Bible in 90 Days
The Lord Appears to Solomon(A)
11 Solomon finished the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and his royal ·palace [L house]. He had success in ·doing [completing; accomplishing] everything he planned in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and his own ·palace [L house]. 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 to be a ·Temple [L house] ·for [of] sacrifices.
13 “·I may [L If I…] ·stop the sky [shut the heavens] from sending rain. ·I may [L …or if I…] command the locusts to ·destroy [devour] the land. ·I may [L …or if I…] send ·sicknesses [plague; pestilence] to my people. 14 Then if my people, who ·are called by my name [belong to me], will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek ·me [L my face] and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will ·heal [restore] their land. 15 Now ·I will see them, and I will listen [my eyes will be open and my ears attentive; 6:40] to the prayers prayed in this place. 16 I have chosen this ·Temple [L house] and ·made it holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified it]. So ·I will be worshiped [L my name will be] there forever. Yes, ·I will always watch over it and love it [L my eyes and my heart will be there forever].
17 “But you must ·serve [L walk before] me as your father David did. You must ·obey [do] all I have commanded and keep my laws and rules. 18 If you do, I will ·make your kingdom strong [secure/establish your throne/dynasty]. This is the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I made with your father David, saying, ‘·Someone from your family will always [You will not fail to have a successor to] rule in Israel [17:10–14; 2 Sam. 7:11–16].’
19 “But ·you must follow me and obey the [if any of you turn away from me and abandon/forsake my…] laws and commands I have given you, and you must not serve or worship other gods. 20 If you do, I will ·take the Israelites out of [L uproot you from] my land, the land I have given ·you [L them], and I will ·leave [reject; disown; abandon] this ·Temple [L house] that I have ·made holy [L consecrated/purified/sanctified for my name]. All the nations will ·make fun of [mock] it and ·speak evil about [ridicule] it. 21 This ·Temple [L house] is ·honored [exalted] now, but then, everyone who passes by will be ·shocked [appalled]. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do this terrible thing to this land and this ·Temple [L house]?’ 22 People will answer, ‘This happened because they ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], the God who brought them out of Egypt. They ·decided to follow [embraced; adopted] other gods and worshiped and served them, so he brought all this ·disaster [calamity] on them.’”
Solomon’s Other Achievements(B)
8 By the end of twenty years, Solomon had built the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the royal ·palace [L house]. 2 Solomon then rebuilt the towns that ·Hiram [or Huram; 2:3] had given him, and Solomon sent Israelites to live in them. 3 Then he went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4 Solomon also built the town of Tadmor in the ·desert [wilderness], and he built all the towns in Hamath as ·towns for storing grain and supplies [supply centers; storage cities]. 5 He rebuilt the towns of Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, ·protecting [fortifying] them with strong walls, gates, and bars in the gates. 6 He also rebuilt the town of Baalath. And he built all the other ·towns for storage [supply centers; storage cities] and all the cities for his chariots and horses. He built all he ·wanted [desired] in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and ·everywhere he ruled [throughout his kingdom/realm].
7 ·There were other people [Others survived] in the land who were not Israelites—the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 8 They were descendants of the ·people [nations] that the Israelites had not destroyed. Solomon ·forced [conscripted] them to be ·slave workers [forced labor], as is still true today. 9 But Solomon did not ·make slaves of [impose forced labor on] the Israelites. They were his soldiers, ·chief captains [officers], commanders of his chariots, and his ·chariot drivers [or cavalry]. 10 These were his most important officers. There were two hundred fifty of them to ·direct [supervise; be in charge of] the people.
11 Solomon brought the daughter of the king of Egypt from the ·older part of Jerusalem [L City of David] to the ·palace [L house] he had built for her. Solomon said, “My wife must not live in King David’s ·palace [house], because the places where the Ark of the ·Agreement [L Lord] has ·been [entered] are ·holy [consecrated; purified; sanctified].”
12 Then Solomon ·offered [sacrificed] burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord on the altar he had built for the Lord in front of the ·Temple [L house] ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room]. 13 He ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices ·every day [according to the daily requirements/rule] as Moses had commanded. They were ·offered [sacrificed] on the Sabbath days, New Moons, and the three yearly feasts—the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread, the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks, and the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Tabernacles; Booths]. 14 Solomon followed his father David’s instructions and ·chose [appointed] the ·groups [divisions; orders] of priests for their service and the Levites ·to lead the [for their duties/offices of] praise and to help the priests do their daily work. And he ·chose [appointed] the gatekeepers by their ·groups [divisions] to serve at each gate, as David, the man of God, had commanded. 15 They ·obeyed all of [L did not deviate from] Solomon’s commands to the priests and Levites, as well as his commands about the ·treasuries [storehouses].
16 All Solomon’s work was done as he had ·said [ordered] from the day the foundation of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord was begun, until it was finished. So the ·Temple [L house] was ·finished [completed].
17 Then Solomon went to the towns of Ezion Geber and Elath near the ·Red Sea [L coast] in the land of Edom. 18 ·Hiram [or Huram; 2:3] sent ships to Solomon that were commanded by his own men, who ·were skilled sailors [L knew the sea]. ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s] men went with Solomon’s men to Ophir and brought back ·about thirty-four thousand pounds [L 450 talents] of gold to King Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba Visits(C)
9 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to ·test [challenge] him with ·hard questions [difficult riddles]. She ·had a large group of servants with her [L came with very great strength; C possibly referring to her large retinue or great wealth] and camels carrying spices, ·jewels [precious stones], and much gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had ·in mind [L on her heart/mind], 2 and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was ·too hard for him to [hidden from him that he could not] explain to her. 3 The queen of Sheba ·saw [realized; observed] that Solomon was very wise. She saw the ·palace [L house] he had built, 4 the food on his table, ·his many officers [the organization/attendance of his officials], the palace servants and their ·good [fine; splendid] clothes, the ·servants who served Solomon his wine [cupbearers] and their ·good [fine; splendid] clothes. She saw the whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] he made in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. All these things ·amazed her [overwhelmed her; took her breath away].
5 So she said to King Solomon, “What I heard in my own country about your ·achievements [wise sayings; L words] and wisdom is true. 6 I did not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of your great wisdom! You ·are much greater than [surpass/exceed what] I had heard. 7 Your people and officials are very ·lucky [happy; fortunate; blessed], because in ·always serving [continually standing before] you, they are able to hear your wisdom. 8 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord your God who ·was pleased to make you king [delights in you]. He has put you on his throne to ·rule [reign] for the Lord your God, because your God loves the people of Israel and ·supports [upholds; secures; establishes] them forever. He has made you king over them to ·keep justice and to rule fairly [rule/act with justice and righteousness].”
