24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beer-sheba. ² And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest. ³ And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.

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⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house of Jehovah. ⁵ And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. ⁶ And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony? ⁷ For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of Jehovah did they bestow upon the Baalim.

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⁸ So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of Jehovah. ⁹ And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for Jehovah the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end. ¹¹ And it was so, that, at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. ¹² And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of Jehovah, and also such as wrought iron and brass to repair the house of Jehovah. ¹³ So the workmen wrought, and ^‍the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up the house of God in its state, and strengthened it. ¹⁴ And when they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of Jehovah, even vessels wherewith to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt-offerings in the house of Jehovah continually all the days of Jehoiada.

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¹⁵ But Jehoiada waxed old and was full of days, and he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. ¹⁶ And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house. ¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. ¹⁸ And they forsook the house of Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness. ¹⁹ Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto Jehovah; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

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²⁰ And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, so that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he hath also forsaken you. ²¹ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of Jehovah. ²² Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, Jehovah look upon it, and require it.

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²³ And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. ²⁴ For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Jehovah delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. So they executed ^‍judgment upon Joash.

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²⁵ And when they were departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings. ²⁶ And these are they that conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of ^‍Shimrith the Moabitess. ²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens ^‍laid upon him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

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25 Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. ² And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but not with a perfect heart. ³ Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established unto him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father. ⁴ But he put not their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Jehovah commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.

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⁵ Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. ⁶ He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver. ⁷ But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for Jehovah is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. ⁸ But ^‍if thou wilt go, do valiantly, be strong for the battle: God will cast thee down before the enemy; for God hath power to help, and to cast down. ⁹ And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the ^‍army of Israel? And the man of God answered, Jehovah is able to give thee much more than this. ¹⁰ Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger. ¹¹ And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. ¹² And other ten thousand did the children of Judah carry away alive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they were all broken in pieces. ¹³ But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon, and smote of them three thousand, and took much spoil.

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¹⁴ Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. ¹⁵ Wherefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, who said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of thy hand? ¹⁶ And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Have we made thee of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

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¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. ¹⁸ And Joash 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle. ¹⁹ Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten Edom; and thy heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

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²⁰ But Amaziah would not hear; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought after the gods of Edom. ²¹ So Joash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah. ²² And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent. ²³ And Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto ^‍the corner gate, four hundred cubits. ²⁴ And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

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²⁵ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? ²⁷ Now from the time that Amaziah did turn away from following Jehovah they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. ²⁸ And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual ^‍service. ² And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is ^‍the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

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³ For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. ⁴ For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. ⁶ And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; ⁸ or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.

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⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. ¹⁰ In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another; ¹¹ in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving ^‍the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer; ¹³ communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. ¹⁵ Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits. ¹⁷ Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. ¹⁹ Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. ²⁰ But ^‍if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. ²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

¹⁹ But be not thou far off, O Jehovah:
O thou my succor, haste thee to help me.
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
My darling from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth;
Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.

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²² I will declare thy name unto my brethren:
In the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.
²³ Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him;
All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him;
And stand in awe of him, all ye the seed of Israel.
²⁴ For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Neither hath he hid his face from him;
But when he cried unto him, he heard.
²⁵ Of thee cometh my praise in the great assembly:
I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
²⁶ The meek shall eat and be satisfied;
They shall praise Jehovah that seek after him:
Let your heart live for ever.
²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah;
And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
²⁸ For the kingdom is Jehovah’s;
And he is the ruler over the nations.
²⁹ All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship:
All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him,
Even he that cannot keep his soul alive.
³⁰ A seed shall serve him;
It shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.
³¹ They shall come and shall declare his righteousness
Unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done it.

⁸ A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment
Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin?
¹⁰ Diverse weights, and diverse measures,
Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.