2 Chronicles 15; 2 Chronicles 16; John 12:27-50

1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah. He was the son of Oded.

2 Azariah went out to meet Asa. He said to him, "Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you really look for him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will desert you.

3 "For a long time Israel didn't worship the true God. They didn't have a priest who taught them. So they didn't know God's law.

4 But when they were in trouble, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. When they did, they found him.

5 "In those days it wasn't safe to travel around. The people who lived in all of the areas of the land were having a lot of trouble.

6 One nation was crushing another. One city was crushing another. That's because God was causing them to suffer terribly.

7 "But be strong. Don't give up. God will reward you for your work."

8 Asa heard that prophecy. He paid attention to the words of the prophet Azariah, the son of Oded. So Asa became bolder than ever. He removed the statues of gods from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin. He also removed them from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He did it because he hated those gods. He repaired the altar of the Lord. It was in front of the porch of the LORD's temple.

9 Then he gathered all of the people of Judah and Benjamin together. He also gathered together the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them. Large numbers of people had come over to him from Israel. They came because they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

10 They gathered in Jerusalem. It was the third month of the 15th year of Asa's rule.

11 At that time they sacrificed to the LORD 700 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats. The animals were among the things they had taken after the battle.

12 They made a covenant to look to the Lord, the God of their people. They looked to him with all their heart and soul.

13 All those who wouldn't look to the Lord, the God of Israel, would be killed. It wouldn't matter how important they were. It wouldn't matter whether they were men or women.

14 They took an oath and made a promise to the Lord. They praised him out loud. They shouted. They blew trumpets and horns.

15 All of the people of Judah were happy about the promise they had made. They turned to God with all their heart. When they did, they found him. So the LORD gave them peace and rest on every side.

16 King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother. That's because she had made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. The LORD hated it. So Asa cut it down. He broke it up. He burned it in the Kidron Valley.

17 Asa didn't remove the high places from Israel. But he committed his whole life completely to the Lord.

18 He and his father had set apart silver, gold and other articles to the Lord. He brought them into God's temple.

19 There weren't any more wars until the 35th year of Asa's rule.

1 Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. It was in the 36th year of Asa's rule over Judah. Baasha built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah.

2 Asa took the silver and gold from among the treasures of the LORD's temple and his own palace. He sent it to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus.

3 "Let's make a peace treaty between us," Asa said. "My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I'm sending you silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he'll go back home."

4 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all of the cities in Naphtali where Baasha stored things.

5 Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah. He stopped working there.

6 Then King Asa brought all of the men of Judah to Ramah. They carried away the stones and wood Baasha had been using. Asa used them to build up Geba and Mizpah.

7 At that time the prophet Hanani came to Asa, the king of Judah. He said to him, "You trusted the king of Aram. You didn't trust in the LORD your God. So the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you.

8 The people of Cush and Libya had a strong army. They had large numbers of chariots and horsemen. But you trusted in the Lord. So he handed them over to you.

9 The LORD looks out over the whole earth. He gives strength to those who commit their lives completely to him. You have done a foolish thing. From now on you will be at war."

10 Asa was angry with the prophet because of what he had said. In fact, he was so angry he put him in prison. At the same time, Asa treated some of his own people very badly.

11 The events of Asa's rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 In the 39th year of Asa's rule his feet began to hurt. The pain was terrible. But even though he was suffering, he didn't look to the LORD for help. All he did was go to the doctors.

13 In the 41st year of Asa's rule he joined the members of his family who had already died.

14 His body was buried in a tomb. He had cut it out for himself in the City of David. His body was laid on a wooden frame. It was covered with spices and different mixes of perfume. A huge fire was made in his honor.

27 "My heart is troubled. What should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No. This is the very reason I came to this hour.

28 Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven. It said, "I have brought glory to my name. I will bring glory to it again."

29 The crowd there heard the voice. Some said it was thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus.

30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.

31 Now it is time for the world to be judged. Now the prince of this world will be thrown out.

32 But I am going to be lifted up from the earth. When I am, I will bring all people to myself."

33 He said this to show them how he was going to die.

34 The crowd spoke up. "The Law tells us that the Christ will remain forever," they said. "So how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light. Do this before darkness catches up with you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.

36 While you have the light, put your trust in it. Then you can become sons of light." When Jesus had finished speaking, he left and hid from them.

37 Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in front of them. But they still would not believe in him.

38 This happened as Isaiah the prophet had said it would. He had said, "Lord, who has believed what we've been saying? Who has seen the Lord's saving power?" (Isaiah 53:1)

39 For this reason, they could not believe. As Isaiah says in another place,

40 "The Lord has blinded their eyes. He has closed their minds. So they can't see with their eyes. They can't understand with their minds. They can't turn to the Lord. If they could, he would heal them." (Isaiah 6:10)

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

42 At the same time that Jesus did those miracles, many of the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not admit they believed. They were afraid they would be thrown out of the synagogue.

43 They loved praise from people more than praise from God.

44 Then Jesus cried out, "Anyone who believes in me does not believe in me only. He also believes in the One who sent me.

45 When he looks at me, he sees the One who sent me.

46 "I have come into the world to be a light. No one who believes in me will stay in darkness.

47 "I don't judge a person who hears my words but does not obey them. I didn't come to judge the world. I came to save it.

48 But there is a judge for anyone who does not accept me and my words. The very words I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

49 "I did not speak on my own. The Father who sent me commanded me what to say. He also told me how to say it.

50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So everything I say is just what the Father has told me to say."