WEBVTT 00:00:00.919 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.719 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:09.339 in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Chronicles 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:15.080 chapters 35 and 36. Chapter 35 Now Josiah kept 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:17.899 a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and he slaughtered 00:00:17.899 --> 00:00:20.460 the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:22.839 first month. And he set the priests in their 00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:25.440 duties and encouraged them for the service of 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:27.820 the house of the Lord. Then he said to the Levites, 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.399 who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord. 00:00:30.579 --> 00:00:32.799 Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon, 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:35.820 the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:38.259 no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:40.460 serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:43.159 Prepare yourselves according to your father's 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:45.700 houses, according to your divisions, following 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:47.939 the written instruction of David, king of Israel, 00:00:48.100 --> 00:00:50.579 and the written instruction of Solomon his son. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:53.460 And stand in the holy place according to the 00:00:53.460 --> 00:00:55.960 divisions of the fathers' houses of your brethren, 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:58.380 the lay people, and according to the division 00:00:58.380 --> 00:01:01.439 of the fathers' house of the Levites. So slaughter 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:03.619 the Passover offerings, consecrate yourselves, 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.239 and prepare them for your brethren, that they 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:08.939 may do according to the word of the Lord by the 00:01:08.939 --> 00:01:11.780 hand of Moses. Then Josiah gave the lay people 00:01:11.780 --> 00:01:14.659 lambs and young goats from the flock, all for 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:16.959 Passover offerings for all who were present, 00:01:17.140 --> 00:01:20.030 to the number of thirty thousand. As well as 00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:23.010 3 ,000 cattle, these were from the king's possessions, 00:01:23.269 --> 00:01:25.890 and his leaders gave willingly to the people, 00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:28.750 to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, 00:01:28.769 --> 00:01:31.849 Zechariah, and Jael, rulers of the house of God, 00:01:32.010 --> 00:01:34.170 gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 00:01:34.170 --> 00:01:39.489 2 ,600 from the flock and 300 cattle. Also Kunaniah, 00:01:39.489 --> 00:01:42.409 his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah 00:01:42.409 --> 00:01:45.590 and Jael, and Josabath, chief of the Levites, 00:01:45.609 --> 00:01:48.329 gave to the Levites for Passover offerings five 00:01:48.329 --> 00:01:50.750 thousand from the flock and five hundred cattle. 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:53.519 So the service was prepared, and the priests 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:56.180 stood in their places, and the Levites in their 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:59.000 divisions, according to the king's command. And 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:00.739 they slaughtered the Passover offerings, and 00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:03.099 the priests sprinkled the blood with their hands, 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:05.739 while the Levites skinned the animals. Then they 00:02:05.739 --> 00:02:08.020 removed the burnt offerings that they might give 00:02:08.020 --> 00:02:10.060 them to the divisions of the fathers' houses 00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:12.900 of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:15.280 is written in the book of Moses. And so they 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:18.000 did with the cattle. Also they roasted the Passover 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:20.659 offerings with fire according to the ordinance. 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:23.379 But the other holy offerings they boiled in pots, 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:26.219 in cauldrons, and in pans, and divided them quickly 00:02:26.219 --> 00:02:28.939 among all the lay people. Then afterward they 00:02:28.939 --> 00:02:31.039 prepared portions for themselves and for the 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.419 priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, 00:02:33.620 --> 00:02:36.000 were busy in offering burnt offerings and fat 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.599 until night. Therefore the Levites prepared portions 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:40.840 for themselves and for the priests, the sons 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:43.580 of