Mark 15:1-20; 1 Kings 10; Hosea 11; Hosea 12

Mark 15:1-20

1 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests had a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin. After tying Jesus up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.

2 So Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "You have said it."

3 And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things.

4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, "Are You not answering anything? Look how many things they are accusing You of!"

5 But Jesus still did not answer anything, so Pilate was amazed.

6 At the festival it was Pilate's custom to release for the people a prisoner they requested.

7 There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion.

8 The crowd came up and began to ask [Pilate] to do for them as was his custom.

9 So Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?"

10 For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed Him over.

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

12 Pilate asked them again, "Then what do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?"

13 Again they shouted, "Crucify Him!"

14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why? What has He done wrong?" But they shouted, "Crucify Him!" all the more.

15 Then, willing to gratify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the courtyard (that is, headquarters) and called the whole company together.

17 They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on Him.

18 And they began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

19 They kept hitting Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying Him homage.

20 When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

1 Kings 10

1 The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame connected with the name of the Lord and came to test him with difficult questions.

2 She came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind.

3 So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her.

4 When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built,

5 the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord's temple, it took her breath away.

6 She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true.

7 But I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard.

8 How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.

9 May the Lord your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness."

10 Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 In addition, Hiram's fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug wood and precious stones.

12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the Lord's temple and the king's palace and into harps and lyres for the singers. Never [before] had such almug wood come, and [the like] has not been seen [again] even to this very day.

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire-whatever she asked-besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons,

15 besides what came from merchants, traders' merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.

16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of gold went into each shield.

17 He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about four pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold.

19 The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

21 All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon's time,

22 for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram's fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.

24 The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

25 Every man would bring his annual tribute: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules.

26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king's traders bought them from Kue at the going price.

29 A chariot was imported from Egypt for 15 pounds [of silver], and a horse for about four pounds. In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

Hosea 11

1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

2 [The more] they called them, [the more] they departed from Me. They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them in My arms, but they never knew that I healed them.

4 I led them with human cords, with ropes of kindness. To them I was like one who eases the yoke from their jaws; I bent down to give them food.

5 Israel will not return to the land of Egypt and Assyria will be his king, because they refused to repent.

6 A sword will whirl through his cities; it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates, because of their schemes.

7 My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to Him on high, He will not exalt them at all.

8 How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I surrender you, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart; My compassion is stirred!

9 I will not vent the full fury of My anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man, the Holy One among you; I will not come in rage.

10 They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.

11 They will be roused like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration.

12 Ephraim surrounds me with lies, the house of Israel, with deceit. Judah still wanders with El and is faithful to holy ones.

Hosea 12

1 Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and olive oil is carried to Egypt.

2 The Lord also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him based on his actions.

3 In the womb he grasped his brother's heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God.

4 Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He found him at Bethel, and there He spoke with him.

5 Yahweh is the God of Hosts; Yahweh is His name.

6 But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God.

7 A merchant loves to extort with dishonest scales in his hands.

8 But Ephraim says: "How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any crime in me that I can be punished for!"

9 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival days.

10 I spoke through the prophets and granted many visions; I gave parables through the prophets.

11 Since Gilead is full of evil, they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; even their altars will be like heaps of rocks on the furrows of a field.

12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife.

13 The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and Israel was tended by a prophet.

14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and repay him for his contempt.