I5But Jeroboam caused an ambush- ment to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the am- bushment was behind them. 14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 1BThen the mon of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jero- boam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hahd, 17 And Abijah and his people slew thorn with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen moa. l8Thus the children of Israel wore brought under at that time, and the children of SECOND CHRONICLES SECOND CHRONICLES Judah prevailed, because they relie upon the LOED, the God of thei fathers. 19And Abijah pursued afte Jeroboam, and took cities from him Bethel with the towns thereof, an Jeshanah with the towns thereof, an< Ephrain with the towns thereof 20Neither did Jeroboam recove strength again in the days of Abijah and the LOED smote him, and he cfiec 21But Abijah waxed mighty, and too" unto himself fourteen wives, and be got twenty and two sons, and sixtee] daughters. ^And the rest of the act of Abijah, and his ways, and his say ings, are written in the commentary o the prophet Iddo.
^So Abijah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city David, and Asa his son reigned in hi stead; in his days the land was quie ~i A ten years. 1And Asa did tha A * which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God; 2fo; he took away the strange altars, anc the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim 3and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 4Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun- images; and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years; because the LOED had given him rest. 6For he said unto Judah: 'Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, be- cause we have sought the LORD our God; wo have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side.' So they built and prospered. 7And Asa had an army thai bore bucklers «nd Hpears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hun- dred and fourscore thousand; all these were mighty men of valour.
8And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah. ^Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephath at Mareshah. 10And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said: 'LORD, there is none beside Thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength; help us, 0 LORD our God; for we rely on Thee, and in Thy name are we come against this multitude. Thou art the LORD our God; let not man prevail rnst Thee.7 "So the LORD smote Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 12And Asa and the people that were with Mm pursued them unto Gerar; and there fell of the Ethiopians so that none remained alive; for they were shattered before the LORD, and before His host; and they carried away very much booty. "And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for a terror from the LORD came upon them ' and they spoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. "They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance and camels, and returned to Jerusalem. 1 K And the spirit of G<xl came upon Azanah the son of Odcd; 2ttnd ae went out to meet Asa, and said .nto him: 'Hear ye me, Asa, and all "udah and Benjamin: the LOKI> is ivith you, while ye arc with Him; and * ye seek Him, He will l>e found of you; ut if ye forsake Him, Ho will forsake ou, 3Now for long seasons Israel was without the true Owl, ami without teaching priest, and without law; SECOND CHRONICLES 4but when in their distress they turned unto the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found of them. 6And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great discomfitures were upon all the inhabitants of the lands. 6And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God did discomfit them with all.manner of adversity. 7But be ye strong, and let not your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded/ 8And when Asa heard these words, even the prophecy of Oded the proph- et, he took courage, and put away the detestable things out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephraim; and ho re- newed the altar of the LOBD, that was before the porch of the LORD, 9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and them that sojourned 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 tho LORD his God was with him. 10So they gathered themselves to- gether at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. "And they sacrificed unto tho LORD in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep, 12And they entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, tho God of their fathers, with ail their heart and with all their soul; wand that whosoever would riot seek the LOBD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. uAnd they swore unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with horns: "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 of them; and the LORD gave them rest round about. 16And also Maacah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. 17But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was whole all his days. 18And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had hallowed, and that he himself had hallowed, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasa king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Aram, that dwelt at Damas- cus, saying: s< There is a league be- tween me and thee, as there was be- tween my father and thy father; be- hold, I have sent thce silver and gold; me me break thy league with. ; of Israel, that he may depart from 4And Ben-hadad hearkened unto "• Hcb. Darmaifik, and in xxiv 23; xxviii, fi, 23, king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel* and they smote Ijou, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. 5And it came to pass, when Baasa heard thereof, that he left off building Uamah, and let hie work cease. °Then Asa the king took all Judah: and they carried away the etones of Kamah, and the timber there- SECOND CHRONICLES SECOND CHRONICLES of, wherewith Baasa had builded; anc he built therewith Geba and Mizpah 7And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and saic unto him: 'Because thou hast reliec on the king of Aram, and hast not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Aram escapee out of thy hand. 8Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with chariots and horsemen^ ex- ceeding many? yet,' because thou didst rely on the LORD, He delivered them into thy hand* 9For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is whole toward Hun. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars.' 10Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the, prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.
