Bible in 90 Days

^11 (A)Solomon finished building the house of the Lord, the house of the king, and everything else he wanted to do in regard to the house of the Lord and his own house.

God’s Promise to Solomon. ¹² The Lord appeared to Solomon during the night and said to him: I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place for my house of sacrifice. ¹³ If I close heaven so that there is no rain, if I command the locust to devour the land, if I send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴ if then my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land. ¹⁵ Now, therefore, my eyes shall be open and my ears attentive to the prayer of this place; ¹⁶ now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart shall be there always.

¹⁷ As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, doing all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and ordinances, ¹⁸ I will establish the throne of your kingship as I covenanted with David your father when I said, There shall never be wanting someone from your line as ruler in Israel. ¹⁹ But if ever you turn away and forsake my commandments and statutes which I set before you, and proceed to serve other gods, and bow down to them, ²⁰ I will uproot the people from the land I gave and repudiate the house I have consecrated for my name. I will make it a proverb and a byword among all nations. ²¹ And this house which is so exalted—every passerby shall be horrified and ask: “Why has the Lord done such things to this land and to this house?” ²² And the answer will come: “Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they embraced other gods, bowing down to them and serving them. That is why he has brought upon them all this evil.”

Chapter 8

Public Works. ^1 (B)After the twenty years during which Solomon built the house of the Lord and his own house, ² he built up the cities which Huram had given him,^[a] and settled Israelites there. ³ Then Solomon went to Hamath of Zoba and conquered it. ⁴ He built Tadmor^[b] in the wilderness and all the supply cities, which he built in Hamath. ^5 (C)He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars; ⁶ also Baalath, all the supply cities belonging to Solomon, and all the cities for the chariots, the cities for horses, and whatever else Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in the entire land under his dominion. ⁷ All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were not Israelites— ⁸ those of their descendants who were left in the land and whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon conscripted as forced laborers, as they are to this day. ⁹ But Solomon made none of the Israelites forced laborers for his works, for they were his fighting force, commanders, adjutants, chariot officers, and cavalry. ¹⁰ They were also King Solomon’s two hundred and fifty overseers who directed the people.

Solomon’s Piety. ¹¹ Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “No wife of mine shall dwell in the house of David, king of Israel, for the places where the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

¹² In those times Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the porch, ¹³ as was required to be done day by day according to the command of Moses, especially on the sabbaths, at the new moons, and on the fixed festivals three times a year: on the feast of the Unleavened Bread, the feast of Weeks, and the feast of Booths.^(D)

¹⁴ And according to the ordinance of David his father he appointed the various divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites according to their functions of praise and attendance upon the priests, as the daily duty required. The gatekeepers by their divisions stood guard at each gate, since such was the command of David, the man of God.^{(E) 15} There was no deviation from the king’s command in whatever related to the priests and Levites or the treasuries. ¹⁶ All of Solomon’s work was carried out successfully from the day the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until its completion. The house of the Lord was finished.

Glories of the Court. ¹⁷ In those times Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Elath on the seashore of the land of Edom.^{(F) 18} Huram had his servants send him ships and his own servants, expert seamen; they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and obtained there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.^(G)

Chapter 9

The Queen of Sheba. ^1 (H)The queen of Sheba, having heard a report of Solomon’s fame, came to Jerusalem to test him with subtle questions, accompanied by a very numerous retinue and by camels bearing spices, a large amount of gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that she had on her mind. ² Solomon explained to her everything she asked about, and there was nothing so obscure that Solomon could not explain it to her.^(I)

^3 (J)When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom, the house he had built, ⁴ the food at his table, the seating of his ministers, the attendance and dress of his waiters, his cupbearers and their dress, and the burnt offerings he sacrificed in the house of the Lord, it took her breath away. ⁵ “The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true,” she told the king. ⁶ “I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes that not even the half of your great wisdom had been told me. You have surpassed the report I heard. ⁷ Happy your servants, happy these ministers of yours, who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom. ⁸ Blessed be the Lord, your God, who was pleased to set you on his throne as king for the Lord, your God. In the love your God has for Israel, to establish them forever, he has made you king over them to carry out judgment and justice.” ⁹ Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹⁰ The servants of Huram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought cabinet wood and precious stones. ¹¹ With the cabinet wood the king made stairs for the house of the Lord and the house of the king, and harps and lyres for the chanters. The like of these had not been seen before in the land of Judah.^(K)

¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired and asked for, more than she had brought to the king. Then she returned with her servants to her own country.^(L)

^13 (M)The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed six hundred and sixty-six gold talents, ¹⁴ in addition to what came from the tolls on travelers and what the merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia also, and the governors of the country, brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold (six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield) ¹⁶ and three hundred bucklers of beaten gold (three hundred shekels of gold went into each buckler); and the king put them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷ The king made a large ivory throne, and overlaid it with fine gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps; a footstool of gold was fastened to the throne, and there was an arm on each side of the seat, with two lions standing next to the arms, ¹⁹ and twelve other lions standing there on the steps, two to a step. Nothing like this was made in any other kingdom. ²⁰ All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the utensils in the house of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, for in Solomon’s time silver was reckoned as nothing. ²¹ For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish ships would come with a cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

Solomon’s Renown. ²² Thus King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

²³ All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon, to hear the wisdom God had put into his heart. ²⁴ They all brought their tribute: vessels of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules—what was due each year. ²⁵ Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses, chariots, and twelve thousand horses; these he allocated among the chariot cities and to the king’s service in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He was ruler over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines and down to the border of Egypt. ²⁷ The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as numerous as the sycamores of the Shephelah. ^28 [c]Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands.

The Death of Solomon. ^29 (N)The remainder of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are recorded in the acts of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam, son of Nebat. ³⁰ Solomon was king in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. ³¹ Solomon rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David, his father, and Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

II. The Post-Solomonic Monarchy of Judah

Chapter 10

Division of the Kingdom. ^1 (O)Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel^[d] had come to make him king. ² When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard about it, he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon; and he returned from Egypt. ³ They sent for him; Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam: ⁴ “Your father put on us a heavy yoke. If you now lighten the harsh servitude and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, we will be your servants.” ⁵ He answered them, “Come back to me in three days,” and the people went away.

⁶ King Rehoboam asked advice of the elders who had been in his father Solomon’s service while he was still alive, and asked, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” ⁷ They replied, “If you will deal kindly with this people and please them, giving them a favorable reply, they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But he ignored the advice the elders had given him and asked advice of the young men who had grown up with him and were in his service. ⁹ He said to them, “What answer do you advise us to give this people, who have told me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father imposed on us’?” ¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied: “This is what you must say to this people who have told you, ‘Your father laid a heavy yoke on us; lighten it for us.’ You must say, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. ¹¹ My father put a heavy yoke on you; I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips; I will use scorpions!’”

¹² On the third day, Jeroboam and the whole people came back to King Rehoboam as the king had instructed them: “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, King Rehoboam gave the people a harsh answer. ¹⁴ He spoke to them as the young men had advised: “My father laid a heavy yoke on you; I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips; I will use scorpions.” ¹⁵ The king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God: the Lord fulfilled the word he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.^(P)

^16 (Q)When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king:

So all Israel went off to their tents, ¹⁷ but the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah had Rehoboam as their king. ¹⁸ King Rehoboam then sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ And so Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Chapter 11

^1 (R)On his arrival in Jerusalem, Rehoboam assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin—one hundred and eighty thousand elite warriors—to wage war against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. ² However, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, a man of God: ³ Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin: ⁴ “Thus says the Lord: You must not go out to war against your kinsmen. Return home, each of you, for it is I who have brought this about.” They obeyed the word of the Lord and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam’s Works.^{[e] 5} Rehoboam took up residence in Jerusalem and built fortified cities in Judah. ⁶ He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron; these were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. ¹¹ Then he strengthened the fortifications and put commanders in them, along with supplies of food, oil, and wine. ¹² In every city were shields and spears, and he made them very strong. Thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.

Refugees from the North. ¹³ Now the priests and Levites throughout Israel presented themselves to him from all parts of their land, ¹⁴ for the Levites left their assigned pasture lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons rejected them as priests of the Lord.^{(S) 15} In their place, he himself appointed priests for the high places as well as for the satyrs and calves he had made.^{(T) 16} After them, all those, of every tribe of Israel, who set their hearts to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ Thus they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam, son of Solomon, prevail for three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon three years.

Rehoboam’s Family. ¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, son of David and of Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse. ¹⁹ She bore him sons: Jehush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ After her, he married Maacah, daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah,^(U) Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines; he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. ²² Rehoboam put Abijah, son of Maacah, first among his brothers, as leader, for he intended to make him king. ²³ He acted prudently, distributing his various sons throughout all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities; and he gave them generous provisions and sought an abundance of wives for them.

Chapter 12

Rehoboam’s Apostasy. ¹ Once Rehoboam had established himself as king and was firmly in charge, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and so did all Israel with him.^{(V) 2} So in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem, for they had acted treacherously toward the Lord.^{(W) 3} He had twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no counting the army that came with him from Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites,^[f] and Ethiopians. ⁴ They captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. ⁵ Then Shemaiah^(X) the prophet came to Rehoboam and the commanders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them: “Thus says the Lord: You have abandoned me, and so I have abandoned you to the power of Shishak.”

⁶ Then the commanders of Israel and the king humbled themselves saying, “The Lord is in the right.” ⁷ When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them; I will give them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem through Shishak. ⁸ But they shall be his servants. Then they will know what it is to serve me and what it is to serve the kingdoms of the earth. ^9 (Y)Thereupon Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the house of the king. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. ¹⁰ To replace them, King Rehoboam made bronze shields, which he entrusted to the officers of the attendants on duty at the entrance of the king’s house. ¹¹ Whenever the king visited the house of the Lord, the attendants would carry them, and then return them to the guardroom. ¹² Because he had humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned from him so as not to destroy him completely; in Judah, moreover, there was some good.

¹³ King Rehoboam was firmly in power in Jerusalem and continued to rule. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which, out of all the tribes of Israel, the Lord chose to set his name. His mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonite.^{(Z) 14} He did evil, for he had not set his heart to seek the Lord. ^15 (AA)The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are recorded in the history of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer (his family record). There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. ¹⁶ Rehoboam rested with his ancestors; he was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah^[g] succeeded him as king.

Chapter 13

War Between Abijah and Jeroboam. ^1 (AB)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah; ² he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Micaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

^3 [h]Abijah joined battle with a force of four hundred thousand picked warriors, while Jeroboam lined up against him in battle with eight hundred thousand picked and valiant warriors. ⁴ Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the highlands of Ephraim, and said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! ⁵ Do you not know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given David kingship over Israel forever, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?^{[i] 6} Yet Jeroboam, son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, son of David, arose and rebelled against his lord!^{(AC) 7} Worthless men, scoundrels, joined him and overcame Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced, and no match for them. ⁸ But now, do you think you are a match for the kingdom of the Lord led by the descendants of David, simply because you are a huge multitude and have with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods? ⁹ Have you not expelled the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Everyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of no-gods. ¹⁰ But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not abandoned him. The priests ministering to the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites also have their offices. ¹¹ They sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord and fragrant incense morning after morning and evening after evening; they set out the showbread on the pure table, and the lamps of the golden menorah burn evening after evening; for we observe our duties to the Lord, our God, but you have abandoned him. ¹² See, God is with us, at our head, and his priests are here with trumpets to sound the attack against you. Israelites, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!”

¹³ But Jeroboam had an ambush go around them to come at them from the rear; so that while his army faced Judah, his ambush lay behind them. ¹⁴ When Judah turned and saw that they had to battle on both fronts, they cried out to the Lord and the priests sounded the trumpets. ¹⁵ Then the Judahites shouted; and when they shouted, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their power. ¹⁷ Abijah and his people inflicted a severe defeat upon them; five hundred thousand picked men of Israel fell slain. ¹⁸ The Israelites were humbled on that occasion, while the Judahites were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and seized cities from him: Bethel and its dependencies, Jeshanah and its dependencies, and Ephron and its dependencies. ²⁰ Jeroboam did not regain power during Abijah’s time; the Lord struck him down and he died, ²¹ while Abijah continued to grow stronger. He married fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

Death of Abijah. ^22 (AD)The rest of the acts of Abijah, his deeds and his words, are recorded in the midrash of the prophet Iddo. ²³ Abijah rested with his ancestors; they buried him in the City of David and his son Asa succeeded him as king. During his time, the land had ten years of peace.

