Luke 7:1-10
[1]
After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he
entered Capernaum. [2] Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at
the point of death, who was highly valued by him. [3] When the
centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking
him to come and heal his servant. [4] And when they came to Jesus, they
pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this
for him, [5] for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our
synagogue.” [6] And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the
house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble
yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. [7]
Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my
servant be healed. [8] For I too am a man set under authority, with
soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another,
‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” [9]
When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the
crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I
found such faith.” [10] And when those who had been sent returned to the
house, they found the servant well.
Philippians 4:14-23
[14]
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. [15] And you Philippians
yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left
Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and
receiving, except you only. [16] Even in Thessalonica you sent me help
for my needs once and again. [17] Not that I seek the gift, but I seek
the fruit that increases to your credit. [18] I have received full
payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus
the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and
pleasing to God. [19] And my God will supply every need of yours
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. [20] To our God and
Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
[21]
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet
you. [22] All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s
household.
[23] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Psalm 122
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
[1] I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
[2] Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
[3] Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
[4] to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
[5] There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
[6] Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
[7] Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
[8] For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
[9] For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.
2 Kings 24
[1]
In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim
became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against
him. [2] And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands
of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and
sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the
LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. [3] Surely this came
upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight,
for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, [4] and
also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem
with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon. [5] Now the rest of
the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the
Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? [6] So Jehoiakim slept
with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. [7] And
the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of
Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook
of Egypt to the river Euphrates.
[8]
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned
three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter
of Elnathan of Jerusalem. [9] And he did what was evil in the sight of
the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
[10]
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to
Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. [11] And Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, [12] and
Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon,
himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace
officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of
his reign [13] and carried off all the treasures of the house of the
LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the
vessels of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel
had made, as the LORD had foretold. [14] He carried away all Jerusalem
and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives,
and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest
people of the land. [15] And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The
king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the
land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. [16] And the
king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000,
and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and
fit for war. [17] And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s
uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
[18]
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned
eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of
Jeremiah of Libnah. [19] And he did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. [20] For because of the
anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he
cast them out from his presence.
And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
2 Kings 25
[1]
And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth
day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army
against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all
around it. [2] So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King
Zedekiah. [3] On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so
severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
[4] Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by
night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s
garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the
direction of the Arabah. [5] But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the
king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was
scattered from him. [6] Then they captured the king and brought him up
to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. [7]
They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the
eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.
[8]
In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the
nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the
captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to
Jerusalem. [9] And he burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house
and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. [10]
And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the
guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. [11] And the rest of the
people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to
the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude,
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. [12] But the
captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be
vinedressers and plowmen.
[13]
And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the
stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the
Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. [14] And
they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes
for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service,
[15] the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of
the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. [16] As
for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made
for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond
weight. [17] The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and on it
was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A
latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the
capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.
[18]
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and
Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; [19]
and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men
of war, and five men of the king’s council who were found in the city;
and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people
of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in
the city. [20] And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and
brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. [21] And the king of
Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of
Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.
[22]
And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son
of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. [23] Now when all the captains and
their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah
governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely,
Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah
the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the
Maacathite. [24] And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do
not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and
serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” [25] But in
the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the
royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to
death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at
Mizpah. [26] Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains
of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the
Chaldeans.
[27]
And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of
Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month,
Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign,
graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. [28] And he spoke
kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were
with him in Babylon. [29] So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments.
And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, [30]
and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king,
according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.
