Bible Reading Plan

2 Chronicles 21

Chapter 21

¹ Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram^(a) his son succeeded him as king. ² Jehoram's brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.^{[a] 3} Their father had given them many gifts^(b) of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities^(c) in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

Jehoram King of Judah^(d)

⁴ When Jehoram established^(e) himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers^(f) to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. ⁵ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. ⁶ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel,^(g) as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab.^(h) He did evil in the eyes of the Lord . ⁷ Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David,⁽ⁱ⁾ the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David.^(j) He had promised to maintain a lamp^(k) for him and his descendants forever.

⁸ In the time of Jehoram, Edom^(l) rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. ⁹ So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. ¹⁰ To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

Libnah^(m) revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord , the God of his ancestors. ¹¹ He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

¹² Jehoram received a letter from Elijah⁽ⁿ⁾ the prophet, which said:

¹⁶ The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs^(t) who lived near the Cushites. ¹⁷ They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king's palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,^[b] the youngest.^(u)

¹⁸ After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. ¹⁹ In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor,^(v) as they had for his predecessors.

²⁰ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried^(w) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Obadiah 1

Chapter 1

Obadiah's Vision^(a)(b)

¹ The vision^(c) of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom^(d)—

2 Corinthians 8

Chapter 8

The Collection for the Lord's People

¹ And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian^(a) churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.^{(b) 3} For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,^(c) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing^(d) in this service^(e) to the Lord's people.^{(f) 5} And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶ So we urged^(g) Titus,^(h) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion⁽ⁱ⁾ this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything^(j)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(k) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸ I am not commanding you,^(l) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace^(m) of our Lord Jesus Christ,⁽ⁿ⁾ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^(o) so that you through his poverty might become rich.^(p)

¹⁰ And here is my judgment^(q) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^{(r) 11} Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(s) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^(t) not according to what one does not have.

¹³ Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,^(u) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵ as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."^[b](v)

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶ Thanks be to God,^(w) who put into the heart^(x) of Titus^(y) the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷ For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.^{(z) 18} And we are sending along with him the brother^(aa) who is praised by all the churches^(ab) for his service to the gospel.^{(ac) 19} What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us^(ad) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.^{(ae) 20} We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(af)

²² In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus,^(ag) he is my partner^(ah) and co-worker^(ai) among you; as for our brothers,^(aj) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,^(ak) so that the churches can see it.