6th September

¹ And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.² But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.³ And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.⁴ And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son.⁵ And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;⁶ And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down.⁷ And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.⁸ And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.⁹ And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.¹⁰ And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.¹¹ And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.¹² And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.¹³ And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.¹⁴ And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.¹⁵ But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.¹⁶ And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain.¹⁷ And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD's people; between the king also and the people.¹⁸ And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.¹⁹ And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.²⁰ And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.²¹ Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

¹ In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.² And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.³ But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.⁴ And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,⁵ Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.⁶ But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.⁷ Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.⁸ And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.⁹ But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.¹⁰ And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.¹¹ And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,¹² And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.¹³ Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD:¹⁴ But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.¹⁵ Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.¹⁶ The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests'.¹⁷ Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.¹⁸ And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.¹⁹ And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?²⁰ And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.²¹ For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

¹ And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.² And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.³ And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.⁴ For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.⁵ And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.⁶ And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.⁷ And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.⁸ But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.⁹ And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;¹⁰ And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

¹ Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;² How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.³ For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;⁴ Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.⁵ And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.⁶ Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.⁷ Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.⁸ I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.⁹ For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.¹⁰ And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.¹¹ Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.¹² For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.¹³ For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:¹⁴ But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:¹⁵ As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.¹⁶ But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.¹⁷ For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;¹⁹ And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:²⁰ Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:²¹ Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.²² And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.²³ Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.²⁴ Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

¹ For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:² For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.³ Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:⁴ Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.⁶ But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.⁷ Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:⁹ (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.¹⁰ Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)¹¹ Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.¹² For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;¹³ Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;¹⁴ And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.¹⁵ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.