¹In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. ²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. ³And he did what was right in the sight of the Lᴏʀᴅ, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done. ⁴However the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. ⁵Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. ⁶But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lᴏʀᴅ commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” ⁷He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel to this day. ⁸Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle.” ⁹And Jehoash 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’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. ¹⁰You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?” ¹¹But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹²And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. ¹³Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—four hundred cubits. ¹⁴And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the Lᴏʀᴅ and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. ¹⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did—his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ¹⁶So Jehoash rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. ¹⁷Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. ¹⁸Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? ¹⁹And they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰Then they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David. ²¹And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. ²²He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. ²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. ²⁴And he did evil in the sight of the Lᴏʀᴅ; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. ²⁵He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lᴏʀᴅ God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher. ²⁶For the Lᴏʀᴅ saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, there was no helper for Israel. ²⁷And the Lᴏʀᴅ did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; 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—his might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from Damascus and Hamath, what had belonged to Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ²⁹So Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

¹I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ²Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. ⁵But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. ⁹Be diligent to come to me quickly; ¹⁰for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. ¹²And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. ¹⁵You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. ¹⁶At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ¹⁸And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! ¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. ²¹Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. ²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

¹“When I would have healed Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, And the wickedness of Samaria. For they have committed fraud; A thief comes in; A band of robbers takes spoil outside. ²They do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them; They are before My face. ³They make a king glad with their wickedness, And princes with their lies. ⁴“They are all adulterers. Like an oven heated by a baker— He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough, Until it is leavened. ⁵In the day of our king Princes have made him sick, inflamed with wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers. ⁶They prepare their heart like an oven, While they lie in wait; Their baker sleeps all night; In the morning it burns like a flaming fire. ⁷They are all hot, like an oven, And have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen. None among them calls upon Me. ⁸“Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned. ⁹Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, Yet he does not know it. ¹⁰And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the Lᴏʀᴅ their God, Nor seek Him for all this. ¹¹“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria. ¹²Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them According to what their congregation has heard. ¹³“Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, Because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, Yet they have spoken lies against Me. ¹⁴They did not cry out to Me with their heart When they wailed upon their beds. “They assemble together for grain and new wine, They rebel against Me; ¹⁵Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me; ¹⁶They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

¹A Song of Ascents. In my distress I cried to the Lᴏʀᴅ, And He heard me. ²Deliver my soul, O Lᴏʀᴅ, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. ³What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? ⁴Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree! ⁵Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! ⁶My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. ⁷I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.

¹A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? ²My help comes from the Lᴏʀᴅ, Who made heaven and earth. ³He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵The Lᴏʀᴅ is your keeper; The Lᴏʀᴅ is your shade at your right hand. ⁶The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. ⁷The Lᴏʀᴅ shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. ⁸The Lᴏʀᴅ shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

¹A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lᴏʀᴅ.” ²Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! ³Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, ⁴Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lᴏʀᴅ, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ. ⁵For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. ⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. ⁷Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.” ⁸For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” ⁹Because of the house of the Lᴏʀᴅ our God I will seek your good.