Old/New Testament

21 Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son, Jehoram became the next king. ² Jehoram’s brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. They were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.^{[a] 3} Jehoshaphat gave his sons many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things. He also gave them strong fortresses in Judah. But Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his oldest son.

Jehoram, King of Judah

⁴ Jehoram took over his father’s kingdom and made himself strong. Then he used a sword to kill all his brothers. He also killed some of the leaders of Israel. ⁵ Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem. ⁶ He lived the same way the kings of Israel lived. He lived the same way Ahab’s family lived. This was because Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter. And Jehoram did evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁷ But the Lord would not destroy David’s family because of the agreement he made with David. He had promised to keep a lamp burning for David and his children forever.^[b]

⁸ In Jehoram’s time, Edom broke away from under Judah’s authority. The people of Edom chose their own king. ⁹ So Jehoram went to Edom with all his commanders and chariots. The Edomite army surrounded Jehoram and his chariot commanders. But Jehoram fought his way out at night. ¹⁰ Since that time and until now the country of Edom has been rebellious against Judah. The people from the town of Libnah also turned against Jehoram. This happened because Jehoram left the Lord God. He is the God Jehoram’s ancestors followed. ¹¹ Jehoram also built high places on the hills in Judah. He caused the people of Jerusalem to start worshiping other gods. He led the people of Judah away from their God.

¹² Jehoram received this message from Elijah the prophet:

“This is what the Lord, the God your father David followed, says, ‘Jehoram, you have not lived the way your father Jehoshaphat lived. You have not lived the way King Asa of Judah lived. ¹³ But you have lived the way the kings of Israel lived. You have caused the people of Judah and Jerusalem to stop doing what God wants. That is what Ahab and his family did. They were unfaithful to God. You have killed your brothers, and they were better than you. ¹⁴ So now, the Lord will soon punish your people with terrible suffering. He will punish your children, your wives, and all your property. ¹⁵ You will have a painful sickness in your intestines that will get worse and worse. Your intestines will finally come out.’”

¹⁶ The Lord caused the Philistines and the Arabs living near the Ethiopians to be angry with Jehoram. ¹⁷ They attacked Judah and carried away all the riches in the king’s palace. They also took Jehoram’s sons and wives. Only Jehoram’s youngest son, Ahaziah,^[c] was left.

¹⁸ After this happened, the Lord made Jehoram sick with a disease in his intestines that could not be cured. ¹⁹ His intestines fell out two years later because of his sickness. He died in very bad pain. The people did not make a large fire to honor Jehoram as they did for his father. ²⁰ Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem. No one was sad when he died. The people buried Jehoram in the City of David, but not in the graves where the kings are buried.

Ahaziah, King of Judah

22 The people of Jerusalem chose Ahaziah to be the new king in Jehoram’s place. Ahaziah was Jehoram’s youngest son. The people who came with the Arabs to attack Jehoram’s camp killed all of Jehoram’s older sons. So Ahaziah began to rule in Judah. ² He was 22 years old when he began to rule.^[d] He ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah. Her father’s name was Omri. ³ Ahaziah also lived the way Ahab’s family lived because his mother encouraged him to do wrong things. ⁴ Ahaziah did evil in the Lord’s sight. That is what Ahab’s family did. Ahab’s family gave advice to Ahaziah after Ahaziah’s father died. They gave Ahaziah bad advice that led to his death. ^5-6 Ahaziah followed the advice of Ahab’s family and joined King Joram to fight against King Hazael from Aram. They fought near the town of Ramoth in Gilead. Joram, who was the son of King Ahab of Israel, was wounded in the battle. He went back to the town of Jezreel to heal from the wounds he suffered at Ramoth. King Ahaziah^[e] went there later to visit him.

⁷ God caused Ahaziah’s death when he went to visit Joram. Ahaziah arrived and went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi. The Lord chose Jehu to destroy Ahab’s family. ⁸ Jehu was punishing Ahab’s family. He found the leaders of Judah and Ahaziah’s relatives who served Ahaziah. He killed the leaders of Judah and Ahaziah’s relatives. ⁹ Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah. Jehu’s men caught him when he tried to hide in the town of Samaria. They brought him to Jehu. They killed Ahaziah and buried him. They said, “Ahaziah is the descendant of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat followed the Lord with all his heart.” Ahaziah’s family had no power to hold the kingdom of Judah together.

Queen Athaliah

¹⁰ Athaliah was Ahaziah’s mother. When she saw that her son was dead, she killed all the king’s children in Judah. ¹¹ But Jehosheba took Ahaziah’s son Joash and hid him. Jehosheba put Joash and his nurse in the inside bedroom. Jehosheba was King Jehoram’s daughter. She was also Jehoiada’s wife. Jehoiada was a priest, and Jehosheba was Ahaziah’s sister. Athaliah did not kill Joash, because Jehosheba hid him. ¹² Joash was hidden with the priests in God’s Temple for six years. During that time Athaliah ruled over the land as queen.

Jesus Comforts His Followers

14 Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. ² There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you with me, so that you can be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. ⁷ If you really knew me, you would know my Father too. But now you know the Father. You have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Philip, I have been with you for a long time. So you should know me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The things I have told you don’t come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done.

¹² “I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will do what I command. ¹⁶ I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper^[a] to be with you forever. ¹⁷ The Helper is the Spirit of truth.^[b] The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you all alone like orphans. I will come back to you. ¹⁹ In a very short time the people in the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. You will live because I live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you. ²¹ Those who really love me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make myself known to them.”

²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “Lord, how will you make yourself known to us, but not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered, “All who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them. My Father and I will come to them and live with them. ²⁴ But anyone who does not love me does not obey my teaching. This teaching that you hear is not really mine. It is from my Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have told you all these things while I am with you. ²⁶ But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.

²⁷ “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. ²⁹ I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe.

³⁰ “I will not talk with you much longer. The ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me. ³¹ But the world must know that I love the Father. So I do exactly what the Father told me to do.

“Come now, let’s go.”