Information Retrieved -> 2 Chronicles 22 - 24(NLT)

Book Chapter Verse Text
2 Chronicles 22 1 Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, their next king. The marauding bands of Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigned as king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 22 2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.
2 Chronicles 22 3 Ahaziah also followed the evil example of King Ahab's family, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong.
2 Chronicles 22 4 He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Ahab had done. After the death of his father, members of Ahab's family became his advisers, and they led him to ruin.
2 Chronicles 22 5 Following their evil advice, Ahaziah made an alliance with King Joram, the son of King Ahab of Israel. They went out to fight King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram in the battle.
2 Chronicles 22 6 Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from his wounds, and King Ahaziah of Judah went to Jezreel to visit him.
2 Chronicles 22 7 But this turned out to be a fatal mistake, for God had decided to punish Ahaziah. It was during this visit that Ahaziah went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had appointed to end the dynasty of Ahab.
2 Chronicles 22 8 While Jehu was executing judgment against the family of Ahab, he happened to meet some of Judah's officials and Ahaziah's relatives who were attending Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them all.
2 Chronicles 22 9 Then Jehu's men searched for Ahaziah, and they found him hiding in the city of Samaria. They brought him to Jehu, who killed him. Ahaziah was given a decent burial because the people said, "He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat--a man who sought the LORD with all his heart." None of the surviving members of Ahaziah's family was capable of ruling the kingdom.
2 Chronicles 22 10 When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she set out to destroy the rest of Judah's royal family.
2 Chronicles 22 11 But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way, Jehosheba, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, hid the child so that Athaliah could not murder him.
2 Chronicles 22 12 Joash remained hidden in the Temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.
2 Chronicles 23 1 In the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehoiada the priest decided to act. He got up his courage and made a pact with five army commanders: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.
2 Chronicles 23 2 These men traveled secretly throughout Judah and summoned the Levites and clan leaders in Judah's towns to come to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 23 3 They all gathered at the Temple of God, where they made a covenant with Joash, the young king. Jehoiada said to them, "The time has come for the king's son to reign! The LORD has promised that a descendant of David will be our king.
2 Chronicles 23 4 This is what you must do. When the priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, a third of them will serve as gatekeepers.
2 Chronicles 23 5 Another third will go over to the royal palace, and the final third will be at the Foundation Gate. Everyone else should stay in the courtyards of the LORD's Temple.
2 Chronicles 23 6 Remember, only the priests and Levites on duty may enter the Temple of the LORD, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the LORD's instructions and stay outside.
2 Chronicles 23 7 You Levites, form a bodyguard for the king and keep your weapons in hand. Any unauthorized person who enters the Temple must be killed. Stay right beside the king at all times."
2 Chronicles 23 8 So the Levites and the people did everything just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. Jehoiada the priest did not let anyone go home after their shift ended.
2 Chronicles 23 9 Then Jehoiada supplied the commanders with the spears and shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of God.
2 Chronicles 23 10 He stationed the guards around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.
2 Chronicles 23 11 Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out Joash, the king's son, and placed the crown on his head. They presented Joash with a copy of God's laws and proclaimed him king. Then they anointed him, and everyone shouted, "Long live the king!"
2 Chronicles 23 12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and the shouts of praise to the king, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening.
2 Chronicles 23 13 And she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar at the Temple entrance. The officers and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Singers with musical instruments were leading the people in a great celebration. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"
2 Chronicles 23 14 Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, "Take her out of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her. Do not kill her here in the Temple of the LORD."
2 Chronicles 23 15 So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and they killed her there.
2 Chronicles 23 16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people.
2 Chronicles 23 17 And all the people went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
2 Chronicles 23 18 Jehoiada now put the Levitical priests in charge of the Temple of the LORD, following all the instructions given by David. He also commanded them to present burnt offerings to the LORD, as prescribed by the law of Moses, and to sing and rejoice as David had instructed.
2 Chronicles 23 19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD's Temple to keep those who were ceremonially unclean from entering.
2 Chronicles 23 20 Then the commanders, nobles, rulers, and all the people escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD. They went through the Upper Gate and into the palace, and they seated the king on the royal throne.
2 Chronicles 23 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed.
2 Chronicles 24 1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba.
2 Chronicles 24 2 Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.
2 Chronicles 24 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and he had sons and daughters.
2 Chronicles 24 4 Some time later, Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 24 5 He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them these instructions: "Go at once to all the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings, so that we can repair the Temple of your God. Do not delay!" But the Levites did not act right away.
2 Chronicles 24 6 So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, "Why haven't you demanded that the Levites go out and collect the Temple taxes from the towns of Judah and from Jerusalem? Moses, the servant of the LORD, levied this tax on the community of Israel in order to maintain the Tabernacle of the Covenant. "
2 Chronicles 24 7 Over the years, the followers of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Temple of God, and they had used all the dedicated things from the Temple of the LORD to worship the images of Baal.
2 Chronicles 24 8 So now Joash gave instructions for a chest to be made and set outside the gate leading to the Temple of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 24 9 Then a proclamation was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem, telling the people to bring to the LORD the tax that Moses, the servant of God, had required of the Israelites in the wilderness.
2 Chronicles 24 10 This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it.
2 Chronicles 24 11 Whenever the chest became full, the Levites carried it to the king's officials. Then the court secretary and an officer of the high priest counted the money and took the chest back to the Temple again. This went on day after day, and a large amount of money was collected.
2 Chronicles 24 12 The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the construction supervisors, who hired masons and carpenters to restore the Temple of the LORD. They also hired metalworkers, who made articles of iron and bronze for the LORD's Temple.
2 Chronicles 24 13 So the men in charge of the renovation worked hard, and they made steady progress. They restored the Temple of God according to its original design and strengthened it.
2 Chronicles 24 14 When all the repairs were finished, they brought the remaining money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to make utensils for the Temple of the LORD--utensils for worship services and for burnt offerings, including ladles and other vessels made of gold and silver. And the burnt offerings were sacrificed continually in the Temple of the LORD during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.
2 Chronicles 24 15 Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130.
2 Chronicles 24 16 He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple.
2 Chronicles 24 17 But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded the king to listen to their advice.
2 Chronicles 24 18 They decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Then the anger of God burned against Judah and Jerusalem because of their sin.
2 Chronicles 24 19 The LORD sent prophets to bring them back to him, but the people would not listen.
2 Chronicles 24 20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's commands so that you cannot prosper? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!"
2 Chronicles 24 21 Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and by order of King Joash himself, they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple.
2 Chronicles 24 22 That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his love and loyalty--by killing his son. Zechariah's last words as he died were, "May the LORD see what they are doing and hold them accountable!"
2 Chronicles 24 23 At the beginning of the year, the Aramean army marched against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the nation. Then they sent all the plunder back to their king in Damascus.
2 Chronicles 24 24 Although the Arameans attacked with only a small army, the LORD helped them conquer the much larger army of Judah. The people of Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, so judgment was executed against Joash.
2 Chronicles 24 25 The Arameans withdrew, leaving Joash severely wounded. But his own officials decided to kill him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest. They assassinated him as he lay in bed. Then he was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.
2 Chronicles 24 26 The assassins were Jozabad, the son of an Ammonite woman named Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of a Moabite woman named Shomer.
2 Chronicles 24 27 The complete story about the sons of Joash, the prophecies about him, and the record of his restoration of the Temple of God are written in The Commentary on the Book of the Kings. When Joash died, his son Amaziah became the next king.
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