On the Mountain with God

⁹ Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, ¹⁰ and they ^(A)saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of ^(B)sapphire stone, and it was like the ^(C)very^[a] heavens in its clarity. ¹¹ But on the nobles of the children of Israel He ^(D)did not ^[b]lay His hand. So ^(E)they saw God, and they ^(F)ate and drank.

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, ^(G)“Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you ^(H)tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

¹³ So Moses arose with ^(I)his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. ¹⁴ And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and ^(J)Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.” ¹⁵ Then Moses went up into the mountain, and ^(K)a cloud covered the mountain.

¹⁶ Now ^(L)the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. ¹⁷ The sight of the glory of the Lord was like ^(M)a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. ¹⁸ So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And ^(N)Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

^22 (A)Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the Lord in Jerusalem. ²⁴ Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of ^(B)the law which were written in the book ^(C)that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. ^25 (D)Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.

Impending Judgment on Judah

²⁶ Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, ^(E)because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. ²⁷ And the Lord said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as ^(F)I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ^(G)‘My name shall be there.’ ”

Josiah Dies in Battle^(H)

²⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? ^29 (I)In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went ^[a]to the aid of the king of Assyria, to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And Pharaoh Necho killed him at ^(J)Megiddo when he ^(K)confronted him. ^30 (L)Then his servants moved his body in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. And ^(M)the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.

Be United, Joyful, and in Prayer

² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche ^(A)to be of the same mind in the Lord. ^3 [a]And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who ^(B)labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in ^(C)the Book of Life.

^4 (D)Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

⁵ Let your ^[b]gentleness be known to all men. ^(E)The Lord is at hand.

^6 (F)Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with ^(G)thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and ^(H)the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are ^(I)true, whatever things are ^(J)noble, whatever things are ^(K)just, ^(L)whatever things are pure, whatever things are ^(M)lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and ^(N)the God of peace will be with you.