Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Chronicles,
chapters 23 -25. Chapter 23 In the seventh year,
Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant
with the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son
of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah
the son of Obed, Masiah the son of Adiah, and
Elishaphad the son of Zichri. And they went throughout
Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities
of Judah and the chief fathers of Israel, and
they came to Jerusalem. Then all the assembly
made a covenant with the king in the house of
God. And he said to them, Behold, the king's
son shall reign, as the Lord has said of the
sons of David. This is what you shall do. One
third of you entering on the Sabbath of the priests
and the Levites shall be keeping watch over the
doors. One third shall be at the king's house,
and one third at the gate of the foundation.
All the people shall be in the courts of the
house of the Lord, but let no one come into the
house of the Lord except the priests and those
of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for
they are holy, but all the people shall keep
the watch of the Lord. And the Levites shall
surround the king on all sides, every man with
his weapons in his hand, and whoever comes into
the house, let him be put to death. You are to
be with the king when he comes in and when he
goes out. So the Levites and all Judah did according
to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And
each man took his men who were to be on duty
on the Sabbath with those who were going off
duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest
had not dismissed the divisions. And Jehoiada
the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the
spears and the large and small shields which
had belonged to King David that were in the temple
of God. Then he set all the people, every man
with his weapon in his hand, from the right side
of the temple to the left side of the temple.
along by the altar and by the temple all around
the king. And they brought out the king's son,
put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,
and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons
anointed him and said, Long live the king. Now
when Ataliah heard the noise of the people running
and praising the king, she came to the people
in the temple of the Lord. When she looked, there
was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance,
and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the
king. All the people of the land were rejoicing
and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical
instruments, and those who led in praise. So
Atalia tore her clothes and said, Treason! Treason!
And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains
of hundreds who were set over the army and said
to them, Take her outside under guard, and slay
with the sword whoever follows her. For the priest
had said, Do not kill her in the house of the
Lord. So they seized her, and she went by way
of the entrance of the horse gate into the king's
house, and they killed her there. Then Jehoiada
made a covenant between himself, the people,
and the king, that they should be the Lord's
people. And all the people went to the temple
of Baal and tore it down. They broke in pieces
its altars and images, and killed Matan, the
priest of Baal, before the altars. Also Jehoiada
appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord
to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom
David had assigned in the house of the Lord to
offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it
is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing
and with singing, as it was established by David.
And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the
house of the Lord, so that no one who was in
any way unclean should enter. Then he took the
captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors
of the people, and all the people of the land,
and brought the king down from the house of the
Lord, and they went through the upper gate to
the king's house, and set the king on the throne
of the kingdom. So all the people of the land
rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had
slain Ataliah with the sword. Chapter 24 Joash
was seven years old when he became king, and
he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's
name was Zebiah of Beersheba. Joash did what
was right in the sight of the Lord all the days
of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took two
wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
Now it happened after this that Joash set his
heart on repairing the house of the Lord. Then
he gathered the priests and the Levites and said
to them, Go out to the cities of Judah and 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. 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 Moses, the servant of the Lord and of the
assembly of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
For the sons of Ataliah, that wicked woman, had
broken into the house of God and had also presented
all the dedicated things of the house of the
Lord to the Baals. then at the king's command
they made a chest and set it outside at the gate
of the house of the lord and they made a proclamation
throughout judah and jerusalem to bring to the
lord the collection that moses the servant of
god had imposed on israel in the wilderness then
all the leaders and all the people rejoiced brought
their contributions and put them into the chest
until all had given so it was at that time when
the chest was brought to the king's official
by the hand of the levites and 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. 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 repair the house of the Lord,
and also those who worked in iron and bronze
to restore the house of the Lord. So the workmen
labored, and the work was completed by them.
