2Ki 1, Rom 8, 1Cor 15, 1Th 4-5 | ESV | STEP | After the death of Ahab , Moab rebelled against Israel .

1 ^aAfter the death of Ahab, Moab ^brebelled against Israel.

2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of ^cBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron, ^dwhether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah ^ethe Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of ^fBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, ^gYou shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of ^hBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, ⁱ“He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, ^j“O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, ^klet fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’” 12 But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, ^llet fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, ^mbe precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king 16 and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of ⁿBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

17 So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place ^oin the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Romans 8

Life in the Spirit

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit)} 2 For the law of ^qthe Spirit of life ^rhas set you ^{▼▼Some manuscripts me} free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For ^tGod has done what the law, ^uweakened by the flesh, ^vcould not do. ^wBy sending his own Son ^xin the likeness of sinful flesh and ^yfor sin, ^{▼▼Or and as a sin offering} he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that ^aathe righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, ^abwho walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For ^acthose who live according to the flesh set their minds on ^adthe things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on ^aethe things of the Spirit. 6 For to set ^afthe mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is ^aghostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; ^ahindeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact ^aithe Spirit of God dwells in you. ^ajAnyone who does not have ^akthe Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of ^alhim who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus ^{▼▼Some manuscripts lack Jesus} from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^anthrough his Spirit who dwells in you.

Heirs with Christ

12 So then, brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verse 29} we are debtors, ^apnot to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you ^aqput to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are ^arled by the Spirit of God are ^assons ^{▼▼See discussion on “sons” in the Preface} of God. 15 For ^auyou did not receive ^avthe spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of ^awadoption as sons, by whom we cry, ^ax“Abba! Father!” 16 ^ayThe Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then ^azheirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ^baprovided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Future Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time ^bbare not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for ^bcthe revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation ^bdwas subjected to futility, not willingly, but ^bebecause of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that ^bfthe creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that ^bgthe whole creation ^bhhas been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have ^bithe firstfruits of the Spirit, ^bjgroan inwardly as ^bkwe wait eagerly for adoption as sons, ^blthe redemption of our bodies. 24 For ^bmin this hope we were saved. Now ^bnhope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we ^bowait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For ^bpwe do not know what to pray for as we ought, but ^bqthe Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And ^brhe who searches hearts knows what is ^bsthe mind of the Spirit, because ^{▼▼Or that} the Spirit ^buintercedes for the saints ^bvaccording to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together ^bwfor good, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts God works all things together for good, or God works in all things for the good} for ^bythose who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he ^bzforeknew he also ^capredestined ^cbto be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be ^ccthe firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also ^cdjustified, and those whom he justified he also ^ceglorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? ^cfIf God is for us, who can be ^{▼▼Or who is} against us? 32 ^chHe who did not spare his own Son but ^cigave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? ^cjIt is God who justifies. 34 ^ckWho is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— ^clwho is at the right hand of God, ^cmwho indeed is interceding for us. ^{▼▼Or Is it Christ Jesus who died . . . for us?} 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

^co“For your sake ^cpwe are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than ^cqconquerors through ^crhim who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verses 6, 31, 50, 58} of the gospel ^ctI preached to you, which you received, ^cuin which you stand, 2 and by which ^cvyou are being saved, if you ^cwhold fast to the word I preached to you— ^cxunless you believed in vain.

3 For ^cyI delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died ^czfor our sins ^dain accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised ^dbon the third day ^dcin accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that ^ddhe appeared to Cephas, then ^deto the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to ^dfJames, then ^dgto all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, ^dhhe appeared also to me. 9 For ^diI am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because ^djI persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, ^dkI worked harder than any of them, ^dlthough it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, ^dmhow can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, ^dnthen not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that ^dohe raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and ^dpyou are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who ^dqhave fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope ^{▼▼Or we have hoped} in this life only, ^dswe are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact ^dtChrist has been raised from the dead, ^duthe firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as ^dvby a man came death, ^dwby a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For ^dxas in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then ^dyat his coming ^dzthose who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers ^eathe kingdom to God the Father after destroying ^ebevery rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign ^ecuntil he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be ^eddestroyed is death. 27 For ^ee“God ^{▼▼Greek he} has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When ^egall things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that ^ehGod may be all in all.

