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September 21 - Bible-in-a-Year
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2 Chronicles 32
Chapter 32
Sennacherib Invades Judah
1 After these (F1)acts of faithfulness (C1)Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and (F2)intended to break into them for himself.2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that (F1)he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,3 he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him.4 So many people assembled (C1)and stopped up all the springs and (C2)the stream which flowed (F1)through the region, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?"5 And he resolutely set to work and (C1)rebuilt all of the wall that had been broken down and (F1)erected towers on it, and built (C2)another outside wall and strengthened the (F2)(C3)Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great numbers.6 He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the public square at the city gate, and (C1)spoke (F1)encouragingly to them, saying,7 "(C1)Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; (C2)for the One with us is greater than the one with him.8 "With him is only (C1)an arm of flesh, but (C2)with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah
9 After this (C1)Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was (F1)besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,10 "This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: 'On what are you trusting that you are staying in Jerusalem under siege?11 'Is Hezekiah not misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will save us from the (F1)hand of the king of Assyria"?12 '(C1)Is it not the same Hezekiah who removed His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and (F1)Jerusalem, "You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall (F2)burn incense"?13 'Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? (C1)Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to save their land from my hand?14 '(C1)Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could save his people from my hand, that your God would be able to save you from my hand?15 'Now then, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for (C1)no god of any nation or kingdom was able to save his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God save you from my hand?'"
16 His servants spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.17 He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "(C1)As the gods of the nations of the lands (F1)have not saved their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save His people from my hand."18 (C1)They called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city.19 They spoke (F1)of the God of Jerusalem as they did against (C1)the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands.
Hezekiah's Prayer Is Answered
20 But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and called out to heaven for help.21 And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned (F1)in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with the sword.22 So the LORD (C1)saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and (F1)guided them on every side.23 And (C1)many were bringing gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and valuable presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; so thereafter (C2)he rose in the sight of all nations.
24 (C1)In those days Hezekiah became (F1)mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and (F2)the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign.25 But Hezekiah did nothing in return for the benefit (F1)he received, (C1)because his heart was (F2)proud; (C2)therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.26 However, (C1)Hezekiah (F1)humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles,28 also storehouses for the produce of grain, wine, and oil; stalls for all kinds of cattle, and (F1)sheepfolds for the flocks.29 He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, because (C1)God had given him very great (F1)wealth.30 It was Hezekiah who (C1)stopped the upper outlet of the waters of (C2)Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah was successful in everything that he did.31 Even in the matter of (C1)the messengers of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about (C2)the wonder that had happened in the land; God left him alone only (C3)to test him, so that He might know everything that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.33 So Hezekiah (F1)lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the (F2)upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (C1)honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.
Psalms 88
Chapter 88
A Petition to Be Saved from Death.
1 LORD, the (C1)God of my salvation,
I have (C2)cried out by day and in the night before You.
2 Let my prayer (C1)come before You;
(C2)Incline Your ear to my cry!
3 For my (C1)soul has (F1)had enough troubles,
And (C2)my life has approached (F2)Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who (C1)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man (C2)without strength,
5 (F1)Abandoned (C1)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are (C2)cut off from Your hand.
6 You have put me in (C1)the lowest pit,
In (C2)dark places, in the (C3)depths.
7 Your wrath (C1)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with (C2)all Your waves. Selah
8 You have removed (C1)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an (F1)(C2)object of loathing to them;
I am (C3)shut up and cannot go out.
9 My (C1)eye grows dim from misery;
I have (C2)called upon You every day, LORD;
I have (C3)spread out my (F1)hands to You.
10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will (C1)the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah
11 Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in (F1)Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the (C1)darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, LORD, have cried out (C1)to You for help,
And (C2)in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 LORD, why (C1)do You reject my soul?
Why do You (C2)hide Your face from me?
15 I was miserable and (C1)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer (C2)Your terrors; I grow weary.
16 Your (C1)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have (F1)(C2)destroyed me.
17 They have (C1)surrounded me (C2)like water all day long;
They have (C3)encircled me altogether.
18 You have removed (C1)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.
John 20:19-31
Chapter 20
19 Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were (F1)shut where the disciples were together due to (C1)fear of the (F2)Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and (*)said to them, "(C2)Peace be to you."20 And when He had said this, (C1)He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then (C2)rejoiced when they saw the Lord.21 So Jesus said to them again, "(C1)Peace be to you; (C2)just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and (*)said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.23 "(C1)If you forgive the sins of any, their sins (F1)have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
24 But (C1)Thomas, one of (C2)the twelve, who was called (F1)(C1)Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.25 So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in (C1)His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, (C2)I will not believe."
26 (F1)Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus (*)came, the doors having been (F2)shut, and stood in their midst and said, "(C1)Peace be to you."27 Then He (*)said to Thomas, "(C1)Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer."28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"29 Jesus (*)said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? (C1)Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."
Why This Gospel Was Written
30 (C1)So then, many other (F1)(C2)signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;31 but these have been written (C1)so that you may believe that Jesus is the (F1)Christ, (C2)the Son of God; and that by (C3)believing you may have life in His name.
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995,2020 by The Lockman Foundation
