Judah’s King Ahaziah

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, because the troops that had come with the Arabs^(A) to the camp had killed all the older sons.^[a] So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. ² Ahaziah^(B) was twenty-two^[b] years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter^[c] of Omri.

³ He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice. ⁴ So he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction. ⁵ He also followed their advice and went with Joram^[d] son of Israel’s King Ahab to fight against King Hazael of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans^[e] wounded Joram, ⁶ so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead^[f] when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah^[g] son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

⁷ Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram.^(C) When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi,^(D) whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.^{(E) 8} So when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab,^(F) he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. ⁹ Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah,^(G) and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart.”^(H) So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

¹⁰ When^(I) Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs^[h] of the house of Judah. ¹¹ Jehoshabeath,^[i] the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. ¹² He was hiding with them in God’s temple for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Athaliah Overthrown

23 Then, in the seventh year,^(J) Jehoiada summoned his courage and took the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. ² They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family heads of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He will reign, just as the Lord promised^(K) concerning David’s sons. ⁴ This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath,^(L) are to be gatekeepers. ⁵ A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ No one is to enter the Lord’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve;^(M) they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the Lord. ⁷ The Levites are to completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Accompany the king in all his daily tasks.”^[j]

⁸ 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 on the Sabbath—for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.^{(N) 9} The priest Jehoiada gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers^[k] that were in God’s temple. ¹⁰ Then he stationed all the troops 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.

¹¹ They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,^(O) and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live the king!” ^(P)

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the troops in the Lord’s temple. ¹³ As she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar^[l] at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets^(Q) while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴ Then the priest Jehoiada sent out the commanders of hundreds, those in charge of the army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in the Lord’s temple.” ¹⁵ So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horse Gate^(R) to the king’s palace, where they put her to death.

Jehoiada’s Reforms

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.^(S)

¹⁸ Then Jehoiada put the oversight of the Lord’s temple into the hands of the Levitical priests,^(T) whom David had appointed^(U) over the Lord’s temple, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord as it is written in the law of Moses,^(V) with rejoicing and song ordained by^[m] David. ¹⁹ He stationed gatekeepers^(W) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason. ²⁰ Then he took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the king’s palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom. ²¹ All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

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)

Psalm 131

A Childlike Spirit

A song of ascents. Of David.

A Man Cleansed

8 When he came down from the mountain, large crowds^(A) followed him. ² Right away^(B) a man with leprosy^[a] came up and knelt before him,^(C) saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone;^(D) but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”^(E)

A Centurion’s Faith

⁵ When he entered Capernaum,^(F) a centurion came to him, pleading with him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony.”

⁷ He said to him, “Am I to come and heal him?”^[b]

⁸ “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(G) 9} For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command.^[c] I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith. ¹¹ I tell you that many will come from east and west to share the banquet^[d] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(H) 12} But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^{(I) 13} Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed,^(J) let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that very moment.^[e]

Healings at Capernaum

¹⁴ Jesus went into Peter’s house^(K) and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ So he touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve him. ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits^(L) with a word and healed all who were sick,^{(M) 17} so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw a large crowd^[g](O) around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. ¹⁹ A scribe approached him and said,^(P) “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man^(Q) has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ “Lord,” another of his disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Waves Obey Jesus

²³ As he got into the boat,^(R) his disciples^(S) followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping. ²⁵ So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

²⁶ He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea,^(T) and there was a great calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey^(U) him!”

Demons Driven Out by Jesus

²⁸ When he had come to the other side,^(V) to the region of the Gadarenes,^[h] two demon-possessed men met him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they shouted, “What do you have to do with us,^[i] Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ^(W)

³⁰ A long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ “If you drive us out,” the demons begged him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² “Go!” he told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. ³³ Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. ³⁴ At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.^(X)