9 Then she gave the king ·about nine thousand pounds [L 120 talents] of gold and many spices and ·jewels [precious stones]. No one had ever given such spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s; 2:3] men and Solomon’s men brought gold from Ophir [C perhaps a region in southern Arabia], ·juniper wood [sandalwood; algum], and ·jewels [precious stones]. 11 King Solomon used the ·juniper wood [sandalwood; algum] to build steps for the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the ·palace [L house] and to make lyres and harps for the ·musicians [singers]. No one in Judah had ever seen ·such beautiful things as these [anything like them].
12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she ·wanted [desired] and asked for, even more than she had brought to him. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.
Solomon’s Wealth(D)
13 Every year King Solomon received ·about fifty thousand pounds [L 666 talents] of gold. 14 Besides that, he also received gold from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, each of which contained ·about seven and one-half pounds [L six hundred shekels] of hammered gold. 16 He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, each of which contained ·about four pounds [L three hundred shekels] of gold. The king put them in the ·Palace [L house] of the Forest of Lebanon [1 Kin. 7:2; 10:17, 21].
17 The king built a large throne of ivory and ·covered [overlaid] it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps on it and an attached gold footstool. There were armrests on both sides of the ·chair [seat], and each armrest had a lion beside it. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20 All of Solomon’s drinking cups, as well as the ·dishes [vessels; utensils] in the ·Palace [L house] of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. In Solomon’s time ·people did not think silver was valuable [silver was considered worthless].
21 King Solomon had many ships that ·he sent out to trade [L went to Tarshish; C in present-day Spain, hence a large, seagoing trading ship], with ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s; 2:3] men as the crews. Every three years the ships returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and ·baboons [or peacocks].
22 King Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth. 23 All the kings of the earth ·wanted to see [sought audience with; came to consult] Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had given him. 24 Year after year everyone who came brought gifts of silver and gold, ·clothes [robes], weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and he had twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; cavalry]. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. 26 Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over all the ·kingdoms [L kings] from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt [1 Kin. 4:20–21]. 27 In Jerusalem the king made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as plentiful as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees ·on the western hills [L in the Shephelah]. 28 Solomon imported horses from Egypt and all other countries.
Solomon’s Death(E)
29 ·Everything else Solomon did [The rest of the events/acts/history of Solomon’s reign], from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], ·is [are they not…?] written in the ·records [history; annals] of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the ·seer [prophet], who wrote about Jeroboam, Nebat’s son [C some consider these titles of writings]. 30 Solomon ·ruled [reigned] in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 31 Then Solomon ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the city of David [C Jerusalem], his father. And Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king in his place.
Israel Turns Against Rehoboam(F)
10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the Israelites had gone to make him king. 2 Jeroboam son of Nebat was in Egypt, where he had ·gone to escape [fled] from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam being made king, he returned from Egypt. 3 After the people ·sent for [summoned; L sent and called for] him, he and the people went to Rehoboam and said to him, 4 “Your father ·forced us to work very hard [L made our yoke heavy]. Now, ·make it easier for us, and don’t make us work as he did [L lighten the hard labor and heavy yoke of your father]. Then we will serve you.”
5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people left.
6 King Rehoboam ·asked [consulted] the elders who had advised Solomon during his lifetime, “How do you ·think I should [advise/counsel me to] answer these people?”
7 They answered, “·Be kind [L If you are fair] to these people. If you please them and give them a ·kind [cordial] answer, they will serve you always.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected ·this advice [L the advice/counsel of the elders]. Instead, he ·asked [consulted] the young men who had grown up with him and who ·served as his advisers [served/attended him]. 9 Rehoboam asked them, “What is your ·advice [counsel]? How should we answer these people who said to me, ‘·Don’t make us work as hard as your father did’ [L Lighten the yoke your father put on us]?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him answered, “The people said to you, ‘Your father ·forced us to work very hard [L made our yoke heavy]. Now make our work ·easier [lighter].’ You should tell them, ‘My little ·finger [L one] is ·bigger than my father’s legs [L thicker than my father’s loins/waist]. 11 ·He forced you to work hard [L My father laid a heavy yoke on you], but I will ·make you work even harder [L add to your yoke]. My father ·beat [scourged; disciplined] you with whips, but I will ·beat [scourge; discipline] you with ·whips that have sharp points [L scorpions; C either a metaphor or an especially painful kind of whip].’”
12 Rehoboam had told the people, “Come back to me in three days.” So after three days Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam. 13 King Rehoboam spoke ·cruel words [harshly] to them, because he had rejected the ·advice [counsel] of the elders. 14 He followed the ·advice [counsel] of the young men and said, “My father ·forced you to work hard [L laid a heavy yoke on you], but I will ·make you work even harder [L add to your yoke]. My father beat you with whips, but I will ·beat [scourge; discipline] you with ·whips that have sharp points [L scorpions; v. 11].”
15 So the king ·did not [refused to] listen to the people. God caused this ·to happen [turn of events] so that the Lord could ·keep the promise he had made [fulfill/establish the word he spoke] to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh.
16 When all the Israelites saw that the king refused to listen to them, they said to the king,
“·We have no share [L What share/part/T portion have we…?] in David [C in David’s dynasty]!
We have no ·part [inheritance; interest; heritage] in the son of Jesse!
People of Israel, ·let’s go to our own homes [L each one to your tents]!
Let David’s son ·rule his own people [L look after your own house; C that is, the tribe of Judah].”
So all the Israelites ·went home [L left for their tents]. 17 But Rehoboam ·still ruled [continued to reign] over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18 ·Adoniram [or Hadoram] was in charge of the ·forced labor [labor force]. When Rehoboam sent him to the people, they ·threw stones at him until he died [stoned him to death]. But King Rehoboam ·ran to his [hurriedly jumped into his] chariot and ·escaped [fled] to Jerusalem. 19 Since then, Israel has been in rebellion against the ·family [dynasty; L house] of David.
