The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday June 27, 2018 (NIV)

2 Kings 10:32-12:21

32 So in those days the Lord began to take away some of Israel’s territory. Hazael defeated Jehu’s army throughout Israel’s territory 33 east of the Jordan River: the entire region of Gilead (the territory belonging to Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh) from Aroer, which is near the Arnon River, to Gilead and Bashan.

34 Isn’t everything else about Jehu—everything he did, all his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 35 Jehu lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king. 36 Jehu ruled as king of Israel in Samaria for 28 years.

The Priest Jehoiada Opposes Queen Athaliah(A)

11 When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, saw that her son was dead, she began to destroy the entire royal family. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash. She saved him from being killed with the king’s other sons, and in a bedroom she hid him and his nurse from Athaliah. So Joash wasn’t killed but was hidden with her in the Lord’s temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.

In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada sent for the company commanders of the Carites and the guards and had them come to him in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement with them, put them under oath in the Lord’s temple, and showed them the king’s son. He ordered them, “This is what you must do: One third of you, those who are on duty on the day of rest—a holy day, must guard the royal palace. Another third must be at Sur Gate. And another third must be at the gate behind the guards. You will guard the king’s residence. [a] Then your two groups who normally go off duty on the day of rest—a holy day, must guard the king at the Lord’s temple. Surround the king. Each man should have his weapons in his hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”

The company commanders did as the priest Jehoiada had ordered them. Each commander took his men who were coming on duty on the day of rest—a holy day, as well as those who were about to go off duty and came to the priest Jehoiada. 10 He gave the commanders the spears and the shields that had belonged to King David but were now in the Lord’s temple. 11 The guards stood with their weapons in their hands. They were stationed around the king and around the altar and the temple (from the south side to the north side of the temple). 12 Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, gave him the crown and the religious instructions, and made him king by anointing him. As the guards clapped their hands, they said, “Long live the king!”

13 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the other people, she went into the Lord’s temple, where the people were. 14 She looked, and the king was standing by the pillar according to custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by his side. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. As Athaliah tore her clothes in distress, she cried, “Treason, treason!”

15 Then the priest Jehoiada ordered the company commanders who were in charge of the army, “Take her out of the temple. Use your sword to kill anyone who follows her.” (The priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Lord’s temple.”) 16 So they arrested her as she came to the street where the horses enter the royal palace, and there she was killed.

17 Jehoiada made a promise to the Lord on behalf of the king and his people that they would be the Lord’s people. He made other promises between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed Baal’s altars and his statues and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.

Next, the priest appointed officials to be in charge of the Lord’s temple. 19 He took the company commanders of the Carites and the guards and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord’s temple. They went down the street that goes through Guards’ Gate to the royal palace. Then Joash sat on the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land were celebrating. But the city was quiet because they had killed Athaliah with a sword at the royal palace.[b]

King Joash of Judah(B)

21 Joash[c] was seven years old when he began to rule.

12 [d]Joash began to rule in Jehu’s seventh year as king of Israel, and he ruled for 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. Joash did what the Lord considered right, as long as the priest Jehoiada instructed him. But the illegal places of worship weren’t torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites.

Joash told the priests, “Collect all the holy contributions that are brought into the Lord’s temple—the money each person is currently required to bring and all the money brought voluntarily to the Lord’s temple. Each of the priests should receive it from the donors and use it to make repairs on the temple where they are needed.”

But by Joash’s twenty-third year as king, the priests still had not repaired the temple. So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage in the temple? Don’t take any more money from the donors for your own use. Instead, use it to make repairs on the temple.” The priests agreed neither to receive money from the people for personal use nor to be responsible for repairing the temple.

Then the priest Jehoiada took a box, drilled a hole in its lid, and put it at the right side of the altar as one comes into the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance put the money that was brought to the Lord’s temple in the box. 10 Whenever they saw a lot of money in the box, the king’s scribe and the chief priest would collect and count the money that was donated in the Lord’s temple. 11 Then they would give the money that had been weighed to the men who had been appointed to work on the Lord’s temple. They used it to pay the carpenters, builders, 12 masons, and stonecutters. They also used it to buy wood and cut stones to make repairs on the Lord’s temple and to buy anything else that they needed for the temple repairs. 13 But no silver bowls, snuffers, dishes, trumpets, or any other gold and silver utensils were made for the Lord’s temple with the money that was brought. 14 Instead, the money was given to the workmen, and they used it to repair the temple. 15 They didn’t require the men who were entrusted with the money for the workers to give an account, because they were honest people. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the offerings for sin was not brought into the Lord’s temple. It belonged to the priests.

