Old/New Testament
God Disciplines Jeroboam’s Family
14 Right at that time, Jeroboam’s son Abijah became ill, 2 so Jeroboam suggested to his wife, “Get up, disguise yourself so that no one will know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh where the prophet Ahijah lives. He’s the one who told me that I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves with you, some[a] cakes, and a jar of honey and go visit him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”
4 So that’s what Jeroboam’s wife did. She got up, went to Shiloh, and found Ahijah’s home. Ahijah was blind, because his eyes could not focus[b] due to his age. 5 Meanwhile, the Lord had spoken to Ahijah, “Be on your guard! Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, because he is ill. You’re to say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else!”
6 When she arrived, Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came through the doorway. He said this to her:
“Come in, wife of Jeroboam. What is this pretension at being someone else? I have some harsh news.[c] 7 Go tell Jeroboam:
‘I raised you up from among the people.
‘I made you Commander-in-Chief[d] over my people Israel.
8 ‘I tore the kingdom away from David’s dynasty.
‘Then I gave it to you.
But you have not lived like my servant David, who kept my commands with all his heart, and did only what I considered to be right.
9 ‘Instead, you have done more evil than everyone who lived before you.
‘You have gone out and crafted other gods for yourself.
‘You made cast images.
‘You have provoked me to anger.
‘You have thrown me behind your back.
10 ‘Therefore, watch while I bring calamity on Jeroboam’s dynasty!
‘I will eliminate every male,[e] both slave and free in Israel, from Jeroboam.
‘I will burn up Jeroboam’s dynasty, as a man burns up manure until it is gone. 11 Dogs will eat anyone who dies in the city that belongs to Jeroboam’s household. The birds of the sky will eat anyone who dies in the open field, because the Lord has determined it.’
12 “Now get up and go home. When your feet cross the city line, your child will die. 13 Everyone in Israel will mourn for him and will bury him, because he alone from Jeroboam’s family will receive a decent burial, because something good was observed in him with respect to the Lord God of Israel out of all the household of Jeroboam!
14 “In addition to this, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will eliminate Jeroboam’s dynasty, starting today and from now on. 15 The Lord will attack Israel, and Israel will shake like a reed shakes in a river current! He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and he will scatter them beyond the Euphrates[f] River, because they erected their Asherim[g] and provoked the Lord to become angry! 16 He will give up Israel because of Jeroboam’s sins that he committed and by which Jeroboam[h] caused Israel to sin.”
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left for Tirzah. As soon as she set foot over the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 All of Israel mourned him at his burial, just as the Lord had said when he spoke through Ahijah the prophet.
The Death of Jeroboam
19 Now as for the rest of Jeroboam’s accomplishments, including how he waged war and how he reigned, you may read about them in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20 Jeroboam reigned for 22 years and then died, as had his ancestors, and his son Nadab reigned in his place.
Rehoboam Reigns over Judah(A)
21 Meanwhile, Solomon’s son Rehoboam reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city where the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to place his Name. His mother was an Ammonite named Naamah. 22 Judah practiced what the Lord considered to be evil. They did more to provoke him to jealousy than their ancestors had ever done by committing the sins that they committed. 23 They erected high places, sacred pillars, and Asherim[i] for themselves on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 They even maintained male shrine prostitutes throughout the land, and imitated every detestable practice that the nations practiced whom the Lord had expelled in front of the Israelis.
25 As a result, during the fifth year of the reign of[j] King Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egypt invaded and attacked Jerusalem. 26 He stripped the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace of their treasures. He took everything, even the gold shields that Solomon had made. 27 King Rehoboam made shields out of bronze to take their place, and then committed them to the care and custody of the commanders of those who guarded the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king entered the Lord’s Temple, the guards would carry them to and from the guard’s quarters.
29 As to the rest of Rehoboam’s accomplishments, and everything else that he undertook, they are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, aren’t they? 30 There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, 31 but eventually Rehoboam died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His mother’s name had been Naamah the Ammonite, and his son Abijah became king to replace him.
Abijah’s Reign over Judah(B)
15 Abijah reigned over Judah starting in the eighteenth year of Nebat’s son Jeroboam’s reign. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. 3 He practiced the same sins that his father committed before he was born. Unlike his ancestor David, his heart never became devoted to the Lord his God. 4 Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the Lord his God maintained a lamp for David[k] in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him so that Jerusalem would be established, 5 because David had practiced what the Lord considered to be right. He never avoided anything that the Lord had commanded him during his entire lifetime, except for the case of Uriah the Hittite.
