1 Kings 21; 1 Kings 22; Luke 23:26-56

1 Kings 21

1 After these things had happened, this is what followed. A man named Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Israel.

2 One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard. It is near my palace, and I want to make it into a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or, if you prefer, I will pay you what it is worth."

3 Naboth answered, "May the Lord keep me from ever giving my land to you. It belongs to my family."

4 Ahab went home angry and upset, because he did not like what Naboth from Jezreel had said. (Naboth had said, "I will not give you my family's land.") Ahab lay down on his bed, turned his face to the wall, and refused to eat.

5 His wife, Jezebel, came in and asked him, "Why are you so upset that you refuse to eat?"

6 Ahab answered, "I talked to Naboth, the man from Jezreel. I said, 'Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it.' But Naboth refused."

7 Jezebel answered, "Is this how you rule as king over Israel? Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I will get Naboth's vineyard for you."

8 So Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, and used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and important men who lived in Naboth's town.

9 The letter she wrote said: "Declare a day during which the people are to give up eating. Call the people together, and give Naboth a place of honor among them.

10 Seat two troublemakers across from him, and have them say they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones."

11 The older leaders and important men of Jezreel obeyed Jezebel's command, just as she wrote in the letters.

12 They declared a special day on which the people were to give up eating. And they put Naboth in a place of honor before the people.

13 Two troublemakers sat across from Naboth and said in front of everybody that they had heard him speak against God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and killed him with stones.

14 Then the leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been killed."

15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, "Naboth of Jezreel is dead. Now you may go and take for yourself the vineyard he would not sell to you."

16 When Ahab heard that Naboth of Jezreel was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to take it for his own.

17 At this time the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Elijah the Tishbite. The Lord said,

18 "Go to Ahab king of Israel in Samaria. He is at Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take it as his own.

19 Tell Ahab that I, the Lord, say to him, 'You have murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I tell you this: In the same place the dogs licked up Naboth's blood, they will also lick up your blood!'"

20 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, "So you have found me, my enemy!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I have found you. You have always chosen to do what the Lord says is wrong.

21 So the Lord says to you, 'I will soon destroy you. I will kill you and every male in your family, both slave and free.

22 Your family will be like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. I will destroy you, because you have made me angry and have led the people of Israel to sin.'

23 "And the Lord also says, 'Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the city of Jezreel.'

24 "Anyone in your family who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the fields will be eaten by birds."

25 There was no one like Ahab who had chosen so often to do what the Lord said was wrong, because his wife Jezebel influenced him to do evil.

26 Ahab sinned terribly by worshiping idols, just as the Amorite people did. And the Lord had taken away their land and given it to the people of Israel.

27 After Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes. He put on rough cloth, refused to eat, and even slept in the rough cloth to show how sad and upset he was.

28 The Lord spoke his word to Elijah the Tishbite:

29 "I see that Ahab is now sorry for what he has done. So I will not cause the trouble to come to him during his life, but I will wait until his son is king. Then I will bring this trouble to Ahab's family."

1 Kings 22

1 For three years there was peace between Israel and Aram.

2 During the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went to visit Ahab king of Israel.

3 At that time Ahab asked his officers, "Do you remember that the king of Aram took Ramoth in Gilead from us? Why have we done nothing to get it back?"

4 So Ahab asked King Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth in Gilead?" "I will go with you," Jehoshaphat answered. "My soldiers are yours, and my horses are yours."

5 Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, "But first we should ask if this is the Lord's will."

6 Ahab called about four hundred prophets together and asked them, "Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?" They answered, "Go, because the Lord will hand them over to you."

7 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? Let's ask him what we should do."

8 Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "There is one other prophet. We could ask the Lord through him, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me, but something bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat said, "King Ahab, you shouldn't say that!"

9 So Ahab king of Israel told one of his officers to bring Micaiah to him at once.

10 Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah had on their royal robes and were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor, near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were standing before them, speaking their messages.

11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made some iron horns. He said to Ahab, "This is what the Lord says, 'You will use these horns to fight the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"

12 All the other prophets said the same thing. "Attack Ramoth in Gilead and win, because the Lord will hand the Arameans over to you."

13 The messenger who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, "All the other prophets are saying King Ahab will succeed. You should agree with them and give the king a good answer."

14 But Micaiah answered, "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me."

15 When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or not?" Micaiah answered, "Attack and win! The Lord will hand them over to you."

16 But Ahab said to Micaiah, "How many times do I have to tell you to speak only the truth to me in the name of the Lord?"

17 So Micaiah answered, "I saw the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, 'They have no leaders. They should go home and not fight.'"

18 Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I told you! He never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad."

19 But Micaiah said, "Hear the message from the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with his heavenly army standing near him on his right and on his left.

20 The Lord said, 'Who will trick Ahab into attacking Ramoth in Gilead where he will be killed?' "Some said one thing; some said another.

