2 CHRONICLES 33
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Manasseh Reigns in Judah 33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, 8 and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel. Manasseh’s Repentance10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.2 CHRONICLES 34
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Josiah Reigns in Judah 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 4 And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, 7 he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. The Book of the Law Found8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. 9 They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 And they gave it to the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord. And the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord gave it for repairing and restoring the house. 11 They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12 And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music, 13 were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.PROVERBS 15
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15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath,but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father’s instruction,but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;not so the hearts of fools. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;whoever hates reproof will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;how much more the hearts of the children of man! 12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved;he will not go to the wise. 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face,but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. 14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lordthan great treasure and trouble with it. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love isthan a fattened ox and hatred with it. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. 19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,but the path of the upright is a level highway. 20 A wise son makes a glad father,but a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. 22 Without counsel plans fail,but with many advisers they succeed. 23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,and a word in season, how good it is! 24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 25 The Lord tears down the house of the proudbut maintains the widow’s boundaries. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,but gracious words are pure. 27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,but he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked,but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,and good news refreshes the bones. 31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproofwill dwell among the wise. 32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,and humility comes before honor.2 THESSALONIANS 2
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The Man of Lawlessness 2:1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Stand Firm13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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