Bible Reading Plan

2 Chronicles 36

Chapter 36

Judah's King Jehoahaz

¹ Then^(a) the common people^[a] took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

² Jehoahaz^[b] was 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. ³ The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land 7,500 pounds^[c] of silver and 75 pounds^[d] of gold.

Judah's King Jehoiakim

⁴ Then Neco king of Egypt made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahaz^[e] and brought him to Egypt.^(b)

⁵ Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.^{(c) 6} Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him^(d) and bound him in bronze^(e) shackles to take him to Babylon.^{(f) 7} Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the utensils of the Lord 's temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon.^(g)

⁸ The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim,^(h) the detestable things he did, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel's Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Judah's King Jehoiachin

⁹ Jehoiachin was 18^[f] years old⁽ⁱ⁾ when he became king and reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord 's sight. ¹⁰ In the spring^[g](j) Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable utensils of the Lord 's temple. Then he made Jehoiachin's brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.^(k)

Judah's King Zedekiah

¹¹ Zedekiah was 21 years old^(l) when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. ¹² He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself^(m) before Jeremiah the prophet at the Lord 's command.^{(n) 13} He also rebelled against^(o) King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate^[h](p) and hardened his heart against returning to Yahweh, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord 's temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

¹⁵ But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again,^(q) for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they kept ridiculing God's messengers,^(r) despising His words,^(s) and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord 's wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy.^{(t) 17} So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,^(u) who killed their choice young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; He handed them all over to him. ¹⁸ He took everything to Babylon—all the articles of God's temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord 's temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ Then the Chaldeans burned God's temple.^(v) They tore down Jerusalem's wall, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles.

²⁰ He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian^[i] kingdom.^{(w) 21} This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah^(x) and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation^(y) until 70 years were fulfilled.

The Decree of Cyrus

²² In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,^(z) the word of the Lord spoken through^[j] Jeremiah^(aa) was fulfilled. The Lord put it into the mind of King Cyrus^(ab) of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

Psalms 90

Chapter 90

Psalm 90

Eternal God and Mortal Man

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 John 3

Chapter 3

^1 1 Look at how great a love^[a] the Father has given us that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him. ² Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.^(a) We know that when He appears, we will be like Him^(b) because we will see Him as He is.^{(c) 3} And everyone who has this hope^(d) in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.^(e)

⁴ Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law;^[b] sin is the breaking of law. ⁵ You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins,^[c](f) and there is no sin in Him.^{(g) 6} Everyone who remains in Him^(h) does not sin;^[d](i) everyone who^[e] sins has not seen Him or known Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ The one who commits^[f] sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God^(j) was revealed^(k) for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works. ⁹ Everyone who has been born of God^(l) does not sin,^[g] because His^[h] seed^(m) remains in him; he is not able to sin,^[i] because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how God's children—and the Devil's children—are made evident.

The Command to Love

Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.^{(n) 11} For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, ¹² unlike Cain,^(o) who was of the evil one^(p) and murdered^[j] his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates^(q) you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.^{(r) 15} Everyone who hates his brother^(s) is a murderer,^(t) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

Love in Action

¹⁶ This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life^(u) for us.^(v) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.^{(w) 17} If anyone has this world's goods^(x) and sees his brother in need^(y) but closes his eyes^(z) to his need—how can God's love reside in him?^(aa)

¹⁸ Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.^{(ab) 19} This is how we will know we belong to the truth^(ac) and will convince our conscience in His presence, ²⁰ even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.^(ad)

²¹ Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands^(ae) and do what is pleasing in His sight. ²³ Now this is His command: that we believe in the name^(af) of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps His commands remains in Him,^(ag) and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us^(ah) is from the Spirit^(ai) He has given us.