nAnd, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12And in the thirty and ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great; yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. 13And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. 14And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had hewn out for hunself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds [of spices] prepared by the perfumers' art; and they made a very great burning for him. jl 7 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2And he placed 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. 3And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, be- cause he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baalim; 4but sought to the God of his father, and walked in His com- mandments, and not after the doings of Israel. 5Therefore the LORD estab- lished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah, brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. 6And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD; and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
7Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah^ and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8and with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemira- moth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elisharna and Jehoram, the priests. *And they taught in Judah, having the book of the Law of the LORD with them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.
10And a terror from the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands bhat were round about Judah, so that ihey made no waragauist Jehoshaphat. uAnd some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for jribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hun- dred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats. wAnd Je- hoshaphat waxed great exceedingly: and ho- built in Judah castles ana cities of store. wAnd he had many SECOND CHRONICLES works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valour, in Jeru- salem. 14And this was the numbering of them according to their fathers' houses: of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand; 15and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand; 16and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour; 17and of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; 18and next to him Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and fourscore pared for war.
thousand ready pre- 19These were they that waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. 1 Q Now Jehoshaphat had riches -LU and honour in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab by mar- riage. 2And after a lapse of years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-giload. 3And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah: 'Wilt thou go with me to R&moth-gilead?' And he answered him: 'I am as thou art, and my people as thy peo- ple; and we will be with thee in the war.'
4And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel: 'Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day.' ^hen the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, ana said unto them: 'Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I » Heb, Ninth.
» Heb, Ninth.
forbear?' And they said: 'Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.' 6But Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here besides a prophet of the LORD, that we might inquire of him?' 7And 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 proph- esieth good concerning me, but always evil; the same is Micaiah the son of Imla.' And Jehoshaphat said: 'Let not the king say so/ 8Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said: 'Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.' 9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sati in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said: 'Thussaith the LORD: With these shalt thou gore the Arameans, until they be consumed.' "And all the prophets prophesied so, saying: ' Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of 4ho king.'
12And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying: 'Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth' let thy word therefore, I pray tnoe, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good/ 18Ajid Micaiah said: 'As the LORD Uveth, what my God saith, that will I apeak.' "And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him: '"Micaiah, shall we KO to Ramath-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?' Aid he said: 'Go ye up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.' 16And the king said to him: 'How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak SECOND CHRONICLES SECOND CHRONICLES unto me nothing but the truth in th< name of the LORD?' 16And he said 'I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have nc shepherd; and the LORD said: These have no master, let them return every man to Ms house in peace.' 17And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat 'Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, bu~ evil?' 18Andhesaid: 'Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD: I saw thi LORD sitting upon His throne, and al the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left. 19And the LORD said: Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner and another saying after that man- ner. 20And there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, anc said: I will entice Mm. And the LORD said unto Mm: Wherewith? 21And he said: I mil go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ms prophets. And He said: Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also; go forth, and do so. ^Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy proph- ets; and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.'
23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said: ' WMch way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?' ^And Micaiah said: 'Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to Mde thyself.' 25And the king of Israel said: ' Take yo Micaiah,1 and carry Mm back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son; 2Cand say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I return in peace.' 27And Micaiah said: 'If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me.' And he said: 'Hear, ye peoples, all of you.'
28So the king of Israel and Jehosha- phat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put thou on thy robes.' So the king of Israel disguised Mmself; and they went into the battle. 30Now the king of Aram had commanded the cap- tains of his chariots, saying: 'Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.' 31And it came to pass, when the captains of the char- iots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said: 'It is the king of Israel.' Therefore they turned about to fight against Mm; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. 32And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. MAnd a certain man drew his bow at a ven- ture, and smote the king of Israel between the lower armour and the breastplate; wherefore he said to the driver of the chariot: 'Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; For I am sore wounded.' **And the battle increased that day; howboit the king of Israel stayed himself up in Ms chariot against the Arameans until the even; and about the time of ;he going down of the sun he died.
