The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday June 26, 2022 (NIV)

¹⁴ Then Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.^(A) Joram and all Israel had been at Ramoth-gilead on guard against King Hazael of Aram. ¹⁵ But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought against Aram’s King Hazael. Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king,^[a] then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go tell about it in Jezreel.”

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

¹⁶ Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel since Joram was laid up there and King Ahaziah of Judah had gone down to visit Joram. ¹⁷ Now the watchman^(B) was standing on the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu’s mob approaching and shouted, “I see a mob!”

Joram responded, “Choose a rider and send him to meet them and have him ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’” ^(C)

¹⁸ So a horseman went to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them but hasn’t started back.”

¹⁹ So he sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

²⁰ Again the watchman reported, “He reached them but hasn’t started back. Also, the driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi^(D)—he drives like a madman.”

²¹ “Get the chariot ready!” Joram shouted, and they got it ready. Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu at the plot of land of Naboth the Jezreelite.^{(E) 22} When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”

He answered, “What peace can there be as long as there is so much prostitution and sorcery from your mother Jezebel?” ^(F)

²³ Joram turned around and fled, shouting to Ahaziah, “It’s treachery,^(G) Ahaziah!”

²⁴ Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow went through his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.^{(H) 25} Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, “Pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite.^(I) For remember when you and I were riding side by side behind his father Ahab, and the Lord uttered this pronouncement against him: ²⁶ ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘so will I repay you on this plot of land’—this is the Lord’s declaration. So now, according to the word of the Lord, pick him up and throw him on the plot of land.”^(J)

²⁷ When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot him in his chariot^[b] at Gur Pass near Ibleam,^(K) but he fled to Megiddo^(L) and died there.^{(M) 28} Then his servants carried him to Jerusalem in a chariot and buried him in his ancestors’ tomb in the city of David.^{(N) 29} It was in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab that Ahaziah had become king over Judah.^(O)

Jehu Kills Jezebel

³⁰ When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes,^(P) fixed her hair,^[c] and looked down from the window. ³¹ As Jehu entered the city gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri,^(Q) killer of your master?”

³² He looked up toward the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs^(R) looked down at him, ³³ and he said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and Jehu rode over her.^(S)

³⁴ Then he went in, ate and drank, and said, “Take care of this cursed^(T) woman and bury her, since she’s a king’s daughter.”^{(U) 35} But when they went out to bury her, they did not find anything but the skull, the feet, and the hands. ³⁶ So they went back and told him, and he said, “This fulfills the Lord’s word that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, the dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh.^{(V) 37} Jezebel’s corpse will be like manure^(W) on the surface of the ground in the plot of land at Jezreel so that no one will be able to say: This is Jezebel.’”

Jehu Kills the House of Ahab

10 Since Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria,^(X) Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel,^(Y) to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s sons,^[d] saying:

² Your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weaponry, so when this letter^(Z) arrives ³ select the most qualified^[e] of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

⁴ However, they were terrified and reasoned, “Look, two kings^(AA) couldn’t stand against him; how can we?”

⁵ So the overseer of the palace, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think is right.”^[f](AB)

⁶ Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying:

If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, bring me the heads of your master’s sons^[g] at this time tomorrow at Jezreel.

All seventy of the king’s sons were being cared for by the city’s prominent men. ⁷ When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered all seventy, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. ⁸ When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” the king said, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

⁹ The next morning when he went out and stood at the gate, he said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him.^(AC) But who struck down all these? ¹⁰ Know, then, that not a word the Lord spoke against the house of Ahab will fail,^(AD) for the Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.”^{(AE) 11} So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel—all his great men, close friends, and priests—leaving him no survivors.

¹² Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, ¹³ Jehu met the relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They answered, “We’re Ahaziah’s^(AF) relatives. We’ve come down to greet the king’s sons and the queen mother’s^(AG) sons.”

¹⁴ Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He didn’t spare any of them.^(AH)

¹⁵ When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab^(AI) coming to meet him. He greeted him and then asked, “Is your heart one with mine?” ^[h]

“It is,” Jehonadab replied.

Jehu said, “If it is,^[i] give me your hand.”^(AJ)

So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him. ¹⁶ Then he said, “Come with me and see my zeal^(AK) for the Lord!” So he let him ride with him in his chariot. ¹⁷ When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained from the house of Ahab in Samaria until he had annihilated his house, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.^(AL)

Jehu Kills the Baal Worshipers

¹⁸ Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal^(AM) a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. ¹⁹ Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests.^(AN) None must be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” However, Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal. ²⁰ Jehu commanded, “Consecrate a solemn assembly^(AO) for Baal.” So they called one.

²¹ Then Jehu sent messengers throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal^[j] came; no one failed to come.^(AP) They entered the temple of Baal,^(AQ) and it was filled from one end to the other. ²² Then he said to the custodian of the wardrobe, “Bring out the garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out their garments.

²³ Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look carefully to see that there are no servants of the Lord here among you—only servants of Baal.” ²⁴ Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside, and he warned them, “Whoever allows any of the men I am placing in your hands to escape will forfeit his life for theirs.”^{(AR) 25} When he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Don’t let anyone out.”^(AS) So they struck them down with the sword. Then the guards and officers threw the bodies out and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. ²⁶ They brought out the pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it, ²⁷ and they tore down the pillar^(AT) of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it a latrine^(AU)—which it still is today.

Evaluation of Jehu’s Reign

²⁸ Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel, ²⁹ but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—worshiping the gold calves that were in Bethel and Dan.^{(AV) 30} Nevertheless, the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”^(AW)

³¹ Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

A Short Ministry in Thessalonica

17 After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,^(A) where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,^{(B) 3} explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”^{(C) 4} Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.^(D)

Riot in the City

⁵ But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly.^{(E) 6} When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees,^(F) saying that there is another king—Jesus.”^{(G) 8} The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. ⁹ After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

The Bereans Search the Scriptures

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.^(H) Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined^[a] the Scriptures^(I) daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. ¹³ But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting^[b] the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy^(J) stayed on there. ¹⁵ Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.^(K)

Paul in Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.^{(L) 18} Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off^[c] trying to say?”

Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.^(M)

¹⁹ They took him and brought him to the Areopagus,^[d] and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting?^{(N) 20} Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

The Areopagus Address

²² Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. ²³ For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it^(O)—he is Lord of heaven and earth^(P)—does not live in shrines made by hands.^{(Q) 25} Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything,^(R) since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.^{(S) 26} From one man^[e] he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.^{(T) 27} He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.^{(U) 28} For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’^{(V) 29} Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.^(W)

³⁰ “Therefore, having overlooked^(X) the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(Y)

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” ³³ So Paul left their presence. ³⁴ However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Psalm 144

A King’s Prayer

Of David.