Contending for the Faith in a Compromised World

RETURN to ME: Reading With the People of God #16

Film + Faith - Superheroes and the Bible

Launching a Business God's Way

Prayer: Chatting With God Like a Best Friend by Wycliffe Bible Translators

Stop Living in Your Head: Capturing Those Dreams and Making Them a Reality

How to Become a Real Disciple

Forever Forward in Hope

Living Large in a Small World: A Look Into Philippians 1

More Than a Feeling

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch23" data-usfm="2CH.23">
 <div class="label">23</div><div class="p"> 1In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 2They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, 3the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God.</div><div class="p">Jehoiada said to them, &#8220;The king&#8217;s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David. 4Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, 5a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. 6No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the Lord&#8217;s command not to enter.#23:6 Or are to stand guard where the Lord has assigned them 7The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men&#8212;those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty&#8212;for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions. 9Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. 10He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king&#8212;near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.</div><div class="p"> 11Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king&#8217;s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, &#8220;Long live the king!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. 13She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, &#8220;Treason! Treason!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: &#8220;Bring her out between the ranks#23:14 Or out from the precincts and put to the sword anyone who follows her.&#8221; For the priest had said, &#8220;Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.&#8221; 15So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.</div><div class="p"> 16Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king#23:16 Or covenant between the Lord and the people and the king that they (see 2 Kings 11:17) would be the Lord&#8217;s people. 17All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.</div><div class="p"> 18Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. 19He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord&#8217;s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.</div><div class="p"> 20He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 21All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch24" data-usfm="2CH.24">
 <div class="label">24</div><div class="s1">Joash Repairs the Temple</div><div class="p"> 1Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother&#8217;s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.</div><div class="p"> 4Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. 5He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, &#8220;Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.&#8221; But the Levites did not act at once.</div><div class="p"> 6Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, &#8220;Why haven&#8217;t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.</div><div class="p"> 8At the king&#8217;s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. 9A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full. 11Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king&#8217;s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the Lord&#8217;s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.</div><div class="p"> 13The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. 14When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord&#8217;s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 15Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.</div><div class="s1">The Wickedness of Joash</div><div class="p"> 17After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God&#8217;s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.</div><div class="p"> 20Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, &#8220;This is what God says: &#8216;Why do you disobey the Lord&#8217;s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord&#8217;s temple. 22King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah&#8217;s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, &#8220;May the Lord see this and call you to account.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23At the turn of the year,#24:23 Probably in the spring the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.</div><div class="p"> 26Those who conspired against him were Zabad,#24:26 A variant of Jozabad son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith#24:26 A variant of Shomer a Moabite woman. 27The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch25" data-usfm="2CH.25">
 <div class="label">25</div><div class="s1">Amaziah King of Judah</div><div class="p"> 1Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother&#8217;s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. 3After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 4Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: &#8220;Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.&#8221;#25:4 Deut. 24:16</div><div class="p"> 5Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. 6He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents#25:6 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 9 of silver.</div><div class="p"> 7But a man of God came to him and said, &#8220;Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel&#8212;not with any of the people of Ephraim. 8Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9Amaziah asked the man of God, &#8220;But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?&#8221;</div><div class="p">The man of God replied, &#8220;The Lord can give you much more than that.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.</div><div class="p"> 11Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. 12The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.</div><div class="p"> 13Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.</div><div class="p"> 14When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, &#8220;Why do you consult this people&#8217;s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16While he was still speaking, the king said to him, &#8220;Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?&#8221;</div><div class="p">So the prophet stopped but said, &#8220;I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash#25:17 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 18, 21, 23 and 25 son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: &#8220;Come, let us face each other in battle.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: &#8220;A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, &#8216;Give your daughter to my son in marriage.&#8217; Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 19You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom. 21So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 22Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,#25:23 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate&#8212;a section about four hundred cubits#25:23 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters long. 24He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.</div><div class="p"> 25Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26As for the other events of Amaziah&#8217;s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.#25:28 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 14:20) David</div>
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New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch16" data-usfm="JHN.16.16+JHN.16.17+JHN.16.18+JHN.16.19+JHN.16.20+JHN.16.21+JHN.16.22+JHN.16.23+JHN.16.24+JHN.16.25+JHN.16.26+JHN.16.27+JHN.16.28+JHN.16.29+JHN.16.30+JHN.16.31+JHN.16.32+JHN.16.33">
 <div class="p">16Jesus went on to say, &#8220;In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17At this, some of his disciples said to one another, &#8220;What does he mean by saying, &#8216;In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,&#8217; and &#8216;Because I am going to the Father&#8217;?&#8221; 18They kept asking, &#8220;What does he mean by &#8216;a little while&#8217;? We don&#8217;t understand what he is saying.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, &#8220;Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, &#8216;In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me&#8217;? 20Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.</div><div class="p"> 25 &#8220;Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Then Jesus&#8217; disciples said, &#8220;Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31 &#8220;Do you now believe?&#8221; Jesus replied. 32&#8220;A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.</div><div class="p"> 33 &#8220;I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.&#8221;</div>
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