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2 Chronicles 31 20-2 Chronicles 31 21
This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the LORD his God considered good and right and faithful.He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God.
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Isaiah 60:5-16
Then you will look and smile, you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. For the riches of distant lands will belong to you and the wealth of nations will come to you.Camel caravans will cover your roads, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All the merchants of Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and singing praises to the LORD.All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. They will go up on my altar acceptably, and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.Who are these who float along like a cloud, who fly like doves to their shelters?Indeed, the coastlands look eagerly for me, the large ships are in the lead, bringing your sons from far away, along with their silver and gold, to honor the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has bestowed honor on you.Foreigners will rebuild your walls; their kings will serve you. Even though I struck you down in my anger, I will restore my favor and have compassion on you.Your gates will remain open at all times; they will not be shut during the day or at night, so that the wealth of nations may be delivered, with their kings leading the way.Indeed, nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish; such nations will be totally destroyed.The splendor of Lebanon will come to you, its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together, to beautify my palace; I will bestow honor on my throne room.The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you; all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet. They will call you,‘ The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’You were once abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, but I will make you a permanent source of pride and joy to coming generations.You will drink the milk of nations; you will nurse at the breasts of kings. Then you will recognize that I, the LORD, am your deliverer, your protector, the powerful ruler of Jacob.
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Isaiah 23:18
Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the LORD. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the LORD’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes.
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1 Corinthians 9 16-1 Corinthians 9 23
For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility.What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law( though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law.To those free from the law I became like one free from the law( though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law.To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.
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Philemon 1:6-7
I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
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2 Chronicles 34 1-2 Chronicles 34 33
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.He did what the LORD approved and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left.In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year he began ridding Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images.He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them.He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem.In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.In the eighteenth year of his reign, he continued his policy of purifying the land and the temple. He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city official, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to repair the temple of the LORD his God.They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God’s temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim and from all who were left in Israel, as well as from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the residents of Jerusalem.They handed it over to the construction foremen assigned to the LORD’s temple. They in turn paid the temple workers to restore and repair it.They gave money to the craftsmen and builders to buy chiseled stone and wood for the braces and rafters of the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into disrepair.The men worked faithfully. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah( Levites descended from Merari), as well as Zechariah and Meshullam( descendants of Kohath). The Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians,supervised the laborers and all the foremen on their various jobs. Some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and guards.When they took out the silver that had been brought to the LORD’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the law scroll the LORD had given to Moses.Hilkiah informed Shaphan the scribe,“ I found the law scroll in the LORD’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and reported,“ Your servants are doing everything assigned to them.They melted down the silver in the LORD’s temple and handed it over to the supervisors of the construction foremen.”Then Shaphan the scribe told the king,“ Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king.When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes.The king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant,“ Go, seek an oracle from the LORD for me and those who remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the LORD’s fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the LORD by doing all that this scroll instructs!”So Hilkiah and the others sent by the king went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the supervisor of the wardrobe.( She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh district.) They stated their business,and she said to them:“ This is what the LORD God of Israel says:‘ Say this to the man who sent you to me:“ This is what the LORD says:‘ I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, the details of which are recorded in the scroll which they read before the king of Judah.This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’”Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the LORD:“ This is what the LORD God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard:‘ You displayed a sensitive spirit and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words concerning this place and its residents. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the LORD.‘ Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.The king went up to the LORD’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites. All the people were there, from the oldest to the youngest. He read aloud all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the LORD’s temple.The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant before the LORD, agreeing to follow the LORD and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by carrying out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll.He made all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. The residents of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged all who were in Israel to worship the LORD their God. Throughout the rest of his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD God of their ancestors.
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1 Chronicles 13 1-1 Chronicles 13 3
David consulted with his military officers, including those who led groups of a thousand and those who led groups of a hundred.David said to the whole Israelite assembly,“ If you so desire and the LORD our God approves, let’s spread the word to our brothers who remain in all the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities, so they may join us.Let’s move the ark of our God back here, for we did not seek his will throughout Saul’s reign.”
