Judah’s King Joash

24 Joash^(A) was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba. ² Throughout the time of the priest Jehoiada, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight.^{(B) 3} Jehoiada acquired two wives for him, and he was the father of sons and daughters.

Repairing the Temple

⁴ Afterward,^(C) Joash took it to heart to renovate^(D) the Lord’s temple. ⁵ So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect silver from all Israel to repair the temple of your God as needed year by year,^(E) and do it quickly.”

However, the Levites did not hurry. ⁶ So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by the Lord’s servant Moses and the assembly of Israel for the tent^(F) of the testimony? ⁷ For the sons of that wicked Athaliah broke into the Lord’s temple and even used the sacred things of the Lord’s temple for the Baals.”

⁸ At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple. ⁹ Then a proclamation^(G) was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that the tax God’s servant Moses imposed on Israel in the wilderness be brought to the Lord. ¹⁰ All the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought the tax, and put it in the chest until it was full. ¹¹ Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers, and when they saw that there was a large amount of silver, the king’s secretary and the high priest’s deputy came and emptied the chest, picked it up, and returned it to its place. They did this daily and gathered the silver in abundance. ¹² Then the king and Jehoiada gave it to those in charge of the labor on the Lord’s temple, who were hiring stonecutters and carpenters to renovate the Lord’s temple, also blacksmiths and coppersmiths to repair the Lord’s temple.^(H)

¹³ The workmen did their work, and through them the repairs progressed. They restored God’s temple to its specifications and reinforced it. ¹⁴ When they finished, they presented the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada, who made articles for the Lord’s temple with it—articles for ministry and for making burnt offerings, and ladles^[a] and articles of gold and silver. They regularly offered burnt offerings in the Lord’s temple throughout Jehoiada’s life.

Joash’s Apostasy

¹⁵ Jehoiada died when he was old and full of days; he was 130 years old at his death. ¹⁶ He was buried in the city of David with the kings^(I) because he had done what was good in Israel with respect to God and his temple.

¹⁷ However, after Jehoiada died, the rulers of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them, ¹⁸ and they abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and served the Asherah poles and the idols.^(J) So there was wrath^(K) against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, he sent them prophets^(L) to bring them back to the Lord; they admonished them, but the people would not listen.^(M)

²⁰ The Spirit of God enveloped^[b](N) Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands so that you do not prosper?^(O) Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.’”^{(P) 21} But they conspired against him and stoned him at the king’s command in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.^{(Q) 22} King Joash didn’t remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him, but killed his son. While he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and demand^(R) an account.”

Aramean Invasion of Judah

²³ At the turn of the year, an Aramean army attacked Joash.^(S) They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people among them and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ Although the Aramean army came with only a few men, the Lord handed over^(T) a vast army to them because the people of Judah had abandoned^(U) the Lord, the God of their ancestors. So they executed judgment on Joash.

Joash Assassinated

²⁵ When^(V) the Arameans saw that Joash had many wounds, they left him. His servants conspired against him, and killed him on his bed, because he had shed the blood of the sons of the priest Jehoiada. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.^(W)

²⁶ Those who conspired against him were Zabad, son of the Ammonite woman Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of the Moabite woman Shimrith.^{[c](X) 27} The accounts concerning his sons, the many divine pronouncements about him, and the restoration^(Y) of God’s temple are recorded in the Writing^(Z) of the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah became king in his place.

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.^{(A) 2} Throughout the time the priest Jehoiada^(B) instructed^(C) him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight.^{(D) 3} Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.^(E)

Repairing the Temple

⁴ Then^(F) Joash said to the priests, “All the dedicated silver brought to the Lord’s temple,^(G) census silver,^(H) silver from vows,^(I) and all silver voluntarily given^(J) for the Lord’s temple— ⁵ each priest is to take it from his assessor^[a] and repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”^[b](K)

⁶ But by the twenty-third year^(L) of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage^[c] to the temple.^{(M) 7} So King Joash called the priest Jehoiada^(N) 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,^(O) 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.^{(P) 10} Whenever they saw there was a large amount of silver in the chest, the king’s secretary^(Q) and the high priest would go bag up and tally the silver found in the Lord’s temple.^{(R) 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^(S) and for all expenses for temple repairs.

¹³ However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver^(T) were made for the Lord’s temple from the contributions^[d] 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.^{(U) 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.^(V)

Aramean Invasion of Judah

¹⁷ At that time King Hazael^(W) of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.^{(X) 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.^(Y) 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.^{(Z) 20} Joash’s servants conspired against him and attacked him^(AA) at Beth-millo^(AB) on the road that goes down to Silla. ²¹ It was his servants Jozabad^[e] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer who attacked him. He died^(AC) and they buried him with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.^(AD)

Psalm 50

God as Judge

A psalm of Asaph.^(A)

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

9 So he got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town.^{(A) 2} Just then^(B) some men^[a] brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”^(C)

³ At this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “He’s blaspheming!” ^(D)

⁴ Perceiving their thoughts,^(E) Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?^{[b] 5} For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he told the paralytic, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” ⁷ So he got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck^[c][d] and gave glory^(F) to God, who had given such authority to men.

The Call of Matthew

⁹ As Jesus went on from there,^(G) he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.^(H)

¹⁰ While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.^{(I) 11} When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ^(J)

¹² Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.^{(K) 13} Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.^[e](L) For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^[f]

A Question about Fasting

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ^(M)

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests^[g] be sad while the groom is with them? The time^[h] will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse. ¹⁷ And no one puts^[i] new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

¹⁸ As he was telling them these things,^(N) suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before him, saying, “My daughter just died,^[j] but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”^{(O) 19} So Jesus and his disciples got up and followed^(P) him.

²⁰ Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years approached from behind and touched the end of his robe,^{(Q) 21} for she said to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I’ll be made well.”^[k](R)

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” he said. “Your faith has saved you.”^[l](S) And the woman was made well from that moment.^[m]

²³ When Jesus came to the leader’s house, he saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly.^{(T) 24} “Leave,” he said, “because the girl is not dead but asleep.”^(U) And they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.^{(V) 26} Then news of this spread throughout that whole area.^(W)

Healing the Blind

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” ^(X)

²⁸ When he entered the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe^(Y) that I can do this?”

They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out.”^{(Z) 31} But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that whole area.

Driving Out a Demon

³² Just as they were going out, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to him.^{(AA) 33} When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”^(AB)

The Lord of the Harvest

³⁵ Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,^(AC) and healing every^[n] disease and every sickness.^{[o][p] 36} When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected,^(AD) like sheep without a shepherd.^{(AE) 37} Then he said to his disciples,^(AF) “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”