the only one left. Now they’re seeking my life, to get rid of me!”

¹³ God’s Prophets Rebuke AhabRight about then, a prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You see all of this great big army, do you? Well now, I’m going to deliver them all right into your hand, and you will learn that I am the LORD!’”

²⁶ Early the next year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and invaded Aphek in a battle against Israel.

³⁸ Then the prophet left and waited for the king to pass by, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.

⁸ “There is still one man left by whom we could ask the LORD what to do,” the king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me. Instead, he prophesies evil. He is Imla’s son Micaiah.”
But Jehoshaphat rebuked Ahab, “Kings should never talk like that.”

¹² “No, your majesty,” one of his servants said. “Elisha the prophet, who lives in Israel, tells the king of Israel what you talk about in your bedroom!”

¹ The Capture of Rabbah
Later the next spring, at the time that kings go out to fight, Joab led out the army, ravaged the territory of the Ammonites, and then went out and attacked Rabbah, while David remained behind in Jerusalem. Joab besieged Rabbah and conquered it.

⁸ But if you do go, strengthen yourself for war. Do you think God will throw you down before the enemy, since God has the power both to help or to overthrow?”

¹¹ But Amaziah encouraged himself and led his army out to the Salt Valley to kill 10,000 soldiers from Seir.

¹⁴ Wait on the LORD. Be courageous, and he will strengthen your heart. Wait on the LORD!

² Why should the nations ask “Where now is their God?” ³ when our God is in the heavens and he does whatever he desires?

¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a strong tower; a righteous person rushes to it and is lifted up above the danger.

¹⁸ Make plans by seeking advice; make war by obtaining guidance.

⁹ “Band together, you peoples, but be shattered! Listen, all you distant countries! Strap on your armor, but be shattered.

¹¹ “LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. And let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame— yes, let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them!

⁸ I, the LORD, am the one, and I won’t give my name and glory to another, nor my praise to idols.

⁹ The LORD’s Call to Judgment“Declare this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up your elite forces! Let all the soldiers draw near! Call them up! ¹⁰ Beat your plow blades into swords, and your pruning knives into spears! Let the frail say, “I am strong!”

¹⁰ Putting on the Whole Armor of GodFinally, be strong in the Lord, relying on his mighty strength.

⁸ How terrible for us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert.

²³ They erected high places, sacred pillars, and Asherim for themselves on every high hill and under every green tree.

¹² Did the gods of those nations whom my ancestors destroyed deliver them, including Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and Eden’s descendants in Telassar?

¹³ Don’t you know what my predecessors have done to all the other people in other lands? Were the gods of the people who lived in those lands able to deliver their countries out of my control? ¹⁴ What god, out of all the gods of those nations that my predecessors utterly destroyed, has been able to deliver his people from my control or from the control of my predecessors? ¹⁵ Now therefore, don’t let Hezekiah lie to you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, because no god of any nation has been able to deliver his people from my control or from the control of my predecessors. So how much less will your God deliver you from me?’”
¹⁶ King Sennacherib’s spokesmen said even worse things against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah.
¹⁷ Sennacherib also wrote letters like this that insulted and slandered the LORD God of Israel: “Just as the gods of the nations in other lands haven’t delivered their people from my control, so also the god of Hezekiah won’t deliver his people from me!” ¹⁸ His spokesmen shouted these things out with loud voices in the language of Judah to frighten and terrify the people of Jerusalem who were stationed on the city walls, to make it easier to conquer the city. ¹⁹ In doing so, they spoke about the God of Jerusalem as if he were like the gods of the nations of the earth that are made by the hands of human beings.

²¹ These things you did, and I kept silent, because you assumed that I was like you. But now I am going to rebuke you, and I will set forth my case before your very own eyes.” ²² Consider this, you who have forgotten God— Otherwise, I will tear you in pieces and there will be no deliverer:

¹ A Song of Ascents
The Guardian of God’s People I lift up my eyes toward the mountains— from where will my help come? ² My help is from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their senseless hearts were darkened. ²² Though claiming to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images that looked like mortal human beings, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

¹ Ahab Attacks the ArameansA little while later, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered an army of cavalry and chariots in a military confederacy with 32 kings, invaded Samaria, and set up siege encampments there.

³⁰ No wisdom, insight, or counsel can prevail against the LORD.

³ For the wicked one boasts about his own desire; he blesses the greedy and despises the LORD.