11 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he ·gathered [summoned; mobilized; mustered] one hundred eighty thousand ·of the best [skilled; select] ·soldiers [warriors] from Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight Israel to ·take back [restore] his kingdom. 2 But the Lord spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the Israelites living in Judah and Benjamin. Say to them, 4 ‘The Lord says you must not ·go to war against your brothers [fight against your relatives/kinsmen]. Every one of you should go home, because ·I made all these things happen [L this thing is from me].’” So they ·obeyed [listened to; heeded] the Lord’s ·command [words] and turned back and did not attack Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Makes Judah Strong
5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built ·strong [fortified] cities in Judah for defense. 6 He built up the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were ·strong, walled [fortified] cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 When Rehoboam ·made those cities strong [strengthened the fortresses/their defenses], he put ·commanders [officers] and ·supplies [stores] of food, oil, and wine in them. 12 Also, Rehoboam put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. Rehoboam kept the people of Judah and Benjamin under his control.
13 The priests and the Levites from all over Israel ·joined [stood/sided with] Rehoboam. 14 The Levites even ·left [abandoned] their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons ·refused to let them serve [rejected/excluded them from serving] as priests to the Lord. 15 Jeroboam ·chose [appointed] his own priests for the ·places of worship [L high places; C worship sites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] and for the ·goat [goat-demon; satyr] and calf idols he had made. 16 There were people from all the tribes of Israel who ·wanted to obey [L set their hearts to seek] the Lord, the God of Israel. So they went to Jerusalem with the Levites to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. 17 These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and they supported Solomon’s son Rehoboam for three years. During this time they ·lived [L walked in] the way ·David and Solomon had lived [of David and Solomon].
Rehoboam’s Family
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth and Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son, and Abihail was the daughter of Eliab, Jesse’s son. 19 Mahalath ·gave [T bore] Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 Then Rehoboam married Absalom’s daughter Maacah, and she ·gave [T bore] Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah more than his other wives and ·slave women [concubines; C secondary wives]. Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty ·slave women [concubines] and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam ·chose [appointed] Abijah son of Maacah to be ·the leader [head; C crown prince] of his own brothers, because he planned to make Abijah king [C his successor]. 23 Rehoboam acted wisely. He spread his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin [C both giving them responsibilities and dispersing/diluting their power], sending them to every ·strong, walled [fortified] city. He gave plenty of supplies to his sons, and he also ·found wives [sought/acquired many wives] for them.
Shishak Attacks Jerusalem(G)
12 After Rehoboam’s kingdom was ·set up [secure; consolidated; established] and he became strong, he and the people of Judah ·stopped obeying [abandoned; forsook] the ·teachings [instructions; laws] of the Lord. 2 During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, because Rehoboam and the people were unfaithful to the Lord. 3 Shishak had twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand ·horsemen [or horses]. He brought troops of ·Libyans [Lubim], Sukkites, and Cushites [C Ethiopians] from Egypt with him, so many they couldn’t be counted. 4 Shishak captured the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of Judah and ·came as far as [advanced on/to] Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the ·leaders [officers; officials] of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because they were afraid of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me, so now I will ·leave you to face Shishak alone [abandon/forsake you to Shishak].’”
6 Then the ·leaders [officers; officials] of ·Judah [L Israel; C sometimes the name Israel refers specifically to Judah] and King Rehoboam ·were sorry for what they had done [humbled themselves]. They said, “The Lord ·does what is right [is just/fair/righteous].”
7 When the Lord saw they ·were sorry for what they had done [humbled themselves], the Lord spoke his word to Shemaiah, saying, “·The king and the leaders are sorry [They have humbled themselves]. So I will not destroy them but will ·save [rescue; T deliver] them soon. I will not use Shishak to ·punish Jerusalem in [pour out on Jerusalem] my anger. 8 But the people of Jerusalem will become Shishak’s ·servants [subjects; slaves] so they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the ·kings [kingdoms] of other nations.”
9 Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took the treasures from the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the king’s ·palace [L house]. He took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their place and ·gave [entrusted] them to the ·commanders [officers] of the guards for the ·palace gates [doors of the king’s house]. 11 Whenever the king went to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the guards went with him, carrying the shields. Later, they would put them back in the guardroom.
12 When Rehoboam ·was sorry for what he had done [humbled himself], the Lord held his anger back and did not ·fully [completely] destroy Rehoboam. ·There was some [or Conditions/Things were] good in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam ·made himself a strong king [strengthened/established himself] in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] in Jerusalem for seventeen years. Jerusalem is the city that the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel in which ·he was to be worshiped [L to put his name]. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah from the country of Ammon. 14 Rehoboam did evil because he did not ·want to obey [L set/commit his heart to seek] the Lord.
15 The ·things Rehoboam did as king [events/acts/history of Rehoboam], from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·records [annals] of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the ·seer [prophet], in the ·family histories [genealogical records]. There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 Rehoboam ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], and his son Abijah became king in his place.
Abijah King of Judah(H)
13 Abijah became the king of Judah during the eighteenth year Jeroboam was king of Israel. 2 Abijah ·ruled [reigned] in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Uriel from the town of Gibeah.
And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah led an army of four hundred thousand ·capable [skilled; valiant] soldiers into battle, and Jeroboam prepared to fight him with eight hundred thousand ·capable [skilled; valiant] soldiers.
4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the mountains of Ephraim and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! 5 ·You should know [L Do you not know/realize…?] that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to ·rule [reign over] Israel forever by an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] of salt [Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19]. 6 But Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of the ·officers [officials] of Solomon, David’s son, ·turned [rebelled] against his master. 7 Then ·worthless [L empty], ·evil men [scoundrels] joined Jeroboam against Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. He was young and ·didn’t know what to do [inexperienced; indecisive], so he could not ·stop [resist; stand up to] them.
8 “Now you ·people are making plans against [propose to resist/stand against] the Lord’s kingdom, which belongs to David’s sons. ·There are many of you [You are a vast army], and you have the gold calves Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 ·You have [Have you not…?] thrown out the Levites and the Lord’s priests, Aaron’s sons. You have ·chosen [appointed] your own priests [C rather than God appointing them] as people in other ·countries [lands; nations] do. Anyone who comes with a young bull and seven ·male sheep [rams] can become a priest of idols that are not gods [C that is, they buy or bribe their way into the priesthood].
10 “But as for us, the Lord is our God; we have not ·left [abandoned; forsaken] him. The priests who serve the Lord are Aaron’s ·sons [descendants], and the Levites ·help [assist; attend] them. 11 They ·offered [sacrificed] burnt offerings and ·sweet-smelling [fragrant] incense to the Lord every morning and evening. They put the ·bread [T showbread] on the ·special [holy; ritually clean] table [C in the Temple]. And they light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We obey the command of the Lord our God, but you have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] him. 12 God himself is with us as our ·ruler [head]. His priests blow the trumpet to ·call us to war [sound the alarm] against you. Men of Israel, don’t fight against the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers], because you won’t succeed.”
