2 Chronicles 12:1-24:10

New International Version

Shishak Attacks Jerusalem^(A)

12 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established^(B) and he had become strong,^(C) he and all Israel^[a](D) with him abandoned^(E) the law of the Lord. ² Because they had been unfaithful^(F) to the Lord, Shishak^(G) king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. ³ With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans,^(H) Sukkites and Cushites^[b](I) that came with him from Egypt, ⁴ he captured the fortified cities^(J) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah^(K) came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon^(L) you to Shishak.’”

⁶ The leaders of Israel and the king humbled^(M) themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”^(N)

⁷ When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.^(O) My wrath^(P) will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. ⁸ They will, however, become subject^(Q) to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”

⁹ When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields^(R) Solomon had made. ¹⁰ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. ¹¹ Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

¹² Because Rehoboam humbled^(S) himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good^(T) in Judah.

¹³ King Rehoboam established^(U) himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name.^(V) His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. ¹⁴ He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

¹⁵ As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah^(W) the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ¹⁶ Rehoboam^(X) rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah^(Y) his son succeeded him as king.

Abijah King of Judah^(Z)

13 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, ² and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah,^[c](AA) a daughter^[d] of Uriel of Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah^(AB) and Jeroboam.^{(AC) 3} Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.

⁴ Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,^(AD) in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel,^(AE) listen to me! ⁵ Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever^(AF) by a covenant of salt?^{(AG) 6} Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled^(AH) against his master. ⁷ Some worthless scoundrels^(AI) gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive^(AJ) and not strong enough to resist them.

⁸ “And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants.^(AK) You are indeed a vast army and have with you^(AL) the golden calves^(AM) that Jeroboam made to be your gods. ⁹ But didn’t you drive out the priests^(AN) of the Lord,^(AO) the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull^(AP) and seven rams^(AQ) may become a priest of what are not gods.^(AR)

¹⁰ “As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. ¹¹ Every morning and evening^(AS) they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense^(AT) to the Lord. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table^(AU) and light the lamps^(AV) on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him. ¹² God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.^(AW) People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord,^(AX) the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”^(AY)

¹³ Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush^(AZ) was behind them. ¹⁴ Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out^(BA) to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets ¹⁵ and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel^(BB) before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered^(BC) them into their hands. ¹⁷ Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men. ¹⁸ The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied^(BD) on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. ²⁰ Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.

²¹ But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

²² The other events of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.

14 ^[e]And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years.

Asa King of Judah^(BE)

² Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.^{(BF) 3} He removed the foreign altars^(BG) and the high places, smashed the sacred stones^(BH) and cut down the Asherah poles.^{[f](BI) 4} He commanded Judah to seek the Lord,^(BJ) the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. ⁵ He removed the high places^(BK) and incense altars^(BL) in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. ⁶ He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.^(BM)

⁷ “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest^(BN) on every side.” So they built and prospered.

⁸ Asa had an army of three hundred thousand^(BO) men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

⁹ Zerah the Cushite^(BP) marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.^{(BQ) 10} Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

¹¹ Then Asa called^(BR) to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us,^(BS) Lord our God, for we rely^(BT) on you, and in your name^(BU) we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail^(BV) against you.”

¹² The Lord struck down^(BW) the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, ¹³ and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar.^(BX) Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed^(BY) before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.^{(BZ) 14} They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror^(CA) of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. ¹⁵ They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Asa’s Reform^(CB)

15 The Spirit of God came on^(CC) Azariah son of Oded. ² He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you^(CD) when you are with him.^(CE) If you seek^(CF) him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.^{(CG) 3} For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach^(CH) and without the law.^{(CI) 4} But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him,^(CJ) and he was found by them. ⁵ In those days it was not safe to travel about,^(CK) for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. ⁶ One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another,^(CL) because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But as for you, be strong^(CM) and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”^(CN)

⁸ When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of^[g] Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols^(CO) from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured^(CP) in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar^(CQ) of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.