6 There was continual military conflict between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout his entire lifetime. 7 The rest of Abijah’s accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? And a state of war continued to exist between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 Eventually, Abijah died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king.
Asa Reigns over Judah(C)
9 Asa began to reign as Judah’s king during the twentieth year of the reign of[l] Jeroboam as king over Israel. 10 He reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa practiced what the Lord considered to be right, just like his ancestor David. 12 He also removed the male cult prostitutes[m] from the land and destroyed all the idols that his ancestors had made. 13 He removed his mother Maacah from her position as Queen Mother because she had made a detestable image dedicated to Asherah.[n] Asa cut down his mother’s idol, crushed it, and burned it at the Kidron Brook. 14 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, even though Asa’s heart was blameless toward the Lord all of his life. 15 Asa brought into the Lord’s Temple the things that his father had dedicated, as well as his own dedicated gifts such as silver, gold, and temple service[o] implements.
Alliances with Aram against Israel(D)
16 A state of continual military unrest existed between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their lifetimes. 17 King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and interdicted Ramah by building fortifications around it so no one could enter or leave to join King Asa of Judah. 18 But Asa removed all the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and from his royal palace, placed them into the care of some servants, and then sent them to Tabrimmon’s son King Ben-hadad of Aram, the grandson of Hezion, who lived in Damascus.
19 “Let’s make a treaty between you and me,” he said, “just like the one between my father and your father. Notice that I’ve sent you silver and gold to break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he’ll retreat from his attack[p] on me.”
20 So King Ben-hadad did just what King Asa had asked: he sent his commanding officers to attack the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, all of Chinneroth,[q] and the territory of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah, 22 so King Asa published a proclamation throughout Judah (no one was left out) and they carried away the stones and timber with which Baasha had been fortifying Judah. King Asa used them to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah.
23 The rest of Asa’s accomplishments, his strength, everything that he undertook, and the cities that he fortified are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? However, as he approached old age, he became diseased in his feet. 24 Then Asa died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David, his ancestor. His son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.
Nadab Reigns over Israel
25 Jeroboam’s son Nadab became king over Israel during the second year of the reign of[r] King Asa over Judah. He reigned over Israel for two years, 26 practicing what the Lord considered to be evil, living the way his father did, committing sins, and leading Israel to sin. 27 So Ahijah’s son Baasha from the household of Issachar conspired against him and killed Nadab at Gibbethon in Philistia while Nadab and all of Israel were attacking Gibbethon. 28 Baasha killed him during the third year of the reign of[s] King Asa of Judah and took Nadab’s[t] place as king.
29 As soon as he was established as king, he killed everyone in the household of Jeroboam. He left not even one single person alive. He destroyed them completely, just as the Lord had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite,[u] 30 because of the sins that Jeroboam had committed, and because he led Israel into sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to become angry.
31 Now the rest of Nadab’s accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? 32 Meanwhile, a state of war continued to exist between Asa and Baasha king of Israel, throughout their reigns.
Baasha Reigns over Israel
33 During the third year of the reign of[v] King Asa of Judah, Ahijah’s son Baasha became king over all of Israel. He reigned for 24 years at Tirzah. 34 He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, living like Jeroboam did and leading Israel into sin.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial(A)
31 “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked permission to sift all of you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail. When you have come back, you must strengthen your brothers.”
33 Peter[a] told him, “Lord, I am ready to go even to prison and to die with you!”
34 But Jesus[b] said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”
Be Prepared for Trouble
35 Then Jesus[c] asked his disciples,[d] “When I sent you out without a wallet, traveling bag, or sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?”
They replied, “Nothing at all.”
36 Then he told them, “But now whoever has a wallet must take it along, and his traveling bag, too. And the one who has no sword must sell his coat and buy one. 37 Because I tell you, what has been written about me must be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the criminals.’[e] Indeed, what is written about me must be fulfilled.”
38 So they said, “Lord, look! Here are two swords.”
He answered them, “Enough of that!”[f]
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives(B)
39 Then he left and went to the Mount of Olives, as usual. The disciples went with him. 40 When he arrived, he told them, “Keep on praying that you may not be tempted.” 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”
43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like large drops of blood falling on the ground.[g]
45 When he got up from prayer, he went to the disciples and found them asleep from sorrow. 46 He asked them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and keep on praying that you may not be tempted.”
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