Day 164 of 730

¹In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.

²He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.

³He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done.

⁴However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

⁵It happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he killed his servants who had slain the king his father:

⁶but the children of the murderers he did not put to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin."

⁷He killed of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day.

⁸Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."

⁹Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.

¹⁰You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?'"

¹¹But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.

¹²Judah was defeated by Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.

¹³Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

¹⁴He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹⁶Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

¹⁷Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

¹⁸Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

¹⁹They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.

²⁰They brought him on horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

²¹All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.

²²He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria for forty-one years.

²⁴He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

²⁵He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath Hepher.

²⁶For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.

²⁷The Lord did not say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under the sky; but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

²⁸Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²⁹Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

¹In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.

²Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

³He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

⁴However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

⁵The Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house. Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land.

⁶Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

⁷Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

⁸In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months.

⁹He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done: he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

¹⁰Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck him before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his place.

¹¹Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

¹²This was the word of the Lord which he spoke to Jehu, saying, "Your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." So it came to pass.

¹³Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned for a month in Samaria.

¹⁴Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him, and reigned in his place.

¹⁵Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

¹⁶Then Menahem struck Tiphsah, and all who were therein, and its borders, from Tirzah: because they did not open to him, therefore he struck it; and all the women therein who were with child he ripped up.

¹⁷In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel for ten years in Samaria.

¹⁸He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

¹⁹There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

²⁰Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land.

²¹Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²²Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria for two years.

²⁴He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

²⁵Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and struck him in Samaria, in the castle of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his place.

²⁶Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

²⁷In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria for twenty years.

²⁸He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

²⁹In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel Beth Maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.

³⁰Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck him, and killed him, and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

³¹Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

³²In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

³³He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

³⁴He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

³⁵However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.

³⁶Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

³⁷In those days the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

³⁸Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

¹The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good.

²The Lord looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who did understand, who did seek after God.

³They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is none who does good, no, not one.

⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord?

⁵There they were in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.

⁶You would frustrate the plans of the lowly, but the Lord is his refuge.

⁷Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

¹Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

⁵"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

⁶Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

⁷He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

¹³The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

¹⁶"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

¹⁷"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.