Athaliah Usurps the Throne

11 When Athaliah,^(A) Ahaziah’s mother,^(B) saw that her son was dead,^(C) she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. ² Jehosheba,^(D) who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s^(E) sister, secretly rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from among the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed. ³ Joash was in hiding with her in the Lord’s temple six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Athaliah Overthrown

⁴ In^(F) the seventh year, Jehoiada^(G) sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards.^(H) He had them come to him in the Lord’s temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son ⁵ and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath^(I) are to provide protection for the king’s palace. ⁶ A third are to be at the Foundation^[a] Gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace.^[b](J)

⁷ “Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide the king protection at the Lord’s temple. ⁸ Completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”^[c](K)

⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to the priest Jehoiada.^{(L) 10} The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears and shields^(M) that were in the Lord’s temple. ¹¹ Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

¹² Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown^(N) on him, gave him the testimony,^[d](O) and made him king. They anointed^(P) him and clapped their hands and cried, “Long live the king!” ^(Q)

¹³ When Athaliah^(R) heard the noise from the guard and the crowd, she went out to the people at the Lord’s temple.^{(S) 14} She looked, and there was the king standing by the pillar^(T) according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.^(U) Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed “Treason! Treason!” ^(V)

¹⁵ Then the priest Jehoiada^(W) ordered the commanders of hundreds^(X) in charge of the army, “Take her out between the ranks, and put to death by the sword anyone who follows her,” for the priest had said, “She is not to be put to death in the Lord’s temple.”^{(Y) 16} So they arrested her, and she went through the horse entrance^(Z) to the king’s palace, where she was put to death.^(AA)

Jehoiada’s Reforms

¹⁷ Then^(AB) Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people^(AC) and another covenant between the king and the people.^{[e](AD) 18} So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images to pieces,^(AE) and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.^(AF)

Then Jehoiada the priest appointed guards for the Lord’s temple.^{(AG) 19} He took the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards,^(AH) and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord’s temple. They entered the king’s palace by way of the guards’ gate. Then Joash^(AI) sat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰ All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword in the king’s palace.

Judah’s King Joash

²¹ Joash^[f](AJ) was seven years old when he became king.^(AK)

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba.^{(AL) 2} Throughout the time the priest Jehoiada^(AM) instructed^(AN) him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight.^{(AO) 3} Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.^(AP)

Repairing the Temple

⁴ Then^(AQ) Joash said to the priests, “All the dedicated silver brought to the Lord’s temple,^(AR) census silver,^(AS) silver from vows,^(AT) and all silver voluntarily given^(AU) for the Lord’s temple— ⁵ each priest is to take it from his assessor^[g] and repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”^[h](AV)

⁶ But by the twenty-third year^(AW) of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage^[i] to the temple.^{(AX) 7} So King Joash called the priest Jehoiada^(AY) and the other priests and asked, “Why haven’t you repaired the temple’s damage? Since you haven’t, don’t take any silver from your assessors; instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple.” ⁸ So the priests agreed that they would receive no silver from the people and would not be the ones to repair the temple’s damage.

⁹ Then the priest Jehoiada took a chest,^(AZ) bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the Lord’s temple; the priests who guarded the threshold put into the chest all the silver that was brought to the Lord’s temple.^{(BA) 10} Whenever they saw there was a large amount of silver in the chest, the king’s secretary^(BB) and the high priest would go bag up and tally the silver found in the Lord’s temple.^{(BC) 11} Then they would give the weighed silver to those doing the work—those who oversaw the Lord’s temple. They in turn would pay it out to those working on the Lord’s temple—the carpenters, the builders, ¹² the masons, and the stonecutters—and would use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple^(BD) and for all expenses for temple repairs.

¹³ However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver^(BE) were made for the Lord’s temple from the contributions^[j] brought to the Lord’s temple. ¹⁴ Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired the Lord’s temple with it. ¹⁵ No accounting was required from the men who received the silver to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity.^{(BF) 16} The silver from the guilt offering and the sin offering was not brought to the Lord’s temple since it belonged to the priests.^(BG)

Aramean Invasion of Judah

¹⁷ At that time King Hazael^(BH) of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.^{(BI) 18} So King Joash of Judah took all the items consecrated by himself and by his ancestors—Judah’s kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—as well as all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and in the king’s palace, and he sent them to King Hazael of Aram.^(BJ) Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

Joash Assassinated

¹⁹ The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.^{(BK) 20} Joash’s servants conspired against him and attacked him^(BL) at Beth-millo^(BM) on the road that goes down to Silla. ²¹ It was his servants Jozabad^[k] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer who attacked him. He died^(BN) and they buried him with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.^(BO)

The Good Shepherd

10 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.^{(A) 2} The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd^(B) of the sheep.^{(C) 3} The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand^(D) what he was telling them.

⁷ Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am^(E) the gate for the sheep.^{(F) 8} All who came before me^[a] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. ⁹ I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰ A thief comes only to steal^(G) and kill and destroy.^(H) I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd.^(I) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(J) 12} The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them^[b] and runs away when he sees a wolf^(K) coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. ¹³ This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father.^(L) I lay down my life^(M) for the sheep. ¹⁶ But I have other sheep^(N) that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.^{(O) 17} This is why the Father loves me,^(P) because I lay down my life^(Q) so that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”^(R)

¹⁹ Again the Jews were divided^(S) because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He has a demon^(T) and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?” ²¹ Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” ^(U)