Chapter 14

Asa’s Initial Reforms. ^1 (AE)Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord, his God. ² He removed the illicit altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the asherahs. ³ He told Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to observe the law and the commandment. ⁴ He removed the high places and incense stands from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom had peace. ⁵ He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had peace and no war was waged against him during these years, because the Lord had given him rest. ⁶ He said to Judah: “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, for we have sought the Lord, our God; we sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

The Ethiopian Invasion.^{[j] 7} Asa had an army of three hundred thousand shield- and lance-bearers from Judah, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand who carried bucklers and were archers, all of them valiant warriors. ⁸ Zerah the Ethiopian advanced against them with a force of one million men and three hundred chariots, and he came as far as Mareshah.^{(AF) 9} Asa went out to meet him and they drew up for battle in the valley of Zephathah, near Mareshah. ¹⁰ Asa called upon the Lord, his God: “Lord, there is none like you to help the powerless against the strong. Help us, Lord, our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. You are the Lord, our God; do not let men prevail against you.”^{(AG) 11} And so the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. ¹² Asa and those with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until there were no survivors, for they were crushed before the Lord and his army, which carried away enormous spoils. ¹³ Then the Judahites conquered all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was upon them; they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. ¹⁴ They also attacked the tents of the cattle-herders and carried off a great number of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Chapter 15

Further Reforms. ¹ The spirit of God came upon Azariah, son of Oded. ² He went forth to meet Asa and said to him: “Hear me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are with him, and if you seek him he will be found; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.^{(AH) 3} For a long time Israel was without a true God, without a priest-teacher, without instruction, ⁴ but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.^{(AI) 5} At that time there was no peace for anyone to go or come; rather, there were many terrors upon the inhabitants of the lands. ⁶ Nation crushed nation and city crushed city,^(AJ) for God overwhelmed them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But as for you, be strong and do not slack off, for there shall be a reward for what you do.”^(AK)

⁸ When Asa heard these words and the prophecy (Oded the prophet), he was encouraged to remove the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had taken in the highlands of Ephraim, and to restore the altar of the Lord which was before the vestibule of the Lord. ⁹ Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, together with those of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were resident with them; for many had defected to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord, his God, was with him. ¹⁰ They gathered at Jerusalem in the third month^[k] of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign, ¹¹ and sacrificed to the Lord on that day seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the spoils they had brought. ^12 (AL)They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul; ¹³ and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, from least to greatest, man or woman. ¹⁴ They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with their whole heart and sought him with complete desire. The Lord was found by them,^(AM) and gave them rest on every side.

^16 (AN)He also deposed Maacah, the mother^[l] of King Asa, from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene object for Asherah; Asa cut down this object, smashed it, and burnt it in the Wadi Kidron. ¹⁷ The high places did not disappear from Israel, yet Asa’s heart was undivided as long as he lived. ¹⁸ He brought into the house of God his father’s and his own votive offerings: silver, gold, and vessels. ¹⁹ There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Chapter 16

Asa’s Infidelity. ^1 (AO)In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha, king of Israel, attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to block all movement for Asa, king of Judah. ² Asa then brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the house of the king and sent them to Ben-hadad, king of Aram, who ruled in Damascus. He said: ³ “There is a treaty between you and me, as there was between your father and my father. I am sending you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” ⁴ Ben-hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the leaders of his troops against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, besides all the store cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard of it, he left off fortifying Ramah, putting an end to his work. ⁶ Then King Asa commandeered all Judah and they carried away the stones and beams with which Baasha was fortifying Ramah. With them he fortified Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa, king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and did not rely on the Lord, your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped^[m] your power. ^8 (AP)Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a vast army, with great numbers of chariots and horses? And yet, because you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your power. ⁹ The eyes of the Lord roam over the whole earth,^(AQ) to encourage those who are devoted to him wholeheartedly. You have acted foolishly in this matter, for from now on you will have wars.” ¹⁰ But Asa became angry with the seer and imprisoned him in the stocks, so greatly was he enraged at him over this. Asa also oppressed some of his people at this time.

