2 Chronicles 1-23

Christian Standard Bible

Solomon’s Request for Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom.^(A) The Lord his God was with him and highly exalted him.^{(B) 2} Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel—the family heads.^{(C) 3} Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon^(D) because God’s tent of meeting, which the Lord’s servant Moses had made^(E) in the wilderness, was there. ⁴ Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place^[a] he had set up for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem,^{(F) 5} but he put^[b] the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made,^(G) in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. Solomon and the assembly inquired of him^[c] there. ⁶ Solomon offered sacrifices there in the Lord’s presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.^(H)

⁷ That night^(I) God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask. What should I give you?”

⁸ And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and you have made me king in his place.^{(J) 9} Lord God, let your promise to my father David now come true.^(K) For you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.^{(L) 10} Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people,^(M) for who can judge this great people of yours?”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you.”^{(N) 13} So Solomon went to Jerusalem from^[d] the high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Horses and Wealth

¹⁴ Solomon^(O) accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen,^(P) which he stationed in the chariot cities^(Q) and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. ¹⁶ Solomon’s horses came from Egypt and Kue.^[e] The king’s traders would get them from Kue at the going price. ¹⁷ A chariot could be imported from Egypt for fifteen pounds^[f] of silver and a horse for nearly four pounds.^[g] In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

Solomon’s Letter to Hiram

2 Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself,^{(R) 2} so he assigned 70,000 men as porters, 80,000 men as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as supervisors over them.^(S)

³ Then Solomon sent word to King Hiram^[h](T) of Tyre:^(U)

Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedars to build him a house to live in.^{(V) 4} Now I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God in order to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him,^(W) for displaying the rows of the Bread of the Presence continuously,^(X) and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening,^(Y) the Sabbaths^(Z) and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel permanently. ⁵ The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.^{(AA) 6} But who is able to build a temple for him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him?^(AB) Who am I then that I should build a temple for him except as a place to burn incense before him? ⁷ Therefore, send me an artisan who is skilled in engraving to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with the artisans who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem,^(AC) appointed by my father David.^{(AD) 8} Also, send me cedar, cypress, and algum^[i](AE) logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. Note that my servants will be with your servants^{(AF) 9} to prepare logs for me in abundance because the temple I am building will be great and wondrous. ¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, one hundred twenty thousand bushels^[j] of wheat flour, one hundred twenty thousand bushels of barley, one hundred twenty thousand gallons^[k] of wine, and one hundred twenty thousand gallons of oil.

Hiram’s Reply

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter^[l] and sent it to Solomon:

Because the Lord loves his people, he set you over them as king.^(AG)

¹² Hiram also said:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth!^(AH) He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding,^(AI) who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.^{(AJ) 13} I have now sent Huram-abi,^[m] a skillful man who has understanding.^{(AK) 14} He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father is a man of Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, with purple, blue, crimson yarn, and fine linen. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and to execute any design that may be given him. I have sent him to be with your artisans and the artisans of my lord, your father David. ¹⁵ Now, let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine to his servants as promised.^{(AL) 16} We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and bring them to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.^(AM)

Solomon’s Workforce

¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all the resident alien men in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had conducted,^(AN) and the total was 153,600. ¹⁸ Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.^(AO)

Building the Temple

3 Then Solomon began^(AP) to build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah^(AQ) where the Lord^[n] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan^[o] the Jebusite. ² He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. ³ These are Solomon’s foundations^[p] for building God’s temple: the length^[q] was ninety feet,^[r] and the width thirty feet.^{[s] 4} The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was thirty feet wide; its height was thirty feet;^[t] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. ⁵ The larger room^[u] he paneled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the temple—the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors—with gold,^(AR) and he carved cherubim on the walls.^(AS)

The Most Holy Place

⁸ Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, 30 feet, and its width was 30 feet.^(AT) He overlaid it with forty-five thousand pounds^[v] of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was twenty ounces^[w] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

¹⁰ He made^(AU) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 30 feet: the wing of one was 7½ feet,^[x] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet, touching the wing of the other cherub. ¹² The wing of the other^[y] cherub was 7½ feet, touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet, reaching the wing of the other cherub. ¹³ The wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet. They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.^[z]

¹⁴ He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.^(AV)

