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2 Chronicles 12-16
New American Standard Bible

Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

12 (A)When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, (B)he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord. 2 (C)And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that (D)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: (E)the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. 4 And he captured (F)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then (G)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(H)You have abandoned Me, so I also have abandoned you [a]to Shishak.’” 6 So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The (I)Lord is righteous.”

7 When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “(J)They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and (K)My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. 8 But they will become his slaves, so (L)that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Plunder Impoverishes Judah

9 (M)So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; (N)he even took the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the [b]care of the commanders of the [c]guards who guarded the entrance of the king’s house. 11 As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the [d]guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the [e]guards’ room. 12 And (O)when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and conditions (P)were also good in Judah.

13 (Q)So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14 But he did evil (R)because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

15 (S)Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the [f]records of (T)Shemaiah the prophet and of (U)Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16 And Rehoboam [g]lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son (V)Abijah became king in his place.

Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam

13 (W)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2 He reigned in Jerusalem for three years; and his mother’s name was [h]Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

(X)Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah began the battle with an army of warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men who were valiant warriors.

Civil War

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount (Y)Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Do you not know that (Z)the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David [i]and his sons by (AA)a covenant of salt? 6 Yet (AB)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his [j]master, 7 and worthless men gathered to him, wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when [k](AC)he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

8 “So now you intend to assert yourselves against the kingdom of the Lord [l]through the sons of David, [m]being a great multitude and having with you (AD)the golden calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 (AE)Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes (AF)to consecrate himself with a bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of things that are (AG)not gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not abandoned Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests, and the Levites [n]attend to their work. 11 Every morning and evening (AH)they [o]burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and (AI)the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we perform our duty to the Lord our God, but you have abandoned Him. 12 Now behold, God is with us at our head, and (AJ)His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the war cry against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13 But Jeroboam (AK)had set an ambush to come from behind, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah turned around, behold, [p]they were attacked both from front and rear; so (AL)they cried out to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, God [q](AM)defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 When the sons of Israel fled from Judah, (AN)God handed them over to them. 17 Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18 The sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah [r]conquered (AO)because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and [s]Ephron with its villages.

Death of Jeroboam

20 Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the (AP)Lord struck him and (AQ)he died.

21 But Abijah became powerful, and he took fourteen wives for himself, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in (AR)the [t]treatise of (AS)Iddo the prophet.

Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

14 [u](AT)So Abijah [v]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

2 [w]And Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God, 3 for he removed (AU)the foreign altars and (AV)high places, tore down the memorial stones, cut down the [x](AW)Asherim, 4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to [y]comply with the Law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the high places and the (AX)incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. 6 (AY)He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and [z]there was no one at war with him during those years, (AZ)because the Lord had given him rest. 7 For he said to Judah, “(BA)Let’s build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still [aa]ours because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 Now Asa had an army of (BB)three hundred thousand from Judah, carrying large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, carrying shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

9 Now Zerah the Ethiopian (BC)went out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to (BD)Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out [ab]to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 Then Asa (BE)called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, Lord our God, (BF)for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.” 12 So (BG)the Lord [ac]routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as (BH)Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that [ad]they could not recover, for they were shattered before the Lord and before His army. And they carried away a very large amount of plunder. 14 They [ae]destroyed all the cities around Gerar, (BI)for the dread of the Lord had fallen on them; and they pillaged all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15 They also fatally struck [af]those who owned livestock, and they led away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Azariah the Prophet Warns Asa

15 Now (BJ)the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out [ag]to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: (BK)the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And (BL)if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. 3 (BM)For many days Israel was without the true God and without (BN)a teaching priest and without the Law. 4 But (BO)in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. 5 (BP)In those times there was no peace for him who went out or him who came in, because many disturbances [ah]afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 (BQ)Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7 But you, (BR)be strong and do not [ai]lose courage, for there is a (BS)reward for your work.”

Asa’s Reforms

8 Now when Asa heard these words and the [aj]prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from (BT)the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. (BU)He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord. 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon (BV)who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 (BW)They sacrificed to the Lord on that day seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the spoils they had brought. 12 (BX)They entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; 13 and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel (BY)was to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 Moreover, they made an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and with horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought Him [ak]earnestly, and He let them find Him. So (BZ)the Lord gave them rest on every side.

