The Daily Audio Bible
Jehoahaz’s Reign over Israel
13 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of[a] the Lord. He continued in[b] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins.[c] 3 The Lord was furious with[d] Israel and handed them over to[e] King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years.[f]
4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy,[g] and the Lord responded favorably,[h] for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria.[i] 5 The Lord provided a deliverer[j] for Israel, and they were freed from Syria’s power.[k] The Israelites once more lived in security.[l] 6 But they did not repudiate[m] the sinful ways of the family[n] of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins.[o] There was even an Asherah pole[p] standing in Samaria. 7 Jehoahaz had no army left[q] except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops[r] and trampled on them as dust.[s]
8 The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[t] 9 Jehoahaz passed away[u] and was buried[v] in Samaria. His son Jehoash[w] replaced him as king.
Jehoash’s Reign over Israel
10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Jehoash’s reign over Judah, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of[x] the Lord. He did not repudiate[y] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins.[z] 12 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s[aa] reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[ab] 13 Jehoash passed away[ac] and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne.[ad] Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Elisha Makes One Final Prophecy
14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness.[ae] King Jehoash of Israel went down to visit him.[af] He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot[ag] and horsemen of Israel!”[ah] 15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.[ai] 16 Then Elisha[aj] told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.”[ak] He did so,[al] and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Elisha[am] said, “Open the east window,” and he did so.[an] Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so.[ao] Elisha[ap] said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria.[aq] You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!”[ar] 18 Then Elisha[as] said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so.[at] He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 The prophet[au] got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria![av] But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
20 Elisha died and was buried.[aw] Moabite raiding parties invaded[ax] the land at the beginning of the year.[ay] 21 One day some men[az] were burying a man when they spotted[ba] a raiding party. So they threw the dead man[bb] into Elisha’s tomb. When the body[bc] touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man[bd] came to life and stood on his feet.
22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign.[be] 23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them.[bf] He extended his favor to them[bg] because of the promise he had made[bh] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day.[bi] 24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. 25 Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from[bj] Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Jehoash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.
Amaziah’s Reign over Judah
14 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz,[bk] Joash’s[bl] son Amaziah became king over Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother[bm] was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what the Lord approved,[bn] but not like David his ancestor had done. He followed the example of his father Joash.[bo] 4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
5 When he had secured control of the kingdom,[bp] he executed the servants who had assassinated his father.[bq] 6 But he did not execute the sons of the assassins. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the scroll of the law of Moses, “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do,[br] and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do.[bs] A man must be put to death only for his own sin.”[bt]
7 He defeated[bu] 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley; he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, a name it has retained to this very day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.”[bv] 9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal[bw] of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn.[bx] 10 You thoroughly defeated Edom,[by] and it has gone to your head![bz] Gloat over your success,[ca] but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?”[cb] 11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning,[cc] so King Jehoash of Israel attacked.[cd] He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face[ce] in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home.[cf] 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He[cg] attacked[ch] Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—a distance of about 600 feet.[ci] 14 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages.[cj] Then he went back to Samaria.
15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s[ck] reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[cl] 16 Jehoash passed away[cm] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam replaced him as king.
17 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 18 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.[cn] 19 Conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem,[co] so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him,[cp] and they killed him there. 20 His body was carried back by horses,[cq] and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David. 21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 22 Azariah[cr] built up Elat and restored it to Judah after the king[cs] had passed away.[ct]
Jeroboam II’s Reign over Israel
23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Joash became king over Israel. He reigned for forty-one years in Samaria. 24 He did evil in the sight of[cu] the Lord; he did not repudiate[cv] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath[cw] in the north to the sea of the rift valley[cx] in the south,[cy] just as in the message from the Lord God of Israel that he had announced through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 26 The Lord saw Israel’s intense suffering;[cz] everyone was weak and incapacitated and Israel had no deliverer.[da] 27 The Lord had not decreed that he would blot out Israel’s memory[db] from under heaven,[dc] so he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash.
28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including all his accomplishments, his military success in restoring Israelite control over Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[dd] 29 Jeroboam passed away[de] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.[df] His son Zechariah replaced him as king.
23 After he spent[a] some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia[b] and Phrygia,[c] strengthening all the disciples.
Apollos Begins His Ministry
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker,[d] well-versed[e] in the scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in[f] the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm[g] he spoke and taught accurately the facts[h] about Jesus, although he knew[i] only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak out fearlessly[j] in the synagogue,[k] but when Priscilla and Aquila[l] heard him, they took him aside[m] and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 27 When Apollos[n] wanted to cross over to Achaia,[o] the brothers encouraged[p] him[q] and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he[r] assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously[s] in public debate,[t] demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ[u] was Jesus.[v]
Disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus
19 While[w] Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland[x] regions[y] and came to Ephesus. He[z] found some disciples there[aa] 2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”[ab] They replied,[ac] “No, we have not even[ad] heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul[ae] said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied.[af] 4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,[ag] that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, 6 and when Paul placed[ah] his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came[ai] upon them, and they began to speak[aj] in tongues and to prophesy.[ak] 7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.)[al]
Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus
8 So Paul[am] entered[an] the synagogue[ao] and spoke out fearlessly[ap] for three months, addressing[aq] and convincing[ar] them about the kingdom of God.[as] 9 But when[at] some were stubborn[au] and refused to believe, reviling[av] the Way[aw] before the congregation, he left[ax] them and took the disciples with him,[ay] addressing[az] them every day[ba] in the lecture hall[bb] of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia,[bc] both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.[bd]
The Seven Sons of Sceva
11 God was performing extraordinary[be] miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body[bf] were brought[bg] to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.[bh]
Psalm 146[a]
146 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
3 Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver.[b]
4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground.
On that day their plans die.[c]
5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful,[d]
7 vindicates the oppressed,[e]
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over.[f]
The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the resident foreigner.
He lifts up the fatherless and the widow,[g]
but he opposes the wicked.[h]
10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come.[i]
Praise the Lord!
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