Bible Reading Plan

2 Chronicles 36

Chapter 36

^1 1 And the people^(a) of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah^(b)

² Jehoahaz^[a] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. ³ The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents^[b] of silver and a talent^[c] of gold. ⁴ The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Necho^(c) took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.^(d)

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(e)

⁵ Jehoiakim^(f) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. ⁶ Nebuchadnezzar^(g) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^{(h) 7} Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple^[d] there.⁽ⁱ⁾

⁸ The other events of Jehoiakim's reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(j)

⁹ Jehoiachin^(k) was eighteen^[e] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord . ¹⁰ In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,^(l) together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord , and he made Jehoiachin's uncle,^[f] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah King of Judah^(m)

¹¹ Zedekiah⁽ⁿ⁾ was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord ^(o) his God and did not humble^(p) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord . ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(q) in God's name. He became stiff-necked^(r) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord , the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(s) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord , which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(t)(u)

¹⁵ The Lord , the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(v) again and again,^(w) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(x) at his prophets until the wrath^(y) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(z) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[g](aa) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(ab) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(ac) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(ad) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(ae) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord 's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(af) to God's temple^(ag) and broke down the wall^(ah) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(ai) everything of value there.^(aj)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(ak) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(al) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(am) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(an) until the seventy years^(ao) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

²² In the first year of Cyrus^(ap) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

Psalms 90

Chapter 90

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 John 3

Chapter 3

¹ See what great love^(a) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!^(b) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.^{(c) 2} Dear friends,^(d) now we are children of God,^(e) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](f) we shall be like him,^(g) for we shall see him as he is.^{(h) 3} All who have this hope in him purify themselves,⁽ⁱ⁾ just as he is pure.^(j)

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.^{(k) 5} But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.^(l) And in him is no sin.^{(m) 6} No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.⁽ⁿ⁾ No one who continues to sin has either seen him^(o) or known him.^(p)

⁷ Dear children,^(q) do not let anyone lead you astray.^(r) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.^{(s) 8} The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,^(t) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God^(u) appeared was to destroy the devil's work.^{(v) 9} No one who is born of God^(w) will continue to sin,^(x) because God's seed^(y) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(z) are and who the children of the devil^(aa) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love^(ab) their brother and sister.^(ac)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(ad) from the beginning:^(ae) We should love one another.^{(af) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(ag) and murdered his brother.^(ah) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.^{(ai) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[b] if the world hates you.^{(aj) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(ak) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(al) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(am) is a murderer,^(an) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(ao)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(ap) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(aq) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(ar) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(as) 18} Dear children,^(at) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(au)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends,^(av) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(aw) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(ax) because we keep his commands^(ay) and do what pleases him.^{(az) 23} And this is his command: to believe^(ba) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,^(bb) and to love one another as he commanded us.^{(bc) 24} The one who keeps God's commands^(bd) lives in him,^(be) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.^(bf)