13 But Jeroboam had sent some troops to ·sneak behind Judah’s army [ambush from behind]. So while Jeroboam was ·in front of [confronting] Judah’s army, ·Jeroboam’s soldiers [the ambushers] were behind them. 14 When the soldiers of Judah turned around, they saw Jeroboam’s army attacking both in front and back. So they cried out to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah ·gave [shouted out] a battle cry. When they shouted, God ·caused Jeroboam and the army of Israel to run away from [routed/defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before] Abijah and the army of Judah. 16 When the army of Israel ·ran away from the men of [fled before] Judah, God handed them over to Judah. 17 Abijah’s army ·struck [inflicted a great slaughter on] Israel so that five hundred thousand of Israel’s ·best [select] men were killed. 18 So at that time the people of Israel were ·defeated [subdued]. And the people of Judah ·won [conquered; prevailed], because they ·depended on [trusted] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers].
19 Abijah’s army chased Jeroboam’s army and captured from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the small villages near them. 20 Jeroboam never ·became strong [regained his power] again while Abijah was alive. The Lord struck Jeroboam, and he died.
21 But Abijah ·became strong [grew more powerful]. He married fourteen women and was the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 ·Everything else Abijah did [The rest of the events/acts/history of Abijah]—what he said and what he did—is recorded in the ·writings [commentary; treatise] of the prophet Iddo.
14 Abijah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. His son Asa became king in his place, and there was ·peace in the country [rest in the land] for ten years during Asa’s time.
Asa King of Judah(I)
2 Asa did what the Lord his God ·said was good and right [desired and approved]. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15]. He smashed the ·stone pillars that honored other gods [L pillars], and he ·tore [cut] down the Asherah [C a Canaanite fertility goddess] ·idols [poles; Deut. 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; Judg. 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kin. 18:4]. 4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to ·follow [seek] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], and to obey his ·teachings [instructions; laws] and commandments. 5 He also removed the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15] and the incense altars from every town in Judah. So the kingdom ·had peace [was undisturbed] while Asa was king. 6 Asa built ·strong, walled [fortified] cities in Judah ·during the time of peace [while the land was undisturbed]. He had no war in these years, because the Lord gave him ·peace [rest].
7 Asa said to the people of Judah, “Let’s ·build up [fortify] these towns and put walls around them. Let’s make towers, gates, and bars in the gates. This country is still ours, because we have ·obeyed [sought] the Lord our God. We have ·followed [sought] him, and he has given us ·peace all around [rest on every side].” So they built and ·had success [prospered].
8 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah and two hundred eighty thousand men from Benjamin. The men from Judah carried large shields and spears. The men from Benjamin carried small shields and bows. All of them were ·brave fighting men [valiant/skilled warriors].
9 Then Zerah from ·Cush [Ethiopia] came out to fight them with an ·enormous army [army of one million men; L a thousand thousands] and three hundred chariots. They ·came as far as [advanced to] the town of Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out to fight Zerah and ·prepared for battle [took battle positions] in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 Asa called out to the Lord his God, saying, “Lord, only you can help ·weak people [the powerless] against the ·strong [mighty; many]. Help us, Lord our God, because we ·depend on [trust in; rely on] you. We fight against this ·enormous army [multitude] in your name. Lord, you are our God. Don’t let ·anyone [man; mortals] ·win [prevail] against you.”
12 So the Lord ·defeated [routed; struck down] the ·Cushites [Ethiopians] ·when Asa’s army from Judah attacked them [before Asa and Judah], and the Cushites ·ran away [fled]. 13 Asa’s army chased them as far as the town of Gerar. So many ·Cushites [Ethiopians] were killed that ·the army could not fight again [they could not recover]; they were ·crushed [shattered; destroyed] by the Lord and his army. Asa and his army carried ·many valuable things away from the enemy [off a great amount of plunder]. 14 They destroyed all the towns ·near [around] Gerar, because the ·people living in these towns were afraid of the Lord [L terror/dread of the Lord came upon them]. Since these towns had ·many valuable things [a lot of loot/plunder], Asa’s army ·took them away [looted/plundered/despoiled them]. 15 Asa’s army also attacked the ·camps where the shepherds lived [herdsmen] and took many ·sheep [L flocks] and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
Asa’s Changes
15 The Spirit of God ·entered [came upon] Azariah son of Oded. 2 Azariah went to meet Asa and said, “Listen to me, Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord ·is [will be] with you when you are with him. If you ·obey [seek] him, you will find him, but if you ·leave [abandon; forsake] him, he will ·leave [abandon; forsake] you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God and without a priest to ·teach [instruct] them and without the ·teachings [instructions; laws]. 4 But ·when they were in trouble [in their distress], they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. They ·looked for [sought] him and found him. 5 In those days no one could travel safely. There was ·much trouble [turmoil; total chaos] in ·all the nations [every land]. 6 One nation would ·destroy [crush] another nation, and one city would ·destroy [crush] another city, because God ·troubled [confused] them with all kinds of distress. 7 But you should be strong. Don’t ·give up [be discouraged], because you will be rewarded for your good work.”
8 Asa ·felt brave [was encouraged] when he heard these words and the ·message [prophecy] from Azariah son of Oded the prophet. So he removed the ·hateful [detestable; abominable] idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He ·repaired [restored] the Lord’s altar that was in front of the ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.
9 Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many people ·came [defected; deserted] to Asa even from Israel, ·because [when] they saw that the Lord, Asa’s God, was with him.
10 Asa and these people ·gathered [assembled] in Jerusalem in the third month [C late spring] of the fifteenth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign]. 11 ·At that time [L On that day] they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred ·bulls [oxen] and seven thousand sheep and goats from the ·valuable things Asa’s army had taken from their enemies [plunder/spoil they had brought back]. 12 Then they made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] to ·obey [seek] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], with their whole ·being [L heart and soul]. 13 Anyone who refused to ·obey [seek] the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be ·killed [executed; put to death]. It did not matter if that person was ·important [great] or ·unimportant [small], a man or woman. 14 Then Asa and the people ·made a promise before [swore allegiance/an oath/a vow to] the Lord, shouting with a loud voice and blowing trumpets and sheep’s horns. 15 All the people of Judah ·were happy about [rejoiced over] the ·promise [vow; oath], because they had ·promised [vowed; sworn] with all their heart. They ·looked for [earnestly sought] God and found him. So the Lord gave them ·peace [rest] ·in all the country [on every side].
