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Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin

8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign; he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. ⁹He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father had done.

10 At that time the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. ¹¹King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it; ¹²King Jehoiachin of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself, his mother, his servants, his officers, and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign.

Capture of Jerusalem

13 He carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which King Solomon of Israel had made, all this as the Lord had foretold. ¹⁴He carried away all Jerusalem, all the officials, all the warriors, ten thousand captives, all the artisans and the smiths; no one remained, except the poorest people of the land. ¹⁵He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the elite of the land, he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. ¹⁶The king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valour, seven thousand, the artisans and the smiths, one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war. ¹⁷The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Psalm 79

1  O God, the heathen have come into your heritage; ♦︎
   your holy temple have they defiled
      and made Jerusalem a heap of stones.
2  The dead bodies of your servants they have given
      to be food for the birds of the air, ♦︎
   and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the field.
3  Their blood have they shed like water
      on every side of Jerusalem, ♦︎
   and there was no one to bury them.
4  We have become the taunt of our neighbours, ♦︎
   the scorn and derision of those that are round about us.
5  Lord, how long will you be angry, for ever? ♦︎
   How long will your jealous fury blaze like fire?
6  Pour out your wrath upon the nations that have not known you, ♦︎
   and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your name.
7  For they have devoured Jacob ♦︎
   and laid waste his dwelling place.
8  Remember not against us our former sins; ♦︎
   let your compassion make haste to meet us,
      for we are brought very low.
9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; ♦︎
   deliver us, and wipe away our sins for your name’s sake.
12  Let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before you, ♦︎
   and by your mighty arm
      preserve those who are condemned to die.

Concerning Self-Deception

21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” ²³Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

Hearers and Doers

24 ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.