19th August

¹ At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.² And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.³ And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.⁴ And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.⁵ And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.⁶ And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.⁷ Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel,⁸ And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes;⁹ But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:¹⁰ Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.¹¹ Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it.¹² Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.¹³ And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.¹⁴ Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.¹⁵ For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.¹⁶ And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.¹⁷ And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;¹⁸ And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.¹⁹ And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.²⁰ And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.²¹ And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.²² And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.²³ For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.²⁴ And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.²⁵ And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:²⁶ And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.²⁷ And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house.²⁸ And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?³⁰ And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.³¹ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.² And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.³ Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.⁴ And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.⁵ Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.⁶ Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.⁷ Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;⁸ Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.⁹ And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.¹⁰ As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.¹¹ Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;¹² Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.¹³ Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,¹⁴ And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.¹⁵ Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?¹⁶ But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

¹ After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.² But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.³ And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.⁴ And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.⁶ And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.⁷ For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.⁸ She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.⁹ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.¹⁰ And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.¹² And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?¹³ And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.¹⁴ And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?¹⁵ And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.¹⁶ And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.¹⁷ And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.¹⁸ And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.¹⁹ And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?²⁰ And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.²¹ The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.²² And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.²³ And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.²⁴ And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.²⁵ Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.²⁶ And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.²⁷ And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.²⁸ But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.²⁹ But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.³⁰ And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.³¹ But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.³² And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.³³ And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;³⁴ And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.³⁵ And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.³⁶ And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.³⁷ And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?³⁸ Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.³⁹ And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.⁴⁰ And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.⁴¹ And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.⁴² Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.⁴³ And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.⁴⁴ And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.⁴⁵ And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.⁴⁶ And they laid their hands on him, and took him.⁴⁷ And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.⁴⁸ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?⁴⁹ I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.⁵⁰ And they all forsook him, and fled.⁵¹ And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:⁵² And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.⁵³ And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.⁵⁴ And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.⁵⁵ And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.⁵⁶ For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.⁵⁷ And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,⁵⁸ We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.⁵⁹ But neither so did their witness agree together.⁶⁰ And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?⁶¹ But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?⁶² And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.⁶³ Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?⁶⁴ Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.⁶⁵ And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.⁶⁶ And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:⁶⁷ And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.⁶⁸ But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.⁶⁹ And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.⁷⁰ And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.⁷¹ But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.⁷² And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.