⁹ Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers^(CR) had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

¹⁰ They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month^(CS) of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. ¹¹ At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder^(CT) they had brought back. ¹² They entered into a covenant^(CU) to seek the Lord,^(CV) the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. ¹³ All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death,^(CW) whether small or great, man or woman. ¹⁴ They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God^(CX) eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest^(CY) on every side.

¹⁶ King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah^(CZ) from her position as queen mother,^(DA) because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah.^(DB) Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley.^{(DC) 17} Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. ¹⁸ He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.^(DD)

¹⁹ There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa’s Last Years^(DE)(DF)

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha^(DG) king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.^{(DH) 3} “Let there be a treaty^(DI) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[h] and all the store cities of Naphtali.^{(DJ) 5} When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.^(DK)

⁷ At that time Hanani^(DL) the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied^(DM) on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[i](DN) and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers^(DO) of chariots and horsemen^[j]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered^(DP) them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes^(DQ) of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish^(DR) thing, and from now on you will be at war.^(DS)”

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison.^(DT) At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

¹¹ The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted^(DU) with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek^(DV) help from the Lord,^(DW) but only from the physicians. ¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself^(DX) in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes,^(DY) and they made a huge fire^(DZ) in his honor.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah

17 Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened^(EA) himself against Israel. ² He stationed troops in all the fortified cities^(EB) of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.^(EC)

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David^(ED) before him. He did not consult the Baals ⁴ but sought^(EE) the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. ⁵ The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts^(EF) to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.^{(EG) 6} His heart was devoted^(EH) to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places^(EI) and the Asherah poles^(EJ) from Judah.^(EK)

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach^(EL) in the towns of Judah. ⁸ With them were certain Levites^(EM)—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law^(EN) of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ The fear^(EO) of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs^(EP) brought him flocks:^(EQ) seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah ¹³ and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Their enrollment^(ER) by families was as follows:

¹⁹ These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities^(EU) throughout Judah.^(EV)

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab^(EW)

18 Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor,^(EX) and he allied^(EY) himself with Ahab^(EZ) by marriage. ² Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. ³ Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” ⁴ But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

⁵ So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”

“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

⁷ The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

⁸ So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

⁹ Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. ¹⁰ Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

¹¹ All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead^(FA) and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

¹² The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

¹³ But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”^(FB)

¹⁴ When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”

¹⁵ The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel^(FC) scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd,^(FD) and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

¹⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

¹⁸ Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne^(FE) with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. ¹⁹ And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. ²⁰ Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

²¹ “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit^(FF) in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

²² “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours.^(FG) The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped^(FH) Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from^[k] the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

²⁴ Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

²⁵ The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, ²⁶ and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison^(FI) and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

²⁷ Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead^(FJ)

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. ²⁹ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised^(FK) himself and went into battle.

³⁰ Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” ³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out,^(FL) and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, ³² for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

³³ But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” ³⁴ All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.^(FM)

19 When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, ² Jehu^(FN) the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked^(FO) and love^[l] those who hate the Lord?^(FP) Because of this, the wrath^(FQ) of the Lord is on you. ³ There is, however, some good^(FR) in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles^(FS) and have set your heart on seeking God.^(FT)”

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

⁴ Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ⁵ He appointed judges^(FU) in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. ⁶ He told them, “Consider carefully what you do,^(FV) because you are not judging for mere mortals^(FW) but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. ⁷ Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice^(FX) or partiality^(FY) or bribery.”

⁸ In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites,^(FZ) priests^(GA) and heads of Israelite families to administer^(GB) the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. ⁹ He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. ¹⁰ In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations—you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord;^(GC) otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.

¹¹ “Amariah the chief priest will be over you in any matter concerning the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be over you in any matter concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act with courage,^(GD) and may the Lord be with those who do well.”