The Bronze Pillars

¹⁵ In front of the temple^(AW) he made two pillars, each 27 feet^[aa] high. The capital on top of each was 7½ feet high. ¹⁶ He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.^(AX) He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. ¹⁷ Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin^[ab] and the one on the left Boaz.^[ac]

The Altar and Basins

4 He made a bronze altar^(AY) 30 feet^[ad] long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet^[ae] high.

² Then he made the cast metal basin,^[af](AZ) 15 feet from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet^[ag] high and 45 feet^[ah] in circumference. ³ The likeness of oxen^[ai] was below it, completely encircling it, ten every half yard,^[aj] completely surrounding the basin. The oxen were cast in two rows when the basin was cast. ⁴ It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The basin was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. ⁵ The basin was three inches^[ak] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold eleven thousand gallons.^[al]

⁶ He made ten basins for washing and he put five on the right and five on the left.^(BA) The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them,^(BB) but the basin was used by the priests for washing.

The Lampstands, Tables, and Courts

⁷ He made the ten gold lampstands according to their specifications and put them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.^{(BC) 8} He made ten tables and placed them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.^(BD) He also made a hundred gold bowls.

⁹ He made the courtyard^(BE) of the priests and the large court, and doors for the court. He overlaid the doors with bronze. ¹⁰ He put the basin on the right side, toward the southeast.^{(BF) 11} Then Huram^[am](BG) made^(BH) the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.

Completion of the Bronze Furnishings

So Huram finished doing the work that he was doing for King Solomon in God’s temple: ¹² two pillars; the bowls and the capitals on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; ¹³ the four hundred pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars^(BI)). ¹⁴ He also made the water carts^[an](BJ) and the basins on the water carts. ¹⁵ The one basin and the twelve oxen underneath it, ¹⁶ the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their utensils—Huram-abi^[ao](BK) made them for King Solomon for the Lord’s temple. All these were made of polished bronze. ¹⁷ The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah. ¹⁸ Solomon made all these utensils in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the equipment in God’s temple: the gold altar; the tables on which to put the Bread of the Presence;^{(BL) 20} the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary according to specifications;^{(BM) 21} the flowers, lamps, and gold tongs—of purest gold; ²² the wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,^[ap] and firepans—of purest gold; and the entryway to the temple, its inner doors to the most holy place, and the doors of the temple sanctuary—of gold.

5 So all the work Solomon did for the Lord’s temple was completed. Then Solomon brought the consecrated things of his father David—the silver, the gold, and all the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

Preparations for the Temple Dedication

² At that time^(BN) Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads, the ancestral chiefs of the Israelites—in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David,^(BO) that is, Zion. ³ So all the men of Israel were assembled in the king’s presence at the festival; this was in the seventh month.^[aq]

⁴ All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites picked up the ark. ⁵ They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and the holy utensils that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up. ⁶ King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who had gathered around him were in front of the ark sacrificing sheep, goats, and cattle that could not be counted or numbered because there were so many. ⁷ The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.^{(BP) 8} And the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark so that the cherubim formed a cover above the ark and its poles. ⁹ The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place^[ar](BQ) in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside; they are still there today. ¹⁰ Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had put in it at Horeb,^[as](BR) where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions.^(BS) When the priests came out of the holy place, ¹² the Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres^(BT) were standing east of the altar, and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets.^(BU) The Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons^(BV) and relatives. ¹³ The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments,^(BW) in praise to the Lord:

The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.^{(BY) 14} And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple.^(BZ)

Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

6 Then Solomon said:^(CA)

³ Then the king turned and blessed the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. ⁴ He said:

Solomon’s Prayer

¹² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands. ¹³ For Solomon had made a bronze platform 7½ feet^[at] long, 7½ feet wide, and 4½ feet^[au] high and put it in the court. He stood on it,^(CH) knelt down in front of the entire congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven.^{(CI) 14} He said:

The Dedication Ceremonies

7 When Solomon finished praying,^(CZ) fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices,^(DA) and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ² The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord. ³ All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord:

⁴ The king and all the people were offering sacrifices in the Lord’s presence.^{(DC) 5} King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep and goats. In this manner the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple. ⁶ The priests and the Levites were standing at their stations. The Levites had the musical instruments of the Lord, which King David had made to give thanks to the Lord—“for his faithful love endures forever”—when he offered praise with them.^(DD) Across from the Levites, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing. ⁷ Since the bronze altar that Solomon had made^(DE) could not accommodate the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offerings, Solomon first consecrated the middle of the courtyard^(DF) that was in front of the Lord’s temple and then offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings there.^(DG)

