1 Kings 21

• 1. Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
• 2. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."
• 3. But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."
• 4. So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
• 5. His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"
• 6. He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"
• 7. Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
• 8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him.
• 9. In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
• 10. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
• 11. So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them.
• 12. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
• 13. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
• 14. Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
• 15. As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead."
• 16. When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.
• 17. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
• 18. "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.
• 19. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood-yes, yours!'"
• 20. Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.
• 21. 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel-slave or free.
• 22. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.'
• 23. "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'
• 24. "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."
• 25. (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
• 26. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
• 27. When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
• 28. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
• 29. "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

1 Thessalonians 4

• 1. Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
• 2. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
• 3. It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
• 4. that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
• 5. not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
• 6. and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
• 7. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
• 8. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
• 9. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
• 10. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
• 11. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you,
• 12. so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
• 13. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
• 14. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
• 15. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
• 16. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
• 17. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
• 18. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Daniel 3

• 1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
• 2. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.
• 3. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
• 4. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language:
• 5. As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
• 6. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
• 7. Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
• 8. At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.
• 9. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever!
• 10. You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold,
• 11. and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace.
• 12. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
• 13. Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
• 14. and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?
• 15. Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
• 16. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
• 17. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
• 18. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
• 19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual
• 20. and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.
• 21. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
• 22. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
• 23. and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
• 24. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."
• 25. He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
• 26. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,
• 27. and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
• 28. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
• 29. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."
• 30. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

New International Version

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