Study Desk

Then the Spirit of God came over Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, "This is what God has said: 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned (turned away from) the LORD, He has also abandoned (turned away from) you.'"

Though the army of the Arameans came with a small company of men, the LORD handed over a very large army into their hands, because Joash and Judah had abandoned (turned away from) the LORD, the God of their fathers. So the Arameans executed judgment against Joash.

When they left Joash (for they left him very ill), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

As he was talking, the king said to him, "Have we made you the king's counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?" Then the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done this and have ignored my advice."

But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that He might hand Judah over to Joash because they had desired the gods of Edom.

As Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked toward him, behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he also hurried to get out because the LORD had stricken him.

So Jotham grew powerful, because he directed his ways before the LORD his God.

For Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah in one day, all courageous men, because they had abandoned (turned away from) the LORD God of their fathers.

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that was returning to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He handed them over to you; but you have killed them in a rage that has reached as far as heaven.

For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for Ahaz had allowed unrestrained and undisciplined behavior in Judah and had been very unfaithful to the LORD.

"For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity because of this.

The priests slaughtered them and cleansed the altar from sin with their blood to atone for all Israel, because the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel.

Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had prepared for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

since they could not celebrate it at that time because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people assembled at Jerusalem.

So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.

The genealogical registration included all their little children, their wives, and their sons and daughters, for the whole assembly, because they consecrated themselves faithfully in holiness.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the army that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him.

But Hezekiah did nothing [for the LORD] in return for the benefit bestowed on him, because his heart had become proud; therefore God's wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

"Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah in regard to the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD which has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept and obeyed the word of the LORD, to act in accordance with everything that is written in this book."

"Because they have abandoned (rejected) Me and have burned incense to other gods, in order to provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, My wrath will be poured out on this place and it will not be extinguished."'