Sunday, August 27, 2023
1Manasseh
was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem
fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2He did evil in
the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the
LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3He rebuilt the high
places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and
made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the
starry hosts and worshiped them. 4He built altars in the temple of
the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my
Name." 5In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built
altars to all the starry hosts. 6He sacrificed his own son in the
fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists.
He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
7He took
the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD
had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in
Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my
Name forever. 8I will not again make the feet of the Israelites
wander from the land I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to
do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant
Moses gave them." 9But the people did not listen. Manasseh led
them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed
before the Israelites.
10The LORD
said through his servants the prophets: 11"Manasseh king of Judah
has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites
who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 12Therefore
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such
disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will
tingle. 13I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used
against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe
out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14I
will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies.
They will be looted and plundered by all their foes, 15because they
have done evil in my eyes and have provoked me to anger from the day their
forefathers came out of Egypt until this day."
16Moreover,
Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to
end--besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil
in the eyes of the LORD.
17As for the
other events of Manasseh's reign, and all he did, including the sin he
committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of
Judah? 18Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his
palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.
Psalm
54
1For the
director of music. With stringed instruments. A [maskil] of David. When the
Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, "Is not David hiding among us?"
Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. 2Hear my
prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 3Strangers are
attacking me; ruthless men seek my life-- men without regard for God. [Selah] 4Surely
God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. 5Let evil
recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. 6I
will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for
it is good. 7For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my
eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
Matthew
25:31–46
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and
all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All
the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He
will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes
and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you
came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to
drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or
needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in
prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart
from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you
did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick
and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see
you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison,
and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever
you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
Comments
Post a Comment