4 Kingdoms 12-14
1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. 2 He began his reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and he ruled for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 3 And all the days in which Jehoiada the priest enlightened him, Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 4 However, none of the high places were removed, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Repairs of the Temple
5 And Joash said to the priests, “With regard to all the silver arising from things consecrated, the silver offerings of the house of the Lord—the valuation of the silver assessed for each man—all the silver which comes from the heart of the man who brings it into the house of the Lord, 6 let the priests take for themselves, each man from the silver that comes in. But they must maintain the repairs to the temple, whenever and whatever repairs are needed.”
7 Now it came to be that by the twenty-third year of King Joash, the priests had not maintained the repair of the temple. 8 So King Joash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why have you not repaired and maintained the temple? Now take the silver from the treasury and use it to repair and maintain the temple.” 9 So the priests, all with one voice, agreed they would not receive any more silver from the people until they had made all the repairs to the temple.
10 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and placed it on the right side of the altar in the house of the Lord. Then the priests who kept the weights put in the chest all the money found in the house of the Lord. 11 And it came to be that whenever they noticed a large amount of silver in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest put it in bags and weighed the silver found that day in the house of the Lord. 12 Then they gave the silver apportioned for repairs into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; to the carpenters and builders who worked on the house of the Lord, 13 to the masons, to the hewers of stone, to the buyers of wood, to make all repairs to the house of the Lord, and for all things discharged to maintain the house of the Lord. 14 However, silver doors, nails, bowls, and trumpets—any vessel of gold or vessel of silver—were not to be made from any of the silver brought into the house of the Lord. 15 For this was given to the workmen who repaired the house of the Lord with it, 16 for they did not require an account from the men into whose hands they delivered the silver, for the workmen dealt faithfully. 17 Money for a sin offering, and money for a trespass offering, and any money brought into the house of the Lord went to the priests.
18 In those days, Hazael king of Syria went up to wage war against Gath, and they captured it. Then Hazael set his face to war against Jerusalem. 19 So Joash king of Judah took all the sacred things dedicated by his fathers, Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, his own sacred things, all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and in the king’s house, and sent them on to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.
20 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and everything he did, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21 And his servants rose up and formed a conspiracy, and killed Joash in the house of the Millo in Silla. 22 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Jehoahaz Is King of Israel
1 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and ruled seventeen years. 2 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin. He did not depart from them.
3 Thus the Lord was roused to anger against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of the son of Hadad, the son of Hazael, for all their days. 4 But Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord heard him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 Then the Lord gave deliverance to Israel, so they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians. And the sons of Israel dwelt in their habitations as before. 6 But still they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who led Israel to sin, but walked in them. Indeed, the wooden image remained in Samaria. 7 Yet there were no more troops left for Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariot drivers, and ten thousand infantry. For the king of Syria destroyed them and made them like dust to be trampled.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, everything he did, and his mighty acts, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 9 So Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Joash his son ruled in his place.
Jehoash Is King of Israel
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria and ruled for sixteen years. 11 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin. He walked in them.
12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, everything he did, and his might in fighting with Amaziah king of Judah, is all this not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13 And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne in Samaria among the sons of Israel.
The Death of Elisha
14 Elisha became sick with an illness from which he would die. Joash king of Israel came down to him and wept before him, and said, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he brought him a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Then he said, “Open the east window.” And he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot the arrow with the bow,” and he shot. And Elisha said, “An arrow of the Lord’s deliverance; an arrow of release from Syria. For you will strike the Syrians at Aphek till their end.” 18 Then Elisha said to him, “Take the bow of an archer.” And he did. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground.” So the king struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was grieved and said, “If you had struck five or six times, then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you shall strike Syria only three times.”
20 Now Elisha died, and they buried him. Then in the following year, the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land. 21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, they beheld a lightly armed band of raiders, and cast the man into the tomb of Elisha. When the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.
Israel Retakes Syrian Cities
22 Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord had mercy on them. He pitied them and watched over them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus He did not want to destroy them or cast them from His presence.
24 Now Hazael king of Syria died. Then the grandson of Hadad reigned in his place. 25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz returned and captured the cities out of the hand of the grandson of Hazael, the cities which he took from the hand of Jehoahaz his father in the war. Joash defeated him three times and recaptured the cities of Israel.
Amaziah Is King of Judah
1 In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like his father David. He did everything as did his father Joash. 4 However, he did not remove the high places, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
5 And it came to be, when the kingdom was established in his hand, Amaziah had his servants who had murdered his father struck with a deadly blow. 6 But he did not have the sons of the murderers put to death, for just as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not face death on behalf of their sons, nor shall sons face death on behalf of their father, but each one shall face death for his own sin.” 7 He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war and called it Joktheel, until this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come here! Let us look one another in the face.” 9 So Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; but wild beasts of the fields in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You indeed defeated Edom, and your heart lifts you up. So while sitting at your house, be glorified in yourself; why wrangle in your hateful feelings and fall to your destruction, and Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah did not heed the words. So the king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh of Judah. 12 Thus Judah fell before Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. And Jehoash came to Jerusalem and broke down four hundred cubits of the wall of Jerusalem, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate. 14 He took the silver and gold and all the vessels found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and the indentured servants, and returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash, including all he did in his might, how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son ruled in his place.
17 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah and all he did, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 They plotted a conspiracy against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and there they put him to death. 20 They brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.
21 Afterwards, all the people of Judah took Azariah, when he was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 After the king rested with his fathers, Azariah rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah.
Jeroboam II Is King of Israel
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, Jeroboam the son of Joash became king over Israel in Samaria and ruled for forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin. 25 He rescued the people from the territory of Israel, from the entrance to Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word the Lord God of Israel spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; that they were few in number, lacking much and forsaken, and there was no one to come to the aid of Israel. 27 And the Lord said He would not blot out the seed of Israel from beneath heaven; so He delivered them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did and his power to wage war, and how he rescued Damascus and Hamath of Judah for Israel, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 So Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then Azariah the son of Amaziah ruled in his place.
Psalms 106:31–43
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His mercies
And His wonders to the sons of men;
32 Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people
And praise Him in the seat of the elders.
33 He turned rivers into a desert
And streams of water into dry ground,
34 A fruitful land into salt water,
Because of the evils of those living there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water,
And a land without water into streams of water;
36 Then He caused the hungry to dwell there
And established a city for habitation;
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards,
And produced much fruit;
38 So He blessed them, and they were multiplied exceedingly,
And their cattle did not diminish.
39 But they were diminished and maltreated
By the affliction of evils and pain.
40 Contempt was poured out on princes,
And He made them wander in an impassible place, where there was no road.
41 Yet He helped the poor man out of his poverty,
And made his families like a flock.
42 The righteous shall see this and be glad,
And all lawlessness shall stop its mouth.
43 Who is wise and shall keep these things,
And shall understand the mercies of the Lord?
Proverbs 23:28–32
28 Who has woe? Who has tumult? Who has condemnation?
Who has unpleasantness and gossip?
Who has afflictions with no purpose?
Whose eyes are pale?
29 Is it not those who linger long with wines?
Is it not those who hunt for the whereabouts of drinking parties?
30 Do not be drunk with wine, but keep company with righteous men,
And keep company in public walks;
31 For if you set your eyes to the bowls and cups,
Afterward you will walk about more naked than ground meat.
32 And at last, he stretches himself out as one bitten by a serpent,
And the venom spreads through him as one bitten by a horned serpent.
John 3:1–21
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
11 “Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.21 “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Thank you. May God bless your efforts.