In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, reigning seventeen years. But he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and he went after the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat with which he had caused Israel to sin, and he did not depart from it. So the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael repeatedly. Then Jehoahaz entreated Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Aram oppressed them. Yahweh gave Israel a savior, and they went out from under the hand of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their tents as formerly. Yet they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam which he caused Israel to sin, but walked in it; and also, the pole of the Asherah worship was still standing in Samaria. For there was no army left over for Jehoahaz except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them as the dust at threshing. Now the remainder of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did and his powerful deeds, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel? Then Jehoahaz slept with his ancestors and they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoash his son became king in his place.

In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, reigning sixteen years. He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not depart from all of the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which he caused Israel to sin, but walked in it. The remainder of the acts of Joash and all that he did, his powerful deeds, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel? Then Joash slept with his ancestors, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha became ill with the illness with which he would die, so Jehoash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, and said, "My father, my father; the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows," so he took him a bow and arrows. He said to the king of Israel, "Lay your hand on the bow," so he lay hold of it; then Elisha put his hand on the hands of the king. Then he said, "Open the window to the east," so he opened it. Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. Then he said, "An arrow of victory for Yahweh, and an arrow of victory against Aram; you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until finishing them." Then he said, "Take the arrows," so he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," so he struck three times and stopped. Yet the man of God became angry against him and said, "For striking five or six times, then you would have defeated Aram until finishing them, but now you will defeat Aram only three times."

Elisha died and they buried him. Now the raiding parties of Moab came in the spring. And it happened that they were burying a man; suddenly they saw the marauding band, so they threw the man in the grave of Elisha. As he went in, the man touched the bones of Elisha, and became alive and got up on his feet!

Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. But Yahweh had mercy on them and showed compassion to them and turned to them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them nor cast them from his presence up to now.

When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-Hadad became king in his place. Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz returned and took the cities from the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz his father in the war. Three times Jehoash defeated him and recovered the towns of Israel.

In the second year of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Jehoash king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. He did right in the eyes of Yahweh, only not as David his ancestor; as all which Jehoash his father had done, he did. Only the high places were not removed; the people were still sacrificing and offering incense on the high places.

It happened that when the kingdom was firmly in his hand, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. But the sons of the killers he did not kill, as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which Yahweh had commanded, saying, "Fathers should not be killed because of children, and children should not be killed because of fathers; but a man should die because of his own sin." He also killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and he seized Sela in the battle, and he called its name Jokteel, until this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu king of Israel, saying, "Come let us meet face-to-face." So Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah, saying, "The thornbush which is in Lebanon sent to the cedar which is in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife,’ but an animal of the field which is in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thornbush. You have indeed defeated Edom and your heart is lifted up; enjoy the honor and stay home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall and Judah with you?"

But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel went up and they met face-to-face, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth-Shemesh which belongs to Judah. Judah was defeated before Israel and they fled, each to this tent. Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-Shemesh. Then they came to Jerusalem, and he broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim up to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits! He also took all of the gold and silver and all the vessels found in the temple of Yahweh and in the treasury rooms of the palace of the king, as well as the hostages; then he returned to Samaria.

Now the remainder of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his powerful deeds, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel? Then Jehoash slept with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

Amaziah the son of Jehoash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. The remainder of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? They conspired against him in Jerusalem, so he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. Then they carried him on the horses, and he was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. All of the people of Judah took sixteen-year-old Azariah and made him king in place of this father Amaziah. He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his ancestors.

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Jehoash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Jehoash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, reigning forty-one years. But he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which he caused Israel to sin. He restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-Hamath up to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah the son of Amittai the prophet, who was from Gath-Hepher. For Yahweh saw that the misery of Israel was very bitter, whether bond or free, but there was no helper for Israel. Yahweh did not decree to blot out the name of Israel from under the heavens, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash.

Now the remainder of the acts of Jeroboam, all that he did, his powerful deeds, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath of Judah to Israel, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel? So Jeroboam slept with his ancestors the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king in his place.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king. And he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, only not with a fully-devoted heart. And it happened that as his reign was strengthened, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the law, in the scroll of Moses, where Yahweh commanded, saying, "Fathers shall not be put to death on account of the sons, and the sons shall not be put to death on account of the fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin."

Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by families under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. And he counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found them to be three hundred thousand chosen for going out to battle, able with spear and shield. And he hired from Israel one hundred thousand strong, mighty warriors for one hundred talents.

But a man of God came to him, saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel, all the Ephraimites. But even still, you yourself go, do! Be strong for the battle else God will make you stumble before the enemy! For there is power with God to help and to cause stumbling." And Amaziah said to the man of God, "Now what should I do with the one hundred talents that I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God said, "Yahweh is able to give to you more than this." Then Amaziah dismissed the troops that came to him from Ephraim to go to their home. And they became very angry with Judah, and they returned to their home in great anger.

Then Amaziah strengthened himself, and leading his army, he went to the Valley of Salt. And he struck down ten thousand men of Seir. Now the troops captured ten thousand others alive, and they brought them to the top of the rock and threw them from the top of the rock. So all of them were smashed to pieces.

As for the troops Amaziah had sent back from going with him to war, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-Horon. And they struck down three thousand of them and plundered much booty.

And it happened that after Amaziah came back from killing the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and he stood them up to himself as gods and bowed down before them and make smoke offerings for them. So Yahweh became very angry with Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, and he said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of the people who could not deliver their own people from your hand?" And it happened that while he was speaking to him, he said to him, "Have we appointed you as a counselor to the king? Stop—why should you be killed?" So the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice."

Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel, and he sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us face one another. And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thorn bush that is in Lebanon has sent to the cedar which is in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ But a wild animal of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. Look, you say that you have struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now remain at your home. Why stir up disaster that you fall, you and Judah with you?"

But Amaziah did not listen, for it was from God that he might give them into the hand of enemies, because they sought the gods of Edom. So Joash the king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah the king of Judah faced one another at Beth-Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was defeated before Israel, and each man fled to his tent. And Joash the king of Israel captured Amaziah the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-Shemesh. And they brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. Then with all the gold and silver, all the objects found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, the storehouses of the house of the king, and the hostages, he returned to Samaria.

And Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel, fifteen years. Now the remainder of the words of Amaziah, from the first to the last, behold, are they not written in the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel? And from the time that Amaziah turned away from Yahweh, they had plotted a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. And he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. And they carried him on the horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.

For the music director, according to Mahalath.

A maskil of David.

At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat them. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!" So he said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! And if you had known what it means, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

And going on from there he came into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?" in order that they could accuse him. But he said to them, "What man will there be among you who will have one sheep and if this one fell into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Then to what degree is a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath."

Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand," and he stretched it out, and it was restored as healthy as the other one. But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him in order that they could destroy him.

Now Jesus, when he learned of it, withdrew from there, and many followed him, and he healed them all. And he warned them that they should not reveal his identity, in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, "Perhaps this one is the Son of David!" But the Pharisees, when they heard it, said, "This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!" But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them? For this reason they will be your judges! But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!

"Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person from his good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his evil treasury brings out evil things. But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment! For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!" But he answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah! For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here!

"Now whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ And when it arrives it finds the house unoccupied and swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!"

And while he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him. And someone told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing there outside desiring to speak to you." But he answered and said to the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Behold my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother."