Bible in 90 Days
If My People Pray
11 (A)Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer (B)and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (C)When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name (D)humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 (E)Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 (F)For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, (G)‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’
19 (H)“But if you[a] turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 (I)then I will pluck you[b] up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it (J)a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, (K)‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”
Solomon's Accomplishments
8 (L)At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them.
3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath. 5 He also built (M)Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, (N)fortified cities (O)with walls, gates, and bars, 6 and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 7 (P)All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8 from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed—these Solomon drafted (Q)as forced labor, and so they are to this day. 9 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen. 10 And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people.
11 (R)Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”
12 Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord (S)that he had built before the vestibule, 13 (T)as the duty of each day required, offering (U)according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the (V)three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. 14 According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed (W)the divisions of the priests for their service, (X)and the Levites for their offices of praise and (Y)ministry before the priests (Z)as the duty of each day required, and (AA)the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David (AB)the man of God had commanded. 15 And they did not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries.
16 Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from[c] the day the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.
17 Then Solomon went to (AC)Ezion-geber and (AD)Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there (AE)450 talents[d] of gold and brought it to King Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba
9 (AF)Now when (AG)the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 2 And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. 3 And when (AH)the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.
5 And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 6 but I did not believe the[e] reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard. 7 Happy are your wives![f] Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you (AI)and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! (AJ)Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[g] of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, (AK)who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made from the algum wood (AL)supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers. There never was seen the like of them before in the land of Judah.
12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked (AM)besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.
Solomon's Wealth
13 (AN)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14 besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. (AO)And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels[h] of beaten gold went into each shield. 16 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; (AP)300 shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 19 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. 20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king's ships went to (AQ)Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[i]
22 Thus King Solomon (AR)excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh,[j] spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25 And Solomon had (AS)4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 (AT)And he ruled over all the kings (AU)from the Euphrates[k] to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 27 (AV)And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 (AW)And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.
Solomon's Death
29 (AX)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from (AY)first to last, are they not written in the history of (AZ)Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of (BA)Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of (BB)Iddo (BC)the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in (BD)the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
The Revolt Against Rehoboam
10 (BE)Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, (BF)where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 (BG)“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away.
6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men,[l] who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, (BH)“If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word, (BI)which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. (BJ)Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent (BK)Hadoram,[m] who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
Rehoboam Secures His Kingdom
11 (BL)When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to (BM)Shemaiah the man of God: 3 “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against (BN)your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and returned and did not go against Jeroboam.
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built (BO)cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, (BP)Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. 11 He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
Priests and Levites Come to Jerusalem
13 And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. 14 For the Levites left (BQ)their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, (BR)because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, 15 and he appointed his own (BS)priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for (BT)the calves that he had made. 16 (BU)And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 17 (BV)They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
Rehoboam's Family
18 Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of (BW)Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took (BX)Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him (BY)Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). 22 (BZ)And Rehoboam appointed (CA)Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them.[n]
Egypt Plunders Jerusalem
12 (CB)When the rule of Rehoboam was established (CC)and he was strong, (CD)he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2 (CE)In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, (CF)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt—(CG)Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. 4 And he took (CH)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then (CI)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, (CJ)‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’” 6 Then the princes of (CK)Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, (CL)“The Lord is righteous.” 7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: (CM)“They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, (CN)and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8 Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, (CO)that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
9 (CP)So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away (CQ)the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 10 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. 11 And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. 12 And when (CR)he humbled himself the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, (CS)conditions were good[o] in Judah.
13 (CT)So King Rehoboam grew strong in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. 14 And he did evil, (CU)for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
15 (CV)Now the acts of Rehoboam, (CW)from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of (CX)Shemaiah the prophet and of (CY)Iddo (CZ)the seer?[p] There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and (DA)Abijah[q] his son reigned in his place.
Abijah Reigns in Judah
13 (DB)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, (DC)Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was (DD)Micaiah[r] the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
(DE)Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam (DF)drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. 4 Then Abijah stood up on Mount (DG)Zemaraim that is in (DH)the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel (DI)gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by (DJ)a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up (DK)and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain (DL)worthless scoundrels[s] gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was (DM)young and irresolute[t] and could not withstand them.
