Today’s
Reading : 2Chronicles 35 – 36; Ezra 1 and Ephesians
4 (KJV)
2Chronicles 35
2Ch
35:1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover
unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover
on the fourteenth day of the first
month.
2Ch 35:2 And he set the priests in their charges, and
encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,
2Ch 35:3 And said unto the Levites that taught all
Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which
Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it
shall not be
a burden upon your shoulders: serve now
the LORD your God, and his people Israel,
2Ch 35:4 And prepare yourselves
by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of
David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.
2Ch 35:5 And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families
of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after
the division of the families of the Levites.
2Ch 35:6 So kill the passover,
and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by
the hand of Moses.
2Ch 35:7 And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock,
lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for
all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand
bullocks: these were of the king's
substance.
2Ch 35:8 And his princes gave willingly unto the
people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah
and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God,
gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two
thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
2Ch 35:9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his
brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel
and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the
Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle,
and five hundred oxen.
2Ch 35:10 So the service was prepared, and the priests
stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's
commandment.
2Ch 35:11 And they killed the passover,
and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
2Ch 35:12 And they removed the burnt offerings, that
they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to
offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they
with the oxen.
2Ch 35:13 And they roasted the passover
with fire according to the ordinance: but the other
holy offerings sod they in pots, and in
caldrons, and in pans, and divided them
speedily among all the people.
2Ch 35:14 And afterward they made ready for themselves,
and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied
in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites
prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
2Ch 35:15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their
place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph,
and Heman, and Jeduthun the
king's seer; and the porters waited at
every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the
Levites prepared for them.
2Ch 35:16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared
the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer
burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of
king Josiah.
2Ch 35:17 And the children of Israel that were present
kept the passover at that time, and the feast of
unleavened bread seven days.
2Ch 35:18 And there was no passover
like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did
all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as
Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that
were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
2Ch 35:19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah
was this passover kept.
2Ch 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the
temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against
Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
2Ch 35:21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What
have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I
come not against thee this day, but
against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste:
forbear thee from meddling with God, who
is with me, that he destroy thee not.
2Ch 35:22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face
from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened
not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God,
and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
2Ch 35:23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the
king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.
2Ch 35:24 His servants therefore took him out of that
chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to
Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one
of the sepulchres of his fathers. And
all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
2Ch 35:25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the
singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this
day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.
2Ch 35:26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his
goodness, according to that which was
written in the law of the LORD,
2Ch 35:27 And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel
and Judah.
2Chronicles 36
2Ch
36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his
father's stead in Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:3 And the king of Egypt put him down at
Jerusalem, and condemned the land in a hundred talents of silver and a talent
of gold.
2Ch 36:4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and
turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho
took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
2Ch 36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which
was evil in the sight of the LORD his
God.
2Ch 36:6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
2Ch 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of
the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
2Ch 36:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that
which was found in him, behold, they are
written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin
his son reigned in his stead.
2Ch 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which
was evil in the sight of the LORD.
2Ch 36:10 And when the year was expired, king
Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the
house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:11 Zedekiah was
one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in
Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:12 And he did that
which was
evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and
humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking
from the mouth of the LORD.
2Ch 36:13 And he also rebelled against king
Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and
hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
2Ch 36:14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and
the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen;
and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to
them by his messengers, rising up quickly, and sending; because he had
compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and
despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose
against his people, till there was no remedy.
2Ch 36:17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of
the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword
in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or
maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
2Ch 36:18 And all the vessels of the house of God,
great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures
of the king, and of his princes; all these
he brought to Babylon.
2Ch 36:19 And they burnt the house of God, and broke
down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and
destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
2Ch 36:20 And them that had escaped from the sword
carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until
the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
2Ch 36:21 To fulfill the word
of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as
long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.
2Ch 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of
Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken
by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit
of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his
kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2Ch 36:23 Thus saith Cyrus
king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given
me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is
there among you of all his people? The
LORD his God be with him, and let him go
up.
Ezra 1
Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of
Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,
the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put
it also in writing, saying,
Ezr 1:2 Thus saith Cyrus
king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the
earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Ezr 1:3 Who is
there among you of all his people? his
God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God
of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:4 And whosoever remaineth
in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his
place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts,
beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of
Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to
build the house of the LORD which is in
Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:6 And all they that were
about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with
goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
Ezr 1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels
of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of
Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
Ezr 1:8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring
forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and
numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
Ezr 1:9 And this is
the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver,
nine and twenty knives,
Ezr 1:10 Thirty basins of gold, silver basins of a
second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
Ezr 1:11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar
bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from
Babylon unto Jerusalem.
Ephesians 4
Eph
4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according
to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith,
When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he
also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that
ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up
into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in
love.
Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the
Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their mind,
Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because
of the blindness of their heart:
Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves
over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Eph 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have
been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after
God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Eph 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man
truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go
down upon your wrath:
Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather
let him labour, working with his hands
the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby
ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you.