^11 (AR)Now the acts of Asa, first and last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa contracted disease in his feet; it became worse, but even with this disease he did not seek the Lord, only physicians. ¹³ Asa rested with his ancestors; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb he had hewn for himself in the City of David, after laying him on a couch that was filled with spices and various kinds of aromatics compounded into an ointment; and they kindled a huge fire for him.

Chapter 17

Jehoshaphat’s Zeal for the Law. ¹ His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king and strengthened his position against Israel.^{(AS) 2} He placed armed 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 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat,^[n] for he walked in the earlier ways of David his father, and did not seek the Baals. ⁴ Rather, he sought the God of his father and walked in his commands, and not the practices of Israel. ⁵ Through him, the Lord made the kingdom secure, and all Judah gave Jehoshaphat gifts, so that great wealth and glory was his. ⁶ Thus he was encouraged^[o] to follow the Lord’s ways, and once again he removed the high places and the asherahs from Judah.^(AT)

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. ⁸ With them he sent the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, and Tobijah, together with Elishama and Jehoram the priests.^{(AU) 9} They taught in Judah, having with them the book of the law of the Lord; they traveled through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.^(AV)

His Power. ¹⁰ Now the fear of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms of the countries surrounding Judah, so that they did not war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and a tribute of silver; the Arabians also brought him a flock of seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat grew ever greater. He built strongholds and store cities in Judah. ¹³ He carried out many works in the cities of Judah, and he had soldiers, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ This was their mustering according to their ancestral houses. From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him three hundred thousand valiant warriors. ¹⁵ Next to him, Jehohanan the commander, and with him two hundred eighty thousand. ¹⁶ Next to him, Amasiah, son of Zichri, who offered himself to the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand valiant warriors. ¹⁷ From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant warrior, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and buckler. ¹⁸ Next to him, Jehozabad, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war. ¹⁹ These attended the king; in addition to those whom the king had stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Chapter 18

Alliance with Israel. ^1 (AW)Jehoshaphat therefore had wealth and glory in abundance; but he became related to Ahab by marriage. ² After some years he went down to Ahab at Samaria; Ahab slaughtered numerous sheep and oxen for him and for the people with him, and incited him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. ³ Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you come with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered, “You and I are as one, and your people and my people as well. We will be with you in the battle.” ⁴ Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Seek the word of the Lord at once.”

Prophets in Conflict. ⁵ The king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred of them, and asked, “Shall we go to fight against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” They said, “Attack. God will give it into the power of the king.” ⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no other prophet of the Lord here we might consult?” ⁷ The king of Israel answered, “There is one other man through whom we may consult the Lord; but I hate him, because he prophesies not good but always evil about me. He is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” Jeshoshaphat said, “Let not the king say that.” ⁸ So the king of Israel called an official, and said to him, “Get Micaiah, son of Imlah, at once.” ⁹ The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were seated, each on his throne, clothed in their robes of state in the square at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

¹⁰ Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made himself two horns of iron and said: “The Lord says: With these you shall gore Aram until you have destroyed them.” ¹¹ The other prophets prophesied in the same vein, saying: “Attack Ramoth-gilead, and conquer! The Lord will give it into the power of the king.” ^12 [p]Meanwhile the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah said to him: “Look now, the words of the prophets are as one in speaking good for the king. Let your word be at one with theirs; speak a good word.” ¹³ Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I shall speak whatever my God says.”

