1 Kings 20

New International Version

Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

20 Now Ben-Hadad^(A) king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria^(B) and attacked it. ²He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ³‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”

⁴The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”

⁵The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. ⁶But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”

⁷The king of Israel summoned all the elders^(C) of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble!^(D) When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

⁸The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”

⁹So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

¹⁰Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust^(E) remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

¹¹The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast^(F) like one who takes it off.’”

¹²Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking^(G) in their tents,^[a] and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.

Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad

¹³Meanwhile a prophet^(H) came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know^(I) that I am the Lord.’”

¹⁴“But who will do this?” asked Ahab.

The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.’”

“And who will start^(J) the battle?” he asked.

The prophet answered, “You will.”

¹⁵So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. ¹⁶They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.^(K) ¹⁷The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.

Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”

¹⁸He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

¹⁹The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them ²⁰and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. ²¹The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

²²Afterward, the prophet^(L) came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring^(M) the king of Aram will attack you again.”

²³Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods^(N) of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. ²⁴Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. ²⁵You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

²⁶The next spring^(O) Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek^(P) to fight against Israel. ²⁷When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.^(Q)

²⁸The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god^(R) of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know^(S) that I am the Lord.’”

²⁹For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. ³⁰The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,^(T) where the wall collapsed^(U) on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid^(V) in an inner room.

³¹His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful.^(W) Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth^(X) around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

³²Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”

The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

³³The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said.

“Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

³⁴“I will return the cities^(Y) my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad^(Z) offered. “You may set up your own market areas^(AA) in Damascus,^(AB) as my father did in Samaria.”

Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty^(AC) I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab

³⁵By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets^(AD) said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.^(AE)

³⁶So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion^(AF) will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. ³⁹As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life,^(AG) or you must pay a talent^[b] of silver.’ ⁴⁰While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”

“That is your sentence,”^(AH) the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

⁴¹Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴²He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You^(AI) have set free a man I had determined should die.^[c]^(AJ) Therefore it is your life for his life,^(AK) your people for his people.’” ⁴³Sullen and angry,^(AL) the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

Footnotes

1 Kings 20:12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16
1 Kings 20:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
1 Kings 20:42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

Jeremiah 5

New International Version

Not One Is Upright

5 “Go up and down^(A) the streets of Jerusalem,
    look around and consider,^(B)
    search through her squares.
If you can find but one person^(C)
    who deals honestly^(D) and seeks the truth,
    I will forgive^(E) this city.
²Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’^(F)
    still they are swearing falsely.^(G)”

³Lord, do not your eyes^(H) look for truth?
    You struck^(I) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.^(J)
They made their faces harder than stone^(K)
    and refused to repent.^(L)
⁴I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,^(M)
for they do not know^(N) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
⁵So I will go to the leaders^(O)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.^(P)
⁶Therefore a lion from the forest^(Q) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage^(R) them,
a leopard^(S) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.^(T)

⁷“Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn^(U) by gods that are not gods.^(V)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery^(W)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.^(X)
⁸They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.^(Y)
⁹Should I not punish them for this?”^(Z)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge^(AA) myself
    on such a nation as this?

¹⁰“Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
    but do not destroy them completely.^(AB)
Strip off her branches,
    for these people do not belong to the Lord.
¹¹The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful^(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.

¹²They have lied^(AD) about the Lord;
    they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;^(AE)
    we will never see sword or famine.^(AF)
¹³The prophets^(AG) are but wind^(AH)
    and the word is not in them;
    so let what they say be done to them.”