⁴ “To the south, there remains to be conquered all the territory held by the Canaanites, Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites,

³⁰ Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob, for a total of 22 towns and villages.

³¹ The army of the tribe of Asher did not expel the inhabitants of Acco nor the inhabitants of Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.

¹ The Philistines Capture the ArkWhat Samuel had to say was directed to all Israel, and Israel went out to engage the Philistines in battle. The Israelis were camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines were camped at Aphek.

¹ The Philistine Leaders Reject DavidThe Philistines gathered all their troops at Aphek, while Israel was camped at the spring in Jezreel.

²² The prophet approached the king of Israel and told him, “Go replenish your forces and prepare for the future, because early this next year the king of Aram will attack you again.”

³⁰ The rest of the Aramean army retreated into Aphek, but the city wall collapsed on 27,000 soldiers who had taken shelter there. Ben-hadad himself ran away and hid inside a closet somewhere in the city.

¹⁷ and ordered him, “Open a window that faces east.” So he did so.
Elisha ordered him, “Shoot!” So he shot.
Then Elisha said, “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory—the victory arrow against Aram, because you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you will have utterly finished them off.”

³⁰ How can one person chase a thousand of them and two put a myriad to flight, unless their Rock delivers them and the LORD gives them up?

¹¹ “Go through the camp,” he said, “and command the people, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, because within three days you’ll be crossing the Jordan River to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you—so go get it!’”

⁵ They would invade with their livestock and tents, swooping in as numerous as locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels—and they came into the land to destroy it.

⁸ So the soldiers took provisions with them, along with their trumpets, and Gideon sent all the rest of the soldiers of Israel back to their own tents, but he retained the 300 men. And the Midian encampment was below him in the valley.

⁵ The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they advanced and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. ⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in distress (for the people were in a tight spot), the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in crags, in tombs, and in pits. ⁷ Hebrews went across the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but Saul remained in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
⁸ Saul waited seven days for the appointment set by Samuel. When Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, as the people began to scatter from Saul,

⁷ “Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or disheartened because of the king of Assyria or because of the army that accompanies him, because the one who is with us is greater than the one with him. ⁸ He only has the strength of his own flesh, but the LORD our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were encouraged from what King Hezekiah of Judah told them.

⁷ I’ll take you for my own people, and I’ll be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

⁵ The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand over Egypt to bring the Israelis out from among them.”

²² On that day I’ll treat the land of Goshen where my people live differently so that swarms of insects won’t be there. As a result, you will know that I the LORD am in the midst of the land.

⁶ You didn’t have bread to eat or wine or anything intoxicating to drink, so that you would learn that I am the LORD your God.

²⁷ if it weren’t for dreading the taunting of their enemies— otherwise, their adversary might misinterpret and say, “Our power is great. It isn’t the LORD who made all of this happen.”’”

⁸ Lord, what am I to say, now that Israel has run away from its enemies? ⁹ The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of this, will surround us, and eliminate us from the earth! Then what will you do about your great reputation?”

¹ Josiah’s Desecration Predicted by a Man of GodRight when Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn some incense, a man of God arrived in Bethel from Judah in obedience to a command from the LORD.

¹⁸ “What do we have in common, you man of God?” she accused Elijah. “You came to me so you could uncover my guilt! And you’re responsible for the death of my son!”

²² The prophet approached the king of Israel and told him, “Go replenish your forces and prepare for the future, because early this next year the king of Aram will attack you again.”
²³ The Arameans are DefeatedSure enough, the advisors to the king of Aram told him, “Their gods are mountain gods. That’s why they were stronger than we were. But when we fight them on the plains, we’re certain to be the stronger army!

¹⁴ The Prophetic Response of JahazielThen the Spirit of the LORD came upon Zechariah’s son Jahaziel, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a descendant of Levi from the descendants of Asaph in the middle of the assembly, and he said: ¹⁵ “Pay attention, everyone in Judah, in Jerusalem, and you, too, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Stop being afraid, and stop being discouraged because of this vast invasion force, because the battle doesn’t belong to you, but to God. ¹⁶ Tomorrow you are to go down to attack them. Pay attention, now—they’ll be coming up near the ascent of Ziz. You’ll find them at the end of the valley that looks out over the Jeruel wilderness. ¹⁷ You won’t be fighting in this battle. Take your stand, but stand still, and watch the LORD’s salvation on your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem! Never fear and never be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, since the LORD is with you.’”
¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the assembled inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem fell face down in the LORD’s presence and worshipped the LORD. ¹⁹ Descendants of Levi from the descendants of Kohath and from the descendants of Korah stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel in a very loud voice that ascended to heaven.
²⁰ Jehoshaphat’s Instructions the Next MorningThe army got up early the next morning and headed out into the wilderness of Tekoa. Jehoshaphat stood up and addressed them. “Listen to me, you inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem,” he said. “Have faith in the LORD your God and you’ll be established! Have faith in his prophets and you’ll succeed!”