1 G And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2Aud Jehu the son of Hanani the seer wont out to meet him, and said to king Joho^ha- phat: 'Shouldcst thou help the wick- ed, and love them that hate the LORD?
SECOND CHRONICLES for this thing wrath is upon thee from before the LORD. 'Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast put away the Asheroth out of the land, and hast set thy heart to seek God/ 4And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusa- lem; and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill- country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD, the God of their fathers. 5And he set judges in the land throughout all the forti- fied cities of Judah, city by^city, Gand said to the judges: 'Consider what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for^the LORD; and [He is) with you in giving judgment. 7Now therefore 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.'
8Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehosha- phat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem. *And he charged them, saying: 'Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a whole heart. "And whensoever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordi- nances, ye shall warn them, that they be not guilty towards the LORD, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren; thus shall ye do, and ye shall not be guilty. llAnd, behold, Amariah the chief Driest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zeba- diah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters; also the officers of the Levites before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD be with the good/ OA And it came to pass after this, ^ v that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammpn, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying: 'There cometh a great multi- tude against thee from beyond the sea from Aram; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar' — the same is En- gedi. 3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek unto the LORD; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of the LORD; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congre- gation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house" of the LORD, before the new court, 6and ho said: '0 LORD, the God of our fathers, art not Thou alone God in heaven? and art not Thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in Thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to with- stand Thee. 7Didjst not Thou, 0 our • God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, -and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend for ever? 8And they dwelt therein, and have built Thee a sanc- tuary therein for Thy name, saying: 9if evil come upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house? and be- fore Thee—for Thy name is in this- housfr— and cry unto Thee in our affliction, and Thou wilt hear and sam* 10And now, behold, the chil- dren of Arnmon and Moab and mount Seir, whom Thou wouldest not let Israel inv&de, when they came 'out oi the 'land of "Egypt, but they turned asids fronc^thera, and destroyed them SECOND CHRONICLES not; ubehold, they reader unto us [evil], to come to cast us out of Thy possession, which Thou hast given us to inherit. 120 our God; wilt Thou not execute judgment on them? fo: we have no might against this greai multitude that cometh against us neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee.' 13And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, 14Then upon Jahaziel the son o Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; 15and he said: ' Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants o Jerusalem, and thou king Jehosha phat: thus saith the LORD unto you Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. "To- morrow go ye down against them behold, they come up by the ascent 01 Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilder- ness of Jeruel. l7Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, 0 jludah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; to-morrow go out against them; for the LORD is with you.' 18And Je- hoshaphat bowed Ms head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. 19And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.
20And they rose early in the morn- ing, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said: 'Hear me, 0 Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the LORD jrour God, so shall ye be established; be- lieve His prophets, so shall ye prosper.' 21And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto the LORD, and praise in the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say: 'Give thanks unto the LORD, for His mercy endureth for ever.' when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten. ^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.
24And when Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, be- hold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped. 2&And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead cious jewels, which off for themselves, » That IB, Btamnp.
bodies, and Dney strippe^*, v** *w« VAJ.^*JUU?V**V*?, more than they could carry away; ana they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. MAnd on the fourth day they assembled themselves n the valley of *Beracah; for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Bcracah, unto this day. 7Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehosha* >hat in the forefront of them, to go >aek to Jerusalem with joy; for the X>RD had made them to rejoice over SECOND CHRONICLES their enemies. 2SAnd they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD. 29And a terror from God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.
31And 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. 32And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD. ^Howbeit the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of their fathers. ^Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani. which is inserted in the book of the kings of Israel.
36And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Aha- ziah king of Israel; the same did very wickedly; 36and he joined him with himself to make ships to go to Tar- shish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 87Then Eliczer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying: 'Bo- cause thou hast joined myself witk Ahaziah, the LORD hath made a broach in thy works/ And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
O1 And Jehoshaphat slejyfc with AJ- his fathers, aad was buried with, his fathers in the city of David; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. 2And he had brethren the sons of