2 Chron. 16:1–17:19

16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah. 2Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: 3“I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.” 4Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned the project. 6King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. He used the materials to build up Geba and Mizpah.

7At that time Hanani the prophet visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he handed them over to you! 9Certainly the Lord watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” 10Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail. Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.

11The events of Asa’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a foot disease, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease, he did not seek the Lord, but only the doctors. 13Asa passed away in the forty-first year of his reign. 14He was buried in the tomb he had carved out in the City of David. They laid him to rest on a platform covered with spices and assorted mixtures of ointments. They made a huge bonfire to honor him.

17:1 His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king and solidified his rule over Israel. 2He placed troops in all Judah’s fortified cities and posted garrisons throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.

3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign. He did not seek the Baals, 4but instead sought the God of his ancestors and obeyed his commands, unlike the Israelites. 5The Lord made his kingdom secure; all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and greatly respected. 6He was committed to following the Lord; he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

7In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. 8They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the scroll of the law of the Lord. They traveled to all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

10The Lord put fear into all the kingdoms surrounding Judah; they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. 11Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat tribute, including a load of silver. The Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.

12Jehoshaphat’s power kept increasing. He built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah. 13He had many supplies stored in the cities of Judah and an army of skilled warriors stationed in Jerusalem. 14These were their divisions by families:

There were 1,000 officers from Judah. Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors, 15Jehochanan the commander led 280,000, 16and Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered to serve the Lord, led 200,000 skilled warriors.

17From Benjamin, Eliada, a skilled warrior, led 200,000 men who were equipped with bows and shields, 18and Jehozabad led 180,000 trained warriors.

19These were the ones who served the king, besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Ps. 85

85:1 For the music director, written by the Korahites, a psalm.

O Lord, you showed favor to your land;

you restored the well-being of Jacob.

2You pardoned the wrongdoing of your people;

you forgave all their sin. (Selah)

3You withdrew all your fury;

you turned back from your raging anger.

4Restore us, O God our deliverer.

Do not be displeased with us.

5Will you stay mad at us forever?

Will you remain angry throughout future generations?

6Will you not revive us once more?

Then your people will rejoice in you.

7O Lord, show us your loyal love.

Bestow on us your deliverance.

8I will listen to what God the Lord says.

For he will make peace with his people, his faithful followers.

Yet they must not return to their foolish ways.

9Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;

then his splendor will again appear in our land.

10Loyal love and faithfulness meet;

deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss.

11Faithfulness grows from the ground,

and deliverance looks down from the sky.

12Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings,

and our land will yield its crops.

13Deliverance goes before him,

and prepares a pathway for him.

Luke 9:1–9

9:1 After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area. 5Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8while others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. 9Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.