¹⁴ When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micah, shall we go to fight at Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Attack and conquer! They will be delivered into your power.” ¹⁵ But the king answered him, “How many times must I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” ¹⁶ So Micaiah said:

¹⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you, he does not prophesy good about me, but only evil?” ¹⁸ Micaiah continued: “Therefore hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord seated on his throne, with the whole host of heaven standing to his right and to his left. ¹⁹ The Lord asked: Who will deceive Ahab, king of Israel, so that he will go up and fall on Ramoth-gilead? And one said this, another that, ²⁰ until this spirit came forth and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked: How? ²¹ He answered, ‘I will go forth and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord replied: You shall succeed in deceiving him. Go forth and do this. ²² So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours; but the Lord himself has decreed evil against you.”

²³ Thereupon Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, came up and struck Micaiah on the cheek, saying, “Has the spirit of the Lord, then, passed from me to speak with you?” ²⁴ Micaiah said, “You shall find out on the day you go into an innermost room to hide.” ²⁵ The king of Israel then said: “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, prefect of the city, and to Joash the king’s son, ²⁶ and say, ‘This is the king’s order: Put this man in prison and feed him scanty rations of bread and water until I come back in safety!’” ²⁷ But Micaiah said, “If ever you return in safety, the Lord has not spoken through me.” (He also said, “Hear, O peoples, all of you!”)^[q]

Ahab’s Death. ²⁸ The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead, ²⁹ and the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle. But you, put on your own robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. ³⁰ In the meantime, the king of Aram had given his chariot commanders the order, “Fight with no one, great or small, except the king of Israel alone.” ³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “There is the king of Israel!” and wheeled to fight him. But Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him; God induced them to leave him alone. ³² The chariot commanders, seeing that he was not the king of Israel, turned away from him. ³³ But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his breastplate. He ordered his charioteer, “Rein about and take me out of the ranks, for I am wounded.”^{(AX) 34} The battle grew fierce during the day, and the king of Israel braced himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. He died as the sun was setting.

Chapter 19

Jehoshaphat Rebuked. ¹ Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. ² Jehu the seer, son of Hanani,^[r] went out to meet King Jehoshaphat and said to him: “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? For this reason, wrath is upon you from the Lord. ³ Yet some good has been found^[s] in you, since you have removed the asherahs from the land and have set your heart to seek God.”

Judges Appointed. ⁴ Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem; but he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to the highlands of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ⁵ He appointed judges in the land, in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, ⁶ and he said to them: “Take care what you do, for the judgment you give is not human but divine; for when it comes to judgment God will be with you.^{(AY) 7} And now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Act carefully, for with the Lord, our God, there is no injustice, no partiality, no bribe-taking.”^{(AZ) 8} In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites and priests and some of the family heads of Israel for the Lord’s judgment and the disputes of those who dwell in Jerusalem.^{(BA) 9} He gave them this command: “Thus you shall act: in the fear of the Lord, with fidelity and with an undivided heart. ¹⁰ And in every dispute that comes to you from your kin living in their cities, whether it concerns bloodguilt or questions of law, command, statutes, or ordinances, warn them lest they incur guilt before the Lord and his wrath come upon you and your kin. Do that and you shall not incur guilt.^{(BB) 11} See now, Amariah is chief priest over you for everything that pertains to the Lord, and Zebadiah, son of Ishmael, is leader of the house of Judah in all that pertains to the king; and the Levites will be your officials. Take firm action, and the Lord will be with the good.”

Chapter 20

Invasion from Edom. ^1 [t]After this the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them some Meunites came to fight against Jehoshaphat. ² Jehoshaphat was told: “A great multitude is coming against you from across the sea, from Edom; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (which is En-gedi). ³ Frightened, Jehoshaphat resolved to consult the Lord. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ Then Judah gathered to seek the Lord’s help; from every one of the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.^(BC)

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer. ⁵ Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court, ⁶ and he said: “Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand is power and might, and no one can withstand you.^{(BD) 7} Was it not you, our God, who dispossessed the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend? ⁸ They have dwelt in it and they built in it a sanctuary for your name. They have said: ⁹ ‘If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is in this house, and we will cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save!’^{(BE) 10} And now, see the Ammonites, Moabites, and those of Mount Seir whom you did not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt, but instead they passed them by and did not destroy them:^{(BF) 11} See how they are now repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you have given us. ¹² O our God, will you not bring judgment on them? We are powerless before this vast multitude that is coming against us. We ourselves do not know what to do, so our eyes are turned toward you.”

