The Daily Audio Bible

Azariah rules Judah

15 Azariah, Amaziah’s son, became king of Judah in the twenty-seventh year of Israel’s King Jeroboam. ² He was 16 years old when he became king, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴ However, the shrines weren’t removed. People kept sacrificing and burning incense at them. ⁵ Now the Lord afflicted the king with a skin disease that he had until his dying day, so he lived in a separate house.^[a] The king’s son Jotham supervised the palace administration and governed the people of the land. ⁶ The rest of Azariah’s deeds and all he accomplished, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? ⁷ Azariah died and was buried with his ancestors in David’s City. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.

Zechariah rules Israel

⁸ Zechariah, Jeroboam’s son, became king of Israel in Samaria in the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for six months. ⁹ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes, just as his ancestors had done. He didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ¹⁰ Shallum, Jabesh’s son, plotted against Zechariah. He struck him down in public,^[b] murdering him. Shallum then succeeded him as king. ¹¹ The rest of Zechariah’s deeds are written in the official records of Israel’s kings. ¹² This was exactly what the Lord spoke to Jehu: Your descendants will sit on Israel’s throne for four generations. And that’s exactly what happened.

Shallum rules Israel

¹³ Shallum, Jabesh’s son, became king in the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Uzziah. He ruled for one month in Samaria. ¹⁴ Menahem, Gadi’s son, went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria. He struck down Jabesh’s son Shallum in Samaria, murdering him. Menahem then succeeded him as king. ¹⁵ The rest of Shallum’s deeds and the conspiracy he plotted are written in the official records of Israel’s kings.

Menahem rules Israel

¹⁶ Menahem then moved from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah, all its citizens, and its neighboring areas. Because they wouldn’t surrender, he attacked and ripped open all its pregnant women. ¹⁷ Menahem, Gadi’s son, became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for ten years in Samaria. ¹⁸ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. Throughout his life, he didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ¹⁹ When Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser^[c] marched against the land, Menahem gave Tiglath-pileser one thousand silver kikkars in order to become his ally and to strengthen his hold on the kingdom. ²⁰ Menahem taxed Israel for this money. All the wealthy people had to give fifty silver shekels each to Assyria’s king. So Assyria’s king went home and didn’t stay there in the land. ²¹ The rest of Menahem’s deeds and all that he accomplished, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? ²² Menahem lay down with his ancestors. His son Pekahiah succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah rules Israel

²³ Pekahiah, Menahem’s son, became king of Israel in the fiftieth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for two years in Samaria. ²⁴ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ²⁵ Pekah, Remaliah’s son and Pekahiah’s officer, plotted against him. Pekah struck Pekahiah in Samaria at the palace fortress, along with Argob and Arieh.^[d] Pekah had fifty Gileadites with him. He murdered Pekahiah and succeeded him as king. ²⁶ The rest of Pekahiah’s deeds and all that he accomplished are written in the official records of Israel’s kings.

Pekah rules Israel

²⁷ Pekah, Remaliah’s son, became king of Israel in the fifty-second year of Judah’s King Azariah. Pekah ruled for twenty years in Samaria. ²⁸ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ²⁹ In the days of Israel’s King Pekah, Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also captured Gilead, Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali. He sent the people into exile to Assyria. ³⁰ Then Hoshea, Elah’s son, plotted against Pekah, Remaliah’s son. He struck Pekah down, murdering him. Hoshea became king after Pekah in the twentieth year of Uzziah’s son Jotham. ³¹ The rest of Pekah’s kingship and all that he accomplished are written in the official records of Israel’s kings.

Jotham rules Judah

³² Jotham, Uzziah’s son, became king of Judah in the second year of Israel’s King Pekah, Remaliah’s son. ³³ Jotham was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha; she was Zadok’s daughter. ³⁴ Jotham did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵ However, he didn’t remove the shrines. The people continued to sacrifice and burn incense at them. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Lord’s temple. ³⁶ The rest of Jotham’s deeds, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? ³⁷ It was in those days that the Lord began to send Aram’s King Rezin and Pekah, Remaliah’s son, against Judah. ³⁸ Jotham died and was buried with his ancestors in David’s City.^[e] His son Ahaz succeeded him as king.

Ahaz rules Judah

16 Ahaz, Jotham’s son, became king of Judah in the seventeenth year of Pekah, Remaliah’s son. ² Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do what was right in the Lord’s eyes, unlike his ancestor David. ³ Instead, he walked in the ways of Israel’s kings. He even burned his own son alive, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He also sacrificed and burned incense at the shrines on every hill and beneath every shady tree. ⁵ Then Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah, Remaliah’s son, came up to Jerusalem to fight. They surrounded Ahaz, but they weren’t able to defeat him. ⁶ At that time Aram’s King Rezin recovered Elath for the Arameans, driving the Judeans out of Elath. The Edomites^[f] came to Elath and settled there, and that’s still the case now.

