The Daily Audio Bible

24 Joash was of seven years (Joash was seven years old), when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Zibiah of Beersheba.

² And he did that, that was good before the Lord, in all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.

³ And Joash took two wives, of which he begat sons and daughters. (And Jehoiada chose two wives for him, of whom Joash begat sons and daughters.)

⁴ And after which things it pleased Joash to repair the house of the Lord.

⁵ And he gathered together [the] priests and deacons, and said to them, Go ye out to the cities of Judah, and gather ye of all Israel money, to the repairing of the temple of your Lord God, by each year; and do ye this thing hastily. Certainly the deacons did this thing negligently. (And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go ye out to the cities of Judah, and gather ye the yearly money, or the annual tax, from all Israel, for repairs to the Temple of the Lord your God; and do ye this thing promptly, or quickly. But the Levites did it negligently, or slovenly.)

⁶ And the king called Jehoiada, the prince of priests, and said to him, Why was it not (a) charge to thee, to constrain the deacons to bring in (the) money of Judah and of Jerusalem, which money was ordained of Moses, the servant of the Lord, that all the multitude of Israel should bring it into the tabernacle of witnessing? (And so the king called the High Priest Jehoiada, and said to him, Why was it not a concern for thee, to require the Levites to bring in the money, that is, the tax, from Judah and Jerusalem, which was ordained by Moses, the Lord’s servant, that all the multitude of Israel should bring to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing?)

⁷ For the wicked woman Athaliah, and her sons, destroyed the house of God; and of all the things, that were hallowed to the temple of the Lord, they adorned the temple of Baalim. (For that wicked woman Athaliah, and her sons, destroyed the House of God; and they adorned the temple of the Baalim, with all the things that were dedicated to the Temple of the Lord.)

⁸ Therefore the king commanded, and they made an ark, and setted it beside the gate (of the House) of the Lord withoutforth. (And so the king commanded, and they made a box, and put it outside the gate of the House of the Lord.)

⁹ And it was preached in Judah and Jerusalem, that each man should bring to the Lord the price, that Moses, the servant of God, ordained upon all Israel, in desert. (And it was preached in Judah and Jerusalem, that everyone should bring to the Lord the tax, that Moses, the servant of God, had ordained upon all Israel, in the wilderness.)

¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people were glad, and they entered, and brought, and sent freely their gifts into the ark of the Lord (and freely put their gifts into the box for the Lord), so that it was filled with treasure.

¹¹ And when it was time, that they should bear the ark before the king(’s) (officials) by the hands of deacons, for they saw much money, the clerk of the king entered, and he whom the first, or chief, priest had ordained, and they poured out the money, that was in the ark; and they bare again the ark to his place (And when it was time, that they should carry the box to the king’s officials by the hands of the Levites, for they saw much money in it, the king’s clerk entered, and he whom the High Priest had ordained, and they poured out the money, that was in the box; and then they put the box back in its place). And so they did by all days, and money without number was gathered together;

¹² which the king and Jehoiada gave to them that were (the) sovereigns of the works of the house of the Lord. And they hired thereof cutters of stones, and craftsmen of all works, that they should repair the house of the Lord; also they hired smiths of iron, and of brass, that that thing should be underset, that began to fall (and they hired ironsmiths, and bronze-workers, so that what had begun to fall, or to fail, could be strengthened).

¹³ They that wrought did craftily, and the crazing of the walls was stopped by the hands of them; and they raised the house of the Lord into the former state, and made it to stand steadfastly. (They who did the work did so with craftsmanship, and they repaired the breaches in the walls; and so they raised the House of the Lord back to its former state, and made it stand strong and steadfast.)

