Joash Repairs the Temple^(A)(B)

24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord^(C) all the years of Jehoiada the priest. ³ Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

⁴ Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. ⁵ He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money^(D) due annually from all Israel,^(E) to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites^(F) did not act at once.

⁶ Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?”^(G)

⁷ Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.

⁸ At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. ⁹ A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰ All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly,^(H) dropping them into the chest until it was full. ¹¹ Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. ¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired^(I) masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.

¹³ The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. ¹⁴ When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.

¹⁵ Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. ¹⁶ He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

The Wickedness of Joash

¹⁷ After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. ¹⁸ They abandoned^(J) the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols.^(K) Because of their guilt, God’s anger^(L) came on Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.^(M)

²⁰ Then the Spirit^(N) of God came on Zechariah^(O) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.^(P) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken^(Q) you.’”

²¹ But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned^(R) him to death^(S) in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.^{(T) 22} King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”^(U)

²³ At the turn of the year,^[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people.^(V) They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. ²⁴ Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men,^(W) the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army.^(X) Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. ²⁵ When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried^(Y) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

²⁶ Those who conspired against him were Zabad,^[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith^[c](Z) a Moabite woman.^{(AA) 27} The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,^{(A) 2} and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,^(B) and the land was radiant with his glory.^{(C) 3} The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he^[a] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. ⁴ The glory^(D) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.^{(E) 5} Then the Spirit^(F) lifted me up^(G) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory^(H) of the Lord filled the temple.^(I)

⁶ While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. ⁷ He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne^(J) and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile^(K) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings^[b] for their kings at their death.^{[c](L) 8} When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. ⁹ Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.^(M)

¹⁰ “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed^(N) of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, ¹¹ and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations^[d] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.^(O)

¹² “This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area^(P) on top of the mountain will be most holy.^(Q) Such is the law of the temple.

The Great Altar Restored

¹³ “These are the measurements of the altar^(R) in long cubits,^[e] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span^[f] around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: ¹⁴ From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge that goes around the altar it is two cubits high, and the ledge is a cubit wide.^[g] From this lower ledge to the upper ledge that goes around the altar it is four cubits high, and that ledge is also a cubit wide.^{[h] 15} Above that, the altar hearth^(S) is four cubits high, and four horns^(T) project upward from the hearth. ¹⁶ The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits^[i] long and twelve cubits wide.^{(U) 17} The upper ledge^(V) also is square, fourteen cubits^[j] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.^[k] The steps^(W) of the altar face east.^(X)”

¹⁸ Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings^(Y) and splashing blood^(Z) against the altar when it is built: ¹⁹ You are to give a young bull^(AA) as a sin offering^[l] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,^(AB) who come near^(AC) to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord. ²⁰ You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar^(AD) and on the four corners of the upper ledge^(AE) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar^(AF) and make atonement for it. ²¹ You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.^(AG)

²² “On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. ²³ When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.^{(AH) 24} You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt^(AI) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

²⁵ “For seven days^(AJ) you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.^{(AK) 26} For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. ²⁷ At the end of these days, from the eighth day^(AL) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings^(AM) and fellowship offerings^(AN) on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

In Iconium

14 At Iconium^(A) Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.^(B) There they spoke so effectively that a great number^(C) of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.^{(D) 3} So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly^(E) for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.^{(F) 4} The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.^{(G) 5} There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews,^(H) together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.^{(I) 6} But they found out about it and fled^(J) to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, ⁷ where they continued to preach^(K) the gospel.^(L)

In Lystra and Derbe

⁸ In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth^(M) and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed^{(N) 10} and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”^(O) At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.^(P)

¹¹ When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”^{(Q) 12} Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.^{(R) 13} The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes^(S) and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,^(T) like you. We are bringing you good news,^(U) telling you to turn from these worthless things^(V) to the living God,^(W) who made the heavens and the earth^(X) and the sea and everything in them.^{(Y) 16} In the past, he let^(Z) all nations go their own way.^{(AA) 17} Yet he has not left himself without testimony:^(AB) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;^(AC) he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”^{(AD) 18} Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some Jews^(AE) came from Antioch and Iconium^(AF) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul^(AG) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples^(AH) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

²¹ They preached the gospel^(AI) in that city and won a large number^(AJ) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium^(AK) and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.^(AL) “We must go through many hardships^(AM) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders^[a](AN) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,^(AO) committed them to the Lord,^(AP) in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,^{(AQ) 25} and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,^(AR) where they had been committed to the grace of God^(AS) for the work they had now completed.^{(AT) 27} On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them^(AU) and how he had opened a door^(AV) of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.^(AW)

The Council at Jerusalem

15 Certain people^(AX) came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:^(AY) “Unless you are circumcised,^(AZ) according to the custom taught by Moses,^(BA) you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem^(BB) to see the apostles and elders^(BC) about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia^(BD) and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.^(BE) This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.^(BF)

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party^(BG) of the Pharisees^(BH) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”^(BI)

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.^{(BJ) 8} God, who knows the heart,^(BK) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,^(BL) just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them,^(BM) for he purified their hearts by faith.^{(BN) 10} Now then, why do you try to test God^(BO) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke^(BP) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace^(BQ) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders^(BR) God had done among the Gentiles through them.^{(BS) 13} When they finished, James^(BT) spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon^[b] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.^{(BU) 15} The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols,^(BX) from sexual immorality,^(BY) from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.^{(BZ) 21} For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”^(CA)

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and elders,^(CB) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch^(CC) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,^(CD) men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas,^(CN) who themselves were prophets,^(CO) said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace^(CP) to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [e] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached^(CQ) the word of the Lord.^(CR)

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns^(CS) where we preached the word of the Lord^(CT) and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,^(CU) with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them^(CV) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas^(CW) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.^{(CX) 41} He went through Syria^(CY) and Cilicia,^(CZ) strengthening the churches.^(DA)