⁸ So Solomon and all Israel with him—a very great assembly, from the entrance to Hamath^[be] to the Brook of Egypt—observed the festival at that time for seven days. ⁹ On the eighth day^[bf] they held a solemn assembly,^(DH) for the dedication of the altar lasted seven days and the festival seven days. ¹⁰ On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people home,^[bg] rejoicing and with happy hearts for the goodness the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.

¹¹ So Solomon finished the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. Everything that had entered Solomon’s heart to do for the Lord’s temple and for his own palace succeeded.^(DI)

The Lord’s Response

¹² Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him:

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple of sacrifice.^{(DJ) 13} If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on my people,^{(DK) 14} and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.^{(DL) 15} My eyes will now be open and my ears attentive to prayer from this place.^{(DM) 16} And I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there at all times.^(DN)

¹⁷ As for you, if you walk before me as your father David walked, doing everything I have commanded you, and if you keep my statutes and ordinances, ¹⁸ I will establish your royal throne, as I promised your father David: You will never fail to have a man ruling in Israel.^(DO)

¹⁹ However, if you turn away and abandon my statutes and my commands that I have set before you and if you go and serve other gods and bow in worship to them,^{(DP) 20} then I will uproot Israel from the soil that I gave them, and this temple that I have sanctified for my name I will banish from my presence;^(DQ) I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.^{(DR) 21} As for this temple, which was exalted, everyone who passes by will be appalled and will say,^(DS) “Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?” ²² Then they will say, “Because they abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They clung to other gods and bowed in worship to them and served them. Because of this, he brought all this ruin on them.”

Solomon’s Later Building Projects

8 At the end of twenty years^(DT) during which Solomon had built the Lord’s temple and his own palace— ² Solomon had rebuilt the cities Hiram^[bh] gave him and settled Israelites there— ³ Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and seized it. ⁴ He built Tadmor in the wilderness along with all the storage cities that he built in Hamath. ⁵ He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon^(DU)—fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars^(DV)— ⁶ Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, all the chariot cities, the cavalry cities, and everything Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or anywhere else in the land of his dominion.

⁷ As for all the peoples who remained of the Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not from Israel^(DW)— ⁸ their descendants who remained in the land after them, those the Israelites had not completely destroyed—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way today.^{(DX) 9} But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to be slaves for his work; they were soldiers, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. ¹⁰ These were King Solomon’s deputies: 250 who supervised the people.

¹¹ Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house he had built for her,^(DY) for he said, “My wife must not live in the house^[bi] of King David of Israel because the places the ark of the Lord has come into are holy.”

Public Worship Established at the Temple

¹² At that time^(DZ) Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar he had made in front of the portico.^{(EA) 13} He followed the daily requirement^(EB) for offerings according to the commandment of Moses^(EC) for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters.^{(ED) 14} According to the ordinances of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests over their service,^(EE) of the Levites over their responsibilities to offer praise and to minister before the priests following the daily requirement,^(EF) and of the gatekeepers by their divisions with respect to each temple gate,^(EG) for this had been the command of David, the man of God.^{(EH) 15} They did not turn aside from the king’s command regarding the priests and the Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.^{(EI) 16} All of Solomon’s work was carried out from the day the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple until it was finished. So the Lord’s temple was completed.

Solomon’s Fleet

¹⁷ At that time^(EJ) Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth^(EK) on the seashore in the land of Edom. ¹⁸ So Hiram^[bj] sent ships to him by his servants along with crews of experienced seamen. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, took from there seventeen tons^[bk] of gold, and delivered it to King Solomon.^(EL)

The Queen of Sheba

9 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame,^(EM) so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind. ² So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. ³ When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, ⁴ the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.

⁵ She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. ⁶ But I didn’t believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard. ⁷ How happy are your men.^[bl](EN) How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. ⁸ Blessed be the Lord your God! He delighted in you and put you on his throne as king for the Lord your God.^(EO) Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, he has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness.”^(EP)

⁹ Then she gave the king four and a half tons^[bm] of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ¹⁰ In addition, Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir^(EQ) also brought algum wood and precious stones. ¹¹ The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord’s temple and for the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.

¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

Solomon’s Wealth

¹³ The weight of gold that came to Solomon^(ER) annually was twenty-five tons,^{[bn] 14} besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds^[bo] of hammered gold went into each shield. ¹⁶ He made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 7½ pounds^[bp] of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.^(ES)

¹⁷ The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. ¹⁹ Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

²⁰ All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, ²¹ for the king’s ships kept going to Tarshish^(ET) with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.^[bq]

²² King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom.^{(EU) 23} All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. ²⁴ Each of them would bring his own gift—items^[br] of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,^[bs][bt] spices, and horses and mules—as an annual tribute.

²⁵ Solomon^(EV) had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.^(EW) He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.^{(EX) 27} The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. ²⁸ They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.

Solomon’s Death

²⁹ The remaining events^(EY) of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of the Prophet Nathan, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of the Seer Iddo concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.^{(EZ) 30} Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. ³¹ Solomon rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of his father David.^(FA) His son Rehoboam became king in his place.

The Kingdom Divided

10 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem,^(FB) for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. ² When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it—for he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence—Jeroboam returned from Egypt.^{(FC) 3} So they summoned him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: ⁴ “Your father made our yoke harsh. Therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam replied, “Return to me in three days.” So the people left.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had attended his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people?”

⁷ They replied, “If you will be kind to this people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

⁸ But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him, and he consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, the ones attending him. ⁹ He asked them, “What message do you advise we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

¹⁰ Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should say to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! ¹¹ Now therefore, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.’”^[bu]

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ Then the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the elders’ advice ¹⁴ and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy,^[bv](FD) but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.”

¹⁵ The king did not listen to the people because the turn of events came from God,^(FE) in order that the Lord might carry out his word that he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.^(FF)

¹⁶ When^(FG) all Israel saw^[bw](FH) that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king:

So all Israel went to their tents. ¹⁷ But as for the Israelites living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,^[bx](FI) who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. However, King Rehoboam managed to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today.

Rehoboam in Jerusalem

11 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem,^(FJ) he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—one hundred eighty thousand fit young soldiers—to fight against Israel to restore the reign to Rehoboam. ² But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah,^(FK) the man of God: ³ “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, ⁴ ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers.^(FL) Each of you return home, for this incident has come from me.’”^(FM)

So they listened to what the Lord said and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

Judah’s King Rehoboam

⁵ Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he fortified cities^[by](FN) 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, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. ¹¹ He strengthened their fortifications and put leaders in them with supplies of food, oil, and wine. ¹² He also put large shields and spears in each and every city to make them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

¹³ The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand with Rehoboam, ¹⁴ for the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions^(FO) and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests of the Lord.^{(FP) 15} Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places,^(FQ) the goat-demons,^(FR) and the golden calves he had made.^{(FS) 16} Those from every tribe of Israel who had determined in their hearts to seek the Lord their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years,^(FT) because they walked in the ways of David and Solomon for three years.

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.^{(FU) 19} She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ After her, he married Maacah daughter^[bz](FV) of Absalom. She bore Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith to him. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired eighteen wives^(FW) and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief, leader among his brothers, intending to make him king.^{(FX) 23} Rehoboam also showed discernment by dispersing some of his sons to all the regions of Judah and Benjamin and to all the fortified cities. He gave them plenty of provisions and sought many wives for them.

Shishak’s Invasion

12 When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power,^(FY) he abandoned the law of the Lord—he and all Israel with him. ² Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, King Shishak^(FZ) of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem^{(GA) 3} with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalrymen, and countless people who came with him from Egypt—Libyans,^(GB) Sukkiim, and Cushites. ⁴ He captured the fortified cities^(GC) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah^(GD) went to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me; therefore, I have abandoned you to Shishak.”^(GE)

⁶ So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”^(GF)

⁷ When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the Lord’s message came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them but will grant them a little deliverance.^(GG) My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.^{(GH) 8} However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”^(GI)