The Removal of Maacah(J)
16 King Asa also removed Maacah, his ·grandmother [L mother], from being queen mother, because she had made a ·terrible [obscene; repulsive; loathsome; abominable] Asherah ·idol [pole; 14:3]. Asa cut down that idol, ·smashed it into pieces, [and crushed] and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17 But the ·places of worship to gods [L high places; 11:15] were not removed from ·Judah [L Israel; 12:6]. Even so, Asa was ·faithful [wholeheartedly loyal/devoted] all his life.
18 Asa brought into the ·Temple [L house] of God the ·gifts [dedicated/holy things] he and his father had given: silver, gold, and ·utensils [articles].
19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign].
Asa’s Last Years(K)
16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign], Baasha king of Israel ·attacked [invaded] Judah. He ·made the town of Ramah strong [fortified Ramah] so he could keep people from leaving or entering Judah, Asa’s ·country [territory].
2 Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and out of his own ·palace [L house]. Then he sent it with ·messengers [this message] to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus. Asa said, 3 “Let there be a ·treaty [alliance] between you and me as there was between my father and your father. I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will ·leave [withdraw from] my land.”
4 Ben-Hadad ·agreed with [L listened to] King Asa and sent the ·commanders [officers] of his armies ·to attack [against] the towns of Israel. They ·defeated the towns of [conquered] Ijon, Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, and all the ·towns in Naphtali where treasures were stored [storage/supply cities of Naphtali]. 5 When Baasha heard about this, he stopped ·building up [fortifying] Ramah and ·left [abandoned; ceased] his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all the people of Judah to Ramah, and they carried away the ·rocks [stones] and ·wood [timber] that Baasha had used. And they used them to ·build up [fortify] Geba and Mizpah.
7 At that time Hanani the ·seer [prophet] came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “You ·depended on [trusted; relied on] the king of Aram to help you and not on the Lord your God. So the king of Aram’s army escaped from you. 8 ·The Cushites and Libyans had [L Did not the Ethiopians and Lubim have…?] a large and powerful army and many chariots and horsemen. But you ·depended on [trusted; relied on] the Lord to help you, so he handed them over to you. 9 ·The Lord searches [L The eyes of the Lord search] ·all [throughout] the earth for people ·who have given themselves completely to him [whose hearts are completely his/committed to him]. He wants to strengthen them. Asa, you did a foolish thing, so from now on you will have wars.”
10 Asa was angry with Hanani the ·seer [prophet] because of what he had said; he was so ·angry [enraged] that he put Hanani in prison. And Asa ·was cruel to [oppressed] some of the people at the same time.
11 ·Everything Asa did as king [The events/acts/history of Asa’s reign], from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], is written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his ·rule [reign], Asa got a disease in his feet. Though his disease was very bad, he did not ·ask for help from [seek] the Lord, but only ·from the doctors [the physicians]. 13 Then Asa was buried [L lay down; T rested] with his ·ancestors [fathers], having died in the forty-first year of his ·rule [reign]. 14 The people buried Asa in the tomb he had ·made [L carved out] for himself in Jerusalem. They laid him on a ·bed filled [bier covered] with spices and ·different kinds of [assorted] mixed perfumes, and they made a large funeral fire to honor him.
Jehoshaphat King of Judah
17 Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became king of Judah in his place. Jehoshaphat ·made Judah strong so they could fight [strengthened himself] against Israel. 2 He put ·troops [garrisons] in all the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of Judah, in the land of Judah, and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he ·lived as his ancestor David had lived when he first became king [followed the earlier example/ways of his ancestor/father David]. Jehoshaphat did not ·ask for help from [seek; consult] the Baal idols, 4 but ·from [sought; consulted] the God of his father. He ·obeyed [L walked in] God’s commands and did not ·live as the people of Israel lived [behave like Israel]. 5 The Lord ·made Jehoshaphat a strong king over Judah [secured/established the kingdom under his control/L hand]. All the people of Judah brought ·gifts [tribute] to Jehoshaphat, so he had much wealth and ·honor [esteem]. 6 ·He wanted very much to obey [L His heart was devoted/committed to the ways of] the Lord. He also removed the ·places for worshiping gods [L high places; 11:15] and the Asherah ·idols [poles; 14:3] from Judah.
7 During the third year of his ·rule [reign], Jehoshaphat sent his ·officers [officials] to teach in the towns of Judah. These ·officers [officials] were Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. 8 Jehoshaphat sent with them these Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah. He also sent the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 ·These leaders, Levites, and priests [L They] taught the people in Judah. They took the ·Book [scroll] of the ·Teachings [instructions; laws] of the Lord and went through all the towns of Judah and taught the people.
10 The ·nations near Judah were afraid of the Lord [L fear/dread of the Lord was on/seized the surrounding kingdoms], so they did not start a war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines brought ·gifts [tribute] and silver to Jehoshaphat. Some Arabs brought him flocks: seventy-seven hundred sheep and seventy-seven hundred goats.
12 Jehoshaphat grew more and more powerful. He built ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] and ·towns for storing supplies [storage cities] in Judah. 13 He kept many supplies in the towns of Judah, and he kept ·trained soldiers [skilled warriors] in Jerusalem. 14 These soldiers were ·listed [enrolled; divided] by ·families [clans]. From the ·families [clans] of Judah, these were the ·commanders [officers] of groups of a thousand men: Adnah was the commander of three hundred thousand skilled soldiers; 15 Jehohanan was the commander of two hundred eighty thousand skilled soldiers; 16 Amasiah was the commander of two hundred thousand skilled soldiers. Amasiah son of Zicri had volunteered to serve the Lord.
17 These were the ·commanders [officers] from the ·families [clans] of Benjamin: Eliada, a brave soldier, had two hundred thousand soldiers ·who used [armed/equipped with] bows and shields. 18 And Jehozabad had one hundred eighty thousand men ·armed [equipped] for war.
19 All these soldiers served King Jehoshaphat. The king also put other men in the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities through all of Judah.
Micaiah Warns King Ahab(L)
18 Jehoshaphat had much wealth and ·honor [esteem], and he made an ·agreement [alliance] with King Ahab through marriage [C his son married Athaliah, Ahab’s daughter; 21:6]. 2 A few years later Jehoshaphat went to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab ·sacrificed [slaughtered] many sheep and ·cattle [oxen] ·as a great feast to honor Jehoshaphat [L for him] and the ·people [officials] with him. He ·encouraged [enticed; persuaded; induced] Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth in Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth in Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat answered, “I ·will go [L am one] with you, and my ·soldiers [people] are ·yours [your people]. We will join you in the battle.” 4 Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, “But first we should ·ask if this is the Lord’s will [L seek/inquire about the word/counsel of the Lord].”