21 Then one spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, 'I will trick him.'

22 "The Lord asked, 'How will you do it?' "The spirit answered, 'I will go to Ahab's prophets and make them tell lies.' "So the Lord said, 'You will succeed in tricking him. Go and do it.'"

23 Micaiah said, "Ahab, the Lord has made your prophets lie to you, and the Lord has decided that disaster should come to you."

24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah and slapped him in the face. Zedekiah said, "Has the Lord's spirit left me to speak through you?"

25 Micaiah answered, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inside room."

26 Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son.

27 Tell them I said to put this man in prison and give him only bread and water until I return safely from the battle."

28 Micaiah said, "Ahab, if you come back safely from battle, the Lord has not spoken through me. Remember my words, all you people!"

29 So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead.

30 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I will go into battle, but I will wear other clothes so no one will recognize me. But you wear your royal clothes." So Ahab wore other clothes and went into battle.

31 The king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, "Don't fight with anyone -- important or unimportant -- except the king of Israel."

32 When these commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought he was certainly the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat began shouting.

33 When they saw he was not King Ahab, they stopped chasing him.

34 By chance, a soldier shot an arrow, but he hit Ahab king of Israel between the pieces of his armor. King Ahab said to his chariot driver, "Turn around and get me out of the battle, because I am hurt!"

35 The battle continued all day. King Ahab was held up in his chariot and faced the Arameans. His blood flowed down to the bottom of the chariot. That evening he died.

36 Near sunset a cry went out through the army of Israel: "Each man go back to his own city and land."

37 In that way King Ahab died. His body was carried to Samaria and buried there.

38 The men cleaned Ahab's chariot at a pool in Samaria where prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked his blood from the chariot. These things happened as the Lord had said they would.

39 Everything else Ahab did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. It tells about the palace Ahab built and decorated with ivory and the cities he built.

40 So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah during Ahab's fourth year as king of Israel.

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

43 Jehoshaphat was good, like his father Asa, and he did what the Lord said was right. But Jehoshaphat did not destroy the places where gods were worshiped, so the people continued offering sacrifices and burning incense there.

44 Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.

45 Jehoshaphat fought many wars, and these wars and his successes are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

46 There were male prostitutes still in the places of worship from the days of his father, Asa. So Jehoshaphat forced them to leave.

47 During this time the land of Edom had no king; it was ruled by a governor.

48 King Jehoshaphat built trading ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber, so they never set sail.

49 Ahaziah son of Ahab went to help Jehoshaphat, offering to give Jehoshaphat some men to sail with his men, but Jehoshaphat refused.

50 Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, the city of David, his ancestor. Then his son Jehoram became king in his place.

51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat's seventeenth year as king over Judah. Ahaziah ruled Israel for two years,

52 and he did what the Lord said was wrong. He did the same evil his father Ahab, his mother Jezebel, and Jeroboam son of Nebat had done. All these rulers led the people of Israel into more sin.

53 Ahaziah worshiped and served the god Baal, and this made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry. In these ways Ahaziah did what his father had done.

Luke 23:26-56

26 As they led Jesus away, Simon, a man from Cyrene, was coming in from the fields. They forced him to carry Jesus' cross and to walk behind him.

27 A large crowd of people was following Jesus, including some women who were sad and crying for him.

28 But Jesus turned and said to them, "Women of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.

29 The time is coming when people will say, 'Happy are the women who cannot have children and who have no babies to nurse.'

30 Then people will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' And they will say to the hills, 'Cover us!'

31 If they act like this now when life is good, what will happen when bad times come?"

32 There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be put to death.

33 When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals -- one on his right and the other on his left.

34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing." The soldiers threw lots to decide who would get his clothes.

35 The people stood there watching. And the leaders made fun of Jesus, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself if he is God's Chosen One, the Christ."

36 The soldiers also made fun of him, coming to Jesus and offering him some vinegar

37 They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!"

38 At the top of the cross these words were written: this is the king of the jews

39 One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: "Aren't you the Christ? Then save yourself and us."

40 But the other criminal stopped him and said, "You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is.

41 We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43 Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

44 It was about noon, and the whole land became dark until three o'clock in the afternoon,

45 because the sun did not shine. The curtain in the Templen was torn in two.

46 Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, I give you my life." After Jesus said this, he died.

47 When the army officer there saw what happened, he praised God, saying, "Surely this was a good man!"

48 When all the people who had gathered there to watch saw what happened, they returned home, beating their chests because they were so sad.

49 But those who were close friends of Jesus, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched.

50 There was a good and religious man named Joseph who was a member of the Jewish council.

51 But he had not agreed to the other leaders' plans and actions against Jesus. He was from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God to come.

52 Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

53 He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in cloth, and put it in a tomb that was cut out of a wall of rock. This tomb had never been used before.

54 This was late on Preparation Day, and when the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin.

55 The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was laid.

56 Then the women left to prepare spices and perfumes. On the Sabbath day they rested, as the law of Moses commanded.