8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you (DN)the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 (DO)Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes (DP)for ordination[u] with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are (DQ)not gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. 11 They offer to the Lord (DR)every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out (DS)the showbread on the table of pure gold, (DT)and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may (DU)burn every evening. For we (DV)keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests (DW)with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, (DX)do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”
13 Jeroboam had sent (DY)an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops[v] were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. (DZ)And they cried to the Lord, and the priests (EA)blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, (EB)God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel fled before Judah, (EC)and God gave them into their hand. 17 Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. 18 Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, (ED)because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam (EE)and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and (EF)Ephron[w] with its villages. 20 Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. (EG)And the Lord struck him down, (EH)and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the (EI)story of the prophet (EJ)Iddo.
Asa Reigns in Judah
14 [x] (EK)Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. 2 [y] And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars (EL)and the high places and broke down (EM)the pillars and cut down the (EN)Asherim 4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah (EO)the high places and the (EP)incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built (EQ)fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, (ER)for the Lord gave him peace. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with (ES)walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, (ET)and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an army of (EU)300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.
9 Zerah (EV)the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as (EW)Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out to meet him, and (EX)they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at (EY)Mareshah. 11 And Asa (EZ)cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, (FA)for we rely on you, (FB)and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” 12 (FC)So the Lord defeated 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 (FD)Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah[z] carried away very much spoil. 14 And they attacked all the cities around (FE)Gerar, (FF)for the fear of the Lord was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15 And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
Asa's Religious Reforms
15 (FG)The Spirit of God came[aa] upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: (FH)The Lord is with you while you are with him. (FI)If you seek him, he will be found by you, (FJ)but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 (FK)For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4 (FL)but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace (FM)to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. 7 (FN)But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, (FO)for your work shall be rewarded.”
8 As soon as Asa heard these words, (FP)the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from (FQ)the cities that he had taken in (FR)the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord (FS)that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord.[ab] 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, (FT)and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 They sacrificed to the Lord on that day (FU)from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. 12 (FV)And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, (FW)should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, (FX)and the Lord gave them rest all around.
16 (FY)Even Maacah, (FZ)his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image (GA)for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, (GB)crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 (GC)But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. 18 And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
Asa's Last Years
16 (GD)In the (GE)thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, (GF)that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “There is a covenant[ac] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the (GG)store cities of Naphtali. 5 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
7 At that time (GH)Hanani (GI)the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, (GJ)“Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8 Were not (GK)the Ethiopians and (GL)the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet (GM)because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 (GN)For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those (GO)whose heart is blameless[ad] toward him. (GP)You have done foolishly in this, for from now on (GQ)you will have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him (GR)in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.
11 (GS)The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians. 13 And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier (GT)that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer's art, (GU)and they made a very great fire in his honor.
Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah
17 Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He placed forces in all the (GV)fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim (GW)that Asa his father had captured. 3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, (GX)and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah (GY)brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, (GZ)and he had great riches and honor. 6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, (HA)he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, (HB)to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 (HC)and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 And (HD)they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
10 (HE)And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines (HF)brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute, and the Arabians also brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats. 12 And Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, 13 and he had large supplies in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. 14 This was the muster of them by fathers' houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; 15 and next to him Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000; 16 and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, (HG)a volunteer for the service of the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. 17 Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men (HH)armed with bow and shield; 18 and next to him Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. 19 These were in the service of the king, besides (HI)those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab
18 Now Jehoshaphat (HJ)had great riches and honor, (HK)and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. 2 (HL)After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 8 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor (HM)at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” 11 And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph. The Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
12 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, (HN)“As the Lord lives, (HO)what my God says, that I will speak.” 14 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 16 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, (HP)as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 18 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: (HQ)I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ 21 And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be (HR)a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 22 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near (HS)and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” 24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 25 And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon (HT)the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, (HU)Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.’” 27 And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, (HV)“Hear, all you peoples!”
The Defeat and Death of Ahab
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31 As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; God drew them away from him. 32 For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 But a certain man drew his bow at random[ae] and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 34 And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset he died.
Jehoshaphat's Reforms
19 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. 2 But (HW)Jehu the son of (HX)Hanani (HY)the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you (HZ)help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, (IA)wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. 3 Nevertheless, (IB)some good is found in you, for (IC)you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have (ID)set your heart to seek God.”