¹⁶ “With God are strength and sound wisdom; both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him. ¹⁷ He leads counselors away naked; he turns judges into fools. ¹⁸ He strips away the authority of kings to punish and puts them in prison clothes instead. ¹⁹ He leads away the priests naked and overthrows the ruling class.

¹⁰ The righteous person will rejoice when he sees your vengeance; when he washes his feet in the blood of the wicked. ¹¹ A person will say, “Certainly, the righteous are rewarded; certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”

¹⁰ Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let vengeance for the blood of your servants be meted out before our eyes and among the nations.

²⁹ Your insolence has reached my ears, so I’ll put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I’ll make you turn back on the road by which you came.
³⁰ “And this will be your sign, Hezekiah: Eat this year what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. ³¹ Then the ones belonging to the house of Judah who have escaped will gather, and those who are found will take root downward and bear fruit upward. ³² For a remnant will come out of Zion, and a band of survivors from Jerusalem. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.
³³ “Therefore this what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He won’t enter this city, build up a siege ramp against it, shoot an arrow here, or threaten it with a shield. ³⁴ By the same way that he came, he will return; he won’t enter this city,’ declares the LORD, ³⁵ ‘because I will defend this city and deliver it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David!’”
³⁶ Sennacherib is DefeatedAfter this, the angel of the LORD went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When Hezekiah’s army awakened in the morning—there were all the dead bodies!
³⁷ King Sennacherib broke camp, retreated, returned home to Nineveh, and remained there.

⁷ The People Cry for HelpLORD, even though our iniquities testify against us, do something for the sake of your name. Indeed, our apostasies are many, and we have sinned against you.

¹⁴ I’ll stretch out my hands to strike them and send devastation to the land, from the wilderness of Diblah, throughout all their dwelling places. Then they’ll know that I am the LORD.”

¹² Then you’ll learn that I am the LORD, because you didn’t live by my statues or obey my ordinances. Instead, you obeyed the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”

¹⁶ The Purpose of the Surviving Remnant“But I’ll preserve a few people out of the violent death, famine, and pestilence, so they can recount their detestable practices among the nations when they’ll go there. Then they’ll know that I am the LORD.”

⁹ I did this so my reputation might not be tarnished among the nations where they were living, among whom I made myself known in their presence when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.

²¹ I’ve been concerned about my holy reputation, which the house of Israel has been defiling throughout all of the nations where they’ve gone.”
²² The Coming Renewal of Israel“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “I’m not about to act for your sake, you house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation, which you have been defiling throughout all of the nations where you’ve gone. ²³ I’m going to affirm my great reputation that has been defiled among the nations (that is, that you have defiled in their midst), and those people will learn that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I affirm my holiness in front of their very eyes.

³² I won’t be doing any of this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “so keep that in mind. Be ashamed and frustrated because of your behavior, you house of Israel!”’”

⁷ I’ll make my holiness and reputation known in the midst of my people Israel, and I won’t let my holiness be profaned anymore. The nations will learn that I, the LORD, am holy in the midst of Israel.

¹⁵ They rose early at dawn on the seventh day and marched around the city seven times, just as they had before, except that on that day only they marched around the city seven times.

¹⁶ For 40 days the Philistine would come forward, morning and evening, to take his position.

¹⁸ But the Arameans retreated from Israel, and David’s forces killed 700 of their charioteers, 40,000 soldiers, and mortally wounded Shobach, the commander of their army. As a result, Shobach died there.

¹⁷ Abijah and his army defeated them in a tremendous slaughter that resulted in 500,000 special forces from Israel being slain.

²³ The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the inhabitants of Mount Seir, destroying them, and after they had finished with the inhabitants of Mount Seir, they worked on destroying one another!
²⁴ When the army of Judah arrived at the remotest watchtower in the wilderness, they looked around at the invasion force, and to their surprise, there were dead bodies lying all around on the ground—not one had escaped! ²⁵ Later on, when Jehoshaphat and his army arrived to collect the spoils of war, they discovered there were far more goods, garments, and other valuable items to collect than they could carry off in a single day. There was so much material that it took three days to finish their collection efforts.

