2 Chronicles 4-26

21st Century King James Version

4 Moreover he made an altar of brass: twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits he height thereof.

² Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line f thirty cubits did compass it round about.

³ And under it was the similitude of oxen, which compassed it round about, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two ows of oxen were cast when it was cast.

⁴ It stood upon twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the outh, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

⁵ And the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and t received and held three thousand baths.

⁶ He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand and five on the left, to wash in them. Such things as they offered or the burnt offering they washed in them, but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷ And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on he left.

⁸ He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred asins of gold.

⁹ Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with rass.

¹⁰ And he set the sea on the right side of the east end toward the south.

¹¹ And Hiram made the pots and the shovels and the basins. And Hiram finished the work that he was to do for King Solomon for he house of God,

¹² to wit: the two pillars, and the globes and the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to over the two globes of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars;

¹³ and four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths, two rows of pomegranates on each wreath to cover the two globes of the apitals which were upon the pillars.

¹⁴ He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

¹⁵ one sea and twelve oxen under it.

¹⁶ The pots also, and the shovels and the fleshhooks and all their instruments, did Hiramabi make for King Solomon for the ouse of the Lord of bright brass.

¹⁷ In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.

¹⁸ Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance, for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

¹⁹ And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also and the tables whereon the showbread as set;

²⁰ moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn according to the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

²¹ and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs made he of gold, and that of perfect gold;

²² and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold; and the entry of the house, the inner oors thereof for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the house of the temple were of gold.

5 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in all the things that David is father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments put he among the treasures of the house of God.

² Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of srael, unto Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the City of David, which is Zion.

³ Therefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

⁴ And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

⁵ And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the abernacle; these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

⁶ Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and xen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

⁷ And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the Most oly Place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

⁸ For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof bove.

⁹ And they drew out the staves of the ark so that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark in front of the oracle; but hey were not seen outside. And they are there unto this day.

¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark save the two tablets which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with he children of Israel when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ And it came to pass when the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present were sanctified nd did not then wait by course),

¹² also the Levites who were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being rrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and wenty priests sounding with trumpets—

¹³ it came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever,” that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord,

¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

6 Then said Solomon: “The Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

² But I have built a house of habitation for Thee, and a place for Thy dwelling for ever.”

³ And the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel stood.

⁴ And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hathwith His hands fulfilled that which He spoke with His mouth to my ather David, saying,

⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought forth My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build house in, that My name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a ruler over My people Israel;

⁶ but I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there, and have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

⁷ Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

⁸ But the Lord said to David my father: ‘Inasmuch as it was in thine heart to build a house for My name, thou didst well in that t was in thine heart.

⁹ Notwithstanding, thou shalt not build the house; but thy son who shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house or My name.’

¹⁰ The Lord therefore hath performed His word that He hath spoken; for I have risen up in the place of David my father and m set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

¹¹ And in it have I put the ark wherein is the covenant of the Lord that He made with the children of Israel.”

¹² And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands.

¹³ For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold of five cubits long and five cubits broad and three cubits high, and had set it in he midst of the court; and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread orth his hands toward heaven

¹⁴ and said, “O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in the heaven nor in the earth, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their hearts—

¹⁵ Thou who hast kept with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him and spokest with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.

¹⁶ Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet only that thy children take heed to their way, to alk in My law as thou hast walked before Me.’

¹⁷ Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy word be verified, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant David.

¹⁸ “But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built!

¹⁹ Have respect therefore to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee:

²⁰ that Thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest put Thy name there, to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth toward this place.

²¹ Hearken therefore unto the supplications of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place. Hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when Thou hearest, forgive.

²² “If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before Thine altar in this house,

²³ then hear Thou from heaven, and do, and judge Thy servants by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head, and by justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

²⁴ “And if Thy people Israel be smitten before the enemy because they have sinned against Thee, and shall return and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication before Thee in this house,

²⁵ then hear Thou from the heavens and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ “When the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee, yet if they pray toward this place and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when Thou dost afflict them,

²⁷ then hear Thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants and of Thy people Israel when Thou hast taught them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land which Thou hast given unto Thy people for an inheritance.

²⁸ “If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight or mildew, locusts or caterpillars, if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land, whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be;

²⁹ what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made by any man or by all Thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house—

³⁰ then hear Thou from heaven, Thy dwelling place, and forgive and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest (for Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men),

³¹ that they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways so long as they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.

³² “Moreover concerning the stranger, who is not of Thy people Israel, but has come from a far country for Thy great name’s sake and Thy mighty hand and Thy stretched out arm: if they come and pray in this house,

³³ then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for, that all people of the earth may know Thy name and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy name.

