2 Chronicles 18-20
12 Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore let your word be like the word of one of them and speak encouragement.” 13 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God tells me.” 14 Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!” 15 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth, in the name of the Lord?” 16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his house in peace.’ ” 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
18 Then Micaiah said, “No, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing at His right and His left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab king of Israel, to go up so he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner and another spoke in that manner. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ And the Lord said, ‘In what way?’ 21 So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall deceive him and prevail. Go out and do so.’
22 “Listen therefore! The Lord put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours. The Lord declares disaster against you.” 23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and said, “What sort of spirit of the Lord passed by way of me speaking to you?” 24 And Micaiah said, “Indeed you shall see on that day when you go from chamber to chamber to hide yourself.” 25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the chief captain, the son of the king; 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in prison. Let him eat the bread of affliction and drink the water of affliction until I return in peace.” ’ ” 27 And Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the Lord did not speak by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people.”
King Ahab Killed in Battle
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle. You put on my robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots by saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they surrounded him to attack. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord saved him, and God diverted them from him. 32 For when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not Ahab king of Israel, they turned away from him. 33 Now a certain man with good aim drew a bow and struck the king of Israel between the lungs and the breastplate. Ahab said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 34 On that day, the war turned. The king of Israel, away from the Syrians, remained standing in his chariot until evening, and at sunset he died.
Jehoshaphat Brings Reforms
1 Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in peace to his house in Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu, the son of Hanani the prophet, went out to meet him and said to him, “King Jehoshaphat, do you help a sinner or love one who hates the Lord? Therefore, this wrath of the Lord came upon you. 3 Nevertheless, good things are found in you, for you removed the groves from the land of Judah, and did direct your heart to seek the Lord.”
4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers. 5 And city by city, he appointed judges in all the fortified cities of Judah, 6 and said to the judges, “Watch what you are doing, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, and the words of judgment are with you. 7 Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Take care and so do it, for there is no wrongdoing with the Lord our God, no partiality nor taking of bribes.”
8 Moreover in Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord and to judge those dwelling in Jerusalem. 9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall act in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a mature heart. 10 Whatever case comes to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them not to trespass against the Lord, so that wrath may not come upon you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty of sin. 11 Listen, regarding Amariah the priest, he is head over you in each matter of the Lord. Zebadiah the son of Ishmael is the head over the house of Judah in every matter of the king; and the scribes and the Levites will be before you. Be willing and do the works, for the Lord will be with the good.”
Defeat of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir
1 After this, the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon and others from the Meunites came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 And some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude has come against you from beyond the sea, from Syria. They are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered to seek the Lord, and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah in Jerusalem, before the new court in the house of the Lord, 6 and said, “Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not the Lord who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and gave it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And in it they settled and built You a sanctuary in it to Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us, whether sword, judgment, death, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You, for Your name is in this house. It cries out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’
10 “Here are the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel capture when they came out of the land of Egypt; they turned from them and did not destroy them. 11 Now they are here, attempting to throw us out of the inheritance You gave us. 12 Lord our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude coming against us. We do not know what to do to them, but our eyes are upon You.” 13 Now all Judah stood before the Lord, with their wives and their children.
14 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Go down against them tomorrow. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the river before the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Understand that the salvation of the Lord is with you, Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you.” 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord and worshiped Him. 19 And the Levites of the sons of Kohath and the sons of Korah stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.
20 So they rose early in the morning and went to the Desert of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and cried out and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: trust in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; trust His prophet and you shall prosper.” 21 And he consulted with the people, and appointed singers and those who should confess and praise the beauty of holiness. And they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” 22 Now when they began to sing and to give praise, the Lord allowed the sons of Ammon to fight against Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and utterly killed and destroyed them. And when they had killed the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the desert, they saw the multitude, and there were all the dead bodies fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found a great deal of cattle and baggage and spoils and precious articles, which they stripped off for themselves, and they spent three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Blessing, for there they blessed the Lord. That is why that place has been called the Valley of Blessing until this day. 27 Then every man of Judah returned to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat in front of them with great joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem to the house of the Lord with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the land when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
King Jehoshaphat’s Reign Is Over
31 So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not turn aside from them, doing right in the sight of the Lord. 33 But the high places were not taken away, for the people did not direct their hearts to the God of their fathers. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who wrote them down in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
35 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah the king of Israel, who acted most wickedly. 36 He allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your work, wreck your ships, and Ahaziah will be unable to go to Tarshish.”
Psalm 118:161–176
161 Rulers persecuted me without cause,
But my heart feared because of Your words.
162 I shall greatly rejoice in Your teachings,
Like one finding great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor unrighteousness,
But I love Your law.
164 I praise You seven times a day
For the judgments of Your righteousness.
165 Great peace have all who love Your law,
And it is not an offense to them.
166 I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And I love Your commandments.
167 My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep Your commandments and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You, O Lord.
169 Let my supplication draw near before You, O Lord;
Give me understanding according to Your teaching.
170 May my petition come before You;
Deliver me according to Your teaching.
171 My lips shall overflow in song
When You teach me Your ordinances.
172 My tongue shall speak of Your teaching,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand be for saving me,
For I chose Your commandments.
174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my meditation.
175 My soul shall live and praise You,
And Your judgments shall help me.
176 I went astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.
Proverbs 27:7–12
7 A satiated soul mocks honeycombs,
But to a hungry soul, even bitter things appear sweet.
8 As when a bird flies down from its own nest,
So is a man enslaved whenever he becomes a fugitive from his own place.
9 The heart delights in perfumes, wines, and incenses,
But the soul is broken by mishaps.
10 Do not abandon your friend or the friend of your father,
And when you have misfortune, do not go to your brother’s house;
A friend nearby is better than a brother far away.
11 My son, become wise, that my heart may be glad,
And turn away from your reproachful words.
12 An astute man hides when evils are at hand,
But when men without discernment are at hand, they will pay the penalty.
John 13:18–38
18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’
19 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
20 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
The New Commandment
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
32 “If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
33 “Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.