Victory Prophesied. ¹³ All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ And the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the clan of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly, ¹⁵ and he said: “Pay attention, all of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! The Lord says to you: Do not fear or be dismayed at the sight of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ¹⁶ Go down against them tomorrow. You will see them coming up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will come upon them at the end of the wadi which opens on the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight in this encounter. Take your places, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord; he will be with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out to meet them, and the Lord will be with you.”^{(BG) 18} Then Jehoshaphat knelt down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord in worship. ¹⁹ Levites from among the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to sing the praises of the Lord, the God of Israel, their voices ever louder.

The Invaders Destroyed. ²⁰ Early in the morning they went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were going out, Jehoshaphat halted and said: “Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Let your faith in the Lord, your God, be firm, and you will be firm.^(BH) Have faith in his prophets and you will succeed.” ^21 [u]After taking counsel with the people, he appointed some to sing to the Lord and some to praise the holy Splendor as it went forth at the head of the army. They sang: “Give thanks to the Lord, whose love endures forever.”^{(BI) 22} At the moment they began their jubilant praise, the Lord laid an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and those of Mount Seir who were coming against Judah, so that they were defeated. ²³ For the Ammonites and Moabites set upon the inhabitants of Mount Seir and exterminated them according to the ban.^(BJ) And when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, each helped to destroy the other.

²⁴ When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness and looked toward the throng, there were only corpses fallen on the ground, with no survivors. ²⁵ Jehoshaphat and his people came to gather the spoils, and they found an abundance of cattle and personal property, garments and precious vessels. They took so much that they were unable to carry it all; it took them three days to gather the spoils, there was so much of it. ²⁶ On the fourth day they held an assembly in the Valley of Berakah^[v]—for there they blessed the Lord; that is why the place is called the Valley of Berakah to this day. ²⁷ Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had given them joy over their enemies. ²⁸ They came to Jerusalem, with harps, lyres, and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. ²⁹ And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the surrounding lands when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ Thereafter Jehoshaphat’s kingdom had peace, for his God gave him rest on every side.

Jehoshaphat’s Other Deeds. ^31 (BK)Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. ³² He walked in the way of Asa his father unceasingly, doing what was right in the Lord’s sight. ³³ Nevertheless, the high places did not disappear and the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

³⁴ The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, are recorded in the chronicle of Jehu, son of Hanani, which was incorporated into the book of the kings of Israel. ³⁵ After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel—he acted wickedly. ^36 (BL)He joined with him in building ships to go to Tarshish; the fleet was built at Ezion-geber. ³⁷ But Eliezer, son of Dodavahu from Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said: “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will shatter your work.” And the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.

Chapter 21

¹ Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors; he was buried with them in the City of David. Jehoram, his son, succeeded him as king.^{(BM) 2} He had brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. ³ Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious objects, together with fortified cities in Judah, but the kingship he gave to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

Jehoram’s Evil Deeds. ⁴ When Jehoram had acceded to his father’s kingdom and was firmly in power, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel. ^5 (BN)Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. ⁶ He walked in the way of the kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done, since the daughter of Ahab^[w] was his wife; and he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁷ Even so, the Lord was unwilling to destroy the house of David because of the covenant he had made with David and because of his promise to leave him and his sons a holding for all time.^(BO)

^8 (BP)During his time Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and installed its own king. ⁹ Thereupon Jehoram with his officers and all his chariots crossed over. He arose by night and broke through the Edomites when they had surrounded him and the commanders of his chariots. ¹⁰ To this day Edom has been in revolt against the rule of Judah. Libnah also revolted at that time against his rule because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. ¹¹ He also set up high places in the mountains of Judah, prostituting the inhabitants of Jerusalem, leading Judah astray.

Jehoram Punished. ¹² A letter came to him from Elijah^[x] the prophet with this message: “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: Because you have not walked in the way of your father Jehoshaphat, nor of Asa, king of Judah, ¹³ but instead have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, leading Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into prostitution, like the harlotries of the house of Ahab, and because you have killed your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than you, ¹⁴ the Lord will strike your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a great plague. ¹⁵ You shall have severe pains from a disease in your bowels, which will fall out because of the disease, day after day.”

