Jehoahaz King of Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. ² He did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. ³ So the Lord’s anger^(B) burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power^(C) of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad^(D) his son.

⁴ Then Jehoahaz sought^(E) the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw^(F) how severely the king of Aram was oppressing^(G) Israel. ⁵ The Lord provided a deliverer^(H) for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. ⁶ But they did not turn away from the sins^(I) of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole^[a](J) remained standing in Samaria.

⁷ Nothing had been left^(K) of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust^(L) at threshing time.

⁸ As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁹ Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash^[b] his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoash King of Israel

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. ¹¹ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.

¹² As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah^(M) king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals^(N) of the kings of Israel? ¹³ Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam^(O) succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

¹⁴ Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots^(P) and horsemen of Israel!”

¹⁵ Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,”^(Q) and he did so. ¹⁶ “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

¹⁷ “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!”^(R) Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”^(S)

¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”^(T)

²⁰ Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders^(U) used to enter the country every spring. ²¹ Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life^(V) and stood up on his feet.

²² Hazael king of Aram oppressed^(W) Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. ²³ But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant^(X) with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy^(Y) them or banish them from his presence.^(Z)

²⁴ Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad^(AA) his son succeeded him as king. ²⁵ Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times^(AB) Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered^(AC) the Israelite towns.

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king^(A) of Judah and proclaim this message there: ² ‘Hear^(B) the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne^(C)—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.^{(D) 3} This is what the Lord says: Do what is just^(E) and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor^(F) the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow,^(G) and do not shed innocent blood^(H) in this place. ⁴ For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings^(I) who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. ⁵ But if you do not obey^(J) these commands, declares the Lord, I swear^(K) by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

⁶ For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

⁸ “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’^{(R) 9} And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.^(S)’”

¹¹ For this is what the Lord says about Shallum^[a](W) son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. ¹² He will die^(X) in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”

¹⁸ Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

²⁴ “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin^[c](BB) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring^(BC) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. ²⁵ I will deliver^(BD) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.^{[d] 26} I will hurl^(BE) you and the mother^(BF) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. ²⁷ You will never come back to the land you long to return^(BG) to.”

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy^(A) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.^{(B) 2} Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(C) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(D) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(E) in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel^(F) is veiled,^(G) it is veiled to those who are perishing.^{(H) 4} The god^(I) of this age^(J) has blinded^(K) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(L) who is the image of God.^{(M) 5} For what we preach is not ourselves,^(N) but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(O) and ourselves as your servants^(P) for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](Q) made his light shine in our hearts^(R) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(S)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay^(T) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God^(U) and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side,^(V) but not crushed; perplexed,^(W) but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted,^(X) but not abandoned;^(Y) struck down, but not destroyed.^{(Z) 10} We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,^(AA) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.^{(AB) 11} For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,^(AC) so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.^(AD)

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[b](AE) Since we have that same spirit of^[c] faith,^(AF) we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead^(AG) will also raise us with Jesus^(AH) and present us with you to himself.^{(AI) 15} All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving^(AJ) to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart.^(AK) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly^(AL) we are being renewed^(AM) day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.^{(AN) 18} So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,^(AO) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Awaiting the New Body

5 For we know that if the earthly^(AP) tent^(AQ) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan,^(AR) longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,^{(AS) 3} because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan^(AT) and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,^(AU) so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.^(AV)

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight.^{(AW) 8} We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.^{(AX) 9} So we make it our goal to please him,^(AY) whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us^(AZ) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,^(BA) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.^{(BB) 12} We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,^(BC) but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,^(BD) so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³ If we are “out of our mind,”^(BE) as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.^{(BF) 15} And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves^(BG) but for him who died for them^(BH) and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(BI) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(BJ) the new creation^(BK) has come:^[d] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(BL) 18} All this is from God,^(BM) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(BN) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(BO) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(BP) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(BQ) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(BR) 21} God made him who had no sin^(BS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(BT)