¹⁴Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,
    I will make my words in your mouth^(AI) a fire^(AJ)
    and these people the wood it consumes.^(AK)
¹⁵People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
    “I am bringing a distant nation^(AL) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
    a people whose language^(AM) you do not know,
    whose speech you do not understand.
¹⁶Their quivers^(AN) are like an open grave;
    all of them are mighty warriors.
¹⁷They will devour^(AO) your harvests and food,
    devour^(AP) your sons and daughters;
they will devour^(AQ) your flocks and herds,
    devour your vines and fig trees.^(AR)
With the sword^(AS) they will destroy
    the fortified cities^(AT) in which you trust.^(AU)

¹⁸“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy^(AV) you completely. ¹⁹And when the people ask,^(AW) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods^(AX) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners^(AY) in a land not your own.’

²⁰“Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
    and proclaim^(AZ) it in Judah:
²¹Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,^(BA)
    who have eyes^(BB) but do not see,
    who have ears but do not hear:^(BC)
²²Should you not fear^(BD) me?” declares the Lord.
    “Should you not tremble^(BE) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,^(BF)
    an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
    they may roar,^(BG) but they cannot cross it.
²³But these people have stubborn and rebellious^(BH) hearts;
    they have turned aside^(BI) and gone away.
²⁴They do not say to themselves,
    ‘Let us fear^(BJ) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains^(BK) in season,
    who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’^(BL)
²⁵Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
    your sins have deprived you of good.^(BM)

²⁶“Among my people are the wicked^(BN)
    who lie in wait^(BO) like men who snare birds
    and like those who set traps^(BP) to catch people.
²⁷Like cages full of birds,
    their houses are full of deceit;^(BQ)
they have become rich^(BR) and powerful
²⁸    and have grown fat^(BS) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
    they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;^(BT)
    they do not defend the just cause of the poor.^(BU)
²⁹Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge^(BV) myself
    on such a nation as this?

³⁰“A horrible^(BW) and shocking thing
    has happened in the land:
³¹The prophets prophesy lies,^(BX)
    the priests^(BY) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
    But what will you do in the end?^(BZ)

Romans 16

New International Version

Personal Greetings

16 I commend^(A) to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon^[a]^[b] of the church in Cenchreae.^(B) ²I ask you to receive her in the Lord^(C) in a way worthy of his people^(D) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

³Greet Priscilla^[c] and Aquila,^(E) my co-workers^(F) in Christ Jesus.^(G) ⁴They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

⁵Greet also the church that meets at their house.^(H)

Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert^(I) to Christ in the province of Asia.^(J)

⁶Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

⁷Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews^(K) who have been in prison with me.^(L) They are outstanding among^[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ^(M) before I was.

⁸Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

⁹Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,^(N) and my dear friend Stachys.

¹⁰Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.^(O)

Greet those who belong to the household^(P) of Aristobulus.

¹¹Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.^(Q)

Greet those in the household^(R) of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

¹²Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.

Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

¹³Greet Rufus,^(S) chosen^(T) in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

¹⁵Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people^(U) who are with them.^(V)

¹⁶Greet one another with a holy kiss.^(W)

All the churches of Christ send greetings.

¹⁷I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.^(X) Keep away from them.^(Y) ¹⁸For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,^(Z) but their own appetites.^(AA) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive^(AB) the minds of naive people. ¹⁹Everyone has heard^(AC) about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.^(AD)

²⁰The God of peace^(AE) will soon crush^(AF) Satan^(AG) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^(AH)

²¹Timothy,^(AI) my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius,^(AJ) Jason^(AK) and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.^(AL)

²²I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³Gaius,^(AM) whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.

Erastus,^(AN) who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. ^[24]^[e]

²⁵Now to him who is able^(AO) to establish you in accordance with my gospel,^(AP) the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery^(AQ) hidden for long ages past, ²⁶but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings^(AR) by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[f] faith^(AS)— ²⁷to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.^(AT)

Footnotes

Romans 16:1 Or servant
Romans 16:1 The word deacon refers here to a Christian designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in Phil. 1:1 and 1 Tim. 3:8,12.
Romans 16:3 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
Romans 16:7 Or are esteemed by
Romans 16:24 Some manuscripts include here May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.
Romans 16:26 Or that is