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we ^eiin danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by ^ejmy pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^ekI die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, ^elI fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, ^em“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 ^enDo not be deceived: ^eo“Bad company ruins good morals.” ^{▼▼Probably from Menander’s comedy Thais} 34 ^eqWake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For ^ersome have no knowledge of God. ^esI say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask, ^et“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! ^euWhat you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 ^evSo is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; ^ewit is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, ^ex“The first man Adam became a living being”; ^{▼▼Greek a living soul} ^ezthe last Adam became a ^falife-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 ^fbThe first man was from the earth, ^fca man of dust; ^fdthe second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, ^feso also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just ^ffas we have borne the image of the man of dust, ^fgwe shall ^{▼▼Some manuscripts let us} also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory

50 I tell you this, brothers: ^fiflesh and blood ^fjcannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. ^fkWe shall not all sleep, ^flbut we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For ^fmthe trumpet will sound, and ^fnthe dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and ^fothis mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

^fp“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 ^fq“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and ^frthe power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, ^fswho gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 ^ftTherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in ^futhe work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord ^fvyour labor is not in vain.

1 Thessalonians 4

A Life Pleasing to God

1 Finally, then, brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verses 10, 13} we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ^fxreceived from us ^fyhow you ought to walk and ^fzto please God, just as you are doing, that you ^gado so more and more. 2 For ^gbyou know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, ^gcyour sanctification: ^{▼▼Or your holiness} ^gethat you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own ^gfbody ^{▼▼Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel} in holiness and ^ghhonor, 5 not in ^githe passion of lust ^gjlike the Gentiles ^gkwho do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and ^glwrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is ^gman avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For ^gnGod has not called us for ^goimpurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore ^gpwhoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, ^gqwho gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now concerning ^grbrotherly love ^gsyou have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ^gttaught by God ^guto love one another, 10 for that indeed is what ^gvyou are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ^gwdo this more and more, 11 and to aspire ^gxto live quietly, and ^gyto mind your own affairs, and ^gzto work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may ^hawalk properly before ^hboutsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^hcthat you may not grieve as others do ^hdwho have no hope. 14 For ^hesince we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^hfthose who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you ^hgby a word from the Lord, ^{▼▼Or by the word of the Lord} that ^hiwe who are alive, who are left until ^hjthe coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For ^hkthe Lord himself will descend ^hlfrom heaven ^hmwith a cry of command, with the voice of ^hnan archangel, and ^howith the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^hpthe dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^hqcaught up together with them ^hrin the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^hswe will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5

The Day of the Lord

1 Now concerning ^htthe times and the seasons, brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verses 4, 12, 14, 25, 26, 27} ^hvyou have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that ^hwthe day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^hxsudden destruction will come upon them ^hyas labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you ^hzare not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all ^iachildren ^{▼▼Or sons; twice in this verse} of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then ^iclet us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^idkeep awake and ^iebe sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, ^ifare drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, ^ighaving put on the breastplate of ^ihfaith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for ⁱⁱwrath, but ^ijto obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 ^ikwho died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Final Instructions and Benediction

12 We ask you, brothers, ^ilto respect those who labor among you and ^imare over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ⁱⁿBe at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish ^iothe idle, ^{▼▼Or disorderly, or undisciplined} ^iqencourage the fainthearted, ^irhelp the weak, ^isbe patient with them all. 15 See that ^itno one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^iuseek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 ^ivRejoice always, 17 ^iwpray without ceasing, 18 ^ixgive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 ^iyDo not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise ^izprophecies, 21 but ^jatest everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may ^jbthe God of peace himself ^jcsanctify you completely, and may your ^jdwhole ^jespirit and soul and body be kept blameless at ^jfthe coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 ^jgHe who calls you is faithful; ^jhhe will surely do it.

25 ^jiBrothers, pray for us.

26 ^jjGreet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have ^jkthis letter read to all the brothers.

28 ^jlThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.