³⁴ “If Thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Thee toward this city which Thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for Thy name,

³⁵ then hear Thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

³⁶ “If they sin against Thee (for there is no man who sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near,

³⁷ yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done amiss and have dealt wickedly’;

³⁸ if they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land which Thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name—

³⁹ then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee.

⁴⁰ Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.

⁴¹ “Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength. Let Thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness.

⁴² O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed. Remember the mercies of David Thy servant.”

7 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

² And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’S house.

³ And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.”

⁴ Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

⁵ And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep; so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

⁶ And the priests attended to their offices. The Levites also, with instruments of music of the Lord which David the king had made to praise the Lord (because His mercy endureth for ever), when David offered praise by their ministry; and the priests ounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

⁷ Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings and the meat offerings and the fat.

⁸ Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

⁹ And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.

¹⁰ And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown unto David and to Solomon and to Israel His people.

¹¹ Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and all that came into Solomon’s heart to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

¹² And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said unto him: “I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself for a house of sacrifice.

¹³ If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land or if I send pestilence among My people,

¹⁴ if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

¹⁵ Now Mine eyes shall be open and Mine ears attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.

¹⁶ For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.

¹⁷ And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Me as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My statutes and My judgments,

¹⁸ then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, ‘There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.’

¹⁹ “But if ye turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods and worship them,

²⁰ then will I pluck them up by the roots out of My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

²¹ And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one who passeth by it, so that he shall say, ‘Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land and unto this house?’

²² And it shall be answered, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them.’”

8 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,

² that the cities which Hiram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them up and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

³ And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

⁴ And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storecities which he built in Hamath.

⁵ Also he built Bethhoron the Upper and Bethhoron the Nether, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,

⁶ and Baalath, and all the storecities that Solomon had, and all the cities for the chariots and the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion.

⁷ As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel

⁸ (of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not), these Solomon made to pay tribute until this day.

⁹ But of the children of Israel Solomon made no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

¹⁰ And these were the chief of King Solomon’s officers, even two hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people.

¹¹ And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy unto which the ark of the Lord hath come.”

¹² Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

¹³ according to a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year: on the Feast of Unleavened Bread and on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles.

¹⁴ And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests for their service, and the Levites to their charges to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the gatekeepers also by their courses at every gate, for so had David the man of God commanded.

¹⁵ And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasurers.

¹⁶ Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

¹⁷ Then went Solomon to Eziongeber and to Eloth at the seaside, in the land of Edom.

¹⁸ And Hiram sent him ships by the hands of his servants, and servants who had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

9 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones. And when she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her heart.

² And Solomon told her all her questions, and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

³ And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

⁴ and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cupbearers also and their apparel, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

⁵ And she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom.

⁶ However I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me, for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

⁷ Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom.

⁸ Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee to set thee on His throne to be king for the Lord thy God. Because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore He made thee king over them to do judgment and justice.”

⁹ And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and spices in great abundance and precious stones; neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

¹⁰ And the servants also of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

¹¹ And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers; and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

¹² And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

¹³ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold,

¹⁴ besides that which traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ And King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went into one buckler.

¹⁶ And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went into one shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷ Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

¹⁸ And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays;

¹⁹ and twelve lions stood there on one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

²⁰ And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver. (It was of no account in the days of Solomon.)

²¹ For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram: once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

²² And King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

²³ And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.

²⁴ And they brought every man his present: vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a set rate year by year.

²⁵ And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he positioned in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

²⁶ And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.

²⁷ And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

²⁸ And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands.

²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

³⁰ And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

³¹ And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the City of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

10 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for to Shechem had all Israel come to make him king.

² And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat (who was in Egypt whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king) heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

³ And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

⁴ “Thy father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.”

⁵ And he said unto them, “Come again unto me after three days.” And the people departed.

⁶ And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel give ye me to return an answer to this people?”

⁷ And they spoke unto him, saying, “If thou be kind to this people and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.”

⁸ But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood before him.

⁹ And he said unto them, “What advice give ye that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father put upon us’?”

¹⁰ And the young men who were brought up with him spoke unto him, saying, “Thus shalt thou answer the people who spoke unto thee, saying, ‘Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us’ — thus shalt thou say unto them, ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

¹¹ For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more on your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, “Come again to me on the third day.”

¹³ And the king answered them roughly; and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

¹⁴ and answered them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!”

¹⁵ So the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform His word which He spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! And now, David, see to thine own house!” So all Israel went to their tents.

