1 Therefore, Jehoshaphat was wealthy and very famous, and he was joined by affinity to Ahab.
2 And after some years, he descended to him in Samaria. And upon his arrival, Ahab slaughtered very many sheep and oxen, for him and for the people who had arrived with him. And he persuaded him that he should ascend against Ramoth Gilead.
3 And Ahab, the king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, “Come with me to Ramoth Gilead.” And he answered him: “As I am, so also are you. As your people are, so also are my people. And we will be with you in war.”
4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Consult, I beg you, the word of the Lord for the present circumstances.”
5 And so the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and he said to them: “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” But they said, “Ascend, and God will deliver into the hand of the king.”
6 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may inquire of him as well?”
7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “There is one man, from whom we would be able to ask the will of the Lord. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but at all times evil. And it is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this manner, O king.”
8 Therefore, the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: “Quickly, summon Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
9 Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both sitting upon their thrones, clothed in royal vestments. And they were sitting in an open area, beside the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Truly, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said: “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you crush it.”
11 And all the prophets prophesied similarly, and they said: “Ascend against Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the hand of the king.”
12 Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “Lo, the words of all the prophets, with one mouth, announce good to the king. Therefore, I ask you that you not dissent from them in your word, and that you speak prosperity.”
13 And Micaiah responded to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say to me, the same shall I speak.”
14 Therefore, he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” And he responded to him: “Ascend. For everything will come to prosperity, and the enemies will be delivered into your hands.”
15 And the king said, “Again and again, I bind you by an oath, so that you will not speak to me except what is true in the name of the Lord!”
16 Then he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered amid the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no masters. Let each one return in peace to his own house.’ “
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that this one would not prophesy to me anything good, but only what is evil?”
18 Then he said: “Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, on the right and on the left.
19 And the Lord said: ‘Who will deceive Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And when one spoke in one way, and another in another way,
20 there came forward a spirit, and he stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘In what way will you deceive him?’
21 And he responded, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive and prevail. Go forth and do so.’
22 Therefore now, behold: the Lord gave a lying spirit to the mouth of all your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil about you.”
23 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, approached, and he struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said: “In what way did the Spirit of the Lord depart from me, so that he would speak to you?”
24 And Micaiah said: “You yourself shall see it, in that day, when you will enter a room within a room, so that you may be hidden.”
25 Then the king of Israel instructed, saying: “Take Micaiah, and lead him to Amon, the leader of the city, and to Joash, the son of Amalech.
26 And you shall say: ‘Thus says the king: Send this man to prison, and give to him a little bread and a little water, until I return in peace.’ “
27 And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “May all the people listen.”
28 And so, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended against Ramoth Gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “I will change my clothing, and in this way I will go into battle. But you should be clothed in your own garments.” And the king of Israel, having changed his clothing, went to war.
30 Now the king of Syria had instructed the commanders of his horsemen, saying, “You shall not fight against the least or the greatest, but only against the king of Israel.”
31 And so, when the leaders of the horsemen had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, “This one is the king of Israel.” And while fighting, they surrounded him. But he cried out to the Lord, and he assisted him, and he turned them away from him.
32 For when the commanders of the horsemen had seen that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.
33 Then it happened that one of the people shot an arrow indiscriminately, and it struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulder. And so he said to his chariot driver: “Turn your hand, and lead me away from the battle line. For I have been wounded.”
34 And the fight ended on that day. But the king of Israel was standing in his chariot facing the Syrians, even until evening. And he died when the sun set.
1 Then Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned in peace to his house in Jerusalem.
2 And the seer Jehu, the son of Hanani, met him, and said to him: “You offer assistance to the impious, and you are joined in friendship with those who hate the Lord. And for this reason, you certainly deserve the wrath of the Lord.
3 But good works have been found in you. For you have taken away the sacred groves from the land of Judah. And you have prepared your heart, so as to seek the Lord, the God of your fathers.”
4 Then Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. And again he went out to the people, from Beersheba as far as mount Ephraim. And he called them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
5 And he appointed judges of the land, in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each place.
6 And instructing the judges, he said: “Pay attention to what you are doing. For you exercise judgment, not of man, but of the Lord. And whatever you will have judged, it will come back to you.
7 Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and do all things with diligence. For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor desire for gifts.”
8 Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites and priests and leaders of families, out of Israel, in Jerusalem, so that they might judge the judgment and purpose of the Lord for its inhabitants.
9 And he instructed them, saying, “So shall you act: faithfully, in the fear of the Lord, and with a perfect heart.
10 Every case that will come to you from your brothers, who live in their cities, between kindred and kindred, wherever there is a question concerning law, commandment, ceremonies, or justifications, reveal it to them, so that they may not sin against the Lord, and so that wrath may not overwhelm you and your brothers. Then, by acting in this way, you will not sin.
11 But Amariah, a priest and your high priest, shall preside over those things which pertain to God. Then Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael, who is a ruler in the house of Judah, shall be over those works that pertain to the office of the king. And you have before you the Levites as teachers. Be strengthened and act diligently, and the Lord will be with you for what is good.”