¹⁴ And when they had fulfilled all the works, they brought before the king and Jehoiada the tother part of the money, of which money vessels were made into the service of the temple, and to burnt sacrifices (and from that money vessels were made for service in the Temple, and for the burnt sacrifices); also vials, or basins, and other vessels of gold and of silver were made thereof. And burnt sacrifices were offered in the house of the Lord continually, in all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ And Jehoiada full of days waxed eld, and he was dead, when he was of an hundred years and thirty; (And Jehoiada grew old, and full of days, and he died when he was a hundred and thirty years old;)

¹⁶ and they buried him in the city of David with (the) kings; for he had done good with Israel, (for God,) and with his house. (and they buried him in the City of David with the kings; for he had done good in Israel, for God, and for his House.)

¹⁷ But after that Jehoiada died, the princes of Judah entered, and worshipped the king, which was flattered with their services, and assented to them. (But after that Jehoiada died, the leaders of Judah entered, and worshipped, or honoured, the king, who was flattered by them, and he assented to them.)

¹⁸ And they forsook the temple of the Lord God of their fathers, and served idols in woods, and graven images (and worshipped sacred poles, and carved idols); and the ire of the Lord was made against Judah and Jerusalem for this sin.

¹⁹ And he sent to them prophets, that they should turn again to the Lord (so that they would return to the Lord); the which prophets’ witnessing, they would not hear.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed, or environed, Zechariah, the priest, the son of Jehoiada; and he stood in the sight of the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why break ye the commandment of the Lord, which thing shall not profit to you, and ye have forsaken the Lord, that he should forsake you? (Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah, the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and he stood before the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why have ye broken the Lord’s commands? truly that shall not profit you; but because ye have abandoned the Lord, now he hath abandoned you.)

²¹ Which were gathered together against him, and casted stones (at him), by commandment of the king, in the large place of the house of the Lord. (And they gathered together against him, and threw stones at him, by the command of the king, in the courtyard of the House of the Lord.)

²² And king Joash had not mind on the mercy, (or goodness,) which Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had done with him; but he killed the son of Jehoiada. And when Zechariah died, he said, The Lord see this thing, and again-seek it. (And King Joash forgot about the loyalty which Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown to him; and so he had Jehoiada’s son killed. And as Zechariah died, he said, May the Lord see what thou hast done, and avenge it.)

²³ And when a year was turned about, either ended, the host of Syria went up against Joash, and it came into Judah and into Jerusalem, and it killed all the princes of the people (and they came into Judah and Jerusalem, and they killed all the leaders of the people); and they sent all the prey to the king of Damascus.

²⁴ And certain(ly), when a full little number of men of Syria was come into Judah, the Lord betook in(to) their hands a multitude of Jews without number, for they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. Also they used shameful dooms against Joash (And so they executed judgement against Joash);

²⁵ and they went away from him, and they left him in great sorrows. And his servants rose up against him, into vengeance of the blood of the son of Jehoiada, priest; and killed him in his bed, and he was dead. And they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of kings. (and then they went away from him, and they left him in great sorrows. And then his servants rose up against him, in vengeance for the blood of the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and they killed him in his bed, and he was dead. And they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.)

²⁶ And Zabad, the son of Shimeath of Ammon, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith of Moab, setted treasons to him. (And it was Zabad, the son of Shimeath of Ammon, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith of Moab, who set treason against him.)

²⁷ Soothly his sons, and the sum of money that was gathered under him, and the repairing of the house of God, be written diligently in the book of Kings (all be diligently written about in The Book of the Kings). And Amaziah, his son, reigned for him;

25 Amaziah was of five and twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem.

² And he did good in the sight of the Lord, nevertheless not in perfect heart. (And he did good before the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.)

³ And when he saw the empire strengthened to himself, he strangled the servants that killed the king, his father; (And once he saw himself confirmed, or established, in power, he strangled the servants who had killed his father the king;)

⁴ but he killed not the sons of them; as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, [The] Fathers shall not be slain for the sons, neither the sons for their fathers; but each man shall die in, or for, his own sin.

