Joash Repairs the Temple

24 (A)Joash[a] was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. (B)And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

After this Joash (C)decided to (D)restore the house of the Lord. And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of (E)Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem (F)the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel for (G)the tent of testimony?” For (H)the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all (I)the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. And (J)proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord (K)the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.[b] 11 And whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king's secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work of the house of the Lord, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord. 13 So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it. 14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it (L)were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. 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 the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served (M)the Asherim and the idols. And (N)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19 (O)Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. (P)These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.

Joash's Treachery

20 (Q)Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah (R)the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, (S)‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? (T)Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” 21 But (U)they conspired against him, (V)and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see (W)and avenge!”[c]

Joash Assassinated

23 At the end of the year (X)the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, (Y)the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, (Z)because Judah[d] had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they (AA)executed judgment on Joash.

25 When they had departed from him, leaving him (AB)severely wounded, (AC)his servants conspired against him because of the blood of (AD)the son[e] of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, (AE)but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite. 27 Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of (AF)the rebuilding[f] of the house of God are written in the (AG)Story[g] of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

25 (AH)Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, (AI)yet not with a whole heart. And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, (AJ)“Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin.”

Amaziah's Victories

Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers' houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those (AK)twenty years old and upward, and found that they were (AL)300,000 choice men, fit for war, (AM)able to handle spear and shield. He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents[h] of silver. But (AN)a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? (AO)For God has power to help or to cast down.” And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 10 Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger. 11 But Amaziah took courage and led out his people and went to the (AP)Valley of Salt and struck down (AQ)10,000 men of Seir. 12 The men of Judah captured another 10,000 alive and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces. 13 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, (AR)from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil.

Amaziah's Idolatry

14 After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, (AS)he brought the gods (AT)of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. 15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people (AU)who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that (AV)God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

Israel Defeats Amaziah

17 (AW)Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 18 And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, (AX)“A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say, ‘See, I[i] have struck down Edom,’ and (AY)your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, (AZ)because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of (BA)Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits,[j] from (BB)the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, in the care of (BC)Obed-edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

25 (BD)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time when he turned away from the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28 And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David.[k]

Uzziah Reigns in Judah

26 And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. Uzziah was (BE)sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God (BF)in the days of Zechariah, (BG)who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

He went out and (BH)made war against the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him (BI)against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the (BJ)Meunites. The Ammonites (BK)paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at (BL)the Corner Gate and at (BM)the Valley Gate and at (BN)the Angle, and fortified them. 10 And he built towers in the wilderness and (BO)cut out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. 12 The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600. 13 Under their command was an army of (BP)307,500, who could make war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, (BQ)coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. 15 In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

Uzziah's Pride and Punishment

16 But when (BR)he was strong, (BS)he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 But (BT)Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, (BU)“It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, (BV)but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, (BW)leprosy[l] broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 (BX)And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived (BY)in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, (BZ)Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. 23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:1 Spelled Jehoash in 2 Kings 12:1
  2. 2 Chronicles 24:10 Or until it was full
  3. 2 Chronicles 24:22 Or and require it
  4. 2 Chronicles 24:24 Hebrew they
  5. 2 Chronicles 24:25 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew sons
  6. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Hebrew founding
  7. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Or Exposition
  8. 2 Chronicles 25:6 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  9. 2 Chronicles 25:19 Hebrew you
  10. 2 Chronicles 25:23 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  11. 2 Chronicles 25:28 Hebrew of Judah
  12. 2 Chronicles 26:19 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

Joash Repairs the Temple(A)(B)

24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord(C) all the years of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money(D) due annually from all Israel,(E) to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites(F) did not act at once.

Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?”(G)

Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.

At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly,(H) dropping them into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired(I) masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.

13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.

15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

The Wickedness of Joash

17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned(J) the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols.(K) Because of their guilt, God’s anger(L) came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.(M)

20 Then the Spirit(N) of God came on Zechariah(O) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.(P) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken(Q) you.’”

21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned(R) him to death(S) in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.(T) 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”(U)

23 At the turn of the year,[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people.(V) They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men,(W) the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army.(X) Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried(Y) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad,[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith[c](Z) a Moabite woman.(AA) 27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Amaziah King of Judah(AB)(AC)(AD)

25 Amaziah 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 wholeheartedly.(AE) After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses,(AF) where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”[d](AG)

Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered(AH) those twenty years old(AI) or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service,(AJ) able to handle the spear and shield. He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[e] of silver.

But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel(AK) must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”(AL)

Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”(AM)

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.(AN)

11 Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. 12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.(AO)

13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods,(AP) bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save(AQ) their own people from your hand?”

16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

17 After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash[f] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle(AR) 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. 19 You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

20 Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom.(AS) 21 So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 22 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,[g] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate(AT) to the Corner Gate(AU)—a section about four hundred cubits[h] long. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom,(AV) together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish(AW), but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.[i]

Uzziah King of Judah(AX)(AY)

26 Then all the people of Judah(AZ) took Uzziah,[j] who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear[k] of God.(BA) As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.(BB)

He went to war against the Philistines(BC) and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod.(BD) He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs(BE) who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.(BF) The Ammonites(BG) brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.

Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate,(BH) at the Valley Gate(BI) and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. 10 He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

11 Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. 12 The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. 13 Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army.(BJ) 15 In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride(BK) led to his downfall.(BL) He was unfaithful(BM) to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense(BN) on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah(BO) the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests,(BP) the descendants(BQ) of Aaron,(BR) who have been consecrated to burn incense.(BS) Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”

19 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy[l](BT) broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

21 King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house[m](BU)—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

22 The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah(BV) son of Amoz. 23 Uzziah(BW) rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.(BX)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:23 Probably in the spring
  2. 2 Chronicles 24:26 A variant of Jozabad
  3. 2 Chronicles 24:26 A variant of Shomer
  4. 2 Chronicles 25:4 Deut. 24:16
  5. 2 Chronicles 25:6 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 9
  6. 2 Chronicles 25:17 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 18, 21, 23 and 25
  7. 2 Chronicles 25:23 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah
  8. 2 Chronicles 25:23 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
  9. 2 Chronicles 25:28 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 14:20) David
  10. 2 Chronicles 26:1 Also called Azariah
  11. 2 Chronicles 26:5 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts vision
  12. 2 Chronicles 26:19 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 20, 21 and 23.
  13. 2 Chronicles 26:21 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities

The Temptation of Jesus

(A)And Jesus, (B)full of the Holy Spirit, (C)returned from the Jordan and was led (D)by the Spirit in the wilderness for (E)forty days, (F)being tempted by the devil. (G)And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, (H)he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are (I)the Son of God, command (J)this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, (K)“It is written, (L)‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (M)And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you (N)I will give all this authority and their glory, (O)for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, (P)“It is written,

(Q)“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
    and (R)him only shall you serve.’”

(S)And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are (T)the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

(U)“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to guard you,’

11 and

(V)“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, (W)‘You shall not (X)put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him (Y)until an opportune time.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 (Z)And Jesus returned (AA)in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and (AB)a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And (AC)he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16 (AD)And he came to (AE)Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And (AF)as was his custom, (AG)he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up (AH)to read. 17 And (AI)the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 (AJ)“The Spirit of the Lord (AK)is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to (AL)proclaim good news to the poor.
(AM)He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and (AN)recovering of sight to the blind,
    (AO)to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 (AP)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and (AQ)sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were (AR)fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today (AS)this Scripture (AT)has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at (AU)the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, (AV)“Is not this (AW)Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, (AX)‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did (AY)at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, (AZ)no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when (BA)the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them (BB)but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And (BC)there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, (BD)but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and (BE)drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But (BF)passing through their midst, he went away.

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon

31 (BG)And he (BH)went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And (BI)he was teaching them (BJ)on the Sabbath, 32 and (BK)they were astonished at his teaching, (BL)for his word possessed authority. 33 And (BM)in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha![b] (BN)What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? (BO)I know who you are—(BP)the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus (BQ)rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And (BR)they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? (BS)For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And (BT)reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Jesus Heals Many

38 (BU)And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now (BV)Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and (BW)rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and (BX)he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 (BY)And demons also came out of many, (BZ)crying, “You are (CA)the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and (CB)would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was (CC)the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Synagogues

42 (CD)And when it was day, he departed and went (CE)into a desolate place. And (CF)the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, (CG)“I must (CH)preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching (CI)in the synagogues of Judea.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Luke 4:27 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  2. Luke 4:34 Or Leave us alone
  3. Luke 4:44 Some manuscripts Galilee

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,(B) left the Jordan(C) and was led by the Spirit(D) into the wilderness, where for forty days(E) he was tempted[a] by the devil.(F) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,(G) tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’[b](H)

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.(I) And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me,(J) and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c](K)

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d](L)

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e](M)

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting,(N) he left him(O) until an opportune time.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

14 Jesus returned to Galilee(P) in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.(Q) 15 He was teaching in their synagogues,(R) and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth,(S) where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue,(T) as was his custom. He stood up to read,(U) 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,(V)
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news(W) to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f](X)

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.(Y) The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled(Z) in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.(AA)

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown(AB) what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”(AC)

24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.(AD) 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.(AE) 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.(AF) 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[g] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”(AG)

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town,(AH) and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.(AI)

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit(AJ)

31 Then he went down to Capernaum,(AK) a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching,(AL) because his words had authority.(AM)

33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us,(AN) Jesus of Nazareth?(AO) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are(AP)—the Holy One of God!”(AQ)

35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly.(AR) “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

36 All the people were amazed(AS) and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority(AT) and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.(AU)

Jesus Heals Many(AV)(AW)

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked(AX) the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one,(AY) he healed them.(AZ) 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”(BA) But he rebuked(BB) them and would not allow them to speak,(BC) because they knew he was the Messiah.

42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God(BD) to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 4:2 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
  2. Luke 4:4 Deut. 8:3
  3. Luke 4:8 Deut. 6:13
  4. Luke 4:11 Psalm 91:11,12
  5. Luke 4:12 Deut. 6:16
  6. Luke 4:19 Isaiah 61:1,2 (see Septuagint); Isaiah 58:6
  7. Luke 4:27 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.