John 15; John 16:1-4; 2 Chronicles 23; Psalms 80

John 15

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.

24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.

25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'

26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

John 16:1-4

1 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.

2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

2 Chronicles 23

1 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri.

2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, "Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the Lord has said of the sons of David.

4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors

5 one-third shall be at the king's house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.

6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.

7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out."

8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.

9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God.

10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king.

11 And they brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, "Long live the king!"

12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord.

13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, "Treason! Treason!"

14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, "Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not kill her in the house of the Lord.

15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king's house, and they killed her there.

16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord's people.

17 And all the people went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David.

19 And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter

20 Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king's house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.

21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword

Psalms 80

1 To the Chief Musician. Set to 'The Lilies.' A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us!

3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

4 O Lord God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure.

6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it.

9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs.

11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River.

12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?

13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it.

14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine

15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.

18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!