Aaron. And the singers, the sons of Asaph, 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:46.080 were in their places, according to the command 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:49.439 of David, Asaph, Haman, and Jedusun, the king's 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:52.439 seer. Also the gatekeepers were at each gate. 00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:55.259 They did not have to leave their position, because 00:02:55.259 --> 00:02:57.060 their brethren, the Levites, prepared portions 00:02:57.060 --> 00:03:00.099 for them. So all the service of the Lord was 00:03:00.099 --> 00:03:02.460 prepared the same day to keep the Passover and 00:03:02.460 --> 00:03:04.400 to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:07.000 Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 00:03:07.229 --> 00:03:09.409 and the children of Israel who were present kept 00:03:09.409 --> 00:03:12.469 the Passover at that time in a feast of unleavened 00:03:12.469 --> 00:03:15.469 bread for seven days. There had been no Passover 00:03:15.469 --> 00:03:18.349 kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel 00:03:18.349 --> 00:03:20.569 the prophet, and none of the kings of Israel 00:03:20.569 --> 00:03:23.810 had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept with 00:03:23.810 --> 00:03:26.610 the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel 00:03:26.610 --> 00:03:29.289 who were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 00:03:29.569 --> 00:03:32.669 In the 18th year of the reign of Josiah, this 00:03:32.669 --> 00:03:36.189 Passover was kept. After all this, when Josiah 00:03:36.189 --> 00:03:38.949 had prepared the temple, Necho, king of Egypt, 00:03:39.150 --> 00:03:42.370 came up to fight against Carshimish by the Euphrates, 00:03:42.569 --> 00:03:44.949 and Josiah went out against him. But he sent 00:03:44.949 --> 00:03:47.530 messengers to him, saying, What have I to do 00:03:47.530 --> 00:03:49.849 with you, king of Judah? I have not come against 00:03:49.849 --> 00:03:52.409 you this day, but against the house with which 00:03:52.409 --> 00:03:55.430 I have war. For God commanded me to make haste. 00:03:55.610 --> 00:03:58.250 Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, 00:03:58.310 --> 00:04:01.090 lest he destroy you. Nevertheless, Josiah would 00:04:01.090 --> 00:04:03.669 not turn his face from him, but disguised himself 00:04:03.669 --> 00:04:06.509 so that he might fight with him, and did not 00:04:06.509 --> 00:04:08.669 heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. 00:04:09.050 --> 00:04:11.409 So he came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 00:04:11.530 --> 00:04:14.349 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king 00:04:14.349 --> 00:04:16.829 said to his servants, Take me away, for I am 00:04:16.829 --> 00:04:19.250 severely wounded. His servants therefore took 00:04:19.250 --> 00:04:21.610 him out of that chariot and put him in the second 00:04:21.610 --> 00:04:23.930 chariot that he had, and they brought him to 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:26.569 Jerusalem. So he died and was buried in one of 00:04:26.569 --> 00:04:30.550 the tombs of his fathers. mourned for josiah 00:04:30.550 --> 00:04:34.009 jeremiah also lamented for josiah and to this 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:36.509 day all the singing men and singing women speak 00:04:36.509 --> 00:04:39.209 of josiah in their lamentations they made it 00:04:39.209 --> 00:04:41.529 a custom in israel and indeed they are written 00:04:41.529 --> 00:04:44.250 in the laments now the rest of the acts of josiah 00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:46.269 and his goodness according to what was written 00:04:46.269 --> 00:04:48.990 in the law of the lord and his deeds from first 00:04:48.990 --> 00:04:51.889 to last indeed they are written in the book of 00:04:51.889 --> 00:04:57.519 the kings of israel and judah chapter 36 Then 00:04:57.519 --> 00:04:59.920 the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:02.060 of Josiah, and made him king in his father's 00:05:02.060 --> 00:05:04.860 place in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was twenty -three 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:07.339 years old when he became king, and he reigned 00:05:07.339 --> 00:05:09.819 three months in Jerusalem. Now the king of Egypt 00:05:09.819 --> 00:05:12.579 deposed him at Jerusalem, and he imposed on the 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:15.339 land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver 00:05:15.339 --> 00:05:18.019 and a talent of gold. Then the king of Egypt 00:05:18.019 --> 00:05:21.519 made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king over Judah 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:24.839 and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:27.560 And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:30.920 him off to Egypt. Jehoiakim was 25 years old 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:33.339 when he became king and he reigned 11 years in 00:05:33.339 --> 00:05:35.500 Jerusalem and he did evil in the sight of the 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:38.100 Lord his God. