Old/New Testament
Chapter 17
Zeal of Jehoshaphat for the Law. 1 Asa was succeeded as king by his son Jehoshaphat, and immediately thereafter he set out to strengthen his position against Israel. 2 He stationed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and he placed garrisons throughout Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which his father Asa had captured.
3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat[a] because he had followed the example of his father from his earliest years and did not consult the Baals. 4 Rather, he sought the God of his father, observing his commandments, and refused to follow the practices of Israel. 5 As a result of this, the Lord made secure Jehoshaphat’s control of the kingdom. All Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, and his wealth and glory were exceedingly great. 6 He took enormous pride in following the ways of the Lord, and he ordered the removal of the high places and the sacred poles from Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his most learned officials—Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach in the cities of Judah. 8 [b]With them he also sent the Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, and Tobijah. Accompanying those Levites were the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught in Judah, having with them the book of the law of the Lord. They traveled through all the cities of Judah, instructing the people.
10 The Power of Jehoshaphat. The fear of the Lord seized all the kingdoms of the countries surrounding Judah, and as a result, they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, as well as silver as a tribute, while the Arabs also brought him a flock of seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.
12 Jehoshaphat grew steadily more powerful. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. 13 He also supervised great works in the cities of Judah, and he stationed soldiers, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem. 14 The soldiers were classified by ancestral houses. Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah was the highest-ranking commander, with three hundred thousand mighty warriors. 15 Next in line under him was Jehohanan the commander, with two hundred and eighty thousand mighty warriors, 16 and next to him was Amasiah, the son of Zichri, who had volunteered for the service of the Lord, with two hundred thousand mighty warriors.
17 Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty warrior with two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield, 18 and next in line to him was Jehozabad with one hundred and eighty thousand men equipped for war. 19 These were the men in the service of the king, apart from those whom the king had stationed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Chapter 18
Alliance with King Ahab. 1 When Jehoshaphat had accumulated great wealth and honor, he allied himself to Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and his retinue, hoping also to persuade him to join forces and attack Ramoth-gilead.
3 King Ahab of Israel, therefore, asked Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah: “Will you join me in attacking Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied: “I am united with you. My people are your people. We will join you in this war.” 4 However, Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel: “First let us consult the word of the Lord.”
The Prophets. 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred in number, and said to them: “Shall we go forth to engage in battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” They replied: “Go forth, for God will deliver it into the king’s power.” 6 However, Jehoshaphat asked: “Is there no other prophet of the Lord here from whom we may seek guidance?”
7 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat: “There is still one other prophet here through whom we may seek the guidance of the Lord. However, I hate him, because he never prophesies anything that is favorable for me, but only disaster. His name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” 8 Then the king of Israel summoned a court official and said: “Bring here quickly Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
9 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, arrayed in their robes, were seated on their respective thrones at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, had made for himself iron horns, and he said: “Thus says the Lord: ‘With horns like these you shall gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ” 11 All of the prophets were prophesying in the same vein, saying: “Attack Ramoth-gilead and you will triumph. The Lord will deliver it into your hands.”
12 The messenger who had been sent to summon Micaiah said to him: “Listen to what I am telling you. What the prophets have said is favorable to the king. I trust that you will also deliver a favorable decision.” 13 However, Micaiah replied: “As the Lord lives, I can announce only what the Lord instructs me to say.”
14 When the prophet arrived, the king asked him: “Micaiah, shall we go up to attack Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” Micaiah replied: “Attack and triumph. They will be delivered into your hands.” 15 However, the king said to him: “How many times must I demand that you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then Micaiah said:
“I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains,
like sheep without a shepherd.
And I heard the Lord say: ‘These have no master;
let each one go home in peace.’ ”
17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me, but only whatever is unfavorable?”
18 However, Micaiah continued: “Listen now to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord seated on his throne with all the host of heaven sitting to his right and to his left. 19 The Lord asked: ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said one thing and another said something in contradiction, 20 until a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying: ‘I will entice him.’ ‘How?’ asked the Lord.
21 “The spirit replied: ‘I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then the Lord said: ‘You shall succeed in deceiving him. Go forth and do it.’ 22 So now you will see that the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these your prophets. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”[c]
23 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, came up to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. After he had done so, he asked: “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 24 Micaiah replied: “You shall find out on the day when you run from room to room in order to hide.”
25 The king of Israel then ordered that Micaiah be seized and handed over to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son, 26 and said: “Throw this man into prison and give him only a meager portion of bread and water until I return home safely.” 27 Micaiah retorted: “If you ever do return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added: “Mark my words, you peoples, all of you!”[d]
28 Ahab’s Death. The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “I shall disguise myself when I go into battle, while you wear your royal robes.” Therefore, the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went forth into battle.
30 Meanwhile the king of Aram had issued this command to the captains of his chariots: “Do not engage in battle with anyone, whether small or great, except with the king of Israel.” 31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted: “That is the king of Israel,” and they moved quickly to attack him. However, when Jehoshaphat cried out, the Lord came to his aid and drew them away from him.
32 Once the chariot commanders realized that he was not the king, they ceased their pursuit of him. 33 However, one man drew his bow at random, and without realizing it he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. The king then ordered the driver of his chariot: “Turn around and carry me away from the fighting, for I am wounded.” 34 The battle grew ever more fierce as the day went on, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He remained there until evening, and at sunset he passed away.
The Testament of the Lord[a]
Chapter 13
Jesus Washes the Feet of the Disciples.[b] 1 As the feast of Passover drew near, Jesus was aware that his hour had come to depart from this world and to go to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and he loved them to the end.
2 The devil had already put it into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. During supper, 3 Jesus, fully aware that the Father had entrusted all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, 4 got up from the table, removed his outer garments, and took a towel that he tied around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel wrapped around his waist.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you will have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
10 Jesus then said, “Anyone who has bathed has no need to wash further, except for his feet, for he is clean all over. You also are clean, although not every one of you is clean.” 11 He knew the one who was going to betray him. That is why he added the words, “Not every one of you is clean.”
12 After he had finished washing their feet and had once again put on his outer garments, he reclined at table and said to them,
“Do you understand
what I have done for you?
13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’
and rightly so,
for that is what I am.
14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 “I have given you an example.
What I have done for you,
you should also do.
16 Amen, amen, I say to you,
a servant is not greater than his master,
nor is a messenger greater
than the one who sent him.
17 “Now that you know these things,
you will be blessed
if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal[c]
18 “I am not speaking about all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
However, what the Scripture says
must be fulfilled,
‘The one who ate bread with me
has raised his heel against me.’
19 “I tell you this now,
before it occurs,
so that when it does occur,
you may believe that I am.[d]
20 Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever receives the one I send
receives me,
and whoever receives me
receives the one who sent me.”
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