1 Corinthians 16; 2 Kings 12; 2 Kings 13; Micah 3

1 Corinthians 16

1 Now about the collection for the saints: you should do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches.

2 On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save to the extent that he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.

3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you recommend by letter to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.

4 If it is also suitable for me to go, they will travel with me.

5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia-for I will be traveling through Macedonia-

6 and perhaps I will remain with you, or even spend the winter, that you may send me on my way wherever I go.

7 I don't want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.

8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,

9 because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me-yet many oppose me.

10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear from you, because he is doing the Lord's work, just as I am.

11 Therefore no one should look down on him; but you should send him on his way in peace so he can come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

12 About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, when he has time, he will come.

13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong.

14 Your every [action] must be done with love.

15 Brothers, you know the household of Stephanas: they are the firstfruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you

16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them.

17 I am delighted over the presence of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because these men have made up for your absence.

18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.

19 The churches of the Asian province greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.

20 All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

21 This greeting is in my own hand-Paul.

22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Maranatha!

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

2 Kings 12

1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king; he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah, who was from Beer-sheba.

2 Throughout the time Jehoiada the priest instructed him, Joash did what was right in the Lord's sight.

3 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

4 Then Joash said to the priests, "All the dedicated money brought to the Lord's temple, census money, money from vows, and all money voluntarily given for the Lord's temple,

5 each priest is to take from his assessor and repair whatever damage to the temple is found.

6 But by the twenty-third year [of the reign] of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage to the temple.

7 So King Joash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said, "Why haven't you repaired the temple's damage? Since you haven't, don't take any money from your assessors; instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple."

8 So the priests agreed they would not take money from the people and they would not repair the temple's damage.

9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the Lord's temple; in it the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the Lord's temple.

10 Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest would go to the Lord's temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags.

11 Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those doing the work-those who oversaw the Lord's temple. They [in turn] would pay it out to those working on the Lord's temple-the carpenters, the builders,

12 the masons, and the stonecutters-and [would use it] to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the damage to the Lord's temple and for all spending for temple repairs.

13 However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver were made for the Lord's temple from the money brought into the temple.

14 Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired the Lord's temple with it.

15 No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity.

16 The money from the restitution offering and the sin offering was not brought to the Lord's temple since it belonged to the priests.

17 At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.

18 So King Joash of Judah took all the consecrated items that his ancestors-Judah's kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah-had consecrated, along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and in the king's palace, and he sent [them] to Hazael king of Aram. Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

19 The rest of the events of Joash's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.

20 Joash's servants conspired against him and killed him at Beth-millo [on the road that] goes down to Silla.

21 His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died. Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.

2 Kings 13

1 In the twenty-third year of Judah's King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria; [he reigned] 17 years.

2 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

3 So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He surrendered them to the power of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad during their reigns.

4 Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord's favor, and the Lord heard him, for He saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel.

5 Therefore, the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped from the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel dwelt in their tents as before,

6 but they didn't turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Jehoahaz walked in them, and the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria.

7 Jehoahaz did not have an army left, except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them, making them like dust at threshing.

8 The rest of the events of Jehoahaz's [reign], along with all his accomplishments and his might, are written about in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.

9 Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash became king in his place.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Judah's King Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria; [he reigned] 16 years.

11 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight. He did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them.

12 The rest of the events of Jehoash's [reign], along with all his accomplishments and the power he had to wage war against Judah's King Amaziah, are written about in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.

13 Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 When Elisha became sick with the illness that he died from, Jehoash king of Israel went down and wept over him and said, "My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!"

15 Elisha responded, "Take a bow and arrows." So he got a bow and arrows.

16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So the king put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands.

17 Elisha said, "Open the east window." So he opened it. Elisha said, "Shoot!" So he shot. Then Elisha said, "The Lord's arrow of victory, yes, the arrow of victory over Aram. You are to strike down the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them."

18 Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows!" So he took them, and he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground!" So he struck the ground 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 struck down Aram until you had put an end to them, but now you will only strike down Aram three times."

20 Then Elisha died and was buried. Now marauding bands of Moabites used to come into the land in the spring of the year.

21 Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a marauding band, so they threw the man into Elisha's tomb. When he touched Elisha's bones, the man revived and stood up!

22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz,

23 but the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them. Even now He has not banished them from His presence.

24 King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad became king in his place.

25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in war from Jehoash's father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel.

Micah 3

1 Then I said: "Now listen, leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Aren't you supposed to know what is just?

2 You hate good and love evil. You tear off the skin of people and [strip] their flesh from their bones.

3 You eat the flesh of my people after you strip their skin from them and break their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a caldron."

4 Then they will cry out to the Lord, but He will not answer them. He will hide His face from them at that time because of the crimes they have committed.

5 This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who proclaim peace when they have [food] to sink their teeth into but declare war against the one who puts nothing in their mouths.

6 Therefore, it will be night for you- without visions; it will grow dark for you- without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.

7 Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners disappointed. They will all cover their mouths because there will be no answer from God.

8 But as for me, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord, with justice and courage, to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.

9 Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert everything that is right,

10 who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with injustice.

11 Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, "Isn't the Lord among us? No calamity will overtake us."

12 Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become ruins, and the hill of the temple mount will be a thicket.