2Kings 12-13 - Prayer Tents

2Kings 12

Joash Repairs the Temple

Joash began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu's reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba.H7651H8141H3058H3060H4427H705H8141H4427H3389H517H8034H6645H8842All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.H3060H6213H3477H5869H3068H3117H3077H3548H33843Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.H1116H5493H5971H2076H6999H11164One day King Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the LORD's Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift.H3060H559H3548H3701H6944H935H1004H3068H3701H376H5674H3701H5315H6187H3701H5927H376H3820H935H1004H30685Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple."H3548H3947H376H4378H2388H919H1004H919H46726But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple.H7969H8141H6242H8141H4428H3060H3548H2388H919H10047So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, "Why haven't you repaired the Temple? Don't use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs."H4428H3060H7121H3077H3548H3548H559H2388H919H1004H3947H3701H4378H5414H919H10048So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple.H3548H225H3947H1115H3701H5971H1115H2388H919H10049Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest.H3077H3548H3947H259H727H5344H2356H1817H5414H681H4196H3225H376H935H1004H3068H3548H8104H5592H5414H3701H935H1004H306810Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the LORD's Temple and put it into bags.H7200H7227H3701H727H4428H5608H1419H3548H5927H6696H4487H3701H4672H1004H306811Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the LORD's Temple—the carpenters, the builders,H5414H3701H8505H3027H6213H4399H6485H6485H1004H3068H3318H2796H6086H1129H6213H1004H306812the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy the timber and the finished stone needed for repairing the LORD's Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple's restoration.H1443H2672H68H7069H6086H4274H68H2388H919H1004H3068H3318H1004H239413The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver bowls, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the LORD.H6213H1004H3068H5592H3701H4212H4219H2689H3627H2091H3627H3701H3701H935H1004H306814It was paid to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs.H5414H4399H6213H2388H1004H306815No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men.H2803H582H3027H5414H3701H5414H4399H6213H53016However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the LORD's Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use.H817H3701H2403H3701H935H1004H3068H3548

The End of Joash’s Reign

17About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.H2371H4428H758H5927H3898H1661H3920H2371H7760H6440H5927H338918King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem.H3060H4428H3063H3947H6944H3092H3088H274H1H4428H3063H6942H6944H2091H4672H214H1004H3068H4428H1004H7971H2371H4428H758H5927H338919The rest of the events in Joash's reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H3101H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306320Joash's officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla.H5650H6965H7194H7195H5221H3101H1004H4407H1037H3381H553821The assassins were Jozacar

son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer—both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.H3108H1121H8100H3075H1121H7763H5650H5221H4191H6912H1H5892H1732H558H1121H4427

2Kings 13

Jehoahaz Rules in Israel

13Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to rule over Israel in the twenty-third year of King Joash's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria seventeen years.H7969H8141H6242H8141H3101H1121H274H4428H3063H3059H1121H3058H4427H3478H8111H7651H6240H81412But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.H6213H7451H5869H3068H3212H310H2403H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H54933So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them repeatedly.H639H3068H2734H3478H5414H3027H2371H4428H758H3027H1130H1121H2371H31174Then Jehoahaz prayed for the LORD's help, and the LORD heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.H3059H2470H3068H3068H8085H6440H7200H3906H3478H4428H758H39055So the LORD provided someone to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days.H3068H5414H3478H3467H3318H3027H758H1121H3478H3427H168H8032H85436But they continued to sin, following the evil example of Jeroboam. They also allowed the Asherah pole in Samaria to remain standing.H5493H2403H1004H3379H3478H2398H1980H5975H842H81117Finally, Jehoahaz's army was reduced to 50 charioteers, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Aram had killed the others, trampling them like dust under his feet.H7604H5971H3059H2572H6571H6235H7393H6235H505H7273H4428H758H6H7760H6083H17588The rest of the events in Jehoahaz's reign—everything he did and the extent of his power—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H3059H6213H1369H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H34789When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash

became the next king.H3059H7901H1H6912H8111H3101H1121H4427

Jehoash Rules in Israel

10Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to rule over Israel in the thirty-seventh year of King Joash's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria sixteen years.H7970H8141H7651H8141H3101H4428H3063H3060H1121H3059H4427H3478H8111H8337H6240H814111But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.H6213H7451H5869H3068H5493H2403H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H198012The rest of the events in Jehoash's reign and everything he did, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H3101H6213H1369H3898H558H4428H3063H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H347813When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then his son Jeroboam II became the next king.H3101H7901H1H3379H3427H3678H3101H6912H8111H4428H3478

Elisha’s Final Prophecy

14When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" he cried.H477H2470H2483H4191H3101H4428H3478H3381H1058H6440H559H1H1H7393H3478H657115Elisha told him, "Get a bow and some arrows." And the king did as he was told.H477H559H3947H7198H2671H3947H7198H267116Elisha told him, "Put your hand on the bow," and Elisha laid his own hands on the king's hands.H559H4428H3478H7392H3027H7198H7392H3027H477H7760H3027H4428H302717Then he commanded, "Open that eastern window," and he opened it. Then he said, "Shoot!" So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, "This is the LORD's arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek."H559H6605H2474H6924H6605H477H559H3384H3384H559H2671H3068H8668H2671H8668H758H5221H758H663H361518Then he said, "Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground." So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times.H559H3947H2671H3947H559H4428H3478H5221H776H5221H7969H6471H597519But the man of God was angry with him. "You should have struck the ground five or six times!" he exclaimed. "Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times."H376H430H7107H559H5221H2568H8337H6471H5221H758H3615H5221H758H7969H647120Then Elisha died and was buried. Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring.H477H4191H6912H1416H4124H935H776H935H814121Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet!H6912H376H7200H1416H7993H376H6913H477H376H3212H5060H6106H477H2421H6965H727222King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King Jehoahaz.H2371H4428H758H3905H3478H3117H305923But the LORD was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence.H3068H2603H7355H6437H4616H1285H85H3327H3290H14H7843H7993H6440H570424King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad became the next king.H2371H4428H758H4191H1130H1121H442725Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the towns that had been taken from Jehoash's father, Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad on three occasions, and he recovered the Israelite towns.H3060H1121H3059H3947H7725H3027H1130H1121H2371H5892H3947H3027H3059H1H4421H7969H6471H3101H5221H7725H5892H3478