Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 11

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

¹ When Athaliah,^(a) Ahaziah's mother,^(b) saw that her son was dead,^(c) she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. ² Jehosheba,^(d) who was King Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's^(e) sister, secretly rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king's sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed. ³ Joash was in hiding with Jehosheba in the Lord 's temple six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Athaliah Overthrown

⁴ Then^(f) in the seventh year, Jehoiada^(g) sent messengers and brought in the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards.^(h) He had them come to him in the Lord 's temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king's son ⁵ and commanded them, "This is what you are to do: a third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath⁽ⁱ⁾ are to provide protection for the king's palace. ⁶ A third are to be at the Sur gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace.^[a](j)

⁷ "Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the Lord 's temple. ⁸ You must completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. You must be with the king in all his daily tasks."^[b](k)

⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and went to Jehoiada the priest.^{(l) 10} The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David's spears and shields^(m) that were in the Lord 's temple. ¹¹ Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

¹² He brought out the king's son, put the crown⁽ⁿ⁾ on him, gave him the testimony,^[c](o) and made him king. They anointed^(p) him and clapped their hands and cried, "Long live the king!"^(q)

¹³ When Athaliah^(r) heard the noise from the guard and the crowd, she went out to the people at the Lord 's temple.^{(s) 14} As she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar^(t) according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.^(u) Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed "Treason! Treason!"^(v)

¹⁵ Then Jehoiada^(w) the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds^(x) in charge of the army, "Take her out between the ranks, and put to death by the sword anyone who follows her," for the priest had said, "She is not to be put to death in the Lord 's temple."^{(y) 16} So they arrested her, and she went through the horse entrance^(z) to the king's palace, where she was put to death.^(aa)

Jehoiada's Reforms

¹⁷ Then^(ab) Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord , the king, and the people that they would be the Lord 's people^(ac) and another covenant between the king and the people.^{[d](ad) 18} So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke its altars and images into pieces,^(ae) and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.^(af)

Then Jehoiada the priest appointed guards for the Lord 's temple.^{(ag) 19} He took the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards,^(ah) and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord 's temple. They entered the king's palace by way of the guards' gate. Then Joash^(ai) sat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰ All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword in the king's palace.

Judah's King Joash

^21 [e]Joash^[f](aj) was seven years old when he became king.^(ak)

Chapter 12

^1 1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king and reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah, who was from Beer-sheba.^{(a) 2} Throughout the time Jehoiada^(b) the priest instructed^(c) him, Joash did what was right in the Lord 's sight.^{(d) 3} Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.^(e)

Repairing the Temple

⁴ Then^(f) Joash said to the priests, "All the dedicated money brought to the Lord 's temple,^(g) census money,^(h) money from vows,⁽ⁱ⁾ and all money voluntarily given^(j) for the Lord 's temple, ⁵ each priest is to take from his assessor^[a] and repair whatever damage to the temple is found."^[b](k)

⁶ But by the twenty-third year^(l) of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage^[c] to the temple.^{(m) 7} So King Joash called Jehoiada⁽ⁿ⁾ the priest and the other priests and said, "Why haven't you repaired the temple's damage? Since you haven't, don't take any money from your assessors; instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple." ⁸ So the priests agreed they would not take money from the people and they would not repair the temple's damage.

⁹ Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest,^(o) bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the Lord 's temple; in it the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the Lord 's temple.^{(p) 10} Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king's secretary^(q) and the high priest would go to the Lord 's temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags.^{(r) 11} Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those doing the work—those who oversaw the Lord 's temple. They in turn would pay it out to those working on the Lord 's temple—the carpenters, the builders, ¹² the masons, and the stonecutters—and would use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the damage to the Lord 's temple^(s) and for all spending for temple repairs.