¹⁷ But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram who had charge over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. But King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹ And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

11 And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered from the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men who were warriors to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

² But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

³ “Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

⁴ ‘Thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is done from Me.’” And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

⁵ And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.

⁶ He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

⁷ and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

⁸ and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

⁹ and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

¹⁰ and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

¹¹ And he fortified the strongholds and put captains in them, and stores of victuals and of oil and wine.

¹² And in each separate city he put shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

¹³ And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their borders.

¹⁴ For the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord.

¹⁵ And he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

¹⁶ And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers.

¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years. For three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

¹⁸ And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David for a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,

¹⁹ who bore him children: Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

²⁰ And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹ And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and threescore concubines, and begot twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters);

²² and Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief to be ruler among his brethren, for he thought to make him king.

²³ And he dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city; and he gave them victuals in abundance. And he desired many wives.

12 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

² And it came to pass that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,

³ with twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen; and the people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

⁴ And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

⁵ Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘Ye have forsaken Me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.’”

⁶ Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves, and they said, “The Lord is righteous.”

⁷ And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. Therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

⁸ Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

⁹ So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

¹⁰ In their stead King Rehoboam made shields of brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, who kept the entrance of the king’s house.

¹¹ And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

¹² And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether; and also in Judah things went well.

¹³ So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.

¹⁴ And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.

¹⁵ Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

¹⁶ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

13 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

² He reigned three years in Jerusalem. Also his mother’s name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

³ And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor.

⁴ And Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, thou Jeroboam and all Israel:

⁵ Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

⁶ Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, hath risen up and hath rebelled against his lord.

⁷ And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them.

⁸ “And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

⁹ Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made priests for yourselves in the manner of the nations of other lands, so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods?

¹⁰ But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests, who minister unto the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business.

¹¹ And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense. The showbread also set they in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God. But ye have forsaken Him.

¹² And behold, God Himself is with us for our captain, and His priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper.”

¹³ But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah and the ambush was behind them.

¹⁴ And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind; and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

¹⁵ Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

¹⁶ And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.

¹⁷ And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁸ Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.

¹⁹ And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

²⁰ Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the Lord struck him, and he died.

²¹ But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begot twenty and two sons and sixteen daughters.

²² And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

14 So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

² And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

³ For he took away the altars of the strange gods and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the Asherah poles;

⁴ and he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

⁵ Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.

⁶ And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; and he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest.

⁷ Therefore he said unto Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls about them, and towers, gates, and bars while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

⁸ And Asa had an army of men who bore bucklers and spears out of Judah, three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.

⁹ And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots, and came unto Mareshah.

¹⁰ Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹ And Asa cried unto the Lord his God and said, “Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many or with those who have no power. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God. Let not man prevail against Thee.”

¹² So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

¹³ And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them unto Gerar; and the Ethiopians were overthrown so that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before the Lord and before His host; and they carried away very much spoil.

¹⁴ And they smote all the cities round about Gerar, for the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

¹⁵ They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

15 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.

² And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, “Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found by you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.

³ Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law.

⁴ But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel and sought Him, He was found by them.

⁵ And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

⁶ And nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city; for God vexed them with all adversity.

⁷ Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded.”

⁸ And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin and out of the cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord that was before the porch of the Lord.

⁹ And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh and out of Simeon; for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

¹⁰ So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

¹¹ And they offered unto the Lord at that time from the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

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

¹³ that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

¹⁴ And they swore unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

¹⁵ And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with their whole desire, and He was found by them; and the Lord gave them rest round about.

¹⁶ And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen because she had made an idol for Asherah. And Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it at the Brook Kidron;

¹⁷ but the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

¹⁸ And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and vessels.

¹⁹ And there was no more war until the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

16 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, with the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

² Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and from the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

³ “There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent thee silver and gold. Go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”

⁴ And Benhadad hearkened unto King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the storecities of Naphtali.

⁵ And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building Ramah and let his work cease.

⁶ Then Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, “Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore has the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

⁸ Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, He delivered them into thine hand.

⁹ For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

¹⁰ Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house, for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

¹¹ And behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

¹² And Asa, in the thirty and ninth year of his reign, was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceeding great. Yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but the physicians.

¹³ And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

¹⁴ And they buried him in his own sepulchers, which he had made for himself in the City of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art; and they made a very great burning for him.

17 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

² And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

³ And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David and sought not unto the Baalim,

⁴ but sought the Lord God of his father and walked in His commandments, and not according to the doings of Israel.

⁵ Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought Jehoshaphat presents, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

⁶ And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord; moreover he took away the high places and Asherah poles out of Judah.

⁷ Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Benhail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

⁸ And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests.

⁹ And they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

¹¹ Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred hegoats.

