Study Desk

Now Jehoiada ^(F1)reached a good old age and he died; he was 130 years old at his death.

And they buried him ^(C1)in the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in ^(C2)Israel and ^(F1)for God and His house.

But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.

And they abandoned ^(C1)the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and ^(C2)served the ^(F1)Asherim and the idols; so ^(C3)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

Yet ^(C1)He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

^(C1)Then the Spirit of God ^(F1)covered Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, "This is what God has said, '^(C2)Why do you break the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? ^(C3)Because you have abandoned the LORD, He has also abandoned you.'"

So ^(C1)they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him ^(F1)to death in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.

So Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as Zechariah died he said, "May ^(C1)the LORD see and ^(F1)avenge!"

Now it happened at the turn of the year that ^(C1)the army of the Arameans came up against Joash; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoils to the king of Damascus.

Indeed, the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet ^(C1)the LORD handed a very great army over to them, ^(C2)because ^(F1)Judah and Joash had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

^(C1)When they left him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the ^(F1)son of Jehoiada the priest, and they murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

Now these are the men who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

As to his sons and the many pronouncements against him and ^(C1)the ^(F1)rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the ^(F2)(C2)treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.

^(C1)Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, ^(C1)only not wholeheartedly.

Now ^(C1)it came about, as soon as the kingdom was ^(F1)firmly in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had killed his father the king.

However, he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, which the LORD commanded, saying, "^(C1)Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin."

Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers' households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he ^(F1)took a census of those ^(C1)from twenty years old and upward and found them to be ^(C2)three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war and handle spear and shield.

He also hired a hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for ^(F1)a hundred talents of silver.

But ^(C1)a man of God came to him saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel come with you, for the LORD is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.

"But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will ^(F1)bring you down before the enemy, ^(C1)for God has the power to help and to ^(F2)bring down."

Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what are we to do about the ^(F1)hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "^(C1)The LORD has much more to give you than this."

Then Amaziah ^(F1)dismissed the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah, and they returned ^(F2)home in fierce anger.

Now Amaziah gathered his courage and led his people out, and went to ^(C1)the Valley of Salt, and struck and killed ten thousand of the sons of Seir.

The sons of Judah also captured ten thousand alive and brought them to the top of the cliff, and threw them down from the top of the cliff so that they were all dashed to pieces.

But the ^(F1)troops whom Amaziah sent back, those not going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck and killed three thousand of them, and plundered a large amount of spoils.

Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, ^(C1)he brought the gods of the sons of Seir and set them up as his gods. Then he bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

So the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of the people ^(C1)who have not saved their own people from your hand?"

As he was talking with him, ^(F1)the king said to him, "Have we appointed you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should ^(F2)you be put to death?" Then the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."

^(C1)Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, "Come, let's face each other."

But Joash the king of Israel sent a reply to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "^(C1)The thorn bush that was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush.

"You said, 'Behold, you have ^(F1)defeated Edom.' And ^(C1)your heart has lifted you up in boasting. Now stay home; why should you provoke trouble so that you, would fall, you and Judah with you?"

But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that He might hand them over to Joash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah.

And Judah was defeated ^(F1)by Israel, and they fled, every man to his tent.

Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of ^(C1)Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, ^(F1)four hundred cubits.

He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with ^(C1)Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages too, and returned to Samaria.

^(C1)And Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from the first to the last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?

From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.

Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Now all the people of Judah took ^(F1)Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king ^(F1)lay down with his fathers.

Uzziah was ^(C1)sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was ^(F1)Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with everything that his father Amaziah had done.

^(C1)He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, ^(C2)who had understanding ^(F1)through the vision of God; and ^(F2)(C3)as long as he sought the LORD, God made him successful.

Now he went out and ^(C1)fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines.

^(C1)God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

The Ammonites gave ^(C1)tribute to Uzziah, and his ^(F1)fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at ^(C1)the Corner Gate, the ^(C2)Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress, and he fortified them.