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

20 After this, the Moabites^(GE) and Ammonites with some of the Meunites^[m](GF) came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

² Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army^(GG) is coming against you from Edom,^[n] from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar^(GH)” (that is, En Gedi).^{(GI) 3} Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast^(GJ) for all Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah^(GK) came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:

¹³ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

¹⁴ Then the Spirit^(GX) of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,^(GY) a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

¹⁵ He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged^(GZ) because of this vast army. For the battle^(HA) is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see^(HB) the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down^(HC) with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. ¹⁹ Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

²⁰ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith^(HD) in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.^(HE)” ²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his^[o] holiness^(HF) as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

²² As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes^(HH) against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The Ammonites^(HI) and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir^(HJ) to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.^(HK)

²⁴ When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. ²⁵ So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing^[p] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. ²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah^[q] to this day.

²⁷ Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.

²⁹ The fear^(HL) of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought^(HM) against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest^(HN) on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign^(HO)

³¹ So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ³² He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. ³³ The high places,^(HP) however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

³⁴ The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu^(HQ) son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.

³⁵ Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance^(HR) with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.^{(HS) 36} He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.^[r] After these were built at Ezion Geber, ³⁷ Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships^(HT) were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.^[s]

21 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram^(HU) his son succeeded him as king. ² Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.^{[t] 3} Their father had given them many gifts^(HV) of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities^(HW) in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

Jehoram King of Judah^(HX)

⁴ When Jehoram established^(HY) himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers^(HZ) to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. ⁵ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. ⁶ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel,^(IA) as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab.^(IB) He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ⁷ Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David,^(IC) the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David.^(ID) He had promised to maintain a lamp^(IE) for him and his descendants forever.

⁸ In the time of Jehoram, Edom^(IF) rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. ⁹ So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. ¹⁰ To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

Libnah^(IG) revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord, the God of his ancestors. ¹¹ He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

¹² Jehoram received a letter from Elijah^(IH) the prophet, which said:

¹⁶ The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs^(IN) who lived near the Cushites. ¹⁷ They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,^[u] the youngest.^(IO)

¹⁸ After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. ¹⁹ In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor,^(IP) as they had for his predecessors.

²⁰ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried^(IQ) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Ahaziah King of Judah^(IR)(IS)

22 The people^(IT) of Jerusalem^(IU) made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders,^(IV) who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

² Ahaziah was twenty-two^[v] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

³ He too followed^(IW) the ways of the house of Ahab,^(IX) for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. ⁴ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. ⁵ He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram^[w] son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.^(IY) The Arameans wounded Joram; ⁶ so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramoth^[x] in his battle with Hazael^(IZ) king of Aram.

Then Ahaziah^[y] son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.

⁷ Through Ahaziah’s^(JA) visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. ⁸ While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab,^(JB) he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. ⁹ He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding^(JC) in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought^(JD) the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

Athaliah and Joash^(JE)

¹⁰ When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehosheba,^[z] the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba,^[aa] the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. ¹² He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. ² They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites^(JF) and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, ³ the whole assembly made a covenant^(JG) with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.^{(JH) 4} Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, ⁵ a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. ⁶ No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe^(JI) the Lord’s command not to enter.^{[ab] 7} The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

⁸ The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered.^(JJ) Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.^{(JK) 9} Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. ¹⁰ He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

¹¹ Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy^(JL) of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. ¹³ She looked, and there was the king,^(JM) standing by his pillar^(JN) at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴ Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks^[ac] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.” ¹⁵ So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate^(JO) on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

¹⁶ Jehoiada then made a covenant^(JP) that he, the people and the king^[ad] would be the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed^(JQ) Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

¹⁸ Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests,^(JR) to whom David had made assignments in the temple,^(JS) to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. ¹⁹ He also stationed gatekeepers^(JT) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

²⁰ He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate^(JU) and seated the king on the royal throne. ²¹ All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.^(JV)

Joash Repairs the Temple^(JW)(JX)

24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord^(JY) all the years of Jehoiada the priest. ³ Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

⁴ Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. ⁵ He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money^(JZ) due annually from all Israel,^(KA) to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites^(KB) did not act at once.

⁶ Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?”^(KC)

⁷ Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.

⁸ At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. ⁹ A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰ All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly,^(KD) dropping them into the chest until it was full.