¹³ However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver^(t) were made for the Lord 's temple from the money brought into the temple. ¹⁴ Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired the Lord 's temple with it. ¹⁵ No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity.^{(u) 16} The money from the restitution offering and the sin offering was not brought to the Lord 's temple since it belonged to the priests.^(v)

Aramean Invasion of Judah

¹⁷ At that time Hazael^(w) king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.^{(x) 18} So King Joash of Judah took all the consecrated items that his ancestors—Judah's kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—had consecrated, along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord 's temple and in the king's palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram.^(y) Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

Joash Assassinated

¹⁹ The rest of the events of Joash's reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.^{(z) 20} Joash's servants conspired against him and killed him^(aa) at Beth-millo^(ab) on the road that goes down to Silla. ²¹ His servants Jozabad^[d] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died.^(ac) Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.^(ad)

Chapter 13

Israel's King Jehoahaz

¹ In the twenty-third year of Judah's King Joash^(a) son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz^(b) son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned 17 years. ² He did what was evil in the Lord 's sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.^{(c) 3} So the Lord 's anger burned against Israel,^(d) and He surrendered them to the power of Hazael^(e) king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad^(f) during their reigns.

⁴ Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord 's favor, and the Lord heard him, for He saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel.^{(g) 5} Therefore, the Lord gave Israel a deliverer,^(h) and they escaped from the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel dwelt in their tents as before, ⁶ but they didn't turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Jehoahaz walked in them,⁽ⁱ⁾ and the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria. ⁷ Jehoahaz did not have an army left, except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them,^(j) making them like dust at threshing.^(k)

⁸ The rest of the events of Jehoahaz's reign, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.^{(l) 9} Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash^[a] became king in his place.

Israel's King Jehoash

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Judah's King Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned 16 years. ¹¹ He did what was evil in the Lord 's sight. He did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them.^(m)

¹² The rest of the events of Jehoash's reign, along with all his accomplishments and the power he had to wage war against Judah's King Amaziah,⁽ⁿ⁾ are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. ¹³ Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam^(o) sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha's Death

¹⁴ When Elisha became sick with the illness that he died from, Jehoash king of Israel went down and wept over him and said, "My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!"^(p)

¹⁵ Elisha responded, "Take a bow and arrows." So he got a bow and arrows.^{(q) 16} Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So the king put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. ¹⁷ Elisha said, "Open the east window." So he opened it. Elisha said, "Shoot!" So he shot.^(r) Then Elisha said, "The Lord 's arrow of victory, yes, the arrow of victory over Aram. You are to strike down the Arameans in Aphek^(s) until you have put an end to them."

¹⁸ Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows!" So he took them. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground!" So he struck the ground three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God^(t) was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to them, but now you will only strike down Aram three times." ²⁰ Then Elisha died and was buried.^(u)

Now Moabite raiders^(v) used to come into the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a raiding party, so they threw the man into Elisha's tomb. When he touched Elisha's bones, the man revived and stood up!^(w)

God's Mercy on Israel

²² Hazael^(x) king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz, ²³ but the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them,^(y) and turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.^(z) He was not willing to destroy them. Even now He has not banished them from His presence.^(aa)

²⁴ King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad^(ab) became king in his place. ²⁵ Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in war from Jehoash's father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel.^(ac)

Chapter 14

Judah's King Amaziah

¹ In^(a) the second year of Israel's King Jehoash^[a](b) son of Jehoahaz,^[b] Amaziah^(c) son of Joash became king of Judah. ² He was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan^[c] and was from Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the Lord 's sight, but not like his ancestor David. He did everything his father Joash had done.^{(d) 4} Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.^(e)

⁵ As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah killed his servants who had murdered his father the king.^{(f) 6} However, he did not put the children of the murderers to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded, "Fathers must not be put to death because of children, and children must not be put to death because of fathers; instead, each one will be put to death for his own sin."^(g)

⁷ Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.^(h) He took Sela⁽ⁱ⁾ in battle and called it Joktheel,^(j) which is its name to this very day. ⁸ Amaziah then sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us meet face to face."^(k)

⁹ King Jehoash of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon once sent a message to the cedar^(l) that was in Lebanon,^(m) saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. ¹⁰ You have indeed defeated Edom, and you have become overconfident.⁽ⁿ⁾ Enjoy your glory and stay at home. Why should you stir up such trouble that you fall—you and Judah with you?"