2 Chronicles 34

• 1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
• 2. He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn aside from doing what was right.
• 3. During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year, he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images.
• 4. He saw to it that the altars for the images of Baal and their incense altars were torn down. He also made sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were smashed and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
• 5. Then he burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem.
• 6. He did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali.
• 7. He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the idols into dust. He cut down the incense altars throughout the land of Israel and then returned to Jerusalem.
• 8. In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple, Josiah appointed Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, the royal historian, to repair the Temple of the LORD his God.
• 9. They gave Hilkiah the high priest the money that had been collected by the Levites who served as gatekeepers at the Temple of God. The gifts were brought by people from Manasseh, Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, as well as from all Judah, Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem.
• 10. He entrusted the money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the LORD's Temple. Then they paid the workers who did the repairs and renovation.
• 11. Thus, they hired carpenters and masons and purchased cut stone for the walls and timber for the rafters and beams. They restored what earlier kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.
• 12. The workers served faithfully under the leadership of Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the Merarite clan, and Zechariah and Meshullam, Levites of the Kohathite clan. Other Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians,
• 13. were put in charge of the laborers of the various trades. Still others assisted as secretaries, officials, and gatekeepers.
• 14. As Hilkiah the high priest was recording the money collected at the LORD's Temple, he found the Book of the Law of the LORD as it had been given through Moses.
• 15. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.
• 16. Shaphan took the scroll to the king and reported, "Your officials are doing everything they were assigned to do.
• 17. The money that was collected at the Temple of the LORD has been given to the supervisors and workmen."
• 18. Shaphan also said to the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." So Shaphan read it to the king.
• 19. When the king heard what was written in the law, he tore his clothes in despair.
• 20. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal adviser:
• 21. "Go to the Temple and speak to the LORD for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Ask him about the words written in this scroll that has been found. The LORD's anger has been poured out against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the LORD. We have not been doing what this scroll says we must do."
• 22. So Hilkiah and the other men went to the newer Mishneh section of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.
• 23. She said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go and tell the man who sent you,
• 24. `This is what the LORD says: I will certainly destroy this city and its people. All the curses written in the scroll you have read will come true.
• 25. For the people of Judah have abandoned me and worshiped pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will be poured out against this place, and nothing will be able to stop it.'
• 26. "But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the LORD and tell him: `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard:
• 27. You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard what I said against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. So I have indeed heard you, says the LORD.
• 28. I will not send the promised disaster against this city and its people until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her message back to the king.
• 29. Then the king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.
• 30. And the king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites--all the people from the greatest to the least. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the LORD's Temple.
• 31. The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the LORD's presence. He pledged to obey the LORD by keeping all his commands, regulations, and laws with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll.
• 32. And he required everyone in Jerusalem and the people of Benjamin to make a similar pledge. As the people of Jerusalem did this, they renewed their covenant with God, the God of their ancestors.
• 33. So Josiah removed all detestable idols from the entire land of Israel and required everyone to worship the LORD their God. And throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

Revelation 20

• 1. Then I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand.
• 2. He seized the dragon--that old serpent, the Devil, Satan--and bound him in chains for a thousand years.
• 3. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he would be released again for a little while.
• 4. Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
• 5. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.)
• 6. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
• 7. When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out of his prison.
• 8. He will go out to deceive the nations from every corner of the earth, which are called Gog and Magog. He will gather them together for battle--a mighty host, as numberless as sand along the shore.
• 9. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God's people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.
• 10. Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
• 11. And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
• 12. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done.
• 13. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds.
• 14. And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death--the lake of fire.
• 15. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Malachi 2

• 1. "Listen, you priests; this command is for you!
• 2. Listen to me and take it to heart. Honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning seriously.
• 3. I will rebuke your descendants and splatter your faces with the dung of your festival sacrifices, and I will add you to the dung heap.
• 4. Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites may continue," says the LORD Almighty.
• 5. "The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and this is what I gave them. This called for reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.
• 6. They passed on to the people all the truth they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.
• 7. The priests' lips should guard knowledge, and people should go to them for instruction, for the priests are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.
• 8. But not you! You have left God's paths. Your `guidance' has caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites," says the LORD Almighty.
• 9. "So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown partiality in your interpretation of the law."
• 10. Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why are we faithless to each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors?
• 11. In Judah, in Israel, and in Jerusalem there is treachery, for the men of Judah have defiled the LORD's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.
• 12. May the LORD cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the LORD Almighty.
• 13. Here is another thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings, and he doesn't accept them with pleasure.
• 14. You cry out, "Why has the LORD abandoned us?" I'll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made to each other on your wedding day when you were young. But you have been disloyal to her, though she remained your faithful companion, the wife of your marriage vows.
• 15. Didn't the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard yourself; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.
• 16. "For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel. "It is as cruel as putting on a victim's bloodstained coat," says the LORD Almighty. "So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife."
• 17. You have wearied the LORD with your words. "Wearied him?" you ask. "How have we wearied him?" You have wearied him by suggesting that the LORD favors evildoers since he does not punish them. You have wearied him by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"

New Living Translation: 363 of 365 days.