241 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years ; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent against him bands of Chaldeans , bands of Arameans , bands of Moabites , and bands of Ammonites e . So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets . 3 Surely at the command of the Lord it came upon Judah , to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh , according to all that he had done , 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed , for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood ; and the Lord would not forgive . 5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did , are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles e of the Kings of Judah ? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers , and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place . 7 The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again e , for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates .
8 Jehoiachin was eighteen e years old when he became king , and he reigned three months in Jerusalem ; and his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem . 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord , according to all that his father had done . 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem , and the city came under siege . 11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city , while his servants were besieging e it. 12 Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon , he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials . So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign . 13 He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord , and the treasures of the king's house , and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord , just as the Lord had said . 14 Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor , ten thousand captives , and all the craftsmen and the smiths . None remained except the poorest people of the land . 15 So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon ; also the king's mother and the king's wives and his officials and the leading men of the land , he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon . 16 All the men of valor , seven thousand , and the craftsmen and the smiths , one thousand , all strong and fit for war , and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon . 17 Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place , and changed his name to Zedekiah .
18 Zedekiah was twenty-one e years old when he became king , and he reigned eleven e years in Jerusalem ; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah . 19 He did evil in the sight of the Lord , according to all that Jehoiakim had done . 20 For through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence . And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon .
251 Now in the ninth year of his reign , on the tenth day of the tenth month , Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came , he and all his army , against Jerusalem , camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. 2 So the city was under siege until the eleventh e year of King Zedekiah . 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land . 4 Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king's garden , though the Chaldeans were all around the city . And they went by way of the Arabah . 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah , and he passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes , then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon .
8 Now on the seventh day of the fifth month , which was the nineteenth e year of King Nebuchadnezzar , king of Babylon , Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard , a servant of the king of Babylon , came to Jerusalem . 9 He burned the house of the Lord , the king's house , and all the houses of Jerusalem ; even every great house he burned with fire . 10 So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem . 11 Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people , Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile . 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen . 13 Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the Lord , and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the Lord , the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon . 14 They took away the pots , the shovels , the snuffers , the spoons , and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service . 15 The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins , what was fine gold and what was fine silver . 16 The two pillars , the one sea , and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord - the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight . 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen e cubits , and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits , with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around , all of bronze . And the second pillar was like these with network . 18 Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest , with the three officers of the temple . 19 From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war , and five of the king's advisers e who were found in the city ; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land ; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city . 20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah . 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath . So Judah was led away into exile from its land .
22 Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah , whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left , he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam , the son of Shaphan over them. 23 When all the captains of the forces , they and their men , heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah , namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , and Johanan the son of Kareah , and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite , and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite , they and their men . 24 Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans ; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon , and it will be well with you." 25 But it came about in the seventh month , that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , the son of Elishama , of the royal family , came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah . 26 Then all the people , both small and great , and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt ; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans .
27 Now it came about in the thirty-seventh e year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah , in the twelfth e month , on the twenty-seventh e day of the month , that Evil-merodach king of Babylon , in the year that he became king , released e Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison e ; 28 and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above e the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon . 29 Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life ; 30 and for his allowance , a regular allowance was given him by the king , a portion for each day , all the days of his life .
51 After these things there was a feast of the Jews , and Jesus went up to Jerusalem . 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool , which is called in Hebrew Bethesda , having five porticoes . 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick , blind , lame , and withered , [waiting for the moving of the waters ; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water ; whoever then first , after the stirring up of the water , stepped in was made well from whatever e disease with which he was afflicted .] 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight e years . 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well ?" 7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir , I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while e I am coming , another steps down before me." 8 Jesus said to him, " Get up, pick up your pallet and walk ." 9 Immediately the man became well , and picked up his pallet and began to walk . Now it was the Sabbath on that day . 10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured , "It is the Sabbath , and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet ." 11 But he answered them, "He who made me well was the one who said to me, 'Pick up your pallet and walk .'" 12 They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Pick up your pallet and walk '?" 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place . 14 Afterward e Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold , you have become well ; do not sin anymore , so that nothing e worse happens to you." 15 The man went away , and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well . 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus , because He was doing these things on the Sabbath .
17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now , and I Myself am working ." 18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath , but also was calling God His own Father , making Himself equal with God .
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly , truly , I say to you, the Son can do nothing e of Himself , unless e it is something He sees the Father doing ; for whatever e the Father does , these things the Son also does in like manner . 20 " For the Father loves the Son , and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing ; and the Father will show Him greater works than these , so that you will marvel . 21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life , even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes . 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone , but He has given all judgment to the Son , 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father . He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 "Truly , truly , I say to you, he who hears My word , and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life , and does not come into judgment , but has passed out of death into life .
(Read John 5:1-9)
We are all by nature impotent folk in spiritual things, blind, halt, and withered; but full provision is made for our cure, if we attend to it. An angel went down, and troubled the water; and what disease soever it was, this water cured it, but only he that first stepped in had benefit. This teaches us to be careful, that we let not a season slip which may never return. The man had lost the use of his limbs thirty-eight years. Shall we, who perhaps for many years have scarcely known what it has been to be a day sick, complain of one wearisome night, when many others, better than we, have scarcely known what it has been to be a day well? Christ singled this one out from the rest. Those long in affliction, may comfort themselves that God keeps account how long. Observe, this man speaks of the unkindness of those about him, without any peevish reflections. As we should be thankful, so we should be patient. Our Lord Jesus cures him, though he neither asked nor thought of it. Arise, and walk. God's command, Turn and live; Make ye a new heart; no more supposes power in us without the grace of God, his distinguishing grace, than this command supposed such power in the impotent man: it was by the power of Christ, and he must have all the glory. What a joyful surprise to the poor cripple, to find himself of a sudden so easy, so strong, so able to help himself! The proof of spiritual cure, is our rising and walking. Has Christ healed our spiritual diseases, let us go wherever he sends us, and take up whatever he lays upon us; and walk before him.
(Read John 5:10-16)
Those eased of the punishment of sin, are in danger of returning to sin, when the terror and restraint are over, unless Divine grace dries up the fountain. The misery believers are made whole from, warns us to sin no more, having felt the smart of sin. This is the voice of every providence, Go, and sin no more. Christ saw it necessary to give this caution; for it is common for people, when sick, to promise much; when newly recovered, to perform only something; but after awhile to forget all. Christ spoke of the wrath to come, which is beyond compare worse than the many hours, nay, weeks and years of pain, some wicked men have to suffer in consequence of their unlawful indulgences. And if such afflictions are severe, how dreadful will be the everlasting punishment of the wicked!
(Read John 5:17-23)
The Divine power of the miracle proved Jesus to be the Son of God, and he declared that he worked with, and like unto his Father, as he saw good. These ancient enemies of Christ understood him, and became more violent, charging him not only with sabbath-breaking, but blasphemy, in calling God his own Father, and making himself equal with God. But all things now, and at the final judgment, are committed to the Son, purposely that all men might honour the Son, as they honour the Father; and every one who does not thus honour the Son, whatever he may think or pretend, does not honour the Father who sent him.
(Read John 5:24-29)
Our Lord declared his authority and character, as the Messiah. The time was come when the dead should hear his voice, as the Son of God, and live. Our Lord first refers to his raising those who were dead in sin, to newness of life, by the power of the Spirit, and then to his raising the dead in their graves. The office of Judge of all men, can only be exercised by one who has all knowledge, and almighty power. May we believe His testimony; thus our faith and hope will be in God, and we shall not come into condemnation. And may His voice reach the hearts of those dead in sin; that they may do works meet for repentance, and prepare for the solemn day.