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon 00:05:38.100 --> 00:05:41.100 came up against him and bound him in bronze fetters 00:05:41.100 --> 00:05:43.920 to carry him off to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:45.819 carried off some of the articles from the house 00:05:45.819 --> 00:05:48.480 of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:51.759 at Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:54.579 the abominations which he did, and what was found 00:05:54.579 --> 00:05:56.939 against him, indeed they are written in the book 00:05:56.939 --> 00:05:59.899 of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then Jehoiakim, 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.459 his son, reigned in his place. Jehoiakim was 00:06:03.459 --> 00:06:06.420 eight years old when he became king, and he reigned 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:08.980 in Jerusalem three months and ten days, and he 00:06:08.980 --> 00:06:11.310 did evil in the sight of the Lord. At the turn 00:06:11.310 --> 00:06:13.529 of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him 00:06:13.529 --> 00:06:15.850 and took him to Babylon with the costly articles 00:06:15.850 --> 00:06:18.649 from the house of the Lord and made Zedekiah, 00:06:18.889 --> 00:06:22.089 Jehoiakim's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem. 00:06:22.990 --> 00:06:25.629 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king 00:06:25.629 --> 00:06:28.189 and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did 00:06:28.189 --> 00:06:30.670 evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did 00:06:30.670 --> 00:06:33.069 not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, 00:06:33.250 --> 00:06:35.750 who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. And he 00:06:35.750 --> 00:06:38.110 also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who 00:06:38.110 --> 00:06:40.889 had made him swear an oath by God, But he stiffened 00:06:40.889 --> 00:06:43.509 his neck and hardened his heart against turning 00:06:43.509 --> 00:06:46.670 to the Lord God of Israel. Moreover, all the 00:06:46.670 --> 00:06:49.170 leaders of the priests and the people transgressed 00:06:49.170 --> 00:06:51.949 more and more, according to all the abominations 00:06:51.949 --> 00:06:53.910 of the nations, and defiled the house of the 00:06:53.910 --> 00:06:56.990 Lord which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. And 00:06:56.990 --> 00:06:59.449 the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to 00:06:59.449 --> 00:07:02.410 them by his messengers, rising up early and sending 00:07:02.410 --> 00:07:04.589 them, because he had compassion on his people 00:07:04.589 --> 00:07:07.000 and on his dwelling place. But they mocked the 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:10.139 messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed 00:07:10.139 --> 00:07:12.300 at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:15.620 arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:18.660 Therefore he brought against them the king of 00:07:18.660 --> 00:07:20.899 the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with 00:07:20.899 --> 00:07:23.120 the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:25.839 had no compassion on young men or virgin, on 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:28.899 the aged or the weak. He gave them all into his 00:07:28.899 --> 00:07:31.139 hand, and all the articles from the house of 00:07:31.139 --> 00:07:33.819 God, great and small. the treasures of the house 00:07:33.819 --> 00:07:36.519 of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:39.199 of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:41.699 Then they burned the house of God, broke down 00:07:41.699 --> 00:07:44.319 the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:46.899 with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:49.639 And those who escaped from the sword he carried 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:52.220 away to Babylon, where they became servants to 00:07:52.220 --> 00:07:54.660 him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom 00:07:54.660 --> 00:07:57.220 of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by 00:07:57.220 --> 00:07:59.819 the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed 00:07:59.819 --> 00:08:02.819 her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate, she 00:08:02.819 --> 00:08:07.220 kept Sabbath to fulfill seventy years. Now in 00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:09.660 the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:11.600 the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:14.480 might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.399 of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:20.300 throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in 00:08:20.300 --> 00:08:23.199 writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.399 all the kingdoms of the earth, the Lord God of 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.680 heaven has given me. And he has commanded me 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.600 to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:34.980 Judah, who is among you of all his people. May 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:38.340 the Lord his God be with him and let him go up. 00:08:43.419 --> 00:08:45.620 I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as 00:08:45.620 --> 00:08:47.740 I did. And I look forward to seeing you again 00:08:47.740 --> 00:08:50.200 tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:51.240 you and have a great day.