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13 And so it happened, after they had departed, that the king set the foods before Bel, and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them throughout the temple in the sight of the king, and, as they left, they shut the door, and after sealing it with the king’s ring, they departed.
14 But the priests entered by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their sons, and they ate and drank everything.
15 But the king arose at first light, and Daniel with him.
16 And the king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” And he answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”
17 And as soon as he had opened the door, the king stared at the table, and cried out with a loud voice, “Great are you, O Bel, and there is not any deceit with you.”
18 And Daniel laughed, and he held back the king, so that he would not enter, and he said, “Look at the pavement, notice whose footsteps these are.”
19 And the king said, “I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children.” And the king was angry.
20 Then he apprehended the priests, and their wives, and their sons, and they showed him the secret doors through which they entered and consumed the things that were on the table.
21 Therefore, the king slaughtered them and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel, who overturned him and his temple.
22 And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.
23 And the king said to Daniel, “Behold, now you cannot say that this is not a living god; therefore, adore him.”
24 And Daniel said, “I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God. But that one is not a living god.
25 Therefore, you give me the power, O king, and I will execute this dragon without sword or club.” And the king said, “I give it to you.”
26 And so Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and cooked them together. And he made lumps and put them into the dragon’s mouth, and the dragon burst open. And he said, “Behold, this is what you worship.”
27 When the Babylonians had heard this, they were greatly indignant. And gathering together against the king, they said, “The king has become a Jew. He has destroyed Bel, he has executed the dragon, and he has slaughtered the priests.”
28 And when they came to the king, they said, “Deliver Daniel to us, otherwise we will execute you and your house.”
29 Thus the king saw that they pressured him vehemently, and so, being compelled by necessity, he delivered Daniel to them.
30 And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there for six days.
31 Furthermore, in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep, but then they were not given to them, so that they would devour Daniel.
32 Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habakkuk, and he had cooked a small meal and had broken bread in a bowl, and he was going into the field, to bring it to the harvesters.
33 And the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Carry the meal that you have into Babylon, to Daniel, who is in the lions’ den.”
34 And Habakkuk said, “Lord, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know the den.”
35 And the angel of the Lord seized him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon, over the den, by the force of his spirit.
36 And Habakkuk shouted, saying, “Daniel, servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent you.”
37 And Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and you have not abandoned those who love you.”
38 And Daniel arose and ate. And then the angel of the Lord immediately returned Habakkuk to his place.
39 And so, on the seventh day, the king came to morn Daniel. And he came to the den, and gazed in, and behold, Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions.
40 And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Great are you, O Lord, the God of Daniel.” And he pulled him out of the lions’ den.
41 Furthermore, those who had been the cause of his downfall, he hurled into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him.
42 Then the king said, “Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel. For he is the Savior, working signs and miracles on earth, who has freed Daniel from the lions’ den.”
10 For I did eat ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.
11 Because of thy anger and indignation: for having lifted me up thou hast thrown me down.
12 My days have declined like a shadow, and I am withered like grass.
13 But thou, O Lord, endurest for ever: and thy memorial to all generations.
14 Thou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion: for it is time to have mercy on it, for the time is come.
15 For the stones thereof have pleased thy servants: and they shall have pity on the earth thereof.
16 And the Gentiles shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
1 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is in the ministry of the church, which is at Cenchreae,
2 so that you may receive her in the Lord with the worthiness of the saints, and so that you may be of assistance to her in whatever task she will have need of you. For she herself has also assisted many, and myself also.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus,
4 who have risked their own necks on behalf of my life, for whom I give thanks, not I alone, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
5 and greet the church at their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is among the first-fruits of Asia in Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who has labored much among you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellow captives, who are noble among the Apostles, and who were in Christ prior to me.
8 Greet Ampliatus, most beloved to me in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our helper in Christ Jesus, and Stachys, my beloved.
10 Greet Apelles, who has been tested in Christ.
11 Greet those who are from the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodian, my kinsman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet Persis, most beloved, who has labored much in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, elect in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brothers who are with them.
15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
17 But I beg you, brothers, to take note of those who cause dissensions and offenses contrary to the doctrine that you have learned, and to turn away from them.
18 For ones such as these do not serve Christ our Lord, but their inner selves, and, through pleasing words and skillful speaking, they seduce the hearts of the innocent.
19 But your obedience has been made known in every place. And so, I rejoice in you. But I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple in what is evil.
20 And may the God of peace quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow laborer, greets you, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, my host, and the entire church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 But to him who is able to confirm you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, in accord with the revelation of the mystery which has been hidden from time immemorial,
26 (which now has been made clear through the Scriptures of the Prophets, in accord with the precept of the eternal God, unto the obedience of faith) which has been made known among all the Gentiles:
27 to God, who alone is wise, through Jesus Christ, to him be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
