WEBVTT

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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Chronicles,

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chapters 27 and 28. Chapter 27 Jotham was 25

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years old when he became king, and he reigned

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16 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was

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Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. And he did what

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was right in the sight of the Lord, according

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to all that his father Uzziah had done. although

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he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But

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still the people acted corruptly. He built the

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upper gate of the house of the Lord, and he built

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extensively on the wall of Ophel. Moreover, he

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built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in

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the forests he built fortresses and towers. He

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also fought with the king of the Ammonites and

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defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him

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in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten

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thousand cores of wheat, and ten thousand of

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barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him

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in the second and third years also. So Jotham

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became mighty because he prepared his ways before

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the Lord his God. Now the rest of the acts of

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Jotham and all his wars and his ways, indeed

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they are written in the book of the kings of

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Israel and Judah. He was 25 years old when he

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became king and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem.

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Jotham rested with his fathers and they buried

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him in the city of David. Then Ahaz his son reigned

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in his place. Chapter 28 Ahaz was twenty years

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old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen

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years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was

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right in the sight of the Lord, as his father

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David had done. For he walked in the ways of

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the kings of Israel, and made molded images for

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the Baals. He burned incense in the valley of

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the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in

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the fire, according to the abominations of the

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nations whom the Lord had cast out before the

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children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burned

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incense on the high places, on the hills, and

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under every green tree. Therefore the Lord his

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God delivered him into the hand of the king of

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Syria. They defeated him and carried away a great

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multitude of them as captives, and brought them

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to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into

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the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated

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him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son

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of Ramaliah killed 120 ,000 in Judah in one day,

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all valiant men. because they had forsaken the

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Lord God of their fathers. Zichri, a mighty man

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of Ephraim, killed Masaiah, the king's son, Azrikam,

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the officer over the house, and Elkanah, who

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was second to the king. And the children of Israel

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carried away captive of their brethren two hundred

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thousand women, sons, and daughters, and they

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also took away much spoil from them, and brought

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the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord

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was there, whose name was Obed, and he went out

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before the army that came to Samaria, and said

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to them, Look, because the Lord God of your fathers

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was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into

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your hand. But you have killed them in a rage

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that reaches up to heaven, and now you propose

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to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem

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to be your male and female slaves. But are you

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not also guilty before the Lord your God? Now

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hear me, therefore, and return the captives whom

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you have taken captive from your brethren, for

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the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Then

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some of the heads of the children of Ephraim

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Azariah the son of Johanan, Berekiah the son

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of Mishilmot, Jehezkiah the son of Shalom, and

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Amasa the son of Adlai, stood up against those

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who came from the war, and said to them, You

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shall not bring the captives here, for we already

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have offended the Lord. You intend to add to

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our sins and to our guilt, for our guilt is great,

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and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So

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the armed men left the captives and the spoil

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before the leaders and all the assembly. Then

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the men who were designated by name rose up and

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took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed

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all who were naked among them, dressed them,

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and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink,

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and anointed them. And they let the feeble ones

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ride on donkeys, so they brought them to their

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brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees.

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Then they returned to Samaria. At the same time,

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King Ahaz sent the kings of Assyria to help him.

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For again the Edomites had come, attacked Judah,

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and carried away captives. The Philistines also

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had invaded the cities of the lowland and of

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the south of Judah, and had taken Beit Shemesh,

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Ajalon, Giderot, Soko with its villages, Timnah

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with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages.

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And they dwelt there. For the Lord brought Judah

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low because of Ahaz king of Israel. For he had

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encouraged moral decline in Judah, and had been

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continually unfaithful to the Lord. Also Tiglath

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-Pileser, king of Assyria, came to him and distressed

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him, and did not assist him. For Ahaz took part

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of the treasures from the house of the Lord,

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from the house of the king, and from the leaders,

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and he gave it to the king of Assyria, but he

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did not help him. Now in the time of his distress,

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king Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the

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Lord. This is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed

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to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him,

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saying, Because the gods of the kings of Syria

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helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they

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may help me. But they were the ruin of him and

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of all Israel. So Ahaz gathered the articles

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of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles

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of the house of God, shut up the doors of the

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house of the Lord, and made for himself altars

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in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every single

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city of Judah he made high places to burn incense

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to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord

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God of his fathers. Now the rest of his acts

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and all his ways, from first to last, indeed

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they are written in the book of the kings of

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Judah and Israel. So Ahaz rested with his fathers,

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and they buried him in the city in Jerusalem.

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But they did not bring him into the tombs of

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the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned

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in his place. I hope you enjoyed today's reading

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as much as I did and I look forward to seeing

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you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.

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God bless you and have a great day.