Day 199 of 365

2 Kgs 21:1–22:20

21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hephzibah.

21:2 He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the nations whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

21:3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.

21:4 He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, "I will put my name in Jerusalem."

21:5 He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

21:6 He made his son to pass through the fire, and practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

21:7 He set the engraved image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever;

21:8 neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them."

21:9 But they did not listen: and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than the nations did whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.

21:10 The Lord spoke by his servants the prophets, saying,

21:11 "Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols;

21:12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears shall tingle.

21:13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

21:14 I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies. They will become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

21:15 because they have done that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even to this day.'"

21:16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

21:17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

21:18 Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his place.

21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

21:20 He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father did.

21:21 He walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshiped them:

21:22 and he forsook the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord.

21:23 The servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.

21:24 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

21:25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

21:26 He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his place.

22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

22:2 He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

22:3 It happened in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,

22:4 "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the money which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people.

22:5 Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord; and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,

22:6 to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the house.

22:7 However there was no accounting made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand; for they dealt faithfully."

22:8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord." Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

22:9 Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord."

22:10 Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me." Shaphan read it before the king.

22:11 It happened, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes.

22:12 The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,

22:13 "Go inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us."

22:14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her.

22:15 She said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me,

22:16 "Thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I will bring disaster on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.

22:17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.'"

22:18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you shall tell him, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Concerning the words which you have heard,

22:19 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you,' says the Lord.

22:20 'Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the disaster which I will bring on this place.'"'" They brought back this message to the king.

Acts 19:13–30

13 But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

15 The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"

16 The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18 Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.

19 Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

21 Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

22 Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

23 About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.

24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,

25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.

26 You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.

27 Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worships."

28 When they heard this they were filled with anger, and began to shout, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

29 The city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

30 When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples did not allow him.

Ps 85:1–13

1 Lord, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.

2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah.

3 You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger.

4 Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease.

5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations?

6 Won't you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

7 Show us your loving kindness, Lord. Grant us your salvation.

8 I will hear what God, the Lord, will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, his holy ones; but let them not turn again to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth springs out of the earth. Righteousness has looked down from heaven.

12 Yes, the Lord will give that which is good. Our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness goes before him, And prepares the way for his steps.