26th August

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 Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.² There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.³ A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.⁴ Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.⁵ For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.⁶ Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.⁷ For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.⁸ And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.⁹ Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.¹⁰ Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.¹¹ Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.¹² Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.¹³ And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.¹⁴ How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?¹⁵ Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.¹⁶ The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.¹⁷ All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!¹⁸ Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.¹⁹ O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?²⁰ Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,²¹ And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,²² And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,²³ And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,²⁴ And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.²⁵ The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.²⁶ Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.²⁷ For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.²⁸ O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.²⁹ We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.³⁰ I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.³¹ Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.³² O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.³³ And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.³⁴ From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.³⁵ Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.³⁶ Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.³⁷ For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.³⁸ There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.³⁹ They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.⁴⁰ For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.⁴¹ Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.⁴² And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.⁴³ Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.⁴⁴ He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.⁴⁵ They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.⁴⁶ Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.⁴⁷ Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

¹ Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.³ Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.⁴ The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.⁵ Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.⁶ But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.⁷ For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.⁸ I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.⁹ But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.¹⁰ And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:¹¹ But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.¹² But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.¹³ And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.¹⁵ But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.¹⁶ For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?¹⁷ But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.¹⁸ Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.²⁰ Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.²¹ Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.²² For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.²³ Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.²⁴ Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.²⁷ Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.²⁸ But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.²⁹ But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;³⁰ And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;³¹ And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:³³ But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.³⁵ And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.³⁶ But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.³⁷ Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.³⁸ So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.³⁹ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.⁴⁰ But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.