⁹ So King Shishak of Egypt went to war^(GJ) against Jerusalem.^(GK) He seized the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took the gold shields that Solomon had made.^{(GL) 10} King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and committed them into the care of the captains of the guards^[ca] who protected the entrance to the king’s palace. ¹¹ Whenever the king entered the Lord’s temple, the guards would carry the shields and take them back to the armory.^{[cb] 12} When Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned away from him, and he did not destroy him completely.^(GM) Besides that, conditions were good in Judah.^(GN)

Rehoboam’s Last Days

¹³ King Rehoboam^(GO) established his royal power in Jerusalem. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put his name.^(GP) Rehoboam’s mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. ¹⁴ Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the Lord.^(GQ)

¹⁵ The events^(GR) of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of the Prophet Shemaiah^(GS) and of the Seer Iddo concerning genealogies.^(GT) There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. ¹⁶ Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. His son Abijah^[cc](GU) became king in his place.

Judah’s King Abijah

13 In the eighteenth year^(GV) of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Abijah^[cd] became king over Judah, ² and he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah^[ce](GW) daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ³ Abijah set his army of warriors in order with four hundred thousand fit young men. Jeroboam arranged his mighty army of eight hundred thousand fit young men in battle formation against him. ⁴ Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,^(GX) which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me. ⁵ Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever^(GY) by a covenant of salt?^{(GZ) 6} But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.^{(HA) 7} Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them.

⁸ “And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the Lord’s kingdom, which is in the hand of one of David’s sons. You are a vast number and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.^{[cf](HB) 9} Didn’t you banish the priests of the Lord, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and make your own priests like the peoples of other lands do?^(HC) Whoever comes to ordain himself^(HD) with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest^(HE) of what are not gods.^(HF)

¹⁰ “But as for us, the Lord is our God. We have not abandoned him; the priests ministering to the Lord are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks. ¹¹ They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and every evening,^(HG) and they set the rows of the Bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table.^(HH) They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of the Lord our God, while you have abandoned him.^{(HI) 12} Look, God and his priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”^(HJ)

¹³ Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush^(HK) around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴ Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the Lord.^(HL) Then the priests blew the trumpets, ¹⁵ and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.^{(HM) 16} So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them.^{(HN) 17} Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and five hundred thousand fit young men of Israel were killed. ¹⁸ The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron,^[cg] along with their surrounding villages. ²⁰ Jeroboam no longer retained his power^[ch] during Abijah’s reign; ultimately, the Lord struck him^(HO) and he died.^(HP)

²¹ However, Abijah grew strong, acquired fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. ²² The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, along with his ways and his sayings, are written in the Writing^(HQ) of the Prophet Iddo.^(HR)

14 Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place.^(HS) During his reign the land experienced peace for ten years.

Judah’s King Asa

² Asa did what was good and right^(HT) in the sight of the Lord his God. ³ He removed the pagan altars and the high places. He shattered their sacred pillars and chopped down their Asherah poles.^{(HU) 4} He told the people of Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors and to carry out the instruction and the commands. ⁵ He also removed the high places and the shrines^[ci] from all the cities of Judah,^(HV) and the kingdom experienced peace under him.

⁶ Because the land experienced peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah.^(HW) No one made war with him in those days because the Lord gave him rest.^{(HX) 7} So he said to the people of Judah, “Let’s build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars.^(HY) The land is still ours because we sought the Lord our God. We sought him and he gave us rest on every side.” So they built and succeeded.

The Cushite Invasion

⁸ Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah bearing large shields and spears,^(HZ) and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin bearing regular shields and drawing the bow. All these were valiant warriors. ⁹ Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and three hundred^[cj] chariots. They came as far as Mareshah. ¹⁰ So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in Zephathah Valley at Mareshah.^(IA)

¹¹ Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God,^(IB) “Lord, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on you,^(IC) and in your name we have come against this large army. Lord, you are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder you.”

¹² So the Lord routed the Cushites before Asa and before Judah,^(ID) and the Cushites fled. ¹³ Then Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar.^(IE) The Cushites fell until they had no survivors, for they were crushed before the Lord and his army. So the people of Judah carried off a great supply of loot. ¹⁴ Then they attacked all the cities around Gerar because the terror of the Lord was on them.^(IF) They also plundered all the cities, since there was a great deal of plunder in them. ¹⁵ They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and captured many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Revival under Asa

