Category: 2 Chronicles

[12:1] When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

[12:2] In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

[12:3] with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt—Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians.

[12:4] And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

[12:5] Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’”

[12:6] Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”

[12:7] When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

[12:8] Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

[12:9] So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made,

[12:10] and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.

[12:11] And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom.

[12:12] And when he humbled himself the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.

[12:13] So King Rehoboam grew strong in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

[12:14] And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

[12:15] Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

[12:16] And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and Abijah his son reigned in his place.

[13:1] In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

[13:2] He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

[13:3] Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors.

[13:4] Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

[13:5] Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

[13:6] Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord,

[13:7] and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.

[13:8] “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.

[13:9] Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods.

[13:10] But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service.

[13:11] They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him.

[13:12] Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”

[13:13] Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

[13:14] And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets.

[13:15] Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

[13:16] The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.

[13:17] Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men.

[13:18] Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.

[13:19] And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.

[13:20] Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down, and he died.

[13:21] But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

[13:22] The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

[14:1] Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.

[14:2] And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

[14:3] He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim

[14:4] and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.

[14:5] He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.

[14:6] He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace.

[14:7] And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.

[14:8] And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.

[14:9] Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.

[14:10] And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

[14:11] And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”

[14:12] So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

[14:13] Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil.

[14:14] And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.

[14:15] And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

[15:1] The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded,

[15:2] and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

[15:3] For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law,

[15:4] but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.

[15:5] In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.

[15:6] They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress.

[15:7] But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

[15:8] As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord.

[15:9] And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

[15:10] They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

[15:11] They sacrificed to the Lord on that day from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep.

[15:12] And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul,

[15:13] but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

[15:14] They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns.

[15:15] And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.

[15:16] Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.

[15:17] But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days.

[15:18] And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

[15:19] And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

[16:1] In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

[16:2] Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king’s house and sent them to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,

[16:3] “There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”

[16:4] And Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-Maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

[16:5] And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease.

[16:6] Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

[16:7] At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.

[16:8] Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand.

[16:9] For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

[16:10] Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.

[16:11] The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

[16:12] In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians.

[16:13] And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign.

[16:14] They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer’s art, and they made a very great fire in his honor.

[17:1] Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel.

[17:2] He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured.

[17:3] The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,

[17:4] but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel.

[17:5] Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.

[17:6] His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.

[17:7] In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

[17:8] and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

[17:9] And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

[17:10] And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

[17:11] Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute, and the Arabians also brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.

[17:12] And Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities,

[17:13] and he had large supplies in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem.

[17:14] This was the muster of them by fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 mighty men of valor;

[17:15] and next to him Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;

[17:16] and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, a volunteer for the service of the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor.

[17:17] Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield;

[17:18] and next to him Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war.

[17:19] These were in the service of the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

[18:1] Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.

[18:2] After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead.

[18:3] Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

[18:4] And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.”

[18:5] Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-Gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.”

[18:6] But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?”

[18:7] And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

[18:8] Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

[18:9] Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

[18:10] And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’”

[18:11] And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph. The Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

[18:12] And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”

[18:13] But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

[18:14] And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.”

[18:15] But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

[18:16] And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’”

[18:17] And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

[18:18] And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

[18:19] And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another.

[18:20] Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’

[18:21] And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’

[18:22] Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you.”

[18:23] Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?”

[18:24] And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.”

[18:25] And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,

[18:26] and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.’”

[18:27] And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

[18:28] So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead.

[18:29] And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

[18:30] Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.”

[18:31] As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; God drew them away from him.

[18:32] For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

[18:33] But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

[18:34] And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset he died.

[19:1] Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem.

[19:2] But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord.

[19:3] Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”

[19:4] Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

[19:5] He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

[19:6] and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment.

[19:7] Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”

[19:8] Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem.

[19:9] And he charged them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart:

[19:10] whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt.

[19:11] And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!”

[20:1] After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle.

[20:2] Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-Tamar” (that is, Engedi).

[20:3] Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

[20:4] And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

[20:5] And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

[20:6] and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.

[20:7] Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

[20:8] And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying,

[20:9] ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’

[20:10] And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy—

[20:11] behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.

[20:12] O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

[20:13] Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

[20:14] And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

[20:15] And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

[20:16] Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel.

[20:17] You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

[20:18] Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.

[20:19] And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

[20:20] And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

[20:21] And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

[20:22] And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.

[20:23] For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.