From: "FamilyNet Direct"
Bible Reading for June 21
1 Kings 20
[1] And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there
were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up
and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. [2] And he sent messengers to
Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
[3] Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the
goodliest, are mine.
[4] And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to
thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. [5] And the messengers came
again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto
thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives,
and thy children; [6] Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about
this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants;
and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it
in their hand, and take it away.
[7] Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark,
I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my
wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied
him not.
[8] And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him,
nor consent.
[9] Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king,
All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this
thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
[10] And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more
also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people
that follow me.
[11] And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that
girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. [12] And it
came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and
the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in
array. And they set themselves in array against the city. [13] And, behold,
there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD,
Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it in to thine
hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
[14] And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the
young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the
battle? And he answered, Thou.
[15] Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they
were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people,
even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. [16] And they went out
at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the
kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. [17] And the young men of the
princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told
him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.
[18] And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or
whether they be come out for war, take them alive. [19] So these young men of
the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed
them. [20] And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel
pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the
horsemen.
[21] And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and
slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. [22] And the prophet came to the king
of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thy self, and mark, and see what
thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up
against thee. [23] And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their
gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us
fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
[24] And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and
put captains in their rooms:
[25] And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for
horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain,
and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice,
and did so.
[26] And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered
the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. [27] And the
children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them:
and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids;
but the Syrians filled the country. [28] And there came a man of God, and
spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the
Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the
valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand,
and ye shall know that I am the LORD. [29] And they pitched one over against
the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was
joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand
footmen in one day. [30] But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there
a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And
Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber. [31] And his
servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house
of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins,
and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he
will save thy life. [32] So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put
ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant
Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is
my brother. [33] Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would
come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad.
Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he
caused him to come up into the chariot.
[34] And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy
father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as
my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this
covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away. [35] And a
certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of
the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
[36] Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the
LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee.
And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. [37]
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote
him, so that in smiting he wounded him. [38] So the prophet departed, and
waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his
face. [39] And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy
servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned
aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he
be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a
talent of silver.
[40] And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of
Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. [41]
And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel
discerned him that he was of the prophets. [42] And he said unto him, Thus
saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I
appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and
thy people for his people. [43] And the king of Israel went to his house heavy
and displeased, and came to Samaria.
1 Kings 21
[1] And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a
vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
[2] And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have
it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give
thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will
give thee the worth of it in money. [3] And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD
forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. [4]
And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which
Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee
the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned
away his face, and would eat no bread. [5] But Jezebel his wife came to him,
and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
[6] And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said
unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will
give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my
vineyard.
[7] And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of
Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee
the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. [8] So she wrote letters in Ahab's
name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and
to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
[9] And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on
high among the people:
[10] And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him,
saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and
stone him, that he may die.
[11] And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the
inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was
written in the letters which she had sent unto them. [12] They proclaimed a
fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. [13] And there came in two men,
children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed
against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying,
Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the
city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
[14] Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. [15]
And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead,
that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth
the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not
alive, but dead.
[16] And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose
up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of
it.
[17] And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, [18] Arise,
go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the
vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
[19] And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou
killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus
saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs
lick thy blood, even thine. [20] And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me,
O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold
thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
[21] Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity,
and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is
shut up and left in Israel,
[22] And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith
thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. [23] And of Jezebel
also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
[24] Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth
in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. [25] But there was none like unto
Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom
Jezebel his wife stirred up. [26] And he did very abominably in following
idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out
before the children of Israel. [27] And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those
words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted,
and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
[28] And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, [29] Seest
thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before
me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring
the evil upon his house.
1 Kings 22
[1] And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. [2]
And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came
down to the king of Israel. [3] And the king of Israel said unto his servants,
Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of
the hand of the king of Syria?
[4] And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to
Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art,
my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. [5] And Jehoshaphat said
unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.
[6] Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred
men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall
I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand
of the king.
[7] And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides,
that we might inquire of him?
[8] And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man,
Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him;
for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said,
Let not the king say so.
[9] Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah
the son of Imlah.
[10] And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his
throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate
of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. [11] And Zedekiah the
son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD,
With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
[12] And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and
prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand. [13] And the
messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now,
the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy
word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is
good.
[14] And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that
will I speak.
[15] So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go
against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go,
and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
[16] And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou
tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? [17] And he
said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a
shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man
to his house in peace. [18] And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did
I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? [19]
And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting
on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand
and on his left.
[20] And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at
Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
[21] And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I
will persuade him.
[22] And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and
I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou
shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. [23] Now therefore,
behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy
prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. [24] But Zedekiah the
son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which
way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
[25] And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go
into an inner chamber to hide thyself. [26] And the king of Israel said, Take
Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash
the king's son; [27] And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the
prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction,
until I come in peace.
[28] And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not
spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you. [29] So the
king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
[30] And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and
enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel
disguised himself, and went into the battle. [31] But the king of Syria
commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying,
Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
[32] And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat,
that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to
fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. [33] And it came to pass, when
the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel,
that they turned back from pursuing him. [34] And a certain man drew a bow at
a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness:
wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry
me out of the host; for I am wounded. [35] And the battle increased that day:
and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at
even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. [36]
And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the
sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. [37] So
the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
[38] And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up
his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD
which he spake.
[39] Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory
house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in
the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? [40] So Ahab slept with his
fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
[41] And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth
year of Ahab king of Israel.
[42] Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah
the daughter of Shilhi.
[43] And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from
it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high
places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in
the high places.
[44] And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. [45] Now the rest of
the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
[46] And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his
father Asa, he took out of the land. [47] There was then no king in Edom: a
deputy was king. [48] Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for
gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. [49] Then
said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy
servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. [50] And Jehoshaphat slept
with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his
father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. [51] Ahaziah the son of Ahab
began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king
of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
[52] And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his
father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
[53] For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD
God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
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