Mar 24 - 2 Kings 12-14
2 Kings
1In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash reigned. And he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zebiah from Beersheba2And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord, during all the days that Jehoiada, the priest, taught him3Yet still he did not take away the high places. For the people were still immolating, and burning incense, in the high places4And Jehoash said to the priests: "All of the money for the holy things, which has been brought into the temple of the Lord from those who pass by, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which they bring into the temple of the Lord willingly, from their own free heart5let the priests, according to their ranks, take and use it in order to repair the surfaces of the house, wherever they see anything in need of repair.6And yet, even until the twenty-third year of king Jehoash, the priests did not repair the surfaces of the temple7And king Jehoash called the high priest, Jehoiada, and the priests, saying to them: "Why have you not repaired the surfaces of the temple? Therefore, you may no longer accept money according to your ranks. Instead, return it in order that the temple may be repaired.8And so the priests were prohibited from accepting any more money from the people to repair the surfaces of the house9And the high priest, Jehoiada, took a certain chest, and he opened a hole in the top, and he placed it beside the altar, to the right of those who were entering the house of the Lord. And the priests who kept the doors put all the money in it which was being brought into the temple of the Lord10And when they saw that there was a great amount of money in the chest, the scribe of the king and the high priest went up and poured it out. And they counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord11And they gave it out, by number and measure, to the hands of those who were over the masons of the house of the Lord. And they weighed it out to the carpenters and masons, to those who were working in the house of the Lor12and restoring the surfaces, and to those who were cutting stones, and buying timber and stones to be cut, so that the repairs to the house of the Lord might be finished: for all that was needed toward the expenses in order to strengthen the house13Yet truly, from the same money, they did not make for the temple of the Lord water pitchers, or small hooks, or censers, or trumpets, or any vessel of gold or silver, from the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord14For it was given to those who were doing the work, so that the temple of the Lord might be repaired15And they did not ration the money to the men who received it in order to distribute it to the artisans. Instead, they bestowed it with faith16Yet truly, the money for offenses and the money for sins, they did not bring into the temple of the Lord, since it was for the priests17Then Hazael, the king of Syria, ascended and fought against Gath, and he captured it. And he directed his face, so that he might ascend against Jerusalem18For this reason, Jehoash, the king of Judah, took all the sanctified things, which Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, the kings of Judah, had consecrated and which he himself had offered, and all the silver that could be found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and in the palace of the king, and he sent it to Hazael, the king of Syria. And so he withdrew from Jerusalem19Now the rest of the words of Jehoash, and all that he did, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah20Then his servants rose up and conspired among themselves. And they struck down Jehoash, at the house of Millo, on the descent of Silla21For Jozacar, the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah, his son, reigned in his place
1In the twenty-third year of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, the king of Judah, Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, for seventeen years2And he did evil before the Lord. And he followed the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. And he did not turn aside from these3And the fury of the Lord was enraged against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, the king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, during all the days4But Jehoahaz petitioned the face of the Lord, and the Lord heeded him. For he saw the anguish of Israel, because the king of Syria had oppressed them5And the Lord gave a savior to Israel. And they were freed from the hand of the king of Syria. And the sons of Israel lived in their tabernacles, just as yesterday and the day before6Yet truly, they did not withdraw from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin. Instead, they walked by them. And there was even a sacred grove still remaining in Samaria7And there was left to Jehoahaz from the people nothing but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. For the king of Syria had killed them, and he had reduced them to become like dust on a threshing floor8But the rest of the words of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his strength, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Joash, his son, reigned in his place10In the thirty-seventh year of Jehoash, the king of Judah, Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, for sixteen years11And he did what is evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn aside from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. Instead, he walked by them12But the rest of the words of Joash, and all that he did, and his strength, the manner in which he fought against Amaziah, the king of Judah, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel13And Joash slept with his fathers. Then Jeroboam sat upon his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria, with the kings of Israel14Now Elisha was sick of the infirmity from which he also died. And Joash, the king of Israel, descended to him. And he was weeping before him, and saying: "My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its driver!15And Elisha said to him, "Bring a bow and arrows." And when he had brought a bow and arrows to him16he said to the king of Israel, "Place your hand upon the bow." And when he had placed his hand, Elisha placed his own hands over the hands of the king17And he said, "Open the