¹² And Jehoshaphat waxed exceedingly great; and he built in Judah palaces and cities for stores.

¹³ And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers. Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand;

¹⁵ and next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand;

¹⁶ and next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.

¹⁷ And of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand;

¹⁸ and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and fourscore thousand ready, prepared for the war.

¹⁹ These waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

18 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and allied himself through marriage ties with Ahab.

² And after certain years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people whom he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.

³ And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead?” And he answered him, “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.”

⁴ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, “Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today.”

⁵ Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, “Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides these, that we might inquire of him?”

⁷ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so!”

⁸ And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, “Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.”

⁹ And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.’”

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.”

¹² And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.”

¹³ And Micaiah said, “As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.”

¹⁴ And when he had come to the king, the king said unto him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And he said, “Go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.”

¹⁵ And the king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.’”

¹⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?”

¹⁸ Again Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.

¹⁹ And the Lord said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?’ And one spoke saying in this manner, and another saying in that manner.

²⁰ Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said unto him, ‘How?’

²¹ And he said, ‘I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail. Go out, and do even so.’

²² Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.”

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, “Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?”

²⁴ And Micaiah said, “Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.”

²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, “Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,

²⁶ and say, ‘Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace.’”

²⁷ And Micaiah said, “If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the Lord spoken by me.” And he said, “Hearken, all ye people.”

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

²⁹ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to the battle.

³⁰ Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Fight ye not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”

³¹ And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said, “It is the king of Israel.” Therefore they compassed about him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

³² For it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.

³³ And a certain man drew a bow at random, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to his chariot man, “Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host, for I am wounded.”

³⁴ And the battle increased that day. Nonetheless the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the sun going down he died.

19 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

² And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.

³ Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the Asherah poles out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.”

⁴ And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.

⁵ And he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

⁶ and said to the judges, “Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment.

⁷ Therefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

⁸ Moreover in Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat set some of the Levites and some of the priests and some of the chief of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the Lord and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.

⁹ And he charged them, saying, “Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

¹⁰ And whatsoever cause shall come to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them, that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren. This do, and ye shall not trespass.

¹¹ And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good.”

20 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them others besides the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

² Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.”

³ And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

⁴ And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

⁵ And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

⁶ and said, “O Lord God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? And rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee?

⁷ Art not Thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend for ever?

⁸ And they dwelt therein, and have built Thee a sanctuary therein for Thy name, saying,

⁹ ‘If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in Thy presence (for Thy name is in this house), and cry unto Thee in our affliction, then Thou wilt hear and help.’

¹⁰ And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom Thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not”

¹¹ behold, I say, how they reward us by coming to cast us out of Thy possession, which Thou hast given us to inherit.

¹² O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee.”

¹³ And all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

¹⁴ Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation.

¹⁵ And he said, “Hearken ye, all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat! Thus saith the Lord unto you: ‘Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

¹⁶ Tomorrow go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the Wilderness of Jeruel.

¹⁷ Ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.”

¹⁸ And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.

¹⁹ And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

²⁰ And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God; so shall ye be established. Believe His prophets; so shall ye prosper.”

²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord who should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth for ever.”

²² And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were smitten.

²³ For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

²⁴ And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

²⁵ And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil from them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days in gathering the spoil, it was so much.

²⁶ And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the Valley of Berachah [that is, Blessing], for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of the same place was called The Valley of Berachah unto this day.

²⁷ Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

²⁸ And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord.

²⁹ And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

³⁰ So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.

³¹ And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

³² And he walked in the way of Asa his father and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

³³ However the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

³⁴ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

³⁵ And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly.

³⁶ And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Eziongeber.

³⁷ Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works.” And the ships were broken up, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

21 Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

² And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

³ And their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

⁴ Now when Jehoram had risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and slew all his brethren with the sword, and others also of the princes of Israel.

⁵ Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

⁶ And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he had the daughter of Ahab as wife; and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

⁷ However the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

⁸ In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.

⁹ Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night and smote the Edomites who compassed him about and the captains of the chariots.

¹⁰ So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.

¹¹ Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.

¹² And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father: ‘Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

¹³ but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring like the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, who were better than thyself,

¹⁴ behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people and thy children and thy wives and all thy goods.

¹⁵ And thou shalt have great sickness with a disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.’”

¹⁶ Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians.

¹⁷ And they came up into Judah and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also and his wives, so that there was not a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

¹⁸ And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

¹⁹ And it came to pass that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness; so he died of grievous diseases. And his people made no burning for him like the burning of his fathers.

²⁰ Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and departed without being desired. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the sepulchers of the kings.

22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned.

² Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri.

