2 Chron. 27:1–28:4

27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 2He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done. (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter the temple.) Yet the people were still sinning.

3He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple and did a lot of work on the wall in the area known as Ophel. 4He built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.

5He launched a military campaign against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him 100 talents of silver, 10,000 cors of wheat, and 10,000 cors of barley. The Ammonites also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years.

6Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God. 7The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9Jotham passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Ahaz replaced him as king.

28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what pleased the Lord, in contrast to his ancestor David. 2He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals. 3He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and passed his sons through the fire, a horrible sin practiced by the nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Ps. 99

99:1 The Lord reigns!

The nations tremble.

He sits enthroned above the cherubim;

the earth shakes.

2The Lord is elevated in Zion;

he is exalted over all the nations.

3Let them praise your great and awesome name.

He is holy!

4The king is strong;

he loves justice.

You ensure that legal decisions will be made fairly;

you promote justice and equity in Jacob.

5Praise the Lord our God.

Worship before his footstool.

He is holy!

6Moses and Aaron were among his priests;

Samuel was one of those who prayed to him.

They prayed to the Lord and he answered them.

7He spoke to them from a pillar of cloud;

they obeyed his regulations and the ordinance he gave them.

8O Lord our God, you answered them.

They found you to be a forgiving God,

but also one who punished their sinful deeds.

9Praise the Lord our God!

Worship on his holy hill,

for the Lord our God is holy.

Luke 12:48–13:5

12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

49“I have come to bring fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! 51Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and it does. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how to interpret the present time?

57“And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent!”

13:1 Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2He answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well! 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!”