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1 Chronicles 22 1-1 Chronicles 22 19
David then said,“ This is the place where the temple of the LORD God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple.David supplied a large amount of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for braces, more bronze than could be weighed,and more cedar logs than could be counted.( The Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large amount of cedar logs to David.)David said,“ My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man, and the temple to be built for the LORD must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for its construction.” So David made extensive preparations before he died.He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for the LORD God of Israel.David said to Solomon:“ My son, I really wanted to build a temple to honor the LORD my God.But the LORD said to me:‘ You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me, for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me.Look, you will have a son, who will be a peaceful man. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. Indeed, Solomon will be his name; I will give Israel peace and quiet during his reign.He will build a temple to honor me; he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.’“ Now, my son, may the LORD be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the LORD your God, just as he announced you would.Only may the LORD give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the LORD your God.Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the LORD ordered Moses to give to Israel. Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic!Now, look, I have made every effort to supply what is needed to build the LORD’s temple. I have stored up 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, as well as wood and stones. Feel free to add more!You also have available many workers, including stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and an innumerable array of workers who are skilledin using gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Get up and begin the work! May the LORD be with you!”David ordered all the officials of Israel to support his son Solomon.He told them,“ The LORD your God is with you! He has made you secure on every side, for he handed over to me the inhabitants of the region and the region is subdued before the LORD and his people.Now seek the LORD your God wholeheartedly and with your entire being! Get up and build the sanctuary of the LORD God! Then you can bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant and the holy items dedicated to God’s service into the temple that is built to honor the LORD.”
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1 Corinthians 15 10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them– yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
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2 Chronicles 15 8-2 Chronicles 15 15
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged. He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the LORD in front of the porch of the LORD’s temple.He assembled all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the settlers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had come to live with them. Many people from Israel had come there to live when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.They assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.At that time they sacrificed to the LORD some of the plunder they had brought back, including 700 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep.They solemnly agreed to seek the LORD God of their ancestors with their whole heart and being.Anyone who would not seek the LORD God of Israel would be executed, whether they were young or old, male or female.They swore their allegiance to the LORD, shouting their approval loudly and sounding trumpets and horns.All Judah was happy about the oath, because they made the vow with their whole heart. They willingly sought the LORD and he responded to them. He made them secure on every side.
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Romans 15:18-19
For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
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Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your children’s guardians; their princesses will nurse your children. With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you and they will lick the dirt on your feet. Then you will recognize that I am the LORD; those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
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2 Samuel 7 1-2 Samuel 7 3
The king settled into his palace, for the LORD gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides.The king said to Nathan the prophet,“ Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.”Nathan replied to the king,“ You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.”
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Acts 13:36
For David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, died, was buried with his ancestors, and experienced decay,
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2 Chronicles 1 9-2 Chronicles 1 10
Now, LORD God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth.Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”
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3 John 1 5-3 John 1 8
(niv)
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2 Timothy 4 5-2 Timothy 4 8
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day— and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (niv)
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1 Timothy 6 17-1 Timothy 6 18
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (niv)
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2 Timothy 2 6
The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. (niv)
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1 Chronicles 28 2-1 Chronicles 29 17
King David rose to his feet and said:“ Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.But God said to me,‘ You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’“ Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.Of all my sons— and the Lord has given me many— he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.He said to me:‘ Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’“ So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.“ And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement.He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand;the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables;the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the Lord.“ All this,” David said,“ I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.”David also said to Solomon his son,“ Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”Then King David said to the whole assembly:“ My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God— gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble— all of these in large quantities.Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:three thousand talents of gold( gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings,for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,“ Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.“ But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. (niv)
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2 Chronicles 33 15-2 Chronicles 33 16
He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city.Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. (niv)
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2 Chronicles 17 3-2 Chronicles 17 9
The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baalsbut sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah.With them were certain Levites— Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah— and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. (niv)
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2 Chronicles 19 4-2 Chronicles 19 10
Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.He told them,“ Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict.Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem.He gave them these orders:“ You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord.In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities— whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations— you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin. (niv)
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Nehemiah 5:14-19
Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year— twelve years— neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.But the earlier governors— those preceding me— placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations.Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people. (niv)