They restored the house of God to its original
condition and reinforced it. When they had finished,
they brought the rest of the money before the
king and Jehoiada. 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. But Jehoiada grew old and was full
of days, and he died. He was one hundred and
thirty years old when he died. 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. Now after the death of Jehoiada, the
leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king,
and the king listened to them. Therefore they
left the house of the Lord God of their fathers
and served wooden images and idols. And wrath
came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their
trespass. Yet he sent prophets to them. to bring
them back to the Lord. And they testified against
them, but they would not listen. Then the Spirit
of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada
the priest, who stood above the people and said
to them, Thus says God, Why do you transgress
the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot
prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord,
he also has forsaken you. So they conspired against
him, and at the command of the king, they stoned
him with stones in the court of the house of
the Lord. Thus Joash the king did not remember
the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done
to him, but killed his son. And as he died, he
said, The Lord look on it and repay. So it happened
in the spring of the year that the army of Syria
came up against them and they came to Judah and
Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the
people from among the people and sent all their
spoil to the king of Damascus. For the army of
the Syrians came with a small company of men,
but the Lord delivered a very great army into
their hand because they had forsaken the Lord
God of their fathers. So they executed judgment
against Joash. And when they had withdrawn from
him, for they left him severely wounded, His
own servants conspired against him because of
the blood of the 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. These
are the ones who conspired against him. Zabad
the son of Shemit the Ammonitess, and Jehu Zabad
the son of Shemrit the Moabitess. Now concerning
his sons, and the many oracles about him, and
the repairing of the house of God, indeed they
are written in the annals of the book of the
kings. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Amaziah was twenty -five years old when he became
king, and he reigned twenty -nine years in Jerusalem.
His mother's name was Jehoadan of Jerusalem.
and he did what was right in the sight of the
Lord, but not with a loyal heart. Now it happened,
as soon as the kingdom was established for him,
that he executed his servants who had murdered
his father, the king. However, he did not execute
their children, but did as it is written in the
law in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded,
saying, The fathers shall not be put to death
for their children, nor shall the children be
put to death for their fathers, but a person
shall die for his own sin. Moreover, Amaziah
gathered Judah together and set over them captains
of thousands and captains of hundreds, according
to their fathers' houses, throughout all Judah
and Benjamin. And he numbered them from twenty
years old and above, and found them to be three
hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war,
who could handle spear and shield. He also hired
one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from
Israel for one hundred talents of silver. But
a man of God came to him saying, O king, do not
let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord
is not with Israel, not with any of the children
of Ephraim. But if you go, be gone, be strong
in battle. Even so, God shall make you fall before
the enemy, for God has power to help and to overthrow.
Then Amaziah said to the man of God, But what
shall we do about the hundred talents which I
have given to the troops of Israel? And the man
of God answered, The Lord is able to give you
much more than this. So Amaziah discharged the
troops that had come to him from Ephraim to go
back home. Therefore their anger was greatly
aroused against Judah, and they returned home
in great anger. Then Amaziah strengthened himself,
and leading his people, he went to the Valley
of Salt and killed ten thousand of the people
of Seir. Also the children of Judah took captive
ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of
the rock, and cast them down from the top of
the rock, so that they all were dashed in pieces.
But as for the soldiers of the army which Amaziah
had discharged, so that they would not go with
him to battle, they raided the cities of Judah
from Samaria to Beth Horon, killed three thousand
in them, and took much spoil. Now it was so,
after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the
Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people
of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed
down before them, and burned incense to them.
Therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against
Amaziah, and he sent him a prophet who said to
him, Why have you sought the gods of the people,
which could not rescue their own people from
your hand? So it was as he talked with him that
the king said to him, Have we made you the king's
counselor? Cease, why should you be killed? Then
the prophet ceased and said, I know that God
has determined to destroy you, but you have done
this and have not heeded my advice. Now Amaziah
king of Judah, Asked advice and sent to Joash
the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jeho, king of
Israel, saying, Come, let us face one another
in battle. 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 your daughter to my son as wife.
And a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by
and trampled the thistle. Indeed you say that
you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart
is lifted up to boast. Stay at home now. Why
should you meddle with trouble, that you should
fall, you and Judah with you? But Amaziah would
not heed, for it came from God, that he might
give them into the hand of their enemies, because
they sought the gods of Edom. So Joash king of
Israel went out, and he and Amaziah king of Judah
faced one another at Beit Shemesh, which belongs
to Judah. and Judah was defeated by Israel, and
every man fled to his tent. Then Joash the king
of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the
son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz at Beth Shemesh,
and he brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down
the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim
to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. And
he took all the gold and silver, all the articles
that were found in the house of God, with Obed
-Edom, the treasures of the king's house, and
hostages, and returned to Samaria. Amaziah the
son of Joash king of Judah lived 15 years after
the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz king of
Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah from
first to last. Indeed are they not written in
the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? After
the time that Amaziah turned away from following
the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him
in Jerusalem and he fled to Lashish. But they
sent after him to Lashish and killed him there.
Then they brought him on horses and buried him
with his fathers in the city of Judah. I hope
you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did,
and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow
to continue on our journey. God bless you and
have a great day.