4 Kingdoms 10, 11
1 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote a letter and sent it to Samaria, to the rulers of Samaria, to the elders, and to those who reared the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “At the moment this letter is delivered to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and because you have chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons, 3 choose the best qualified of your master’s sons, then set him on his father’s throne, and prepare to fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were very afraid and said, “Look, two kings could not stand up to him. How can we stand?” 5 Those over the house and over the city, plus the elders, and including even those who reared the sons, sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants and we will do everything you tell us, but we will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your eyes.” 6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are for me and obey my voice, take the heads of the sons of your lord, and by this time tomorrow, bring them to me at Jezreel.”
Now the sons of the king totaled seventy men. These well-educated headmasters from within the city reared them. 7 But when the letter came to them, they took the seventy sons of the king and slaughtered them. They then put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. 8 Then a messenger came and spoke to Jehu, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 So in the morning, he went out and stood at the gate and said to all the people, “You are the righteous ones! Indeed, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these? 10 See then that not one thing from the word of the Lord against the house of Ahab fall on the ground for any reason. For the Lord has fulfilled all He spoke of by the authority of His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel: all his well-educated headmasters, his friends, and his priests, so no remnant of him survived.
Ahaziah’s Brothers Are Killed
12 Then Jehu arose and departed to Samaria. When he was at Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu found the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” So they answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We came down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 And he said, “Take them alive!” So they took them alive and killed these forty-two men at Beth Eked; he left not one of them alive.
Other Relatives of Ahab Killed
15 After he departed from there, he found Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to greet him, and he bestowed a blessing on him. Jehu said to him, “Is your heart right with my heart, as my heart is right with your heart?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and he brought him into the chariot. 16 Then he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts.” So Jehonadab rode in his chariot. 17 And when Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria till he had completely destroyed them, according to the word the Lord spoke through Elijah.
Worshipers of Baal Are Killed
18 Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now all the prophets of Baal, all the servants of his and the priests of his, must call upon me. Let not a man be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu acted in deception in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent to all Israel, saying, “And now all the servants of Baal, and all his priests and all his prophets, let no one be left out. For I am making a great sacrifice, and if anyone is not in attendance, he shall not live.”
Then all the servants of Baal and all his priests and all his prophets came. There was not a man who did not come, no one was left behind. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 So he said to the one in charge of the house and the wardrobe, “Bring out vestments for all the servants of Baal.” And the one in charge of the vestments brought them. 23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab entered the house of Baal and said to the servants of Baal, “Search and see whether there are any servants of the Lord here, or only servants of Baal.” 24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu appointed for himself eighty guards to be on the outside and said to them, “If any of the men I brought into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his life for the life of the one he spares.”
25 Now it happened that when Jehu finished offering the whole burnt offering, he said to the guards and to the officers, “Go in and kill every person. Let no one come out!” And they killed them with the edge of the sword. Being completely overrun, the guards, even the officers, cast the bodies out. They then proceeded to the city of the house of Baal, 26 and they brought out the foundational pillar of Baal and burned it. 27 Then they pulled down the other pillars of Baal and demolished the house. It was made into a latrine, and remains so to this day. 28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel.
29 However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin by way of the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan. 30 So the Lord said to Jehu, “Because of the many upright deeds which you did to carry out the good in My sight, and according to all things that were in My heart which you did to the house of Ahab, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit for you on the throne of Israel.” 31 Even still, Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with his whole heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin.
Death of Jehu
32 In those days, the Lord began to divide off parts of Israel. All along the border of Israel, Hazael defeated them; 33 from the Jordan River eastward, all the land of Gilead of the Gadites, that of Gad and that of Reuben and of Manasseh; from Aroer, which is on the bank of the brook of Arnon, and to Gilead and Bashan. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, all he did, all the wars he engaged in and the alliances he formed, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 35 So Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Jehoahaz his son ruled in his place. 36 And the period that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Athaliah Is Queen of Judah
1 Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw her sons were dead, and that she had destroyed all the seed of the kingdom. 2 But Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, kidnapped Joash, her brother’s son, and kept him from being among the murdered sons of the king. She hid Joash and his nurse in the secret room by the bed. In this way he was safe from Athaliah and was not killed. 3 Thus while Athaliah reigned over the land, he remained hidden with her in the house of the Lord.
4 In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest sent for the captains of hundreds, both Chorri and Rasim, and had them brought to him in the house of the Lord. After he made a covenant with them, a binding oath in the house of the Lord, Jehoiada showed them the son of the king. 5 Then he commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall do: When the Sabbath comes, one-third of you shall keep guard over the house of the king by the gate, 6 and one-third by the gate of the roads, and one-third by the gate behind the escorts. You shall keep the evening watch of the house. 7 Two divisions you have are off-duty on the Sabbath. For the sake of the king, they shall keep the evening watch of the house of the Lord. 8 And you shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand. And anyone penetrating their ranks, let him be put to death. You shall be with the king in his going out and his coming in.”
9 So the captains of the hundreds did according to all the wise Jehoiada commanded. Each of them took his men, those to be on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 So the priest gave the captains of hundreds the swords and spears of King David, those kept in the house of the Lord. 11 Then the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right corner of the house to the corner of the house left of the altar, and round about the house of the king. 12 And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony. They thereby announced him king and anointed him. They then clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
Queen Athaliah Dies
13 Athaliah heard the noise of the people running, and she went to the people in the temple of the Lord. 14 When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar according to decree; and the singers and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!” 15 So Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds and the officers of the army and said to them, “Lead her out to the field under guard, and slay her with the sword, and whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not let her be killed in the house of the Lord.” 16 They laid their hands upon her and went by way of the horse entrance to the house of the king. She died there.
The Reforms of Jehoiada
17 Jehoiada the priest made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they would remain the Lord’s people. He also made one between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and they completely tore it down and broke it all to pieces, its altars and its images. And before the altars, they killed Mattan the priest of Baal. The priest then placed overseers over the house of the Lord. 19 Then he took the captains of hundreds, Chorri and Rasim, and all the people of the land, and he led the king from out of the house of the Lord. They then went by way of the gate of the guardhouse to the king’s house, and they sat him on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at peace. And in the house of the king, they killed Athaliah with the sword.
Psalms 106:15–30
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His mercies,
His wonders to the sons of men;
16 For He crushed the gates of bronze
And shattered the bars of iron.
17 He helped them out of their lawless ways,
For they were humbled because of their transgressions.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near the gates of death;
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their afflictions,
And He saved them from their distresses;
20 He sent His Word and healed them,
And delivered them from their corruptions.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His mercies
And His wonders to the sons of men,
22 And let them offer a sacrifice of praise;
And let them proclaim His works with exceeding joy.
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business in many waters,
24 These see the works of the Lord
And His wonders in the deep;
25 He spoke, and a stormy wind arose,
And its waves were lifted up;
26 They mount up to the heavens
And descend into the deep;
Their soul is consumed with evils;
27 They were troubled; they were shaken like one drunk with wine,
And all their wisdom was consumed;
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
29 He also commanded the storm, and it became a breeze,
And its waves were still;
30 Then they were glad, for they were silent,
And He guided them to the haven of their desire.
Proverbs 23:24–27
24 Let your father and mother be glad in you,
And let her who bore you rejoice.
25 My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways;
26 For a house of prostitution is a pierced vessel
And a strange and empty well;
27 For he shall perish suddenly,
And every lawless man shall be destroyed.
John 2
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.
7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.
9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matt. 21:12–17; Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48)
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
The Discerner of Hearts
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.