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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 10 - Old & New Testament
niv
2 Chronicles 27,28
Jotham King of Judah(a)
1 Jotham(b) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the Lord . The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. 3 Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel.(c) 4 He built towns in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas.
5 Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites(d) and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents[a] of silver, ten thousand cors[b] of wheat and ten thousand cors[c] of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.
6 Jotham grew powerful(e) because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.
7 The other events in Jotham's reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. 9 Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.
Ahaz King of Judah(a)
1 Ahaz(b) was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord . 2 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols(c) for worshiping the Baals. 3 He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(d) and sacrificed his children(e) in the fire, engaging in the detestable(f) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
5 Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram.(g) The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.
He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. 6 In one day Pekah(h) son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah(i)—because Judah had forsaken the Lord , the God of their ancestors. 7 Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. 8 The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah(j) two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.(k)
9 But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, "Because the Lord , the God of your ancestors, was angry(l) with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.(m) 10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves.(n) But aren't you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? 11 Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord 's fierce anger rests on you.(o)"
12 Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. 13 "You must not bring those prisoners here," they said, "or we will be guilty before the Lord . Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel."
14 So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. 15 The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink,(p) and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms,(q) and returned to Samaria.(r)
16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings[a] of Assyria(s) for help. 17 The Edomites(t) had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,(u) 18 while the Philistines(v) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon(w) and Gederoth,(x) as well as Soko,(y) Timnah(z) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19 The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,[b] for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful(aa) to the Lord . 20 Tiglath-Pileser[c](ab) king of Assyria(ac) came to him, but he gave him trouble(ad) instead of help.(ae) 21 Ahaz(af) took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.(ag)
22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful(ah) to the Lord . 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods(ai) of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me."(aj) But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.(ak)
24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings(al) from the temple of God(am) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors(an) of the Lord 's temple and set up altars(ao) at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord , the God of his ancestors.
26 The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz rested(ap) with his ancestors and was buried(aq) in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
Acts 19:1-20
Chapter 19
Paul in Ephesus
1 While Apollos(a) was at Corinth,(b) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.(c) There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit(d) when[a] you believed?"
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.
4 Paul said, "John's baptism(e) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."(f) 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(g) 6 When Paul placed his hands on them,(h) the Holy Spirit came on them,(i) and they spoke in tongues[b](j) and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 Paul entered the synagogue(k) and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.(l) 9 But some of them(m) became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.(n) So Paul left them. He took the disciples(o) with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years,(p) so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia(q) heard the word of the Lord.(r)
11 God did extraordinary miracles(s) through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured(t) and the evil spirits left them.
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits(u) tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of the Jesus(v) whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus,(w) they were all seized with fear,(x) and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.[c] 20 In this way the word of the Lord(y) spread widely and grew in power.(z)
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