2 Kings 15; 2 Kings 16; John 3:1-18

1 Uzziahn son of Amaziah became king of Judah during Jeroboam's twenty-seventh year as king of Israel.

2 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he ruled fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jecoliah, and she was from Jerusalem.

3 He did what the Lord said was right, just as his father Amaziah had done.

4 But the places where gods were worshiped were not removed, so the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there.

5 The Lord struck Uzziah with a skin disease, which he had until the day he died. So he had to live in a separate house. Jotham, the king's son, was in charge of the palace, and he governed the people of the land.

6 All the other things Uzziah did are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

7 Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Jotham became king in his place.

8 Zechariah son of Jeroboam was king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for six months during Uzziah'sn thirty-eighth year as king of Judah.

9 Zechariah did what the Lord said was wrong, just as his ancestors had done. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel to sin, and Zechariah did not stop doing the same sins.

10 Shallum son of Jabesh made plans against Zechariah and killed him in front of the people. Then Shallum became king in his place.

11 The other acts of Zechariah are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

12 The Lord had told Jehu: "Your sons down to your great-great-grandchildren will be kings of Israel," and the Lord's word came true.

13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king during Uzziah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Shallum ruled for a month in Samaria.

14 Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria. He killed him and became king in Shallum's place.

15 The other acts of Shallum and his secret plans are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

16 Menahem started out from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah, destroying the city and the area nearby. This was because the people had refused to open the city gate for him. He defeated them and ripped open all their pregnant women.

17 Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel during Uzziah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Menahem ruled ten years in Samaria,

18 and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and all the time Menahem was king, he did not stop doing the same sins.

19 Pul king of Assyria came to attack the land. Menahem gave him about seventy-four thousand pounds of silver so Pul would support him and make his hold on the kingdom stronger.

20 Menahem taxed Israel to pay about one and one-fourth pounds of silver to each soldier of the king of Assyria. So the king left and did not stay in the land.

21 Everything else Menahem did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

22 Then Menahem died, and his son Pekahiah became king in his place.

23 Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria during Uzziah'sn fiftieth year as king of Judah. Pekahiah ruled two years,

24 and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekahiah did not stop doing the same sins.

25 Pekah son of Remaliah was one of Pekahiah's captains, and he made plans against Pekahiah. He took fifty men of Gilead with him and killed Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in the palace at Samaria. Then Pekah became king in Pekahiah's place.

26 Everything else Pekahiah did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

27 Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria during Uzziah'sn fifty-second year as king of Judah. Pekah ruled twenty years,

28 and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekah did not stop doing the same sins.

29 Tiglath-Pilesern was king of Assyria. He attacked while Pekah was king of Israel, capturing the cities of Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also captured Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Naphtali and carried the people away to Assyria.

30 Then Hoshea son of Elah made plans against Pekah son of Remaliah and attacked and killed him. Then Hoshea became king in Pekah's place during the twentieth year Jotham son of Uzziah was king.

31 Everything else Pekah did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

32 Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah during the second year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel.

33 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

34 Jotham did what the Lord said was right, just as his father Uzziah had done.

35 But the places where gods were worshiped were not removed, and the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Temple of the Lord.

36 The other things Jotham did while he was king are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

37 At that time the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.

38 Jotham died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, the city of David, his ancestor. Then Jotham's son Ahaz became king in his place.

1 Ahaz was the son of Jotham king of Judah. Ahaz became king of Judah in the seventeenth year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel.

2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ancestor David, he did not do what the Lord his God said was right.

3 Ahaz did the same things the kings of Israel had done. He even made his son pass through fire. He did the same hateful sins as the nations had done whom the Lord had forced out of the land ahead of the Israelites.

4 Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the places where gods were worshiped, on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, came up to attack Jerusalem. They surrounded Ahaz but could not defeat him.

6 At that time Rezin king of Aram took back the city of Elath for Aram, and he forced out all the people of Judah. Then Edomites moved into Elath, and they still live there today.

7 Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your friend. Come and save me from the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who are attacking me."

8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the Temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the palace, and he sent these as a gift to the king of Assyria.

9 So the king of Assyria listened to Ahaz. He attacked Damascus and captured it and sent all its people away to Kir. And he killed Rezin.

10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. Ahaz saw an altar at Damascus, and he sent plans and a pattern of this altar to Uriah the priest.

11 So Uriah the priest built an altar, just like the plans King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah finished the altar before King Ahaz came back from Damascus.

12 When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar and went near and offered sacrifices on it.

13 He burned his burnt offerings and grain offerings and poured out his drink offering. He also sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on the altar.

14 Ahaz moved the bronze altar that was before the Lord at the front of the Temple. It was between Ahaz's altar and the Temple of the Lord, but he put it on the north side of his altar.

15 King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, "On the large altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, and the drink offering for all the people of the land. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and of the sacrifice. But I will use the bronze altar to ask questions of God."

16 So Uriah the priest did everything as King Ahaz commanded him.

17 Then King Ahaz took off the side panels from the bases and removed the washing bowls from the top of the bases. He also took the large bowl, which was called the Sea, off the bronze bulls that held it up, and he put it on a stone base.

18 Ahaz took away the platform for the royal throne, which had been built at the Temple of the Lord. He also took away the outside entrance for the king. He did these things because of the king of Assyria.

19 The other things Ahaz did as king are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

20 Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, and Ahaz's son Hezekiah became king in his place. Hoshea, Last King of Israel

1 There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees and an important Jewish leader.

2 One night Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the miracles you do unless God is with him."

3 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one is born again, he cannot be in God's kingdom."

4 Nicodemus said, "But if a person is already old, how can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother's body again. So how can a person be born a second time?"

5 But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's kingdom.

6 Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.

7 Don't be surprised when I tell you, 'You must all be born again.'

8 The wind blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don't know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit."

9 Nicodemus asked, "How can this happen?"

10 Jesus said, "You are an important teacher in Israel, and you don't understand these things?

11 I tell you the truth, we talk about what we know, and we tell about what we have seen, but you don't accept what we tell you.

12 I have told you about things here on earth, and you do not believe me. So you will not believe me if I tell you about things of heaven.

13 The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the One who came down from heaven -- the Son of Man.

14 "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, the Son of Man must also be lifted up.

15 So that everyone who believes can have eternal life in him.

16 "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

18 People who believe in God's Son are not judged guilty. Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in God's one and only Son.