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First Reading: 2 Chronicles Chapter 11 and 122 Chronicles 11
11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and
Benjamin-a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men-to make war against Israel
and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.
2 But this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3 "Say to
Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and
Benjamin, 4'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers.
Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the words
of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: 6 Bethlehem,
Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish,
Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and
Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with
supplies of food, olive oil and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in all the
cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.
13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided
with him. 14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and
came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them
as priests of the LORD. 15 And he appointed his own priests for the high places
and for the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel
who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites
to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 17 They
strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three
years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during this time.
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and
of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. 19 She bore him sons: Jeush,
Shemariah and Zaham. 20 Then he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore
him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of
Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen
wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be the chief prince among his
brothers, in order to make him king. 23 He acted wisely, dispersing some of
his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified
cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.
2 Chronicles 12
12:1 After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong,
he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. 2 Because they had
been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the
fifth year of King Rehoboam. 3 With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand
horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came
with him from Egypt, 4 he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as
far as Jerusalem.
5 Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who
had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, "This
is what the LORD says, 'You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you
to Shishak.'"
6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The
LORD is just."
7 When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came
to Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them
but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem
through Shishak. 8 They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may
learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands."
9 When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything,
including the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made bronze
shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on
duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 11 Whenever the king went to the LORD's
temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned
them to the guardroom.
12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD's anger turned from him, and he
was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king.
He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years
in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in
which to put his Name. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 14
He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.
15 As for the events of Rehoboam's reign, from beginning to end, are they not
written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal
with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
16 Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And
Abijah his son succeeded him as king.
Hebrews 2
2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so
that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding,
and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall
we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first
announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also
testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy
Spirit distributed according to his will.
5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we
are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care
for him? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with
glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet."
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.
Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor
because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death
for everyone.
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through
whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through
suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are
of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says,
"I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation
I will sing your praises."
13 And again,
"I will put my trust in him."
And again he says,
"Here am I, and the children God has given me."
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity
so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that
is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by
their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's
descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every
way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service
to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because
he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being
tempted.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
HEBREWS
Part 2 of 3
The book of Hebrews can be outlined as follows:
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