Thursday 25 June 2026

8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign,and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.9He did that which was evil in the Lord’s sight,according to all that his father had done.10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem,and the city was besieged.11Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the citywhile his servants were besieging it,12and Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon—he, his mother, his servants,his princes, and his officers;and the king of Babylon captured him in the eighth year of his reign.13He carried out from there all the treasures of the Lord’s houseand the treasures of the king’s house,and cut in pieces all the vessels of goldwhich Solomon king of Israel had made in the Lord’s temple,as the Lord had said.14He carried away all Jerusalem,and all the princes,and all the mighty men of valor,even ten thousand captives,and all the craftsmen and the smiths.No one remained except the poorest people of the land.15He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon,with the king’s mother,the king’s wives, his officers,and the chief men of the land.He carried them into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.16All the men of might,even seven thousand,and the craftsmen and the smiths one thousand,all of them strong and fit for war,even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.17The king of Babylon made Mattaniah,Jehoiachin’s father’s brother,king in his place,and changed his name to Zedekiah.

1God, the nations have come into your inheritance.They have defiled your holy temple.They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.2They have given the dead bodies of your servants to be food for the birds of the sky,the flesh of your saints to the animals of the earth.

3They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem.There was no one to bury them.4We have become a reproach to our neighbors,a scoffing and derision to those who are around us.5How long, Lord?Will you be angry forever?Will your jealousy burn like fire?

8Don’t hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us.Let your tender mercies speedily meet us,for we are in desperate need.

9Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name.Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.

21“Not everyone who says to me,‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven,but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22Many will tell me in that day,‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name,in your name cast out demons,and in your name do many mighty works?’23Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you.Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

24“Everyone thereforewho hears these words of mine and does them,I will liken him to a wise manwho built his house on the rock.25The rain came down,the floods came, and the winds blewand beat on that house;and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.26Everyone who hears these words of mineand doesn’t do them will be like a foolish manwho built his house on the sand.27The rain came down,the floods came, and the winds blewand beat on that house;and it fell—and its fall was great.”

28When Jesus had finished saying these things,the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,29for he taught them with authority,and not like the scribes.