Amaziah Reigns in Judah

1 ^jIn the second year of ^kJoash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, ^lAmaziah the son of ^mJoash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 And he ⁿdid what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But ^othe high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down ^phis servants who had struck down the king his father. 6 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, ^q“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But ^reach one shall die for his own sin.”

7 He ^sstruck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name ^tto this day.

8 ^uThen Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash¹ the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and ^vevery man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,² from the ^wEphraim Gate to the ^xCorner Gate. 14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found ^yin the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the ^zBook of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 ^aAmaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the ^bBook of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 And ^cthey brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 ^dAnd all the people of Judah took ^eAzariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built ^fElath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, ^gJeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he ^hdid what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the ⁱsins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant ^jJonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord ^ksaw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, ^lbond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that he would ^mblot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ^bsaid to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today ^cconcerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the ^dname of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ^eyou crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus¹ is ^fthe stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the ^gcornerstone.² 12 And there is ^hsalvation in no one else, for there is no other ⁱname under heaven given among men³ by which we must be saved.”

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were ^juneducated, common men, they were astonished. ^kAnd they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had ^lnothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and ^mcharged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is ⁿright in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we ^ocannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were ^ppraising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who ^qmade the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,⁴ said by the Holy Spirit,

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both ^sHerod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had ^tpredestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^uboldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was ^vshaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.