1
In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah as king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for seventeen years.
2
Like King Jeroboam before him, he sinned against the LORD and led Israel into sin; he never gave up his evil ways.
3
So the LORD was angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad to defeat Israel time after time.
4
Then Jehoahaz prayed to the LORD, and the LORD, seeing how harshly the king of Syria was oppressing the Israelites, answered his prayer.
5
The LORD sent Israel a leader, who freed them from the Syrians, and so the Israelites lived in peace, as before.
6
But they still did not give up the sins into which King Jeroboam had led Israel, but kept on committing them; and the image of the goddess Asherah remained in Samaria.
7
Jehoahaz had no armed forces left except fifty cavalry troops, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Syria had destroyed the rest, trampling them down like dust.
8
Everything else that Jehoahaz did and all his brave deeds are recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.
9
He died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash succeeded him as king.
10
In the thirty-seventh year of the reign of King Joash of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for sixteen years.
11
He too sinned against the LORD and followed the evil example of King Jeroboam, who had led Israel into sin.
12
Everything else that Jehoash did, including his bravery in the war against King Amaziah of Judah, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.
13
Jehoash died and was buried in the royal tombs in Samaria, and his son Jeroboam II succeeded him as king.
14
The prophet Elisha was sick with a fatal disease, and as he lay dying, King Jehoash of Israel went to visit him. "My father, my father!" he exclaimed as he wept. "You have been the mighty defender of Israel!"
15
"Get a bow and some arrows," Elisha ordered him. Jehoash got them,
16
and Elisha told him to get ready to shoot. The king did so, and Elisha placed his hands on the king's hands.
17
Then, following the prophet's instructions, the king opened the window that faced toward Syria. "Shoot the arrow!" Elisha ordered. As soon as the king shot the arrow, the prophet exclaimed, "You are the LORD's arrow, with which he will win victory over Syria. You will fight the Syrians in Aphek until you defeat them."
18
Then Elisha told the king to take the other arrows and strike the ground with them. The king struck the ground three times, and then stopped.
19
This made Elisha angry, and he said to the king, "You should have struck five or six times, and then you would have won complete victory over the Syrians; but now you will defeat them only three times."
20
Elisha died and was buried. Every year bands of Moabites used to invade the land of Israel.
21
One time during a funeral, one of those bands was seen, and the people threw the corpse into Elisha's tomb and ran off. As soon as the body came into contact with Elisha's bones, the man came back to life and stood up.
22
King Hazael of Syria oppressed the Israelites during all of Jehoahaz' reign,
23
but the LORD was kind and merciful to them. He would not let them be destroyed, but helped them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has never forgotten his people.
24
At the death of King Hazael of Syria his son Benhadad became king.
25
Then King Jehoash of Israel defeated Benhadad three times and recaptured the cities that had been taken by Benhadad during the reign of Jehoahaz, the father of Jehoash.
1
In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz as king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah
2
at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.
3
He did what was pleasing to the LORD, but he was not like his ancestor King David; instead, he did what his father Joash had done.
4
He did not tear down the pagan places of worship, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5
As soon as Amaziah was firmly in power, he executed the officials who had killed his father, the king.
6
However, he did not kill their children but followed what the LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses: "Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for a crime they themselves have committed."
7
Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley; he captured the city of Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, the name it still has.
8
Then Amaziah sent messengers to King Jehoash of Israel, challenging him to fight.
9
But King Jehoash sent back the following reply: "Once a thorn bush on the Lebanon Mountains sent a message to a cedar: 'Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' A wild animal passed by and trampled the bush down.
10
Now Amaziah, you have defeated the Edomites, and you are filled with pride. Be satisfied with your fame and stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and your people?"
11
But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash marched out with his men and fought against him at Beth Shemesh in Judah.
12
Amaziah's army was defeated, and all his soldiers fled to their homes.
13
Jehoash took Amaziah prisoner, advanced on Jerusalem, and tore down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of two hundred yards.
14
He took all the silver and gold he could find, all the Temple equipment and all the palace treasures, and carried them back to Samaria. He also took hostages with him.
15
Everything else that Jehoash did, including his bravery in the war against King Amaziah of Judah, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.
16
Jehoash died and was buried in the royal tombs in Samaria, and his son Jeroboam II succeeded him as king.
17
King Amaziah of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel.
18
Everything else that Amaziah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.
19
There was a plot in Jerusalem to assassinate Amaziah, so he fled to the city of Lachish, but his enemies followed him there and killed him.
20
His body was carried back to Jerusalem on a horse and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City.
21
The people of Judah then crowned his sixteen-year-old son Uzziah as king.
22
Uzziah reconquered and rebuilt Elath after his father's death.
23
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash as king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for forty-one years.