15 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded.^{(IG) 2} So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Asa and all Judah and Benjamin, hear me. The Lord is with you^(IH) when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you,^(II) but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.^{(IJ) 3} For many years Israel has been without the true God,^(IK) without a teaching priest, and without instruction,^{(IL) 4} but when they turned to the Lord God of Israel in their distress and sought him, he was found by them. ⁵ In those times there was no peace for those who went about their daily activities because the residents of the lands had many conflicts. ⁶ Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every possible distress. ⁷ But as for you, be strong; don’t give up,^[ck] for your work has a reward.”^(IM)

⁸ When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the abhorrent idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim.^(IN) He renovated the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.^{(IO) 9} Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing among them, for they had defected to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.^(IP)

¹⁰ They were gathered in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. ¹¹ At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from all the plunder they had brought.^{(IQ) 12} Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with all their heart and all their soul.^{(IR) 13} Whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be put to death, young or old,^[cl] man or woman.^{(IS) 14} They took an oath to the Lord in a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with rams’ horns. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They had sought him with all sincerity, and he was found by them.^(IT) So the Lord gave them rest on every side.^(IU)

¹⁶ King Asa^(IV) also removed Maacah, his grandmother,^[cm](IW) from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image, then crushed it and burned it in the Kidron Valley.^{(IX) 17} The high places were not taken away from Israel; nevertheless, Asa was wholeheartedly devoted his entire life.^{[cn] 18} He brought his father’s consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into God’s temple: silver, gold, and utensils.

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

Asa’s Treaty with Aram

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa,^(IY) Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to keep anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah. ² So Asa brought out the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace and sent it to Aram’s King Ben-hadad, who lived in Damascus, saying, ³ “There’s a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go break your treaty with Israel’s King Baasha so that he will withdraw from me.”

⁴ Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies to the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim,^[co] and all the storage cities^[cp] of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stopped his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then he built Geba and Mizpah with them.

Hanani’s Rebuke of Asa

⁷ At that time, the seer Hanani^(IZ) came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you depended on the king of Aram and have not depended on the Lord your God,^(JA) the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you. ⁸ Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen?^(JB) When you depended on the Lord, he handed them over to you.^{(JC) 9} For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth^(JD) to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him.^(JE) You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.” ¹⁰ Asa was enraged with the seer and put him in prison^[cq] because of his anger over this. And Asa mistreated some of the people at that time.

Asa’s Death

¹¹ Note that the events^(JF) 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 developed a disease in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his disease he didn’t seek the Lord but only the physicians. ¹³ Asa rested with his ancestors; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. ¹⁴ He was buried in his own tomb that he had made for himself in the city of David. They laid him out in a coffin that was full of spices and various mixtures of prepared ointments;^(JG) then they made a great fire in his honor.^(JH)

Judah’s King Jehoshaphat

17 His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place^(JI) and strengthened himself against Israel. ² He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah^(JJ) and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.^(JK)

³ Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his ancestor David.^[cr] He did not seek the Baals ⁴ but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.^{(JL) 5} So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.^{(JM) 6} He took great pride in the Lord’s ways, and he again^(JN) removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.^(JO)

Jehoshaphat’s Educational Plan

⁷ In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials—Ben-hail,^[cs] Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach in the cities of Judah.^{(JP) 8} The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah,^[ct] Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites. ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, having the book of the Lord’s instruction with them.^(JQ) They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ The terror of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah,^(JR) so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.^(JS)

Jehoshaphat’s Military Might

¹² Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses^(JT) and storage cities in Judah ¹³ and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ These are their numbers according to their ancestral families.^[cu] For Judah, the commanders of thousands:

¹⁹ These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.^(JV)

Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab

18 Now Jehoshaphat^(JW) had riches and honor in abundance,^(JX) and he made an alliance with Ahab through marriage.^{[cv](JY) 2} Then after some years, he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep, goats, and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and he persuaded him to attack Ramoth-gilead, ³ for Israel’s King Ahab asked Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?”

He replied to him, “I am as you are, my people as your people; we will be with you in the battle.” ⁴ But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”

⁵ So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?”

They replied, “March up, and God will hand it over to the king.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here anymore? Let’s ask him.”^(JZ)

⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king shouldn’t say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.

⁸ So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!”

⁹ Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were sitting on the threshing floor at the entrance to Samaria’s gate,^(KA) and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. ¹⁰ Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.” ¹¹ And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

Micaiah’s Message of Defeat

¹² The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”

¹³ But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God says.”^[cw](KB)

¹⁴ So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should I^[cx] refrain?”