5 So ·King Ahab [L the king of Israel] ·called [assembled; summoned] four hundred prophets together and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or ·not [hold back]?”
They answered, “Go, because God will hand them over to you.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there still a prophet of the Lord here? Let’s ·ask [inquire of] him.”
7 Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one other prophet. We could ·ask [inquire of] the Lord through him, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me, but always ·something bad [evil; disaster]. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Jehoshaphat said, “King Ahab, you shouldn’t say ·that [such things]!”
8 So Ahab king of Israel told one of his ·officers [officials] to bring Micaiah to him at once.
9 Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah ·had on [were arrayed/dressed in] their royal robes and were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor, near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were ·standing before them speaking their messages [prophesying before them]. 10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made some iron horns. He said to Ahab, “·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord]: ‘You will use these horns to ·fight [gore] the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the other prophets ·said [prophesied] the same thing, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead and ·win [triumph; be victorious], because the Lord will hand the Arameans over to you.”
12 The messenger who had gone to ·get [summon] Micaiah said to him, “All the other prophets are ·saying King Ahab will win [speaking favorably with one voice for the king]. ·You should agree with them and give the king a good answer [L Let your word be like theirs and speak favorably].”
13 But Micaiah answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, I ·can tell him [will speak] only what my God says.”
14 When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or ·not [hold back]?”
Micaiah answered, “Attack and win! They will be handed over to you [C He was keeping his vow to speak what God said because this lie was what God wanted him to say to Ahab].”
15 But Ahab said to Micaiah, “How many times ·do I have to tell you [must I make you swear] to speak only the truth to me in the name of the Lord?” [C Micaiah’s tone was likely sarcastic.]
16 So Micaiah answered, “I saw ·the army of [L all] Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘They have no ·leaders [master; C implying that their king had been killed]. They should go home ·and not fight [L in peace].’”
17 Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “·I told [L Didn’t I tell…?] you! He never prophesies anything good about me, but only ·bad [evil; disaster].”
18 But Micaiah said, “Hear the ·message from [L word of] the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with ·his heavenly army standing [L all the host of heaven] on his right and on his left. 19 The Lord said, ‘Who will ·trick [entice; deceive] King Ahab of Israel into attacking Ramoth in Gilead where he will ·be killed [L fall]?’
“Some ·said [suggested] one thing; some ·said [suggested] another. 20 Then one spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will ·trick [entice; deceive] him.’
“The Lord asked, ‘How will you do it?’
21 “The spirit answered, ‘I will go ·to Ahab’s prophets and make them tell lies [L and be a lying/deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets].’
“So the Lord said, ‘You will succeed in ·tricking [enticing; deceiving] him. Go and do it.’”
22 Micaiah said, “Ahab, the Lord has ·made your prophets lie to you [L put a lying/deceiving spirit in the mouths of your prophets], and the Lord has ·decided that disaster should come to you [pronounced your doom].”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah and slapped him ·in the face [L on the cheek]. Zedekiah said, “·Has [How is it that] the Lord’s Spirit left me to speak through you?”
24 Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an ·inside [secret] room [C when the predicted disaster would strike].”
25 Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and ·send [return] him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son. 26 Tell them I said to put this man in prison and give him only bread and water until I return ·safely [L in peace] from the battle.”
27 Micaiah said, “Ahab, if you come back safely from the battle, the Lord has not spoken through me. ·Remember my words [L Listen], all you people!”
Ahab Is Killed
28 So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah ·went to [attacked] Ramoth in Gilead. 29 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will go into battle, but I will ·wear other clothes so no one will recognize me [disguise myself]. But you wear your royal ·clothes [robes].” So Ahab ·wore other clothes [disguised himself], and they went into battle.
30 The king of Aram ordered his chariot ·commanders [officers], “Don’t fight with anyone—·important [great] or ·unimportant [small]—·except [but only with] the king of Israel.” 31 When these ·commanders [officers] saw Jehoshaphat, they ·thought he was [said, “There is…”] the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat ·began shouting [cried/called out; C either for help or with his war cry], and the Lord ·helped [saved] him. God ·turned [drew; lured; diverted] the chariot ·commanders [officers] away from Jehoshaphat. 32 When they saw he was not King Ahab of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
33 ·By chance [Randomly; L In innocence], a soldier shot an arrow which hit Ahab king of Israel between the ·pieces [joints; plates] of his armor. King Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and get me out of the battle, because I am ·hurt [badly wounded]!” 34 The battle ·continued [raged] all day. King Ahab ·held [propped] himself up in his chariot and faced the Arameans until evening. Then he died at sunset.
19 Jehoshaphat king of Judah came back safely to his ·palace [L house] in Jerusalem. 2 Jehu son of Hanani, a ·seer [prophet], went out to meet him and said to the king, “·Why did [Should] you help evil people? ·Why do [Should] you love those who hate the Lord [C a reference to his ill-advised alliance with Ahab]? That is the reason the ·Lord is angry with [wrath of the Lord is on] you. 3 But there is some good in you. You took the Asherah ·idols [poles; 14:3] out of this ·country [land], and you have ·tried to obey [L your heart set on seeking] God.”
Jehoshaphat Chooses Judges
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out again ·to be with [among] the people, from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and he ·turned [brought] them back to the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. 5 Jehoshaphat appointed judges in all the land, in each of the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of Judah. 6 Jehoshaphat said to them, “·Watch [Consider; Think carefully about] what you do, because you are not judging ·for [for the sake of] people but for the Lord. He will be with you when you ·make a decision [give a verdict; pronounce judgment]. 7 Now let each of you ·fear [respect] the Lord [Prov. 1:7] ·Watch what you do [Judge/Decide carefully/with integrity], because the Lord our God ·wants people to be fair [does not tolerate injustice/unrighteousness…]. ·He wants all people to be treated the same […or partiality], ·and he doesn’t want decisions influenced by money […or taking of bribes].”
8 And in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests, and ·leaders [heads] of Israelite ·families [clans] to be judges. They were to ·decide [judge] cases about the law of the Lord and settle ·problems [disputes] between the people who lived in Jerusalem. 9 Jehoshaphat ·commanded [instructed; charged] them, “You must ·always serve the Lord completely [act faithfully and wholeheartedly], and you must fear him. 10 Your ·people [kinsmen; brothers] living in the cities will bring you cases about ·killing [murder; violent crime; L between blood pertaining to blood], about the ·teachings [laws], commands, rules, or some other ·law [regulation]. In all these cases you must warn the people not to sin against the Lord. If you don’t, ·he will be angry with [wrath will come on] you and your ·people [kinsmen; brothers]. But if you warn them, you won’t ·be guilty [sin].