³ He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

⁴ Therefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

⁵ He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead; and the Syrians smote Joram.

⁶ And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.

⁷ And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by his coming to Joram; for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

⁸ And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah who ministered to Ahaziah, that he slew them.

⁹ And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (for he had hid in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu. And when they had slain him, they buried him, “because,” said they, “he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep the kingdom still.

¹⁰ But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

¹¹ But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

¹² And he was with them hidden in the house of God six years; and Athaliah reigned over the land.

23 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri.

² And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David.

⁴ This is the thing that ye shall do: A third part of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be keepers of the doors;

⁵ and a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.

⁶ But let none come into the house of the Lord save the priests and those who minister of the Levites. They shall go in, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.

⁷ And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death; but be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth out.”

⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

⁹ Moreover, Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears and bucklers and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of God.

¹⁰ And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.

¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “God save the king.”

¹² Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

¹³ And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the princes and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴ Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the host, and said unto them, “Take her forth among the ranks. And whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword.” For the priest said, “Slay her not in the house of the Lord.”

¹⁵ So they laid hands on her; and when she had come to the entrance of the Horse Gate by the king’s house, they slew her there.

¹⁶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between him and between all the people and between the king, that they should be the Lord’S people.

¹⁷ Then all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

¹⁸ Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.

¹⁹ And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none who was unclean in any thing should enter in.

²⁰ And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the Lord; and they came through the High Gate into the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

²¹ And all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. Also his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

² And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

³ And Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he begot sons and daughters.

⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord.

⁵ And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter.” However the Levites hastened it not.

⁶ And the king called for Jehoiada the chief priest and said unto him, “Why hast thou not required the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?”

⁷ For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon the Baalim.

⁸ And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the Lord.

⁹ And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in and cast into the chest until they had made an end.

¹¹ Now it came to pass, at whatever time the chest was brought unto the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, that the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

¹² And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord.

¹³ So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them; and they set the house of God in order, and strengthened it.

¹⁴ And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, of which were made vessels for the house of the Lord, even vessels to minister and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died: a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.

¹⁶ And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward His house.

¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

¹⁸ And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served Asherah poles and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

¹⁹ Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not give ear.

²⁰ And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said unto them, “Thus saith God: ’Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken the Lord, He hath also forsaken you.’”

²¹ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord.

²² Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, “The Lord look upon it, and require it.”

²³ And it came to pass at the end of the year that the host of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil unto the king of Damascus.

²⁴ For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.

²⁵ And when they had departed from him (for they left him with grave diseases), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchers of the kings.

²⁶ And these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.

²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

25 Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

² And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.

³ Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants who had killed the king his father.

⁴ But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.”

⁵ Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and made them captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin. And he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, who could handle spear and shield.

⁶ He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

⁷ But there came a man of God to him, saying, “O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.

⁸ But if thou wilt go, do it; be strong for the battle. But God shall make thee fall before the enemy, for God hath the power to help and to cast down.”

⁹ And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.”

¹⁰ Then Amaziah separated them (to wit, the army that had come to him out from Ephraim) to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.

¹¹ And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote ten thousand of the children of Seir.

¹² And another ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces.

¹³ But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them and took much spoil.

¹⁴ Now it came to pass, after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them and burned incense unto them.

¹⁵ Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah, and He sent unto him a prophet, who said unto him, “Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?”

¹⁶ And it came to pass as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, “Art thou made the king’s counsel? Forbear! Why should thou be smitten?” Then the prophet forbore and said, “I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.”

¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”

¹⁸ And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give thy daughter to my son as wife’; and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.

¹⁹ Thou sayest, ‘Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites,’ and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast. Abide now at home. Why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou and Judah with thee?”

²⁰ But Amaziah would not hear; for it came from God, that He might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

²¹ So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they looked one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

²² And Judah was smitten before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

²³ And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.

²⁴ And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

²⁵ And Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.

²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

²⁷ Now after the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish, but they sent to Lachish after him and slew him there.

²⁸ And they brought him upon horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah [that is, the City of David].

26 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

² He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.

³ Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. Also his mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

⁴ And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

⁵ And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

⁶ And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod and among the Philistines.

⁷ And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Meunites.

⁸ And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah; and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

⁹ Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

¹⁰ Also he built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much cattle, both in the low country and in the plains; husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved husbandry.

¹¹ Moreover Uzziah had a host of fighting men who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their count by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.

¹² The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand and six hundred.

¹³ And under their hand was an army, three hundred and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.

¹⁴ And Uzziah prepared for them, throughout all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and jackets of mail, and bows, and slings to cast stones.