He also built towers in the wilderness and ^(C1)carved out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the ^(F1)lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.

Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which ^(F1)entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, ^(F2)recorded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's officers.

The total number of the heads of the ^(F1)households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600.

Under their direction was an army of ^(C1)307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy.

Moreover, Uzziah prepared ^(F1)for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slingstones.

In Jerusalem he made machines of war invented by skillful workmen to be on the towers and the corners, for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. So his ^(F1)fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

But ^(C1)when he became strong, his heart was so ^(F1)proud that he acted corruptly, and he was untrue to the LORD his God, for ^(C2)he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Then ^(C1)Azariah the priest entered after him, and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men.

^(C1)They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, "^(C2)It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, ^(C3)but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been untrue and will have no honor from the LORD God."

But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, ^(C1)leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense.

Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they quickly removed him from there, and he himself also hurried to get out because the LORD had stricken him.

^(C1)King Uzziah had leprosy to the day of his death; and he lived in ^(C2)a separate house, afflicted as he was with leprosy, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And his son Jotham was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, the first to the last, the prophet ^(C1)Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written.

So Uzziah ^(F1)lay down with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers ^(C1)in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He had leprosy." And his son Jotham became king in his place.

^(C1)Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.

He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; ^(C1)however he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people continued acting corruptly.

He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and he built the wall of ^(C1)Ophel extensively.

Moreover, he built ^(C1)cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills.

He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that during that year the Ammonites gave him ^(F1)a hundred talents of silver, ^(F2)ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second year and in the third.

^(C1)So Jotham became powerful because he directed his ways before the LORD his God.

^(C1)Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

He was ^(C1)twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years.

And Jotham ^(F1)lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Ahaz became king in his place.

^(C1)Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. ^(C2)He did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD as his father David had done.

^(C1)But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also ^(C2)made cast metal images for the Baals.

Furthermore, ^(C1)he burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, and ^(C2)burned his sons in fire, ^(C3)according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from the sons of Israel.

He sacrificed and ^(C1)burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Therefore ^(C1)the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram; and they ^(F1)defeated him and carried from him a great number of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with heavy casualties.

For ^(C1)Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had abandoned the LORD God of their fathers.

And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah the second to the king.

^(C1)The sons of Israel led away captive two hundred thousand of ^(C2)their relatives, women, sons, and daughters; and they also ^(F1)took a great deal of spoils from them, and brought the spoils to Samaria.

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and ^(C1)he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, ^(C2)was angry with Judah, He has handed them over to you, and you have killed them in a rage ^(C3)which has even reached heaven.

"Now you are proposing to ^(C1)subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. Are you not, however guilty yourselves of offenses against the LORD your God?

"Now then, listen to me and return the captives ^(C1)whom you captured from your brothers, ^(C2)for the burning anger of the LORD is against you."

Then some of the leading men of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—rose up against those who were coming from the battle,

and said to them, "You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us before the LORD, adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great, and His burning anger is against Israel."

So the armed men left the captives and the spoils before the officers and all the assembly.

Then ^(C1)the men who were designated by name got up, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked people from the spoils; they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and ^(C2)gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, ^(C3)the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.

^(C1)At that time King Ahaz sent word to the ^(F1)kings of Assyria for help.

^(C1)For the Edomites had come again and attacked Judah, and led away captives.

^(C1)The Philistines had also invaded the cities of the ^(F1)lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they had settled there.

For the LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of ^(C1)Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD.

So ^(C1)Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him.

^(C1)Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

Now during the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz ^(C1)became even more unfaithful to the LORD.

^(C1)For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had ^(F1)defeated him, and said, "^(C2)Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me." But they became the ^(F2)downfall of him and all Israel.

Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he ^(C1)cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he ^(C2)closed the doors of the house of the LORD, and ^(C3)made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.

In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger.

^(C1)Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

^(C1)So Ahaz ^(F1)lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of ^(C2)Israel; and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.