1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

4 Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord. 5So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.”

The Levites, however, did not make haste. 6So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?”

7 For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

8 At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the house of the Lord. 9And a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the Lord the tax imposed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.

11 Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal scribe and the officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this daily and gathered the money in abundance. 12Then the king and Jehoiada would give the money to those who supervised the labor on the house of the Lord to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, as well as workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord.

13 So the workmen labored, and in their hands the repair work progressed. They restored the house of God according to its specifications, and they reinforced it. 14When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the house of the Lord — utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and other objects of gold and silver.

Throughout the days of Jehoiada, burnt offerings were presented regularly in the house of the Lord.

15 When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130.

16 And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.

17 After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19Nevertheless, the Lord sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them, but they would not listen.

20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.’”

21 But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the Lord.

22 Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”

23 In the spring, the army of Aram went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.

25 And when the Arameans had withdrawn, they left Joash severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him for shedding the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 26Those who conspired against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 The accounts of the sons of Joash and the many pronouncements about him, and of the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place.

1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.

3 As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. 4Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”

5 Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.

6 He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. 7But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel — not with any of the Ephraimites. 8Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow.”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the troops of Israel?”

And the man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. And they were furious with Judah and returned home in great anger.

11 Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir, 12and the army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had dismissed from battle raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them. 15Therefore the anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”

16 While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”

17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.

18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. 19You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Edom,’ and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall — you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21So Jehoash king of Israel advanced, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 22And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his own home.

23 There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz.

Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate — a section of four hundred cubits. 24He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?

27 From the time that Amaziah turned from following the Lord, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. 28They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

6 We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; 7if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9 Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

11 Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

13 Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

20 On the contrary,

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.