11 “Amariah, the ·leading [chief; high] priest, will be over you in all cases about the Lord [C in matters of God’s law]. Zebadiah son of Ishmael, a leader in the ·tribe [L house] of Judah, will be over you in all cases about the king [C civil cases]. Also, the Levites will serve as ·officers [officials; C of the court] for you. Have ·courage [confidence]. May the Lord be with those who do what is right.”
Jehoshaphat Faces War
20 Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites came to start a war with Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A ·large army [vast horde; T great multitude] is coming against you from ·Edom [L beyond the sea; C the Dead Sea]. They are already in Hazazon Tamar (that is, En Gedi)!” 3 Jehoshaphat was ·afraid [alarmed], so he decided to ·ask the Lord what to do [seek the Lord]. He announced that everyone in Judah should fast. 4 The people of Judah ·came together [assembled] to ·ask the Lord for help [seek the Lord]; they came from every town in Judah.
5 The ·people [assembly] of Judah and Jerusalem met in front of the new courtyard in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Then Jehoshaphat stood up, 6 and he said, “Lord, God of our ·ancestors [fathers], ·you are the [L are you not…?] God in heaven. ·You [L Do you not…?] rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. You have power and strength in your hand, so no one can ·stand against [withstand; resist] you. 7 Our God, ·you forced [L did you not drive…?] out the people who lived in this land ·as your people Israel moved in [before your people Israel]. And you gave this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham. 8 They lived in this land and built a ·Temple [sanctuary here] for ·you [L your name]. They said, 9 ‘If ·trouble [disaster; evil] comes upon us, or ·war [L the sword], ·punishment [judgment; C this term should perhaps be combined with the previous one to read “the sword of judgment”], ·sickness [plague; pestilence], or ·hunger [famine], we will stand before you and before this ·Temple [L house] ·where you have chosen to be worshiped [for your name is in this house]. We will cry out to you ·when we are in trouble [in our distress]. Then you will hear and ·save [rescue; T deliver] us.’
10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab, and ·Edom [L Mount Seir]. You wouldn’t let the Israelites ·enter [invade] their lands when the Israelites came from Egypt. So the Israelites ·turned away [bypassed/went around them] and did not destroy them. 11 But see how they repay us! They have come to force us out of your ·land [possession], which you gave us as our ·own [inheritance]. 12 Our God, ·punish those people [will you not judge them?]. We have no power against this ·large army [vast horde; T great multitude] that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, so ·we look to you for help [L our eyes are on you].”
13 All the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their babies, wives, and children. 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord ·entered [came on] Jahaziel. (Jahaziel was Zechariah’s son. Zechariah was Benaiah’s son. Benaiah was Jeiel’s son, and Jeiel was Mattaniah’s son.) Jahaziel, a Levite and a descendant of Asaph, stood up in the ·meeting [assembly]. 15 He said, “Listen to me, King Jehoshaphat and all you people living in Judah and Jerusalem. ·The Lord says this [T Thus says the Lord] to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or ·discouraged [dismayed] because of this ·large army [vast horde; T great multitude]. The battle is not your battle, it is God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down ·there and fight those people [L against them]. They will come up through the ·Pass [ascent] of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ·ravine [valley] that ·leads [opens] to the ·Desert [wilderness] of Jeruel. 17 You won’t need to fight in this battle. Just ·stand strong in your places [take your positions], and you will see the ·Lord save you [salvation/deliverance/rescue of the Lord]. Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid or ·discouraged [dismayed], because the Lord is with you. So go out ·against those people [to face them] tomorrow.’”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed facedown on the ground. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem bowed down before the Lord and worshiped him. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathite and Korahite people stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with very loud ·voices [shouts].
20 Jehoshaphat’s army went out into the ·Desert [wilderness] of Tekoa early in the morning. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, people of Judah and Jerusalem. ·Have faith [Trust; Believe] in the Lord your God, and you will ·stand strong [be secure/safe/T established]. ·Have faith [Trust; Believe] in his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 Jehoshaphat ·listened to the advice of [consulted/conferred with] the people. Then he ·chose [appointed] men to be singers to the Lord, to praise him ·because he is holy and wonderful [for his holy splendor; or in their holy/sacred vestments/robes]. As they ·marched in front [went ahead] of the army, they said,
“·Thank [Give thanks to; Praise] the Lord,
because his ·love [unfailing love; lovingkindness; loyalty] ·continues [endures] forever [Ps. 136].”
22 As they began to sing and praise God, the Lord set ambushes for the people of Ammon, Moab, and ·Edom [L Mount Seir] who had come to attack Judah. And they were ·defeated [routed]. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked ·the Edomites [L those from Mount Seir], ·destroying [annihilating] them completely. After they had ·killed [finished off] the Edomites, they killed each other.
24 When the men from Judah came to ·a place where they could see [the lookout point in] the ·desert [wilderness], they looked ·at the enemy’s large army [toward the vast horde; T great multitude]. But they only saw ·dead bodies [corpses] lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his army came to ·take [gather; carry off] their ·valuables [plunder; spoil; booty], they found many supplies, much clothing, and other valuable things. There was more than they could carry away; there was so much it took three days to gather it all. 26 On the fourth day Jehoshaphat and his army met in the Valley of Beracah [C “blessing”] and ·praised [blessed] the Lord. That is why that place has been called the Valley of Beracah [C “blessing”] to this day.
27 Then Jehoshaphat led all the men from Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem. The Lord had ·made them happy because their enemies were defeated [given them cause to rejoice over their enemies]. 28 They entered Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets and went to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.
29 When all the kingdoms of the lands around them heard how the Lord had fought Israel’s enemies, ·they feared God [L the terror/dread of God came upon them]. 30 So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at ·peace [rest]. His God gave him ·peace from all the countries around him [L rest on every side].
Jehoshaphat’s Rule Ends(M)
31 Jehoshaphat ·ruled [reigned] over the country of Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 32 Jehoshaphat ·was good like [L walked in the way of] his father Asa, and he did what ·the Lord said was right [L was right/pleasing in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. 33 But the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15] were not removed, and the people ·did not really want to follow [had not committed/devoted themselves to; had not set their hearts on] the God of their ·ancestors [fathers].
34 The other things Jehoshaphat did as king, from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], ·are [are they not…?] written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Israel.
