2 Chronicles 21; 2 Chronicles 22; John 14

1 Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in David's City. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king.

2 Jehoram's brothers, the other sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were the sons of Israel's King Jehoshaphat.

3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and other valuables, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the oldest son.

4 When Jehoram had taken control of his father's kingdom, he established his rule by killing all his brothers, along with some other leaders of Israel.

5 Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled for eight years in Jerusalem.

6 He walked in the ways of Israel's kings, just as Ahab's dynasty had done, because he married Ahab's daughter. He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes.

7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant he had made with David, the LORD wasn't willing to destroy David's dynasty. He had promised to preserve a lamp for David and his sons forever.

8 During Jehoram's rule, Edom rebelled against Judah's power and appointed its own king.

9 Jehoram, along with all his chariots, crossed over to Zair. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night, defeating him and his chariot officers.

10 So Edom has been independent of Judah to this day. Libnah rebelled against Jehoram's rule at the same time because he had abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors.

11 As if that wasn't enough, Jehoram constructed shrines throughout Judah's highlands, encouraged Jerusalem's citizens to be unfaithful, and led Judah astray.

12 A letter from the prophet Elijah came to Jehoram that read, "This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: Because you haven't walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of Judah's King Asa,

13 but have walked in the ways of Israel's kings and have encouraged Judah and Jerusalem's citizens to be unfaithful, just as the house of Ahab did, and because you have even murdered your own brothers, your father's family, who were better than you,

14 the LORD will now strike your family, your children, your wives, and all your possessions with a heavy blow.

15 You yourself will become deathly ill with a chronic disease that will cause your intestines to fall out."

16 Then the LORD made the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Cushites, angry with Jehoram.

17 They attacked Judah, broke down its defenses, and hauled off all the goods that were found in the royal palace, along with the king's children and wives. Only Jehoahaz, Jehoram's youngest son, was spared.

18 After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease.

19 For almost two years he grew steadily worse, until two days before his death, when his intestines fell out, causing him to die in horrible pain. His people didn't make a fire in his honor as they had done for his ancestors.

20 He was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled for eight years in Jerusalem. No one was sorry he died. He was buried in David's City but not in the royal cemetery.

1 The inhabitants of Jerusalem made his youngest son Ahaziah succeed him as king because the raiding party that had invaded the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah, Jehoram's son, became king of Judah.

2 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was the granddaughter of Omri.

3 Ahaziah walked in the ways of Ahab's dynasty, encouraged in this wickedness by his mother.

4 He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes, just as Ahab's dynasty had done, because after his father's death they gave him advice that led to his downfall.

5 Ahaziah was following their advice when he went with Israel's King Joram, Ahab's son, to fight against Aram's King Hazael at Ramoth-gilead, where the Arameans wounded Joram.

6 Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he suffered at Ramah in his battle with Aram's King Hazael. Then Judah's King Ahaziah, Jehoram's son, went down to visit Joram, Ahab's son, at Jezreel because he had been wounded.

7 But God used this visit to Joram to bring about Ahaziah's downfall. After his arrival, Ahaziah went with Joram to meet Jehu, Nimshi's son, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy Ahab's dynasty.

8 While Jehu was executing judgment on Ahab's dynasty, he discovered the princes of Judah, Ahaziah's nephews, serving Ahaziah, and Jehu killed them.

9 Jehu went looking for Ahaziah, who was captured while hiding in Samaria. He was then brought to Jehu and executed. He was given a decent burial, however, because people said, "He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." There were now no members of Ahaziah's dynasty strong enough to rule the kingdom.

10 When Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, learned of her son's death, she immediately destroyed the entire royal family of Judah's dynasty.

11 But Jehoshabeath the king's daughter secretly took Ahaziah's son Jehoash from the rest of the royal children who were about to be murdered, and hid him in a bedroom, along with his nurse. In this way Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of the priest Jehoiada and the sister of Ahaziah, hid Jehoash from Athaliah so she couldn't murder him.

12 He remained hidden with them in God's temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.

1 "Don't be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.

2 My Father's house has room to spare. If that weren't the case, would I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you?

3 When I go to prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me so that where I am you will be too.

4 You know the way to the place I'm going."

5 Thomas asked, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7 If you have really known me, you will also know the Father. From now on you know him and have seen him."

8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father; that will be enough for us."

9 Jesus replied, “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you all this time? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?

10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I have spoken to you I don't speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me does his works.

11 Trust me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on account of the works themselves.

12 I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father.

13 I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father can be glorified in the Son.

14 When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

16 I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever.

17 This Companion is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can't receive because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be with you.

18 "I won't leave you as orphans. I will come to you.

19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too.

20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.

21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot) asked, "Lord, why are you about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

23 Jesus answered, “Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

24 Whoever doesn't love me doesn't keep my words. The word that you hear isn't mine. It is the word of the Father who sent me.

25 “I have spoken these things to you while I am with you.

26 The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you.

27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don't be troubled or afraid.

28 You have heard me tell you, ‘I'm going away and returning to you.' If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than me.

29 I have told you before it happens so that when it happens you will believe.

30 I won't say much more to you because this world's ruler is coming. He has nothing on me.

31 Rather, he comes so that the world will know that I love the Father and do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up. We're leaving this place.