Study Desk

Then all the assembly cut a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, "Behold, the king's son shall reign, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David.

Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields and small shields which had been King David's, which were in the house of God.

And he gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and gather money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matter quickly." But the Levites did not act quickly.

For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even used the holy things of the house of Yahweh for the Baals.

And they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to Yahweh the levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.

So those who did the work labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they restored the house of God according to its specifications and strengthened it.

They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done what is good in Israel and to God and His house.

And they forsook the house of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.

Now the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus says God, ‘Why do you trespass against the commandments of Yahweh and do not succeed? Because you have forsaken Yahweh, He has also forsaken you.'"

Indeed the military force of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet Yahweh gave a very great military force into their hands, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

Now as to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.

But a man of God came to him saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.

But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will cause you to stumble before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cause to stumble."

Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "Yahweh has much more to give you than this."

Now it happened that as he was talking with him, the king said to him, "Have we given you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" Then the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has counseled to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."

But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might give them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom.

And he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him succeed.

And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.