Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of (A)Joash[a] the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, (B)Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the (C)sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. He did not [b]depart from them.

Then (D)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of (E)Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of (F)Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all their days. So Jehoahaz (G)pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for (H)He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. (I)Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before. Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin, but walked in them; (J)and the [c]wooden image also remained in Samaria. For He left of the army of Jehoahaz only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers; for the king of Syria had destroyed them (K)and made them (L)like the dust at threshing.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Jehoahaz [d]rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then [e]Joash his son reigned in his place.

Jehoash Reigns in Israel

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, [f]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, but walked in them.

12 (M)Now the rest of the acts of Joash, (N)all that he did, and (O)his 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? 13 So Joash (P)rested[g] with his fathers. Then Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Death of Elisha

14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, (Q)the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”

15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at (R)Aphek till you have destroyed them. 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! (S)But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

20 Then Elisha [h]died, and they buried him. And the (T)raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. 21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

Israel Recaptures Cities from Syria

22 And (U)Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was (V)gracious to them, had compassion on them, and (W)regarded them, (X)because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.

24 Now Hazael king of Syria died. Then Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his place. 25 And [i]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. (Y)Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel.

Amaziah Reigns in Judah(Z)

14 In (AA)the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, (AB)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything (AC)as his father Joash had done. (AD)However the [j]high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants (AE)who had murdered his father the king. But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, (AF)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

(AG)He killed ten thousand Edomites in (AH)the Valley of Salt, and took [k]Sela by war, (AI)and called its name Joktheel to this day.

(AJ)Then Amaziah sent messengers to [l]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle. And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, (AK)“The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the (AL)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. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and (AM)your heart has [m]lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at (AN)Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from (AO)the Gate of Ephraim to (AP)the Corner Gate—[n]four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all (AQ)the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 (AR)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did—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? 16 So Jehoash [o]rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 (AS)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 And (AT)they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (AU)Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took (AV)Azariah,[p] who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built (AW)Elath[q] and restored it to Judah, after [r]the king rested with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the (AX)sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 He (AY)restored the [s]territory of Israel (AZ)from the entrance of Hamath to (BA)the[t] Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant (BB)Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from (BC)Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord (BD)saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, (BE)there was no helper for Israel. 27 (BF)And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did—his might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from (BG)Damascus and Hamath, (BH)what had belonged to Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 So Jeroboam [u]rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then (BI)Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:1 Jehoash, 2 Kin. 12:1–18
  2. 2 Kings 13:2 Lit. turn
  3. 2 Kings 13:6 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
  4. 2 Kings 13:9 Died and joined his ancestors
  5. 2 Kings 13:9 Or Jehoash
  6. 2 Kings 13:10 Joash, v. 9
  7. 2 Kings 13:13 Died and joined his ancestors
  8. 2 Kings 13:20 Having prophesied at least 55 years
  9. 2 Kings 13:25 Joash, vv. 12–14, 25
  10. 2 Kings 14:4 Places for pagan worship
  11. 2 Kings 14:7 Lit. The Rock; the city of Petra
  12. 2 Kings 14:8 Joash, 2 Kin. 13:9, 12–14, 25; 2 Chr. 25:17ff.
  13. 2 Kings 14:10 Made you proud
  14. 2 Kings 14:13 About 600 feet
  15. 2 Kings 14:16 Died and joined his ancestors
  16. 2 Kings 14:21 Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:1ff.; Is. 6:1; etc.
  17. 2 Kings 14:22 Heb. Eloth
  18. 2 Kings 14:22 Amaziah died and joined his ancestors.
  19. 2 Kings 14:25 border
  20. 2 Kings 14:25 The Dead Sea
  21. 2 Kings 14:29 Died and joined his ancestors

Jehoahaz King of Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. He did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. So the Lord’s anger(B) burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power(C) of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad(D) his son.

Then Jehoahaz sought(E) the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw(F) how severely the king of Aram was oppressing(G) Israel. The Lord provided a deliverer(H) for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. But they did not turn away from the sins(I) of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole[a](J) remained standing in Samaria.

