Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, May 2 [Press play below]

14.1 In the second year of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz the king of Israel, Amaziah the son of King Jehoash of Judah became king.
14.2 He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.
14.3 He continued to do what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, but not like David his forefather. He did everything as Jehoash his father had done.
14.4 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places.
14.5 As soon as he had the kingdom firmly in his control, he struck down his servants who had struck down his father the king.
14.6 But he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, in harmony with Jehovah’s commandment written in the book of Moses’ Law: “Fathers should not be put to death for their sons, and sons should not be put to death for their fathers; but each one should be put to death for his own sin.”
14.7 He struck down the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, 10,000 men, and captured Sela in the war, and its name became Joktheel to this day.
14.8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu the king of Israel, saying: “Come, let us confront each other in battle.”
14.9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message to King Amaziah of Judah: “The thorny weed in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ However, a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thorny weed.
14.10 True, you have struck down Edom, so your heart has become arrogant. Enjoy your glory, but stay in your own house. Why should you provoke disaster and fall, bringing Judah down with you?”
14.11 But Amaziah did not listen. So King Jehoash of Israel went up, and he and King Amaziah of Judah confronted each other in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
14.12 Judah was defeated by Israel, so each one fled to his home.
14.13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then they came to Jerusalem, and he made a breach in the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits.
14.14 He took all the gold and the silver and all the articles that were found in the house of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the house of the king, as well as hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.
14.15 As for the rest of the history of Jehoash, what he did and his mightiness and how he fought against King Amaziah of Judah, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
14.16 Then Jehoash was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.
14.17 Amaziah the son of Jehoash the king of Judah lived for 15 years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz the king of Israel.
14.18 As for the rest of the history of Amaziah, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah?
14.19 Later a conspiracy was formed against him at Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and put him to death there.
14.20 So they carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his forefathers in the City of David.
14.21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was 16 years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
14.22 He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king was laid to rest with his forefathers.
14.23 In the 15th year of Amaziah the son of Jehoash the king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of King Jehoash of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned for 41 years.
14.24 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. He did not depart from all the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
14.25 He restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath clear to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that Jehovah the God of Israel spoke through his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.
14.26 For Jehovah had seen the very bitter affliction of Israel. There was no one left to help Israel, not even the helpless or the weak.
14.27 But Jehovah had promised not to wipe out the name of Israel from under the heavens. So he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash.
14.28 As for the rest of the history of Jeroboam, all that he did and his mightiness, how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
14.29 Then Jeroboam was laid to rest with his forefathers, with the kings of Israel; and his son Zechariah became king in his place.

15.1 In the 27th year of King Jeroboam of Israel, Azariah the son of King Amaziah of Judah became king.
15.2 He was 16 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
15.3 He continued to do what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his father Amaziah had done.
15.4 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places.
15.5 Jehovah afflicted the king, and he remained a leper until the day of his death; and he stayed in a separate house, while the king’s son Jotham was in charge of the house, judging the people of the land.
15.6 As for the rest of the history of Azariah, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah?
15.7 Then Azariah was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him with his forefathers in the City of David; and his son Jotham became king in his place.
15.8 In the 38th year of King Azariah of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for six months.
15.9 He did what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his forefathers had done. He did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
15.10 Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam. After putting him to death, he became king in his place.
15.11 As for the rest of the history of Zechariah, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel.
15.12 That fulfilled Jehovah’s word spoken to Jehu: “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” And that is how it happened.
15.13 Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the 39th year of King Uzziah of Judah, and he reigned for a full month in Samaria.
15.14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria. After putting him to death, he became king in his place.
15.15 As for the rest of the history of Shallum and the conspiracy that he formed, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel.
15.16 It was then that Menahem came from Tirzah and struck down Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory, because it did not open its gates to him. He struck it down and ripped open its pregnant women.
15.17 In the 39th year of King Azariah of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel, and he reigned for ten years in Samaria.
15.18 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. He did not depart from all the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, all his days.
15.19 King Pul of Assyria came into the land, and Menahem gave Pul 1,000 talents of silver in return for his support in strengthening his hold on the kingdom.
15.20 So Menahem raised the silver from Israel by exacting it from the prominent, wealthy men. He gave the king of Assyria 50 silver shekels for each man. Then the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay in the land.
15.21 As for the rest of the history of Menahem, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
15.22 Then Menahem was laid to rest with his forefathers; and his son Pekahiah became king in his place.
15.23 In the 50th year of King Azariah of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for two years.
15.24 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. He did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
15.25 Then his adjutant Pekah the son of Remaliah conspired against him and struck him down in Samaria in the fortified tower of the king’s house with Argob and Arieh. He had 50 men of Gilead with him; and after he put him to death, he became king in his place.
15.26 As for the rest of the history of Pekahiah, all that he did, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel.
15.27 In the 52nd year of King Azariah of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for 20 years.
15.28 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, and he did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
15.29 In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he took the inhabitants into exile in Assyria.
15.30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah formed a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and he struck him and put him to death; and he became king in his place in the 20th year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
15.31 As for the rest of the history of Pekah, all that he did, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel.
15.32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel, Jotham the son of King Uzziah of Judah became king.
15.33 He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.
15.34 He kept doing what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his father Uzziah had done.
15.35 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places. He was the one who built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah.
15.36 As for the rest of the history of Jotham, what he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah?
15.37 In those days Jehovah began sending Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.
15.38 Then Jotham was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David his forefather. And his son Ahaz became king in his place.