⁵ Therefore Amaziah gathered together Judah, and ordained them by families, and tribunes, and centurions, in all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years and above, and he found thirty thousand of able young men, that went out to battle, and held spear and shield. (And so Amaziah gathered the men of Judah together, and ordained them by families, under tribunes, and centurions, in all Judah and Benjamin; and he counted them from twenty years of age and older, and he found thirty thousand able young men, who went out to battle, and held a spear and shield.)

⁶ Also for meed, he hired of Israel an hundred thousand of strong men, for an hundred talents of silver, that they should fight against the sons of Edom. (And for reward, or for money, he hired out of Israel a hundred thousand strong men, for a hundred talents of silver, to fight against the Edomites.)

⁷ Forsooth a man of God came to him, and said, A! king, the host of Israel go not out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and with all the sons of Ephraim; (But a man of God came to him, and said, O! king, do not let Israel’s army go out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and with all these Ephraimites;)

⁸ for if thou guessest that battles stand in the might of an host, the Lord shall make thee to be overcome of thine enemies, forsooth it is of God for to help, and to turn men into flight. (for if thou thinkest that battles stand, or fall, by the strength of an army, then the Lord shall make thee to be overcome by thy enemies; for it is of God to help thee, or to turn men to flight.)

⁹ And Amaziah said to the man of God, What then shall be done of the hundred talents, which I gave to the knights of Israel? And the man of God answered to him, The Lord hath, whereof he may yield to thee much more things than these.

¹⁰ Therefore Amaziah separated the host that came to him from Ephraim, that it should turn again into his place; and they were wroth greatly against Judah, and they turned again into their country. (And so Amaziah separated out the army that came to him from Ephraim, and told them to return home; and they were greatly angered against the people of Judah, but they returned to their own country.)

¹¹ And Amaziah led out trustily his people, and went into the valley of (the) makings of salt, and he killed of the sons of Seir ten thousand. (And then Amaziah trustily led out his people, and went into the Salt Valley, and he killed ten thousand of the sons of Seir there.)

¹² And the sons of Judah took (an)other ten thousand of men, and brought (them) to the high scarp of a stone; and they cast them down from the highest part into a pit; which all brake (and they were all killed there).

¹³ And that host that Amaziah had sent again, that it should not go with him to battle, was spread abroad in the cities of Judah from Samaria unto Bethhoron; and after (that) the host of Israel had slain three thousand of Judah, it took away a great prey (they took away a great deal of prey).

¹⁴ And Amaziah, after the slaying of Idumeans, and after that he had brought thence with him the gods of the sons of Seir, he ordained them to be into gods to himself, and he worshipped them, and burnt incense to them. (And Amaziah, after the slaughter of the Edomites, brought back from there the gods of the sons of Seir with him, and he ordained them to be his gods, and he worshipped them, and burned incense to them.)

¹⁵ Wherefore the Lord was wroth against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, that said to him, Why worshippest thou gods which have not delivered their (own) people from thine hand?

¹⁶ And when the prophet spake these things, Amaziah answered to him, Whether thou art a counsellor of the king? cease thou, lest peradventure I slay thee. And the prophet went away from him, and said, I know, that the Lord hath thought to slay thee (And as the prophet went away from him, he said, I know that the Lord hath decided to kill thee); for thou hast done this evil, and furthermore thou assentedest not to my counsel.

¹⁷ Therefore Amaziah, the king of Judah, when he had taken a full evil counsel, sent to the king of Israel, Jehoash^[a], the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, and said, Come thou, and see we us together. (And so Amaziah, the king of Judah, when he had taken very evil counsel, sent to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, and said, Come thou, and see we each other in battle.)

¹⁸ And Jehoash, the king of Israel, sent messengers (back) to him, and said (mystically), A thistle, that is in the Lebanon, sent to a cedar tree of the Lebanon, and said, Give thy daughter (as a) wife to my son; and lo! [the] beasts that were in the wood of the Lebanon went and defouled the thistle.

¹⁹ Thou saidest, I have smitten Edom, and therefore thine heart is raised into pride (Thou saidest, I myself have struck down Edom, and so thy heart is raised up in pride); sit thou still in thine house; why stirrest thou (up) evil against thyself, (so) that thou fall, and Judah with thee?

