Athaliah Reigns in Judah^(A)

11 When ^(B)Athaliah ^(C)the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was ^(D)dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs. ² But ^[a]Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of ^(E)Ahaziah, took ^[b]Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom, from Athaliah, so that he was not killed. ³ So he was hidden with her in the house of the Lord for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash Crowned King of Judah^(F)

⁴ In ^(G)the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds—of the bodyguards and the ^[c]escorts—and brought them into the house of the Lord to him. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son. ⁵ Then he commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall do: One-third of you who ^[d]come on duty ^(H)on the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king’s house, ⁶ one-third shall be at the gate of Sur, and one-third at the gate behind the escorts. You shall keep the watch of the house, lest it be broken down. ⁷ The two ^[e]contingents of you who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord for the king. ⁸ But you shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within range, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.”

^9 (I)So the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each of them took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, ^(J)that were in the temple of the Lord. ¹¹ Then the escorts stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right ^[f]side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and the house. ¹² And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the ^(K)Testimony;^[g] they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ^(L)“Long live the king!”

Death of Athaliah^(M)

^13 (N)Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the escorts and the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ When she looked, there was the king standing by ^(O)a pillar according to custom; and the leaders 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 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, “Take her outside ^[h]under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not let her be killed in the house of the Lord.” ¹⁶ So they seized her; and she went by way of the horses’ entrance into the king’s house, and there she was killed.

^17 (P)Then Jehoiada ^(Q)made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also ^(R)between the king and the people. ¹⁸ And all the people of the land went to the ^(S)temple of Baal, and tore it down. They thoroughly ^(T)broke in pieces its altars and ^[i]images, and ^(U)killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And ^(V)the priest appointed ^[j]officers over the house of the Lord. ¹⁹ Then he took the captains of hundreds, the bodyguards, the escorts, and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and went by way of the gate of the escorts to the king’s house. Then he sat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰ So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword in the king’s house. ²¹ Jehoash was ^(W)seven years old when he became king.

Jehoash Repairs the Temple^(X)

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, ^(Y)Jehoash^[k] became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days in which ^(Z)Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ³ But ^(AA)the ^[l]high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

⁴ And Jehoash said to the priests, ^(AB)“All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of the Lord—each man’s ^(AC)census^[m] money, each man’s ^(AD)assessment money—and all the money that ^[n]a man ^(AE)purposes in his heart to bring into the house of the Lord, ⁵ let the priests take it themselves, each from his constituency; and let them repair the ^[o]damages of the temple, wherever any dilapidation is found.”

⁶ Now it was so, by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, ^(AF)that the priests had not repaired the damages of the temple. ^7 (AG)So King Jehoash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damages of the temple? Now therefore, do not take more money from your constituency, but deliver it for repairing the damages of the temple.” ⁸ And the priests agreed that they would neither receive more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the temple.

⁹ Then Jehoiada the priest took ^(AH)a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who ^[p]kept the door put ^(AI)there all the money brought into the house of the Lord. ¹⁰ So it was, whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s ^(AJ)scribe^[q] and the high priest came up and ^[r]put it in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord. ¹¹ Then they gave the money, which had been apportioned, into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; and they ^[s]paid it out to the carpenters and builders who worked on the house of the Lord, ¹² and to masons and stonecutters, and for buying timber and hewn stone, to ^(AK)repair the damage of the house of the Lord, and for all that was paid out to repair the temple. ¹³ However ^(AL)there were not made for the house of the Lord basins of silver, trimmers, sprinkling-bowls, trumpets, any articles of gold or articles of silver, from the money brought into the house of the Lord. ¹⁴ But they gave that to the workmen, and they repaired the house of the Lord with it. ¹⁵ Moreover ^(AM)they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to workmen, for they dealt faithfully. ^16 (AN)The money from the trespass offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord. ^(AO)It belonged to the priests.

Hazael Threatens Jerusalem

^17 (AP)Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; then ^(AQ)Hazael set his face to ^[t]go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁸ And Jehoash king of Judah ^(AR)took all the sacred things that his fathers, Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred things, and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and in the king’s house, and sent them to Hazael king of Syria. Then he went away from Jerusalem.

Death of Joash^(AS)

¹⁹ Now the rest of the acts of ^[u]Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁰ And ^(AT)his servants arose and formed a conspiracy, and killed Joash in the house of ^[v]the Millo, which goes down to Silla. ²¹ For ^[w]Jozachar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of ^[x]Shomer, his servants, struck him. So he died, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then ^(AU)Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Joash Repairs the Temple^(A)

24 Joash ^(B)was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² Joash ^(C)did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. ³ And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

⁴ Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord. ⁵ Then he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and ^(D)gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly.”

However the Levites did not do it quickly. ^6 (E)So the king called Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of ^(F)Moses the servant of the Lord and of the assembly of Israel, for the ^(G)tabernacle of witness?” ⁷ For ^(H)the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the ^(I)dedicated things of the house of the Lord to the Baals.

⁸ Then at the king’s command ^(J)they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the Lord. ⁹ And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord ^(K)the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰ Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given. ¹¹ So it was, at that time, when the chest was brought to the king’s official by the hand of the Levites, and ^(L)when they saw that there was much money, that the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters to ^(M)repair the house of the Lord, and also those who worked in iron and bronze to restore the house of the Lord. ¹³ So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it. ¹⁴ When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; ^(N)they made from it articles for the house of the Lord, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

Apostasy of Joash

¹⁵ But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died. ¹⁶ And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house.

¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. ¹⁸ Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served ^(O)wooden images and idols; and ^(P)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. ¹⁹ Yet He ^(Q)sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of God ^[a]came upon ^(R)Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ^(S)‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? ^(T)Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ” ²¹ So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they ^(U)stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. ²² Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his ^[b]father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, “The Lord look on it, and ^(V)repay!”

Death of Joash^(W)

²³ So it happened in the spring of the year that ^(X)the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their ^[c]spoil to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ For the army of the Syrians ^(Y)came with a small company of men; but the Lord ^(Z)delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they ^(AA)executed judgment against Joash. ²⁵ And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), ^(AB)his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the ^[d]sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed 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.

²⁶ These are the ones who conspired against him: ^[e]Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of ^[f]Shimrith the Moabitess. ²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and ^(AC)the many oracles about him, and the repairing of the house of God, indeed they are written in the ^[g]annals of the book of the kings. ^(AD)Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Honor Masters

6 Let as many ^(A)bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. ² And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Error and Greed

³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to ^(B)wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(C)and to the ^[a]doctrine which accords with godliness, ⁴ he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, ^5 [b]useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. ^[c]From ^(D)such withdraw yourself.

⁶ Now godliness with ^(E)contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, ^[d]and it is ^(F)certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be ^(G)content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The Good Confession

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus ^(H)who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, ¹⁵ which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only ^[e]Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in ^(I)unapproachable light, ^(J)whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Instructions to the Rich

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain ^(K)riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things ^(L)to enjoy. ¹⁸ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ^19 (M)storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Guard the Faith

²⁰ O Timothy! ^(N)Guard what was committed to your trust, ^(O)avoiding the profane and ^[f]idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— ²¹ by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.