Nothing had been left(K) of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust(L) at threshing time.

As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash[b] his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoash King of Israel

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.

12 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah(M) king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals(N) of the kings of Israel? 13 Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam(O) succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots(P) and horsemen of Israel!”

15 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,”(Q) and he did so. 16 “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

17 “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!”(R) Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”(S)

18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”(T)

20 Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders(U) used to enter the country every spring. 21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life(V) and stood up on his feet.

22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed(W) Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant(X) with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy(Y) them or banish them from his presence.(Z)

24 Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad(AA) his son succeeded him as king. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times(AB) Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered(AC) the Israelite towns.

Amaziah King of Judah(AD)(AE)

14 In the second year of Jehoash[c] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. The high places,(AF) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed(AG) the officials(AH) who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law(AI) of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”[d](AJ)

He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt(AK) and captured Sela(AL) in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle(AM) in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant.(AN) Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

11 Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh(AO) in Judah. 12 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.(AP) 13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall(AQ) of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate(AR) to the Corner Gate(AS)—a section about four hundred cubits long.[e] 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

15 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war(AT) against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 16 Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

17 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

19 They conspired(AU) against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish,(AV) but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 He was brought back by horse(AW) and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,[f](AX) who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He was the one who rebuilt Elath(AY) and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Jeroboam II King of Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam(AZ) son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.(BA) 25 He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath(BB) to the Dead Sea,[g](BC) in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah(BD) son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

26 The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,(BE) was suffering;[h](BF) there was no one to help them.(BG) 27 And since the Lord had not said he would blot out(BH) the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved(BI) them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

28 As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus(BJ) and Hamath,(BK) which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals(BL) of the kings of Israel? 29 Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:6 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Kings
  2. 2 Kings 13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 12-14 and 25
  3. 2 Kings 14:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 13, 23 and 27
  4. 2 Kings 14:6 Deut. 24:16
  5. 2 Kings 14:13 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
  6. 2 Kings 14:21 Also called Uzziah
  7. 2 Kings 14:25 Hebrew the Sea of the Arabah
  8. 2 Kings 14:26 Or Israel was suffering. They were without a ruler or leader, and

Water Turned to Wine

On the third day there was a (A)wedding in (B)Cana of Galilee, and the (C)mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

Jesus said to her, (D)“Woman, (E)what does your concern have to do with Me? (F)My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, (G)according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted (H)the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11 This (I)beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, (J)and [a]manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

12 After this He went down to (K)Capernaum, He, His mother, (L)His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple(M)

13 (N)Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 (O)And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers [b]doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make (P)My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, (Q)“Zeal for Your house [c]has eaten Me up.”

18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, (R)“What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

19 Jesus answered and said to them, (S)“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

21 But He was speaking (T)of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, (U)His disciples remembered that He had said this [d]to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

The Discerner of Hearts

23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the (V)signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He (W)knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for (X)He knew what was in man.

Footnotes

  1. John 2:11 revealed
  2. John 2:14 Lit. sitting
  3. John 2:17 NU, M will eat
  4. John 2:22 NU, M omit to them

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.(A) Jesus’ mother(B) was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

“Woman,[a](C) why do you involve me?”(D) Jesus replied. “My hour(E) has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”(F)

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,(G) each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.(H) He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs(I) through which he revealed his glory;(J) and his disciples believed in him.(K)

12 After this he went down to Capernaum(L) with his mother(M) and brothers(N) and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts(O)

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(P) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(Q) 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,(R) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.(S) 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house(T) into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c](U)

18 The Jews(V) then responded to him, “What sign(W) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”(X)

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”(Y)

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.(Z) 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.(AA) Then they believed the scripture(AB) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,(AC) many people saw the signs(AD) he was performing and believed(AE) in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind,(AF) for he knew what was in each person.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. John 2:4 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.
  2. John 2:6 Or from about 75 to about 115 liters
  3. John 2:17 Psalm 69:9
  4. John 2:23 Or in him