⁶ Remaliah’s son Pekah killed 120,000 soldiers in a single day, all of them elite forces, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their ancestors.

¹⁶ The LORD is king forever and ever; nations will perish from his land.

³⁶ Sennacherib is DefeatedAfter this, the angel of the LORD went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When Hezekiah’s army awakened in the morning—there were all the dead bodies!

¹⁰ Beh-hadad sent this message back: “May the gods do so to me, and more than that also, if the dust that remains of Samaria is enough to fill up a few handfuls for all of the armies at my disposal.”

²⁰ Each man struck down his opponent, and the Arameans ran away with Israel in pursuit. King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on horseback with the help of his cavalry.

²⁵ Micaiah replied, “You’ll see how when the day comes that you run away to hide yourself in a closet!”

²⁴ Micaiah replied, “You’ll learn the answer to that question when the day comes that you run away to hide yourself in a closet!”
²⁵ To the holy, you show your gracious love, to the upright, you show yourself upright;

¹⁸ Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit, and whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. For the windows of judgment from above are opened, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁴⁴ “The one who flees from the terror will fall into a pit. And the one who comes up out of the pit will be caught in a trap. For I’ll bring upon her, that is upon Moab, the time of her punishment,” declares the LORD.

³⁷ In conclusion, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and give glory to the King of heaven: For everything he does is true, his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

¹⁴ So the swift runner will not escape, the valiant will not fortify his strength, and the mighty warrior will not save his life. ¹⁵ The skilled archer will not be able to stand, the swift runner will not survive, and the mounted rider will not preserve his own life.

¹⁹ It will be like a man who runs from a lion, only to encounter a bear; or who comes home, leans his hand against a wall, and a serpent bites him!

³ Even if they hide at the top of Mount Carmel, from there I will search and seize them. Even if they hide from my sight in the depths of the sea, from there I will order the serpent to strike them.

⁴ What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Jerusalem?

³⁴ So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son.

³¹ David ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David walked behind the funeral procession,

² so he sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please play the role of a mourner, wear the clothes of a mourner, and refrain from using makeup. Act like a woman who’s been in mourning for the dead for many days.

²³ The Arameans are DefeatedSure enough, the advisors to the king of Aram told him, “Their gods are mountain gods. That’s why they were stronger than we were. But when we fight them on the plains, we’re certain to be the stronger army!

²⁷ Nevertheless, as soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and wandered around meekly.
²⁸ Later, this message from the LORD came to Elijah the foreigner: ²⁹ “Have you noticed that Ahab has humbled himself in my presence? Because he has humbled himself in my presence, I will not bring his evil to harvest during his lifetime, but I will bring evil to his household during his son’s lifetime.”

¹³ But then his servants approached him and spoke with him. They said, “My father, had the prophet only asked of you something great, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? Yet he told you, ‘Bathe, and be clean…!’”

⁴ If we tell ourselves, ‘Let’s remain in the city,’ we’ll die there since there’s famine in the city. But if we sit here, we’ll die, too. So let’s go over to the Arameans! If they spare our lives, we’ll live, and if they kill us…we’re dying anyway!”

¹ Isaiah Encourages HezekiahWhen King Hezekiah heard Eliakim’s report, he tore his clothes, put on a sackcloth covering, entered the LORD’s Temple, ² and sent Eliakim the household supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests—all of them covered in sackcloth—to Amoz’s son, the prophet Isaiah.

¹ Mordecai Seeks Esther’s HelpWhen Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry. ² He came as far as the front of the king’s gate, because no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. ³ In every province where the order of the king and his edict reached, among the Jewish people there was great mourning, fasting, weeping, and lamenting, and many lay down on sackcloth and ashes.

¹⁶ “Go and gather all the Jewish people who are in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. Both I and my young women will also fast in the same way, and then I’ll go in to the king, even though it’s against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

⁴ Satan answered the LORD, “Skin for skin! The man will give up everything that he owns in exchange for his health.

²⁸ Gracious love and truth preserve a king; through love his throne is made secure.

⁵ then a throne will be established in gracious love, and there will sit in faithfulness— in the Tent of David— one who judges, seeks justice, and is swift to do what is right.”

