¶ Israelite Kings Jehoahaz and Jehoash
A reading from the book of 2 Kings.
🔇 Silence
In the twenty-third year of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoaz, the son of Jehu, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. He did not depart from them. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael, King of Syria, and into the hand of Benadad, the son of Hazael.
Then Jehoaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. Therefore the Lord gave Israel a Savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them, and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.
For there was not left to Jehoahaz the an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So Jehoaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.
In the thirty-seventh year of Joash, king of Judah, Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.
Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah, king of Judah, Are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jerobam sat on his throne, and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Now, when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash, King of Israel, went down to him and wept before him, crying, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and his horsemen. And Elisha said to him, Take a bow and arrows. So he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, draw the bow, and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands, and he said, Open the window eastward, and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot, and he shot.
And he said, The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria, for you shall fight the Syrians in Aphak until you have made an end of them. And he said, Take the arrows, and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, strike the ground with them, and he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, You should have struck five or six times.
then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it. But now you will strike down Syria only three times. So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, behold, a maruding van was seen, and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha. And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet. Now Hazael, king of Syria, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoaz.
But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now. When Hazael, king of Syria, died, Ben Hadad, his son, became king in his place. Then Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, took again from Benadad, the son of Hazael, the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz, his father in war.
Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.
¶ King Amaziah of Judah (2 Kings)
In the second year of Joash, the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoadin of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David, his father. He did in all things as Joash, his father had done.
But the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king, his father. But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses, for the Lord commanded, Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children. Nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers.
But each one shall die for his own sin. He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the valley of Salt, and took Selah by storm, and called it Jothiel, which is its name to this day. Then Amaziah sent messages to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, King of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash, King of Israel, sent word to Amaziah, King of Judah.
A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife, and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?
But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash, King of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah, King of Judah faced one another in battle at Bethshesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. And Jehoash, King of Israel, captured Amaziah, King of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Befshemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits of the From the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
And he seized all the gold and silver. and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah, King of Judah, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.
¶ Jeroboam II's Reign and Restoration
Amaziah, the son of Joash, King of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash, son of Jehoah, King of Israel. Now, the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lakish and put him to death there. And they brought him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, King of Judah, Job, the son of Joash, King of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty one years.
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath. as far as the sea of the Erabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah, the son of Amitai, the prophet, who was from Gath Hefer.
For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jerobam the son of Joash. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did and his might, how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel.
Are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.
¶ Amaziah's Reign and Idolatry (2 Chronicles)
A reading from the book of Second Chronicles.
🔇 Silence
Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoadan of Jerusalem, and he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed a servant who had struck down the king, his father. But he did not put their children to death.
according to what is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin. Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers' houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin.
He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that they were three hundred thousand choice men fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of Alor from Israel for one hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him and said, O King, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites.
But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God. But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel? The man of God answered, The Lord is able to give you much more than this.
Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger. But Amazai took courage and led out his people, and went to the valley of Salt, and struck down ten thousand men of Seer. The men of Judah captured another ten thousand alive, and took them to the top of a rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces. But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back.
not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Bethoram, and struck down three thousand people in them, and took much spoil. After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir, and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them.
Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah, and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand? But as he was speaking, the king said to him, Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop. Why should you be struck down? So the prophet stopped, but said, I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.
Then Amazah, king of Judah, took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah, king of Judah. A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife, and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.
You say, See, I have struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you? But Amazai would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. So Joash King of Israel went up, and he and Amazar King of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. And Joash King of Israel captured Amaziah, King of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, and Beth Shemet. And brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the Ephraim gate to the corner gate. And he seized all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of God in the care of Obed Edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king's house.
also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoaz, King of Israel. Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah from first to last, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? From the time when he turned away from the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lakish, but they sent after him to Lakish and put him to death there.
They brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David.
🔇 Silence