Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 25

Amaziah King of Judah^(a)(b)(c)

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. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , but not wholeheartedly.^{(d) 3} After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. ⁴ Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses,^(e) where the Lord commanded: "Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin."^[a](f)

⁵ Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered^(g) those twenty years old^(h) or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service,⁽ⁱ⁾ able to handle the spear and shield. ⁶ He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents^[b] of silver.

⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, "Your Majesty, these troops from Israel^(j) must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. ⁸ Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow."^(k)

⁹ Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?"

The man of God replied, "The Lord can give you much more than that."^(l)

¹⁰ So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.^(m)

¹¹ Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. ¹² The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.⁽ⁿ⁾

¹³ Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

¹⁴ When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods,^(o) bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. ¹⁵ The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, "Why do you consult this people's gods, which could not save^(p) their own people from your hand?"

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, the king said to him, "Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?"

So the prophet stopped but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."

¹⁷ After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash^[c] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: "Come, let us face each other in battle."

¹⁸ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle^(q) in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. ¹⁹ You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?"

²⁰ Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom.^{(r) 21} So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. ²² Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. ²³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,^[d] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate^(s) to the Corner Gate^(t)—a section about four hundred cubits^[e] long. ²⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom,^(u) together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and 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. ²⁶ As for the other events of Amaziah's reign, 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 away from following the Lord , they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish^(v), but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁸ He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.^[f]

Chapter 26

Uzziah King of Judah^(a)(b)

¹ Then all the people of Judah^(c) took Uzziah,^[a] who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ² He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear^[b] of God.^(d) As long as he sought the Lord , God gave him success.^(e)

⁶ He went to war against the Philistines^(f) and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod.^(g) He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs^(h) who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.^{(i) 8} The Ammonites^(j) brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.

⁹ Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate,^(k) at the Valley Gate^(l) and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. ¹⁰ He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

¹¹ Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. ¹² The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. ¹³ Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. ¹⁴ Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army.^{(m) 15} In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

¹⁶ But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride⁽ⁿ⁾ led to his downfall.^(o) He was unfaithful^(p) to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense^(q) on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Azariah^(r) the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. ¹⁸ They confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord . That is for the priests,^(s) the descendants^(t) of Aaron,^(u) who have been consecrated to burn incense.^(v) Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God."

¹⁹ Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord 's temple, leprosy^[c](w) broke out on his forehead. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

²¹ King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house^[d](x)—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord . Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

²² The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah^(y) son of Amoz. ²³ Uzziah^(z) rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.^(aa)

Chapter 27

Jotham King of Judah^(a)

¹ Jotham^(b) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the Lord . The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. ³ Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel.^{(c) 4} He built towns in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

⁵ Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites^(d) and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents^[a] of silver, ten thousand cors^[b] of wheat and ten thousand cors^[c] of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

⁶ Jotham grew powerful^(e) because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.

⁷ The other events in Jotham's reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. ⁹ Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

Chapter 28

Ahaz King of Judah^(a)

¹ Ahaz^(b) was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord . ² He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols^(c) for worshiping the Baals. ³ He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(d) and sacrificed his children^(e) in the fire, engaging in the detestable^(f) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

⁵ Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram.^(g) The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. ⁶ In one day Pekah^(h) son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah⁽ⁱ⁾—because Judah had forsaken the Lord , the God of their ancestors. ⁷ Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. ⁸ The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah^(j) two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.^(k)

⁹ But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, "Because the Lord , the God of your ancestors, was angry^(l) with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.^{(m) 10} And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves.⁽ⁿ⁾ But aren't you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? ¹¹ Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord 's fierce anger rests on you.^(o)"

¹² Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. ¹³ "You must not bring those prisoners here," they said, "or we will be guilty before the Lord . Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel."

¹⁴ So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. ¹⁵ The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink,^(p) and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms,^(q) and returned to Samaria.^(r)

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings^[a] of Assyria^(s) for help. ¹⁷ The Edomites^(t) had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,^{(u) 18} while the Philistines^(v) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon^(w) and Gederoth,^(x) as well as Soko,^(y) Timnah^(z) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. ¹⁹ The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,^[b] for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful^(aa) to the Lord . ²⁰ Tiglath-Pileser^[c](ab) king of Assyria^(ac) came to him, but he gave him trouble^(ad) instead of help.^{(ae) 21} Ahaz^(af) took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.^(ag)

²² In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful^(ah) to the Lord . ²³ He offered sacrifices to the gods^(ai) of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me."^(aj) But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.^(ak)

²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the furnishings^(al) from the temple of God^(am) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors^(an) of the Lord 's temple and set up altars^(ao) at every street corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord , the God of his ancestors.

²⁶ The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz rested^(ap) with his ancestors and was buried^(aq) in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.