¹² On that day the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies called for weeping and mourning, for shaving heads and wearing sackcloth.

¹ Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s CounselAs soon as Hezekiah the king heard this, he tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and went into the LORD’s Temple.

⁵ The City of Nineveh RepentsThe people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least important. ⁶ When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his royal garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in ashes.

²⁸ Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

⁷ In union with him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding,

³ I will give my two witnesses who wear sackcloth the authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.”

⁸ He captured alive Agag king of Amalek, but he completely destroyed all the people, executing them with swords. ⁹ Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle—the fattened animals and lambs—along with all that was good. They were not willing to completely destroy them, but they did completely destroy everything that was worthless and inferior.
¹⁰ The LORD Rejects SaulThis message from the LORD came to Samuel: ¹¹ “I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all night.
¹² Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, but Samuel was told, “Saul went up to Carmel to set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and traveled on to Gilgal.”
¹³ Samuel approached Saul. “May the LORD bless you,” Saul said. “I’ve carried out the LORD’s command.”
¹⁴ Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?”
¹⁵ Saul replied, “They brought them from the Amalekites. The people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God, and the rest they completely destroyed.”
¹⁶ “Be quiet!” Samuel said. “I’ll tell you what the LORD told me last night.”
Saul told him, “Speak.”
¹⁷ So Samuel replied, “Is it not true that though you were small in your own eyes you became head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed you king over Israel? ¹⁸ The LORD sent you on a mission: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they’re destroyed.’ ¹⁹ Why didn’t you obey the LORD, but grabbed the spoil and did evil in the LORD’s sight?”
²⁰ Saul told Samuel, “I did obey the LORD. I went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, I brought Agag king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.

³ ‘Your silver and gold belong to me. So do the most beautiful of your wives and children.’”
⁴ “Whatever you want, your majesty,” the king of Israel answered. “I belong to you, as does everything I own.”
⁵ After delivering Ahab’s answer, the envoys returned with this message: “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I’ve sent my envoys to you to tell you that your silver, gold, wives, and children are to be given to me. ⁶ About this time tomorrow, I’ll send my servants to you, and they’ll search through your palace and your servants’ houses. Whatever is important to you will be seized and taken away.’”

³¹ “Look, now,” his advisors suggested, “we’ve heard that the Israeli kings are merciful. So let’s clothe ourselves with sackcloth, tie our hair back with ropes, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he’ll spare your life.”

⁴² He told the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you let the man whom I had dedicated to destruction go free, therefore your life is to be forfeited for his life, and your people for his people.’”

¹⁷ He leads counselors away naked; he turns judges into fools. ¹⁸ He strips away the authority of kings to punish and puts them in prison clothes instead.

¹¹ dispensed the fury of your anger, made sure that you have humbled every proud person, ¹² stared down and subdued every proud person, trampled the wicked right where they are,

¹¹ The haughty looks of mankind will be brought low, the lofty pride of human beings will be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted at that time. ¹² “For the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has reserved a time to oppose all who are proud and haughty, and the self-exalting— they will be humbled.

¹² Assyria will be Judged“For the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and against Jerusalem; he will punish the speech that comes from that willful heart of Assyria’s king and the haughty look in his eyes.

²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. ²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.
²² “But you, Belshazzar, his grandson, haven’t humbled yourself, even though you knew all of this.
²³ “You’ve exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.
“You’ve had the vessels from his Temple brought into your presence.
“And you, your officials, and your wives and mistresses drank wine from them.
“You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can’t see, hear, or demonstrate knowledge.
“But you didn’t honor God, who holds in his power your very life and all your ways.

³ The arrogance in your heart has deceived you, who inhabit hidden places on rocky cliffs, whose dwelling is in the heights, who say continuously to yourself, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ ⁴ Though you soar high like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down even from there,” declares the LORD.
The Harvest from Edom’s Arrogance

¹⁵ After he left there, he encountered Rechab’s son Jehonadab. After he greeted him, Jehu asked him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with yours?”
“It is,” Jehonadab answered.
“If it is,” Jehu replied, “Put out your hand.” So Jehonadab stuck out his hand, and Jehu took him up to stand in his chariot.

¹³ Like cold snow during harvest time is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes his masters.

⁸ The master praised the dishonest servant manager for being so clever, because worldly people are more clever than enlightened people in dealing with their own.

³¹ The man replied, “How can I unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.