⁷ Ahaz sent messengers to Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser, saying, “I’m your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the power of the kings of Aram and Israel. Both of them are attacking me!” ⁸ And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that was in the Lord’s temple and in the palace treasuries, and sent a gift to Assyria’s king. ⁹ The Assyrian king heard the request and marched against Damascus. He captured it and sent its citizens into exile to Kir. He also killed Rezin.

¹⁰ Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet up with Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser. King Ahaz noticed the altar that was in Damascus, and he sent the altar’s plan and details for its construction to the priest Uriah. ¹¹ Uriah built the altar, following the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus; he had it finished before King Ahaz returned from Damascus.

¹² When the king arrived from Damascus, he inspected the altar. He came close to it, then went up on it, ¹³ burning his entirely burned offering and grain offering, pouring out his drink offering, and sprinkling the blood of his well-being sacrifices on the altar. ¹⁴ As for the bronze altar that used to stand before the Lord, Ahaz moved it away from the front of the temple where it had stood between the main altar and the Lord’s temple. He put it on the north side of the new altar. ¹⁵ Then King Ahaz ordered the priest Uriah, saying, “Burn the following sacrifices on the main altar:

“Sprinkle all the blood of the entirely burned offerings and all the blood of the sacrifices on it. I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”^{[g] 16} Uriah the priest did everything that King Ahaz commanded. ¹⁷ King Ahaz cut off the side panels from the stands and removed the basins from them. He took the Sea down from the bronze bulls that were under it and put it on a stone pavement. ¹⁸ He also took away the sabbath canopy that had been built in the temple. He removed the royal entrance outside the Lord’s temple. This was done because of the Assyrian king.

¹⁹ The rest of Ahaz’s deeds, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? ²⁰ Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in David’s City. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.

¹³ There were some Jews who traveled around throwing out evil spirits. They tried to use the power of the name of the Lord Jesus against some people with evil spirits. They said, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you!” ¹⁴ The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

¹⁵ The evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus and I’m familiar with Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ The person who had an evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all with such force that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus. Everyone was seized with fear and they held the name of the Lord Jesus in the highest regard.

¹⁸ Many of those who had come to believe came, confessing their past practices. ¹⁹ This included a number of people who practiced sorcery. They collected their sorcery texts and burned them publicly. The value of those materials was calculated at more than someone might make if they worked for one hundred sixty-five years.^{[a] 20} In this way the Lord’s word grew abundantly and strengthened powerfully.

²¹ Once these things had come to an end, Paul, guided by the Spirit, decided to return to Jerusalem, taking a route that would carry him through the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. He said, “After I have been there, I must visit Rome as well.” ²² He sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he remained awhile in the province of Asia.

²³ At that time a great disturbance erupted about the Way. ²⁴ There was a silversmith named Demetrius. He made silver models of Artemis’ temple, and his business generated a lot of profit for the craftspeople. ²⁵ He called a meeting with these craftspeople and others working in related trades and said, “Friends, you know that we make an easy living from this business. ²⁶ And you can see and hear that this Paul has convinced and misled a lot of people, not only in Ephesus but also throughout most of the province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands aren’t really gods. ²⁷ This poses a danger not only by discrediting our trade but also by completely dishonoring the great goddess Artemis. The whole province of Asia—indeed, the entire civilized world—worships her, but her splendor will soon be extinguished.”

²⁸ Once they heard this, they were beside themselves with anger and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

²⁹ The city was thrown into turmoil. They rushed as one into the theater. They seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from the province of Macedonia. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the assembly, but the disciples wouldn’t allow him. ³¹ Even some officials of the province of Asia, who were Paul’s friends, sent word to him, urging him not to risk going into the theater. ³² Meanwhile, the assembly was in a state of confusion. Some shouted one thing, others shouted something else, and most of the crowd didn’t know why they had gathered. ³³ The Jews sent Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd directed their words toward him. He gestured that he wanted to offer a defense before the assembly, ³⁴ but when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” This continued for about two hours.

³⁵ The city manager brought order to the crowd and said, “People of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you must calm down. Don’t be reckless. ³⁷ The men you brought here have neither robbed the temple nor slandered our goddess. ³⁸ Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftspeople with him have a charge against anyone, the courts are in session and governors are available. They can press charges against each other there. ³⁹ Additional disputes can be resolved in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As for us, we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since we can’t justify this unruly gathering.” ⁴¹ After he said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Psalm 147