4 Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to (IE)the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed (IF)judges in the land in all (IG)the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, (IH)for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for (II)there is no injustice with the Lord our God, (IJ)or partiality or taking bribes.”
8 Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat (IK)appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, (IL)to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. 9 And he charged them: (IM)“Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, (IN)and with your whole heart: 10 (IO)whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and (IP)wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. 11 And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you (IQ)in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. (IR)Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!”[af]
Jehoshaphat's Prayer
20 After this (IS)the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[ag] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[ah] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in (IT)Hazazon-tamar” (that is, (IU)Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face (IV)to seek the Lord, and (IW)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not (IX)God in heaven? You (IY)rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. (IZ)In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, (JA)drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of (JB)Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 (JC)‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,[ai] or pestilence, or famine, (JD)we will stand before this house and before you—(JE)for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of (JF)Ammon and Moab and (JG)Mount Seir, whom (JH)you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, (JI)and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us (JJ)by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not (JK)execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but (JL)our eyes are on you.”
13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And (JM)the Spirit of the Lord came[aj] upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, (JN)‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, (JO)for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of (JP)the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 (JQ)You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ (JR)Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, (JS)and the Lord will be with you.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat (JT)bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the (JU)Kohathites and the (JV)Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into (JW)the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! (JX)Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him (JY)in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
(JZ)“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set (KA)an ambush against the men of (KB)Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, (KC)they all helped to destroy one another.
The Lord Delivers Judah
24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there[ak] were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,[al] for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, (KD)for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 (KE)And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, (KF)for his God gave him rest all around.
31 (KG)Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33 (KH)The high places, however, were not taken away; (KI)the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of (KJ)Jehu the son of Hanani, (KK)which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
The End of Jehoshaphat's Reign
35 (KL)After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36 He joined him in building ships to go to (KM)Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, (KN)“Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.
Jehoram Reigns in Judah
21 (KO)Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of (KP)Israel.[am] 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and valuable possessions, together with (KQ)fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. 4 When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of (KR)Israel. 5 (KS)Jehoram was (KT)thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 (KU)And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for (KV)the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give (KW)a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
8 In his days Edom revolted from the (KX)rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. 9 Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all his chariots, and he rose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. 10 So Edom revolted from (KY)the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers.
11 Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem (KZ)into whoredom and made Judah go astray. 12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, (LA)‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or (LB)in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 (LC)but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (LD)into whoredom, (LE)as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you (LF)have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than you, 14 behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, 15 and you yourself will have a severe sickness (LG)with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.’”
16 (LH)And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger[an] of the Philistines and of (LI)the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king's house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except (LJ)Jehoahaz, his youngest son.
18 And after all this the Lord struck him (LK)in his bowels with an incurable disease. 19 In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, (LL)like the fires made for his fathers. 20 (LM)He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed (LN)with no one's regret. (LO)They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Ahaziah Reigns in Judah
22 (LP)And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men that came with (LQ)the Arabians to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. 2 Ahaziah was twenty-two[ao] years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, (LR)the granddaughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly. 4 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing. 5 He even followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram, 6 and he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was wounded.
7 But it was ordained by[ap] God that the downfall of Ahaziah should come about through his going to visit Joram. For when he came there, (LS)he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu the son of Nimshi, (LT)whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 (LU)And when Jehu was (LV)executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9 (LW)He searched for Ahaziah, and he was captured while hiding in Samaria, and he was brought to Jehu and put to death. (LX)They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, (LY)who sought the Lord with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom.
Athaliah Reigns in Judah
10 (LZ)Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath,[aq] the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him[ar] from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death. 12 And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Joash Made King
23 (MA)But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2 And they went about through (MB)Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada[as] said to them, “Behold, the king's son! Let him reign, (MC)as the Lord spoke concerning the sons of David. 4 This is the thing that you shall do: (MD)of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers, 5 and one third shall be at the king's house and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 Let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests (ME)and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord. 7 The Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever enters the house shall be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
8 The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss (MF)the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God. 10 And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. 11 Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him (MG)the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, (MH)“Long live the king.”
Athaliah Executed
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 13 And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord.” 15 So they laid hands on her,[at] and she went into the entrance of (MI)the horse gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.