⁴ So King Ben-hadad did just what King Asa had asked: he sent his commanding officers to attack the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Bel-maim, and all of the storage centers in Naphtali.

³⁰ Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: “Don’t attack unimportant soldiers or ranking officers. Go after only the king of Israel.”

¹² “Don’t call conspiracy everything that this people calls conspiracy, and don’t fear what they fear, or live in terror.

¹⁰ If favor is shown to the wicked, they don’t learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they act perversely and do not perceive the majesty of the LORD.

¹² A man from there answered: “Now who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

¹ Josiah’s Desecration Predicted by a Man of GodRight when Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn some incense, a man of God arrived in Bethel from Judah in obedience to a command from the LORD. ² He cursed the altar in this message from the LORD: “Hey altar! Hey altar! This is what the LORD says: ‘Pay attention to this! A son is going to be born in David’s dynasty. His name will be Josiah. He will sacrifice the priests who burn incense on you in these high places. Human bones will be burned on you!’”

¹⁷ because I’ve been given a command in the form of this message from the LORD: ‘You are to eat no food, drink no water, and do not return to Judah by traveling the way by which you go there.’”
¹⁸ “I’m a prophet like you,” the old man replied, “and an angel spoke to me and delivered this message from the LORD: ‘Bring him back with you to your house and give him food and water.’” But he was lying,

³⁷ Later, he found another man and told him, “Please strike me!” So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸ Then the prophet left and waited for the king to pass by, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.

³ When the Guild of Prophets who lived in Bethel came out to greet Elisha, they asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the LORD is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”
“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”
⁴ Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the LORD is sending me to Jericho.”
But Elisha responded, “As the LORD lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went to Jericho.
⁵ The Guild of Prophets who lived in Jericho approached Elisha and asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the LORD is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”
“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”
⁶ Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the LORD is sending me to the Jordan River.”
But Elisha responded, “As the LORD lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went on their way, ⁷ accompanied by 50 men from the Guild of Prophets, who stood at a short distance from them while they were both standing by the Jordan.

¹⁵ Elisha is Recognized as Elijah’s SuccessorAs soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha, they began to announce, “The spirit of Elijah is at rest on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him and they greeted him by bowing low to the ground in front of him.

¹ The Miracle of the Oil Vessels
Now there happened to be a certain woman who had been the wife of a member of the Guild of Prophets. She cried out to Elisha, “My husband who served you has died, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. But a creditor has come to take away my children into indentured servitude!”

³⁸ Poisoned Stew is PurifiedElisha returned to Gilgal during a time of famine in the land. While the Guild of Prophets were having a meal with him, he instructed his attendant, “Put a large pot on the fire and boil some stew for the Guild of Prophets.”

¹⁸ Watch out! I and the children whom the LORD has given me are a sign and a wonder in Israel from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, who resides on Mount Zion.”

² at that time the LORD spoke through Amoz’s son Isaiah: “Go loosen the sackcloth that’s around your waist, and take your sandals off your feet.” So that’s what he did: he went around naked and barefoot.
³ Then the LORD said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked around naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a warning for Egypt and Ethiopia,

² this is what the LORD says to me: “Make restraints and yokes for yourself and put them on your neck. ³ Then send messengers to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon through the envoys who come to Jerusalem to king Zedekiah of Judah.

³ Then you are to take a flat, iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city.
“Next, you are to turn toward it, oppose it, and place it under siege, because you are to lay siege to it. All of this will serve as a sign to the house of Israel.

¹⁴ Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees.

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continuously.

²² Samuel said, “Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. ²³ Indeed, rebellion is the sin of divination, and arrogance is iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected this message from the LORD, he has rejected you from being king.”

²¹ so he cried out to the man of God from Judah: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you disobeyed a command from the LORD and haven’t done what the LORD your God commanded you to do, ²² but instead you returned to eat and drink in the very place that he told you “Eat no food and drink no water,” your body will not be buried in the same grave as your ancestors.’”
²³ A Lion Kills the Man of GodAfter the meal was over, and the man had eaten food and had drunk water, the old prophet saddled the donkey for him—that is, for the man of God whom he had brought back. ²⁴ Not long after the man of God had left, a lion met him along the road and killed him. His body was left lying in the middle of the road with the donkey standing beside it and with the lion also standing next to the body.

²⁶ The prophet who had brought the man of God back from the road learned about it. “It’s the man of God who disobeyed the message from the LORD,” he said. “That’s why the LORD gave him to that lion, which mauled him and killed him, just as the message from the LORD told rebuke him.”