²⁰ (But) Amaziah would not hear this, for it was the will of the Lord, that he should be betaken into the hands of his enemies, for the gods of Edom which he worshipped (because he and the people of Judah worshipped the gods of Edom).

²¹ Therefore Jehoash, king of Israel, ascended, and they saw themselves together. Soothly Amaziah, the king of Judah, was in Bethshemesh of Judah; (And so Jehoash, the king of Israel, went forth, and they saw each other in battle. And he and Amaziah, the king of Judah, were in Bethshemesh of Judah;)

²² and Judah felled down before Israel, and fled into his tabernacles. (and the men of Judah fell down before the men of Israel, and they fled back to their tents.)

²³ And [Jehoash,] the king of Israel, took in Bethshemesh Amaziah, the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz^[b], and brought him into Jerusalem; and he destroyed the walls thereof from the gate of Ephraim to the gate of the corner, by four hundred cubits (in length). (And Jehoash, the king of Israel, the son of Jehoahaz, captured Amaziah, the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he destroyed its walls from the Ephraim Gate unto the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits.)

²⁴ And he led again into Samaria all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that he found in the house of the Lord, and at Obededom, in the treasuries also of the king’s house, also and the sons of (the) hostages. (And he took back to Samaria all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that he found in the House of the Lord, under the care, or the protection, of Obededom, and also the treasures from the king’s house, and the hostages as well.)

²⁵ And Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, lived fifteen years after that Jehoash, king of Israel, the son of Jehoahaz, was dead (died).

²⁶ Soothly the residue of the former and the last words of Amaziah, be written in the book of [the] kings of Judah and of Israel. (And the rest of the first and the last deeds of Amaziah, be written in The Book of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.)

²⁷ And after that he had gone away from the Lord, they set to him treasons in Jerusalem; and when he had fled to Lachish, they sent thither, and killed him there; (And after that Amaziah had gone away from the Lord, they set treasons against him in Jerusalem; and when he fled to Lachish, they followed him there, and killed him there;)

²⁸ and they brought him again upon horses (and they brought back his body on a horse), and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.

12 Therefore, brethren, I beseech you by the mercy of God, that ye give your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, and your service reasonable.

² And do not ye be conformed to this world, but be ye reformed in newness of your wit, that ye prove which is the will of God, good, and well pleasing, and perfect.

³ For I say, by the grace that is given to me, to all that be among you, that ye understand not more than it behooveth to understand, but for to understand to soberness [to not savour, or know, more than it behooveth to know, but to know to soberness]; and to each man, as God hath parted the measure of faith.

⁴ For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same deed [soothly all the members have not the same act, or deed];

⁵ so we many be one body in Christ [so we be many, one body in Christ], and each be members one of another.

⁶ Therefore we that have gifts diversing [Therefore having gifts diversing], after the grace that is given to us, either prophecy, after the reason of faith;

⁷ either service, in ministering; either he that teacheth, in teaching; [either ministry, or service, in ministering; or he that teacheth, in teaching;]

⁸ he that stirreth softly, in admonishing [he that stirreth softly, in exhortation, or admonishing]; he that giveth, in simpleness; he that is sovereign^[a], in busyness; he that hath mercy, in gladness.

⁹ Love without feigning, hating evil, drawing to good [cleaving, or fast drawing, to good thing];

¹⁰ loving together the charity of brotherhood. Each come before to worship (the) other [Coming before together in honour];

¹¹ not slow in busyness, fervent in spirit, serving to the Lord,

¹² joying in hope, patient in tribulation, busy in prayer,

¹³ giving good to the needs of saints, keeping hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless ye men that pursue you; bless ye, and do not ye curse;

¹⁵ for to joy with men that joy, for to weep with men that weep.

¹⁶ Feel ye the same thing together; not understanding high things, but consenting to meek things^[b]. Do not ye be prudent with yourselves;

¹⁷ to no man yielding evil for evil, but purvey ye good things, not only before God, but also before all men.