¹⁶ Then the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the animosity of the Philistines and of the Arabians who were neighbors of the Ethiopians. ¹⁷ They came up against Judah, breached it, and carried away all the wealth found in the king’s house, along with his sons and his wives. He was left with only one son, Jehoahaz, his youngest. ¹⁸ After these events, the Lord afflicted him with a disease of the bowels for which there was no cure. ¹⁹ Some time later, after a period of two years had elapsed, his bowels fell out because of the disease and he died in great pain. His people did not make a fire for him as they had for his ancestors.^{(BQ) 20} He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He departed unloved; and they buried him in the City of David, though not in the tombs of the kings.^(BR)

Chapter 22

Ahaziah. ^1 (BS)Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king to succeed him, since all the older sons had been killed by the band that had come into the camp with the Arabians. Thus Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, reigned as the king of Judah. ² Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, daughter of Omri. ³ He, too, walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, because his mother was his counselor in doing evil. ⁴ To his own destruction, he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, since they were his counselors after the death of his father.

⁵ He was also following their counsel when he joined Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, in battle against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead, where the Arameans wounded Jehoram. ⁶ He returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds that had been inflicted on him at Ramah in his battle against Hazael, king of Aram. Then Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit Jehoram, son of Ahab, for he was sick. ⁷ Now from God came Ahaziah’s downfall, that he should join Jehoram; for after his arrival he rode out with Jehoram to Jehu, son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut down the house of Ahab.^{(BT) 8} While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he also came upon the princes of Judah and the nephews of Ahaziah who were his attendants, and he killed them.^{(BU) 9} Then he looked for Ahaziah himself. They caught him hiding in Samaria and brought him to Jehu, who put him to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with his whole heart.”^(BV) Now the house of Ahaziah did not retain the power of kingship.^[y]

Usurpation of Athaliah. ^10 (BW)When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she began to kill off the whole royal family of the house of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehosheba, a daughter of the king, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son, and spirited him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, a sister of Ahaziah and wife of Jehoiada the priest, concealed the child from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death. ¹² For six years he remained hidden with them in the house of God, while Athaliah ruled as queen over the land.

Chapter 23

Athaliah Overthrown. ^1 (BX)In the seventh year, Jehoiada took courage and brought into covenant with himself the captains: Azariah, son of Jehoram; Ishmael, son of Jehohanan; Azariah, son of Obed; Maaseiah, son of Adaiah; and Elishaphat, son of Zichri. ² They journeyed about Judah, gathering the Levites from all the cities of Judah and also the heads of the Israelite families, and they came to Jerusalem. ³ The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them: “Here is the king’s son who must reign, as the Lord promised concerning the sons of David. ⁴ This is what you must do: a third of your number, both priests and Levites, who come on duty on the sabbath must guard the thresholds, ⁵ another third must be at the king’s house, and the final third at the Foundation Gate, when all the people will be in the courts of the Lord’s house. ⁶ Let no one enter the Lord’s house except the priests and those Levites who are ministering. They may enter because they are holy; but all the other people must observe the prescriptions of the Lord. ⁷ The Levites shall surround the king on all sides, each with drawn weapon. Whoever tries to enter the house is to be killed. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”

⁸ The Levites and all Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his troops, both those going on duty for the week and those going off duty that week, since Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed any of the divisions.^{(BY) 9} Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears, shields, and bucklers of King David which were in the house of God. ¹⁰ He stationed all the people, each with spear in hand, from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure, surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf. ¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown and the testimony upon him, and proclaimed him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they cried, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and acclaiming the king, she came before them in the house of the Lord. ¹³ When she saw the king standing by his column^[z] at the entrance, the captains and the trumpeters near the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with their musical instruments were leading the acclaim, Athaliah tore her garments, saying, “Treason! treason!” ¹⁴ Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains in command of the force: “Escort her with a guard detail. If anyone follows her, let him die by the sword.” For the priest had said, “You must not put her to death in the house of the Lord.” ¹⁵ So they seized her, and when she reached the Horse Gate of the royal palace, they put her to death.