¹² Laws Concerning Personal Injury and Homicide“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies is certainly to be put to death.

³⁵ Ahab is CondemnedRight about then, one of the members of the guild of prophets told another through a message from the LORD: “Please strike me!” But the man refused to do so,

² so Jeroboam suggested to his wife, “Get up, disguise yourself so that no one will know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh where the prophet Ahijah lives. He’s the one who told me that I would be king over this people.

³⁰ The king of Israel suggested to Jehoshaphat, “I’ll go into battle in disguise, but you keep your royal uniform on.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they both went into the battle.

¹⁶ Teaching about Fasting“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites, because they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

³⁰ If a fine is imposed on him, he may pay all that was imposed on him as a ransom for his life.

⁷ When Jotham was informed about this, he went out, took his stand on top of Mount Gerizim, and cried out loudly, “Listen to me, you “lords” of Shechem, and God will listen to you. ⁸ “Once upon a time the trees went out to consecrate a king for themselves. “So they told the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ ⁹ But the olive tree asked them, ‘Should I stop producing my rich oils by which both God and men are honored and go take dominion over trees?’ ¹⁰ “So the trees told the fig tree, ‘Hey you! Come and reign over us!’ ¹¹ But the fig tree asked them, ‘Should I leave my sweet, good fruit and go take dominion over trees?’ ¹² “So the trees told the grape vine, ‘Hey you! Come and reign over us!’ ¹³ But the grape vine asked them, ‘Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go take dominion over trees?’ ¹⁴ “So all the trees told the bramble bush, ‘Hey you! Come and reign over us!’ ¹⁵ Then the bramble bush replied to the trees, ‘If you really are consecrating me to rule you, come and put your confidence in my shade; but if not, may fire spring out from the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon…’
¹⁶ “Now then, if you have been acting in good faith and integrity by making a king out of Abimelech, if you have treated Jerubbaal and his household appropriately by acting toward him as he deserved— ¹⁷ because my father fought on your behalf, throwing away all concern for his own life, and delivered you from Midian’s domination.
¹⁸ “But now as for you, you’ve rebelled against my father’s house today. You’ve murdered his sons—70 men—in one place, and you’ve installed Abimelech, the son of his mistress, as king to rule over the “lords” of Shechem, since he’s related to you. ¹⁹ So if you’ve acted in good faith and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his household today, then you’re welcome to Abimelech, and he’s welcome to you… ²⁰ But if not, may fire spring out from Abimelech and consume the “lords” of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire spring out from the “lords” of Shechem and Beth-millo to consume Abimelech.”

¹ so the LORD sent Nathan to David.
Nathan’s RebukeNathan approached David and said, “There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is poor. ² The rich man has many flocks and herds, ³ but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. ⁴ A traveler arrived to visit the rich man. Because he was unwilling to take an animal from one of his own flocks or herds to prepare for the guest who had come to visit him, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit him.”
⁵ David flew into a rage at the man and told Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ⁶ He will restore the lamb four times its value, because he did this thing, and because he did it without compassion.”
⁷ But Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says:
“‘I anointed you king—and you became king over Israel.
“‘I delivered you from Saul’s control.

⁵ The king asked her, “What’s your problem?”
“I’ve been a widowed woman ever since my husband died,” she answered. ⁶ “Your humble servant used to have two sons, but they got into a fight out in the field. Because there was no one to keep them apart, one of them attacked the other and killed him. ⁷ Now please pay attention closely! My whole family is attacking your humble servant! They’re saying, ‘Turn over the one who attacked his brother and we’ll put him to death in retribution for his brother, whose life he took. That way, we’ll kill the heir also!’ They’re going to extinguish the only light left in my family, leaving my late husband neither an ongoing name nor a survivor on the face of the earth!”

²⁴ Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Meanwhile, Jehu had stationed 80 men outside, ordering them, “If any of these men whom I’ve brought into your control escape, the one who allows it will forfeit his life.”

¹⁸ So that no one entices you with riches, don’t let a large ransom turn you astray.

⁷ No man can redeem the life of another, nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him—

³⁵ He will not consider any payment, nor will he be willing to accept it, no matter how large the bribe.

⁸ The life of a wealthy man may be held for ransom, but whoever is poor receives no threats.