Micaiah said, “March up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you.”

¹⁵ But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ So Micaiah said:

¹⁷ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”

¹⁸ Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing at his right hand and at his left hand.^{(KD) 19} And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.

²⁰ “Then^(KE) a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

“The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

²¹ “So he said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’

“Then he said, ‘You will entice him and also prevail. Go and do that.’

²² “Now, you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of^[cy] these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord leave me to speak to you?”

²⁴ Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”^(KF)

²⁵ Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him^(KG) to Amon, the governor of the city,^(KH) and to Joash, the king’s son, ²⁶ and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison^(KI) and feed him only a little bread and water^[cz] until I come back safely.’”

²⁷ But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Listen, all you people!” ^(KJ)

Ahab’s Death

²⁸ Then the king of Israel and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹ But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.^(KK)

³⁰ Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone at all^[da] except the king of Israel.”

³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out^(KL) and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him. ³² When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

³³ But a man drew his bow without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to the charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle,^[db] for I am badly wounded!” ^{(KM) 34} The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then he died at sunset.

Jehu’s Rebuke of Jehoshaphat

19 King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned to his home in Jerusalem in peace. ² Then Jehu^(KN) son of the seer Hanani went out to confront him^[dc] and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?^(KO) Because of this, the Lord’s wrath is on you.^{(KP) 3} However, some good is found in you, for you have eradicated the Asherah poles from the land and have determined in your heart to seek God.”^(KQ)

Jehoshaphat’s Reforms

⁴ Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and once again he went out among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.^{(KR) 5} He appointed judges in all the fortified cities of the land of Judah, city by city.^{(KS) 6} Then he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for a man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment.^{(KT) 7} And now, may the terror of the Lord be on you. Watch what you do, for there is no injustice or partiality or taking bribes with the Lord our God.”^(KU)

⁸ Jehoshaphat also appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and priests and some of the Israelite family heads for deciding the Lord’s will and for settling disputes of the residents of^[dd] Jerusalem. ⁹ He commanded them, saying, “In the fear of the Lord, with integrity, and wholeheartedly, you are to do the following: ¹⁰ For every dispute that comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities—whether it regards differences of bloodguilt, law, commandment, statutes, or judgments^(KV)—you are to warn them, so they will not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath will not come on you and your brothers.^(KW) Do this, and you will not incur guilt.

¹¹ “Note that Amariah, the chief priest, is over you in all matters related to the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all matters related to the king, and the Levites are officers in your presence. Be strong; may the Lord be with those who do what is good.”^(KX)

War against Eastern Enemies

20 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites,^[de](KY) came to fight against Jehoshaphat. ² People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom^[df] has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar”^(KZ) (that is, En-gedi). ³ Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved^(LA) to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast^(LB) for all Judah, ⁴ who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard. ⁶ He said:

Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven,^(LC) and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?^(LD) Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. ⁷ Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel^(LE) and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham^(LF) your friend? ⁸ They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said, ⁹ “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine^(LG)—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple.^(LH) We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”

¹⁰ Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir.^(LI) You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.^{(LJ) 11} Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God, will you not judge them?^(LK) For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.^[dg](LL)

God’s Answer

¹³ All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on^(LM) Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants), ¹⁵ and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number,^(LN) for the battle is not yours, but God’s.^{(LO) 16} Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.^(LP) He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged.^(LQ) Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”^(LR)

¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him.^{(LS) 19} Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites^(LT) stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly.

Victory and Plunder

²⁰ In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established;^(LU) believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” ²¹ Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness.^(LV) When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:^[dh]

²² The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush^(LX) against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them.^(LY) When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.^(LZ)

²⁴ When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the large army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; nobody had escaped. ²⁵ Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to gather the plunder. They found among them^[di] an abundance of goods on the bodies^[dj] and valuable items. So they stripped them until nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much. ²⁶ They assembled in the Valley of Beracah^[dk] on the fourth day, for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today.