24
He sinned against the LORD, following the wicked example of his predecessor King Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin.
25
He reconquered all the territory that had belonged to Israel, from Hamath Pass in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. This was what the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised through his servant the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath Hepher.
26
The LORD saw the terrible suffering of the Israelites; there was no one at all to help them.
27
But it was not the LORD's purpose to destroy Israel completely and forever, so he rescued them through King Jeroboam II.
28
Everything else that Jeroboam II did, his brave battles, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Israel, are all recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.
29
Jeroboam died and was buried in the royal tombs, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.
1
Amaziah became king at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.
2
He did what was pleasing to the LORD, but did it reluctantly.
3
As soon as he was firmly in power, he executed the officials who had murdered his father.
4
He did not, however, execute their children, but followed what the LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses: "Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for crimes they themselves have committed."
5
King Amaziah organized all the men of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin into army units, according to the clans they belonged to, and placed officers in command of units of a thousand and units of a hundred. This included all men twenty years of age or older, 300,000 in all. They were picked troops, ready for battle, skilled in using spears and shields.
6
In addition, he hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel at a cost of about four tons of silver.
7
But a prophet went to the king and said to him, "Don't take these Israelite soldiers with you. The LORD is not with these people from the Northern Kingdom.
8
You may think that they will make you stronger in battle, but it is God who has the power to give victory or defeat, and he will let your enemies defeat you."
9
Amaziah asked the prophet, "But what about all that silver I have already paid for them?" The prophet replied, "The LORD can give you back more than that!"
10
So Amaziah sent the hired troops away and told them to go home. At this they went home, bitterly angry with the people of Judah.
11
Amaziah summoned up his courage and led his army to Salt Valley. There they fought and killed ten thousand Edomite soldiers
12
and captured another ten thousand. They took the prisoners to the top of the cliff at the city of Sela and threw them off, so that they were killed on the rocks below.
13
Meanwhile the Israelite soldiers that Amaziah had not allowed to go into battle with him attacked the Judean cities between Samaria and Beth Horon, killed three thousand men, and captured quantities of loot.
14
When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought their idols back with him, set them up, worshiped them, and burned incense to them.
15
This made the LORD angry, so he sent a prophet to Amaziah. The prophet demanded, "Why have you worshiped foreign gods that could not even save their own people from your power?"
16
"Since when," Amaziah interrupted, "have we made you adviser to the king? Stop talking, or I'll have you killed!" The prophet stopped, but not before saying, "Now I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done all this and have ignored my advice."
17
King Amaziah of Judah and his advisers plotted against Israel. He then sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel, who was the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu, challenging him to fight.
18
Jehoash sent this answer to Amaziah: "Once a thorn bush in the Lebanon Mountains sent a message to a cedar: 'Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' A wild animal passed by and trampled the bush down.
19
Now Amaziah, you boast that you have defeated the Edomites, but I advise you to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and your people?"
20
But Amaziah refused to listen. It was God's will for Amaziah to be defeated, because he had worshiped the Edomite idols.
21
So King Jehoash of Israel went into battle against King Amaziah of Judah. They met at Beth Shemesh in Judah,
22
the Judean army was defeated, and the soldiers fled to their homes.
23
Jehoash captured Amaziah and took him to Jerusalem. There he tore down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of two hundred yards.
24
He took back to Samaria as loot all the gold and silver in the Temple, the Temple equipment guarded by the descendants of Obed Edom, and the palace treasures. He also took hostages with him.
25
King Amaziah of Judah outlived King Jehoash of Israel by fifteen years.
26
All the other things that Amaziah did from the beginning to the end of his reign are recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
27
Ever since the time when he rebelled against the LORD, there had been a plot against him in Jerusalem. Finally he fled to the city of Lachish, but his enemies followed him there and killed him.
28
His body was carried to Jerusalem on a horse, and he was buried in the royal tombs in David's City.
1
Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days.
2
People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious;
3
they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good;
4
they will be treacherous, reckless, and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God;
5
they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people.
6
Some of them go into people's houses and gain control over weak women who are burdened by the guilt of their sins and driven by all kinds of desires,
7
women who are always trying to learn but who can never come to know the truth.
8
As Jannes and Jambres were opposed to Moses, so also these people are opposed to the truth---people whose minds do not function and who are failures in the faith.
9
But they will not get very far, because everyone will see how stupid they are. That is just what happened to Jannes and Jambres.
10
But you have followed my teaching, my conduct, and my purpose in life; you have observed my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance,
11
my persecutions, and my sufferings. You know all that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the terrible persecutions I endured! But the Lord rescued me from them all.
12
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted;
13
and evil persons and impostors will keep on going from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
14
But as for you, continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe. You know who your teachers were,
15
and you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living,
17
so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.