¹ The Parable about the Tenant Farmers
Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad. ² At the right time, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect from them a share of the produce from the vineyard. ³ But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. ⁴ Again, the man sent another servant to them. They beat the servant over the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ Then the man sent another, and that one they killed. So it was with many other servants. Some of these they beat, and others they killed. ⁶ He still had one more person to send, a son whom he loved. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those farmers told one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ ⁸ So they grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
⁹ “Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, execute the farmers, and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you ever read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ¹¹ This was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?”
¹² They were trying to arrest him but were afraid of the crowd. Realizing that he had spoken this parable against them, they left him alone and went away.

¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you have been ransomed from the worthless way of life handed down to you by your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of the Messiah, like that of a lamb without blemish or defect.

⁶ Your own mouth is condemning you, not I; your own lips will testify against you.”

⁴¹ They told him, “He will put those horrible men to a horrible death. Then he will lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at harvest time.”
⁴² Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes.’?
⁴³ That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it.

²⁴ “Then the one who had received one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you haven’t planted and gathering where you haven’t scattered any seed. ²⁵ Since I was afraid, I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here, take what’s yours!’
²⁶ “His master answered him, ‘You evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvested where I haven’t planted and gathered where I haven’t scattered any seed? ²⁷ Then you should’ve invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would’ve received my money back with interest.’

²² The king told him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, and that I withdraw what I didn’t deposit and harvest what I didn’t plant?

¹⁹ Tamar rubbed her head with ashes, tore her tunic that she was wearing, put her hand to her head, and ran off, crying aloud as she went away.

⁸ Job took a broken piece of pottery to scrape himself while sitting among the ashes.

²⁶ Daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as one mourns at the death of an only son. For the destroyer will come on us suddenly.

⁹ Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle—the fattened animals and lambs—along with all that was good. They were not willing to completely destroy them, but they did completely destroy everything that was worthless and inferior.
¹⁰ The LORD Rejects SaulThis message from the LORD came to Samuel: ¹¹ “I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

³⁴ Ben-hadad made this promise to Ahab: “I will restore the cities that my ancestors took from your ancestors. You’ll be able to build streets named after yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”
“With this promise I will release you,” Ahab replied. So Ahab made a treaty with Ben-hadad and let him go.

³⁹ As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and told him, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle, and a soldier turned aside, brought a prisoner to me, and told me, ‘Guard this man. If he turns up missing for any reason at all, you’ll pay for it with your life or be fined one talent of silver.’

³¹ Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to 32 of his chariot commanders: “Don’t attack unimportant soldiers or ranking officers. Go after only the king of Israel.”
³² So when the chariot commanders observed Jehoshaphat, they said by mistake, “It’s the king of Israel!” and they turned aside to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³ When the chariot commanders saw that their target was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
³⁴ Meanwhile, somebody drew his bow aimlessly and struck the king of Israel between the scales where his armor breastplates joined, so he instructed his chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I’ve been severely wounded.” ³⁵ The battle continued on for the rest of the day while the king of Israel was propped up in front of the Arameans until the sun set, at which time he died. The blood from Ahab’s wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot.
³⁶ As the day drew to a close, this order was circulated throughout the army telling the soldiers, “Everybody go back to his city and to his own land.” ³⁷ So the king died and was brought back to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.

²⁴ Ben-hadad Attacks SamariaSome time later, King Ben-hadad from Aram mustered his army, invaded the land, and attacked Samaria

¹² “Why are you crying, sir?” Hazael asked.
“Because I know the evil that you’re about to bring on the Israelis,” he replied. “You’ll burn down their fortified cities, execute their young men with swords, dash to pieces their little ones, and you’ll tear open their pregnant women!”

³³ Meanwhile, somebody drew his bow and struck the king of Israel at a weak spot where his armor plates joined, so he instructed his chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I’ve been severely wounded.” ³⁴ The battle continued on for the rest of the day while the king of Israel propped himself up in front of the Arameans until the sun set, at which time he died.”

⁴ Ahab went back to his palace, sullen and in a foul mood, because Naboth the Jezreelite had turned down Ahab’s offer by saying “I will not transfer my ancestors’ inheritance to you!” He laid down on his bed, curled up with his face to the wall, and refused to eat.

¹³ But all this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, while Haman hurried to his house, mourning and hiding his face. ¹³ Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His wise friends and his wife Zeresh told him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is one of the Jewish people, you won’t prevail against him. Instead, you will surely fall before him.”

² For wrath will slay a fool; zealous anger will kill the naive.

³ A man’s foolishness ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.