2 KINGS 10:32-12:21
ACTS 18:1-22
PSALM 145:1-21
PROVERBS 18:1
2 KINGS 10:32-12:21
At about that time the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country 33 east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan. 34 The rest of the events in Jehu's reign and all his deeds and achievements are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 35 When Jehu died, he was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king. 36 In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years.11:1 WHEN Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she set out to destroy the rest of the royal family. 2 But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. Jehosheba put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered. 3 Joash and his nurse remained hidden in the Temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land. 4 In the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the guards to come to the Temple of the LORD. He made a pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD's Temple; then he showed them the king's son. 5 Jehoiada told them, " This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself. 6 Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace. 7 The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the LORD's Temple. 8 Form a bodyguard for the king and keep your weapons in hand. Any unauthorized person who approaches you must be killed. Stay right beside the king at all times."9 So the commanders did everything just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest, 10 and he supplied them with the spears and shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the LORD. 11 The guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar. 12 Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king's son, and placed the crown on his head. He presented Joash with a copy of God's covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and all the people clapped their hands and shouted, " Long live the king!" 13 When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the guards and the people, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening. 14 And she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The officers and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, " Treason! Treason!" 15 Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, " Take her out of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her. Do not kill her here in the Temple of the LORD." 16 So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there. 17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the LORD. 19 Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king's palace. 21 Joash was seven years old when he became king.12:1 JOASH began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu's reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba. 2 All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. 4 One day King Joash said to the priests, " Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the LORD's Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift. 5 Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple."6 But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. 7 So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, " Why haven't you repaired the Temple? Don't use any more gifts for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on getting the Temple into good condition." 8 So the priests agreed not to collect any more money from the people, and they also agreed not to undertake the repairs of the Temple themselves. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest. 10 Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the LORD's Temple and put it into bags. 11 Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the LORD's Temple--the carpenters, the builders, 12 the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy timber and cut stone for repairing the LORD's Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple's restoration.13 The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver cups, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the LORD. 14 It was paid out to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs. 15 No accounting was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and faithful workers. 16 However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the LORD's Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use. 17 About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 18 King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem. 19 The rest of the events in Joash's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 20 But his officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. 21 The assassins were Jozabad> son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer--both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.
ACTS 18:1-22
Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar's order to deport all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. 4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5 And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent his full time preaching and testifying to the Jews, telling them, " The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus." 6 But when the Jews opposed him and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his robe and said, " Your blood be upon your own heads--I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."7 After that he stayed with Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also became believers and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, " Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me." 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. 13 They accused Paul of " persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law." 14 But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul's accusers and said, " Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would be obliged to listen to you. 15 But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish laws, you take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters." 16 And he drove them out of the courtroom. 17 The mob had grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and had beaten him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention. 18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that and then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters* and sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. (Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.) 19 When they arrived at the port of Ephesus, Paul left the others behind. But while he was there, he went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews. 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21 So he left, saying, " I will come back later, God willing." Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.
PSALM 145:1-21
A psalm of praise of David.
1 I will praise you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 I will bless you every day,
and I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
His greatness is beyond discovery!
4 Let each generation tell its children
of your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is kind and merciful,
slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.
9 The LORD is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, LORD,
and your faithful followers will bless you.
11 They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom;
they will celebrate examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule generation after generation.
The LORD is faithful in all he says;
he is gracious in all he does.
14 The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
15 All eyes look to you for help;
you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
18 The LORD is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The LORD protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
21 I will praise the LORD,
and everyone on earth will bless his holy name
forever and forever.
PROVERBS 18:1
A recluse is self-indulgent, snarling at every sound principle of conduct.
