Amaziah King of Judah^(A)(B)

14 In the second year of Jehoash^[a] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. ² 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. ³ 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. ⁴ The high places,^(C) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵ After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed^(D) the officials^(E) who had murdered his father the king. ⁶ Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law^(F) 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.”^[b](G)

⁷ He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt^(H) and captured Sela^(I) in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

⁸ 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.”

⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle^(J) 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.^(K) 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^(L) in Judah. ¹² Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.^{(M) 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^(N) of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate^(O) to the Corner Gate^(P)—a section about four hundred cubits long.^{[c] 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^(Q) 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^(R) against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish,^(S) but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰ He was brought back by horse^(T) and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

²¹ Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,^[d](U) who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ²² He was the one who rebuilt Elath^(V) 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^(W) 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.^{(X) 25} He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath^(Y) to the Dead Sea,^[e](Z) in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah^(AA) son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

²⁶ The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,^(AB) was suffering;^[f](AC) there was no one to help them.^{(AD) 27} And since the Lord had not said he would blot out^(AE) the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved^(AF) 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^(AG) and Hamath,^(AH) which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals^(AI) of the kings of Israel? ²⁹ Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

The Empty Tomb^(A)

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene^(B) went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.^{(C) 2} So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved,^(D) and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”^(E)

³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.^{(F) 4} Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in^(G) at the strips of linen^(H) lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head.^(I) The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first,^(J) also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture^(K) that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)^{(L) 10} Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb^{(M) 12} and saw two angels in white,^(N) seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”^(O)

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”^{(P) 14} At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,^(Q) but she did not realize that it was Jesus.^(R)

¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?^(S) Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,^(T) “Rabboni!”^(U) (which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers^(V) and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father^(W) and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene^(X) went to the disciples^(Y) with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,^(Z) Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace^(AA) be with you!”^{(AB) 20} After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.^(AC) The disciples were overjoyed^(AD) when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!^(AE) As the Father has sent me,^(AF) I am sending you.”^{(AG) 22} And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.^{(AH) 23} If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”^(AI)

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ Now Thomas^(AJ) (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side,^(AK) I will not believe.”^(AL)

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace^(AM) be with you!”^{(AN) 27} Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”^(AO)

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;^(AP) blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”^(AQ)

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs^(AR) in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.^{(AS) 31} But these are written that you may believe^[b](AT) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,^(AU) and that by believing you may have life in his name.^(AV)