¹⁸ If it may be done, that that is of you, have ye peace with all men.

¹⁹ Ye most dear brethren, not defending yourselves, but give ye place to wrath [Ye most dear-worthy brethren, not defending, or venging, yourselves, but give ye place to ire, or wrath]; for it is written, The Lord saith, To me vengeance, and I shall yield [again].

²⁰ But if thine enemy hungereth, feed thou him; if he thirsteth, give thou drink to him; for thou doing this thing shalt gather together coals on his head. [But if thine enemy shall hunger, feed him; if he thirsteth, give drink to him; forsooth doing these things thou shalt gather together coals on his head.]

²¹ Do not thou be overcome of evil, but overcome thou evil by good.

¹⁹ But thou, Lord, delay not thine help from me; behold thou to my defence (hasten thou to my defence).

²⁰ God, deliver thou my life from sword; and deliver thou mine one alone from the hand, or power, of the dog. (God, deliver thou my life from the sword; yea, rescue thou my very life from the power of these dogs.)

²¹ Make thou me safe from the mouth of a lion; and my meekness from the horns of unicorns. (Save thou me from the lion’s mouth; yea, my poor body from the horns of these bulls.)

²² I shall tell thy name to my brethren; I shall praise thee in the midst of the church. (I shall tell out thy name to my brothers, or my kinsmen; and I shall praise thee in the midst of the congregation.)

²³ Ye that dread the Lord, praise him; all the seed of Jacob, glorify him. All the seed of Israel, dread him; (Ye who fear the Lord, praise him; all of Jacob’s children, glorify him. All of Israel’s descendants, fear him;/Ye who revere the Lord, praise him; all of Jacob’s children, glorify him. All of Israel’s descendants, revere him;)

²⁴ for he forsook not, neither despised the prayer of a poor man. Neither he turned away his face from me; and when I cried to him, he heard me. (for he forsook not, nor despised the prayer of the poor man. Nor hath he turned his face away from him; but when he cried to him, he answered him.)

²⁵ My praising is with thee in a great church; I shall yield my vows in the sight of men dreading him. (My praises shall be for thee before the great congregation; I shall pay my vows before those who fear thee/before those who revere thee.)

²⁶ Poor men shall eat, and shall be [ful]filled, and they shall praise the Lord, that seek him; the hearts of them shall live into the world of world. (The poor shall eat, and shall be satisfied; and they who seek the Lord shall praise him, and their hearts shall live forever and ever.)

²⁷ All the ends of earth shall bethink; and shall be converted to the Lord. And all the families of heathen men, shall worship in his sight. (All the ends of the earth shall remember the Lord; and shall turn to him. And all the families of the heathen, shall worship before him.)

²⁸ For the realm is the Lord’s; and he shall be Lord of heathen men. (For the Lord is the King; and he is the Lord of the heathen, yea, of all the nations.)

²⁹ All the fat men of earth ate and worshipped; all men, that go down into earth, shall fall down in his sight. And my soul shall live to him; (All the proud people of the earth shall eat at his feasts, and they shall worship him; all those, who go down into the earth, yea, who go down into the grave, shall bow down before him. And my soul shall live for him;)

³⁰ and my seed shall serve him. A generation to coming shall be told to the Lord; (and my children, or my descendants, shall serve him. The generations to come shall be told about the Lord;)

³¹ and heavens shall tell his rightfulness to the people that shall be born, whom the Lord made. (they shall tell of his righteousness to the people yet to be born, yea, what the Lord hath done/that the Lord hath done this.)

⁸ A king that sitteth in the seat of doom, destroyeth all evil by his looking. (A king who sitteth on the seat of judgement, knoweth evil when he seeth it.)

⁹ Who may say, Mine heart is clean; I am clean of sin?

¹⁰ A weight, greater in buying, and a weight, less(er) in selling, a measure and a measure, ever either is abominable at God (these be abominable to God).