Day 234 of 365

2 Chr 36:1–23

1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem.

2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

3 The king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-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.

6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

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 place.

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.

10 At the return of the year 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.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem:

12 and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord.

13 He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel.

14 Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of the Lord which he had made holy in Jerusalem.

15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

16 but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

17 Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or gray-headed: he gave them all into his hand.

18 All the vessels of God's house, 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.

19 They burnt God's house, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels of it.

20 He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:

21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

23 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

Ezra 1:1–11

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

4 Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, besides the freewill offering for God's house which is in Jerusalem.'"

5 Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.

6 All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;

8 even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9 This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,

10 thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels one thousand.

11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up, when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

1 John 5:1–21

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

7 For there are three who testify:

8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God's testimony that he has testified concerning his Son.

10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.

11 The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have God's Son does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.

15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that he should make a request concerning this.

17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Ps 100:1–5

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all you lands!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.

3 Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.