17 At this time King Hazael of Aram fought against Gath and conquered it. He was also determined to attack Jerusalem. 18 So King Joash of Judah took all the gifts his ancestors Kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah of Judah, had dedicated to the Lord, the things he had dedicated to the Lord, and all the gold that could be found in the storerooms of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He sent these things to King Hazael of Aram, who called off the attack on Jerusalem.

King Joash Is Assassinated(C)

19 Isn’t everything else about Joash—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? 20 His own officials plotted against him and killed him at Beth Millo on the road that goes down to Silla. 21 Joash’s officials Jozacar, son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of Shomer, executed him. They buried him with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Amaziah succeeded him as king.

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Kings 11:7 Hebrew meaning uncertain.
  2. 2 Kings 11:20 2 Kings 11:21 in English Bibles is 2 Kings 12:1 in the Hebrew Bible.
  3. 2 Kings 11:21 In the Masoretic Text this king of Judah is also called Jehoash, a longer form of Joash.
  4. 2 Kings 12:1 2 Kings 12:1–21 in English Bibles is 2 Kings 12:2–22 in the Hebrew Bible.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Acts 18:1-22

Paul in Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to the city of Corinth. In Corinth he met a Jewish man named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Aquila had been born in Pontus, and they had recently come from Italy because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them, and because they made tents for a living as he did, he stayed with them and they worked together.

On every day of rest—a holy day, Paul would discuss Scripture in the synagogue. He tried to win over Jews and Greeks who had converted to Judaism. But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his time to teaching God’s word. He assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. But they opposed him and insulted him. So Paul shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “You’re responsible for your own death. I’m innocent. From now on I’m going to people who are not Jewish.”

Then he left the synagogue and went to the home of a man named Titius Justus, who was a convert to Judaism. His house was next door to the synagogue. The synagogue leader Crispus and his whole family believed in the Lord. Many Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Don’t be afraid to speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 I’m with you. No one will attack you or harm you. I have many people in this city.”

11 Paul lived in Corinth for a year and a half and taught God’s word to them.

12 While Gallio was governor of Greece, the Jews had one thought in mind. They attacked Paul and brought him to court. 13 They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are against Moses’ Teachings.”

14 Paul was about to answer when Gallio said to the Jews, “If there were some kind of misdemeanor or crime involved, reason would demand that I put up with you Jews. 15 But since you’re disputing words, names, and your own teachings, you’ll have to take care of that yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge who gets involved in those things.” 16 So Gallio had them forced out of his court.

17 Then all the governor’s officers took Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio couldn’t have cared less.

Paul’s Return Trip to Antioch

18 After staying in Corinth quite a while longer, Paul left for Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. In the city of Cenchrea, Aquila had his hair cut, since he had taken a vow. From Cenchrea they took a boat headed for Syria 19 and arrived in the city of Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. Paul went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. 20 The Jews asked him to stay longer, but he refused. 21 As he left, he told them, “I’ll come back to visit you if God wants me to.”

Paul took a boat from Ephesus 22 and arrived in the city of Caesarea. He went to Jerusalem, greeted the church, and went back to the city of Antioch.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Psalm 145

I will highly praise you, my God, the king.
I will bless your name forever and ever.
I will bless you every day.
I will praise your name forever and ever.

The Lord is great, and he should be highly praised.
His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation will praise your deeds to the next.
Each generation will talk about your mighty acts.
I will think about the glorious honor of your majesty
and the miraculous things you have done.
People will talk about the power of your terrifying deeds,
and I will tell about your greatness.
They will announce what they remember of your great goodness,
and they will joyfully sing about your righteousness.
The Lord is merciful, compassionate, patient,
and always ready to forgive.
The Lord is good to everyone
and has compassion for everything that he has made.
10 Everything that you have made will give thanks to you, O Lord,
and your faithful ones will praise you.
11 Everyone will talk about the glory of your kingdom
and will tell the descendants of Adam about your might
12 in order to make known your mighty deeds
and the glorious honor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
Your empire endures throughout every generation.

14 The Lord supports everyone who falls.
He straightens the backs of those who are bent over.
15 The eyes of all creatures look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand,
and you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is fair in all his ways
and faithful in everything he does.
18 The Lord is near to everyone who prays to him,
to every faithful person who prays to him.
19 He fills the needs of those who fear him.
He hears their cries for help and saves them.
20 The Lord protects everyone who loves him,
but he will destroy all wicked people.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and all living creatures will praise his holy name
forever and ever.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Proverbs 18:1

A loner is out to get what he wants for himself.
He opposes all sound reasoning.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group