window toward the east." And when he had opened it, Elisha said, "Shoot an arrow." And he shot it. And Elisha said: "It is the arrow of the salvation of the Lord, and the arrow of salvation against Syria. And you shall strike the Syrians at Aphek, until you consume them.18And he said, "Take the arrows." And when he had taken them, he then said to him, "Strike an arrow against the ground." And when he had struck three times, and he had stood still19the man of God became angry against him. And he said: "If you had struck five or six or seven times, you would have struck down Syria, even until it was consumed. But now you will strike it three times.20Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the robbers from Moab came into the land in the same year21But certain ones who were burying a man saw the robbers, and they cast the dead body into the sepulcher of Elisha. But when it had touched the bones of Elisha, the man revived, and he stood upon his feet22Now Hazael, the king of Syria, afflicted Israel during all the days of Jehoahaz23But the Lord took pity on them, and he returned to them, because of his covenant, which he had made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And he was not willing to destroy them, nor to cast them out completely, even to the present time24Then Hazael, the king of Syria, died. And Benhadad, his son, reigned in his place25Now Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, by a just war, took the cities from the hand of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz, his father. Jehoash struck him three times, and he restored the cities to Israel
1In the second year of Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel: Amaziah, the son of Jehoash, reigned as king of Judah2He was twenty-five years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem3And he did what is right before the Lord, yet truly, not like David, his father. He acted in accord with all the things that his father Jehoash did4except for this alone: he did not take away the high places. For still the people were immolating, and burning incense, in the high places5And when he had obtained the kingdom, he struck down those of his servants who had killed his father, the king6But the sons of those who had been killed he did not put to death, in accord with what was written in the book of the law of Moses, just as the Lord instructed, saying: "The fathers shall not die for the sons, and the sons shall not die for the fathers. Instead, each one shall die for his own sin.7He struck down ten thousand men of Idumea, in the Valley of the Salt Pits. And he captured ‘the Rock’ in battle, and he called its name ‘Subdued by God,’ even to the present day8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying: "Come, and let us see one another.9And Jehoash, the king of Israel, sent a reply to Amaziah, the king of Judah, saying: "A thistle of Lebanon sent to a cedar, which is in Lebanon, saying: ‘Give your daughter as wife to my son.’ And the beasts of the forest, which are in Lebanon, passed by and trampled the thistle10You have struck and prevailed over Idumea. And your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your own glory, and be seated in your own house. Why would you provoke evil, so that you would fall, and Judah with you?11But Amaziah was not quieted. And so Jehoash, the king of Israel, went up. And he and Amaziah, the king of Judah, saw one another at Beth-shemesh, a town in Judah12And Judah was struck down before Israel, and they fled, each to their own tents13And truly, Jehoash, the king of Israel, captured Amaziah, the king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. And he brought him to Jerusalem. And he breached the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim as far as the gate of the Corner, four hundred cubits14And he took away all the gold and silver, and all the vessels, which were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king, and he returned to Samaria with hostages15But the rest of the words of Jehoash, which he accomplished, and his strength, with which he fought against Amaziah, the king of Judah, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel16And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria, with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam, his son, reigned in his place17Now Amaziah, the son of Jehoash, the king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel18And the rest of the words of Amaziah, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah19And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. And he fled to Lachish. And they sent after him, to Lachish, and they killed him there20And they carried him away on horses. And he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers, in the city of David21Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, at sixteen years from birth, and they appointed him as king in place of his father, Amaziah22He built up Elath, and he restored it to Judah, after which the king slept with his fathers23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Jehoash, the king of Judah: Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, the king of Israel, reigned, in Samaria, for forty-one years24And he did what is evil before the Lord. He did not withdraw from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin25He restored the borders of Israel, from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Wilderness, in accord with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke through his servant, the prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai, who was from Gath, which is in Hepher26For the Lord saw the exceedingly bitter affliction of Israel, and that they were being consumed, even to those who were enclosed in prison, and even to the least ones, and that there was no one who would help Israel27But the Lord did not say that he would wipe away the name of Israel from under heaven. So instead, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash28But the rest of the words of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his strength, with which he went to battle, and the manner in which he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah, in Israel, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel29And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah, his son, reigned in his place