²⁷ Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord enabled them to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ So they came into Jerusalem to the Lord’s temple with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

²⁹ The terror of God^(MA) was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.^(MB)

Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

³¹ Jehoshaphat became king over Judah.^(MC) 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 ways of Asa his father; he did not turn away from it but did what was right in the Lord’s sight. ³³ However, the high places were not taken away;^(MD) the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.^(ME)

³⁴ The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign from beginning to end are written in the Events of Jehu^(MF) son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of Israel’s Kings.^(MG)

Jehoshaphat’s Fleet of Ships

³⁵ After this,^(MH) Judah’s King Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Israel’s King Ahaziah, who was guilty of wrongdoing. ³⁶ Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with him to make ships to go to Tarshish,^(MI) and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. ³⁷ Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you formed an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken up what you have made.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

Jehoram Becomes King over Judah

21 Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jehoram^[dl] became king in his place.^{(MJ) 2} He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.^{[dm] 3} Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities^(MK) in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. ⁴ When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel.

Judah’s King Jehoram

⁵ Jehoram^(ML) was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. ⁶ He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done,^(MM) for Ahab’s daughter was his wife.^(MN) He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, ⁷ but for the sake of the covenant the Lord had made with David, he was unwilling to destroy the house of David since the Lord had promised^(MO) to give a lamp^[dn](MP) to David and to his sons forever.

⁸ During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king. ⁹ So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders. ¹⁰ And now Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time against his control because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. ¹¹ Jehoram also built high places^(MQ) in the hills^[do] of Judah, and he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves,^(MR) and he led Judah astray.

Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram

¹² Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying:

This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat^(MS) or in the ways of King Asa of Judah^{(MT) 13} but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel,^(MU) have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab^(MV) prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers,^(MW) your father’s family, who were better than you, ¹⁴ the Lord is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction. ¹⁵ You yourself will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”^(MX)

Jehoram’s Last Days

¹⁶ The Lord roused the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs^(MY) who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram.^{(MZ) 17} So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace and also his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz,^[dp](NA) his youngest son.

¹⁸ After all these things, the Lord afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease. ¹⁹ This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe^[dq] illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his predecessors.^(NB)

²⁰ Jehoram^(NC) was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret^[dr](ND) and was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings.^(NE)

Judah’s King Ahaziah

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, because the troops that had come with the Arabs^(NF) to the camp had killed all the older sons.^[ds] So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. ² Ahaziah^(NG) was twenty-two^[dt] years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter^[du] of Omri.

³ He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice. ⁴ So he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction. ⁵ He also followed their advice and went with Joram^[dv] son of Israel’s King Ahab to fight against King Hazael of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans^[dw] wounded Joram, ⁶ so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead^[dx] when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah^[dy] son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

⁷ Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram.^(NH) When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi,^(NI) whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.^{(NJ) 8} So when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab,^(NK) he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. ⁹ Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah,^(NL) and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart.”^(NM) So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

¹⁰ When^(NN) Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs^[dz] of the house of Judah. ¹¹ Jehoshabeath,^[ea] the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. ¹² He was hiding with them in God’s temple for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Athaliah Overthrown

23 Then, in the seventh year,^(NO) Jehoiada summoned his courage and took the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. ² They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family heads of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He will reign, just as the Lord promised^(NP) concerning David’s sons. ⁴ This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath,^(NQ) are to be gatekeepers. ⁵ A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ No one is to enter the Lord’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve;^(NR) they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the Lord. ⁷ The Levites are to completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Accompany the king in all his daily tasks.”^[eb]

⁸ So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath—for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.^{(NS) 9} The priest Jehoiada gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers^[ec] that were in God’s temple. ¹⁰ Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

¹¹ They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,^(NT) and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live the king!” ^(NU)

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the troops in the Lord’s temple. ¹³ As she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar^[ed] at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets^(NV) while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴ Then the priest Jehoiada sent out the commanders of hundreds, those in charge of the army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in the Lord’s temple.” ¹⁵ So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horse Gate^(NW) to the king’s palace, where they put her to death.

Jehoiada’s Reforms

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.^(NX)

¹⁸ Then Jehoiada put the oversight of the Lord’s temple into the hands of the Levitical priests,^(NY) whom David had appointed^(NZ) over the Lord’s temple, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord as it is written in the law of Moses,^(OA) with rejoicing and song ordained by^[ee] David. ¹⁹ He stationed gatekeepers^(OB) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason. ²⁰ Then he took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the king’s palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom. ²¹ All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.