16 (CA)He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image [al]as (CB)an Asherah, and (CC)Asa cut down her abominable image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. 18 He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver, gold, and utensils. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa Wars against Baasha

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, (CD)Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and [am]fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and sent it to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “A treaty must be made between [an]you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they [ao]conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all (CE)the [ap]storage cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard about it, he stopped [aq]fortifying Ramah and put an end to his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with it he [ar]fortified Geba and Mizpah.

Asa Imprisons the Prophet

7 At that time (CF)Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “(CG)Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, for that reason the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not (CH)the Ethiopians and the Lubim (CI)an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet (CJ)because you relied on the Lord, He handed them over to you. 9 For (CK)the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those (CL)whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in [as]prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa mistreated some of the people at the same time.

11 (CM)Now, the acts of Asa from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he (CN)did not seek the Lord, but the physicians. 13 So Asa [at]lay down with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled (CO)with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and (CP)they made a very great fire for him.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 12:5 Lit in the hand of
  2. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit hands
  3. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit runners
  4. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  5. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  6. 2 Chronicles 12:15 Lit words
  7. 2 Chronicles 12:16 I.e., died
  8. 2 Chronicles 13:2 In 1 Kin 15:2, Maacah the daughter of Abishalom
  9. 2 Chronicles 13:5 Lit to him and to his sons
  10. 2 Chronicles 13:6 Or lord
  11. 2 Chronicles 13:7 Lit Rehoboam
  12. 2 Chronicles 13:8 Lit by the hand of
  13. 2 Chronicles 13:8 Lit and you are a
  14. 2 Chronicles 13:10 Lit in the work
  15. 2 Chronicles 13:11 Lit offer up in smoke
  16. 2 Chronicles 13:14 Lit the battle was in front and behind them
  17. 2 Chronicles 13:15 Lit struck
  18. 2 Chronicles 13:18 Lit were strong
  19. 2 Chronicles 13:19 Another reading is Ephrain
  20. 2 Chronicles 13:22 Heb midrash
  21. 2 Chronicles 14:1 Ch 13:23 in Heb
  22. 2 Chronicles 14:1 I.e., died
  23. 2 Chronicles 14:2 Ch 14:1 in Heb
  24. 2 Chronicles 14:3 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  25. 2 Chronicles 14:4 Lit do the
  26. 2 Chronicles 14:6 Lit no war was with him
  27. 2 Chronicles 14:7 Lit before us
  28. 2 Chronicles 14:10 Lit before him
  29. 2 Chronicles 14:12 Lit struck
  30. 2 Chronicles 14:13 Or there was none left alive
  31. 2 Chronicles 14:14 Lit struck
  32. 2 Chronicles 14:15 Lit tents of livestock
  33. 2 Chronicles 15:2 Lit before Asa
  34. 2 Chronicles 15:5 Lit were on
  35. 2 Chronicles 15:7 Lit let your hands drop
  36. 2 Chronicles 15:8 With several ancient versions; MT the prophecy, Oded the prophet
  37. 2 Chronicles 15:15 Lit with all their whole desire
  38. 2 Chronicles 15:16 Or for Asherah; i.e., a wooden symbol of a female deity
  39. 2 Chronicles 16:1 Lit built
  40. 2 Chronicles 16:3 Lit me and you
  41. 2 Chronicles 16:4 Lit struck
  42. 2 Chronicles 16:4 Lit storage places of the cities
  43. 2 Chronicles 16:5 Lit building
  44. 2 Chronicles 16:6 Lit built
  45. 2 Chronicles 16:10 Lit the house of the stocks
  46. 2 Chronicles 16:13 I.e., died
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2 Chronicles 12-16
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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 12:1 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  2. 2 Chronicles 12:3 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  3. 2 Chronicles 13:2 Most Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 11:20 and 1 Kings 15:2); Hebrew Micaiah
  4. 2 Chronicles 13:2 Or granddaughter
  5. 2 Chronicles 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1 is numbered 13:23, and 14:2-15 is numbered 14:1-14.
  6. 2 Chronicles 14:3 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Chronicles
  7. 2 Chronicles 15:8 Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 1); Hebrew does not have Azariah son of.
  8. 2 Chronicles 16:4 Also known as Abel Beth Maakah
  9. 2 Chronicles 16:8 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  10. 2 Chronicles 16:8 Or charioteers
Listen to 2 Chronicles 12-16
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2 Chronicles 12-16
King James Version

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

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

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

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

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

8 And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.

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

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

11 And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

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

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

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

2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

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

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

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

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

14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself 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 apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.

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