Saturday in Epiphany

11Verse 11. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12Verse 12. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke for the LORD. 13Verse 13. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 14Verse 14. Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. 15Verse 15. Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. 16Verse 16. But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. 17Verse 17. So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, 18Verse 18. who carried off everything to Babylon— all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials. 19Verse 19. Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value. 20Verse 20. Those who escaped the sword were carried by Nebuchadnezzar into exile in Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21Verse 21. So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah.

43Verse 43. The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.” 44Verse 44. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter. 45Verse 45. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Verse 46. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47Verse 47. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.” 48Verse 48. “How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49Verse 49. “Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Verse 50. Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51Verse 51. Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”