35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made a ·treaty [alliance] with Ahaziah king of Israel, which was a ·wrong [wicked; evil] thing to do. 36 Jehoshaphat agreed with Ahaziah to build ·trading ships [L ships to go to Tarshish; C in present-day Spain, hence a large, seagoing trading ship], which they built in the town of Ezion Geber. 37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from the town of Mareshah ·spoke [prophesied] against Jehoshaphat. He said, “Jehoshaphat, because you ·joined [allied] with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked so they could not sail out to trade.
21 Jehoshaphat ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. Then his son Jehoram became king in his place. 2 Jehoram’s brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. They were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of ·Judah [L Israel; 12:6]. 3 Jehoshaphat gave his sons many gifts of silver, gold, and ·valuable [precious] things, and he gave them ·strong, walled [fortified] cities in Judah. But Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the ·first son [firstborn].
Jehoram King of Judah(N)
4 When Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and ·made himself secure [established himself], he killed all his brothers with the sword and also killed some of the ·leaders [officials] of Judah. 5 He was thirty-two years old when he began to ·rule [reign], and he ·ruled [reigned] eight years in Jerusalem. 6 He ·followed [L walked] in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the ·family [L house] of Ahab had done, because he married Ahab’s daughter. Jehoram did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the Lord’s sight/eyes]. 7 But the Lord would not destroy David’s ·family [L house] because of the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] he had made with David. He had promised ·that one of David’s descendants would always rule [L to give a lamp to David and his descendants/sons forever; C here a lamp symbolizes a dynasty].
8 In Jehoram’s time, Edom ·broke away from [revolted/rebelled against] Judah’s ·rule [reign] and ·chose [set up] their own king. 9 So Jehoram went to Edom with all his ·commanders [officers] and chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot ·commanders [officers], but Jehoram got up and attacked the Edomites at night [C the implication is that Jehoram is victorious, but the next verse suggests otherwise; see 2 Kin. 8:21]. 10 From then until now the country of Edom has ·fought against [been free from] the ·rule [reign] of Judah. At the same time the people of Libnah also ·broke away from [rebelled/revolted against] Jehoram because Jehoram ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord, the God of his ·ancestors [fathers].
11 Jehoram also built ·places to worship gods [L high places; 11:15] on the hills in Judah. He led the people of Jerusalem to ·sin [commit adultery; L play the harlot], and he led the people of Judah ·away from the Lord [astray]. 12 Then Jehoram received this letter from Elijah the prophet:
·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord], the God of your ·ancestor [father] David, “Jehoram, you have not ·lived as [L walked in the ways of] your father Jehoshaphat and Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have ·lived as the kings of Israel lived [L walked in the way of the kings of Israel], leading the people of Judah and Jerusalem to ·sin against God [commit adultery; L play the harlot], as Ahab and his ·family [L house] did. You have killed your brothers, your own family, and they were better than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to ·punish [severely strike] your people, your children, your wives, and everything you own. 15 You will have a terrible disease in your ·intestines [bowels] that will become worse every day until your intestines ·come out [protrude].”
16 The Lord caused the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the ·Cushites [Ethiopians] to be ·angry with [L stirred in their spirits against] Jehoram. 17 So the Philistines and Arabs attacked and invaded Judah and carried away all the wealth of Jehoram’s ·palace [L house], as well as his sons and wives. Only Jehoram’s youngest son, Ahaziah, was left.
Jehoram Dies(O)
18 After these things happened, the Lord ·gave Jehoram [struck/afflicted/T smote him with] a disease in his ·intestines [bowels] that could not be cured. 19 After he was sick for two years, Jehoram’s ·intestines [bowels] ·came out [protruded] because of the disease, and he died in ·terrible pain [agony]. The people did not make a funeral fire to honor Jehoram as they had done for his ·ancestors [fathers].
20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] eight years in Jerusalem. No one ·was sad [regretted] when he died. He was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], but not in the ·graves for [tombs of] the kings.
Ahaziah King of Judah(P)
22 The people of Jerusalem ·chose [made] Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, to be king in his place. The ·robbers [raiders; marauders] who had come with the Arabs to attack Jehoram’s camp had killed all of Jehoram’s older sons. So Ahaziah began to ·rule [reign over] Judah. 2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. 3 Ahaziah ·followed [L walked in] the ways of Ahab’s ·family [L house], because his mother ·encouraged [counseled; advised] him to do ·wrong [evil]. 4 Ahaziah did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the Lord’s sight/eyes], as Ahab’s ·family [L house] had done. They ·gave advice to Ahaziah [were his counselors] after his father died, ·and their bad advice led to his death [leading to his destruction]. 5 Following their ·advice [counsel], Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to Ramoth in Gilead, where they fought against Hazael king of Aram. The Arameans wounded Joram. 6 So Joram returned to Jezreel to heal from the wounds he received at Ramoth when he fought Hazael king of Aram.
Ahaziah son of Jehoram and king of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab at Jezreel because he had been ·wounded [sick].
Ahaziah Dies(Q)
7 God caused Ahaziah’s ·death [downfall] when he went to visit Joram. Ahaziah arrived and went out with Joram to ·meet [fight] Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had ·appointed [L anointed] to destroy Ahab’s ·family [L house]. 8 While Jehu was ·punishing [executing judgment against] Ahab’s ·family [L house], he found the ·leaders [officials] of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s ·relatives [brothers] who served Ahaziah, and Jehu killed them all [2 Kin. 10:12–14]. 9 Then Jehu ·looked [searched] for Ahaziah. Jehu’s men caught him hiding in Samaria, so they brought him to Jehu. Then they killed and buried him. They said, “Ahaziah is a descendant of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat ·obeyed [sought] the Lord with all his heart.” No one in Ahaziah’s ·family [L house] ·had the power [was strong enough] to take control of the kingdom of Judah.
Athaliah and Joash(R)
10 When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, saw that her son was dead, she ·killed [destroyed] all the royal ·family [line] of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehosheba, King Jehoram’s daughter, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son. She stole him from among the other sons of the king who were going to be ·murdered [executed] and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, hid Joash so Athaliah could not ·kill [execute] him. 12 He hid with them in the ·Temple [L house] of God for six years. During that time Athaliah ·ruled [reigned over] the land.
23 In the seventh year Jehoiada ·decided to do something [summoned his courage/strength]. He made an ·agreement [covenant; pact] with the ·commanders [officers] of the groups of a hundred men: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. 2 They went throughout Judah and ·gathered [summoned; assembled] the Levites from all the towns, and they gathered the ·leaders [heads] of the ·families [clans] of ·Judah [L Israel; 12:6]. Then they went to Jerusalem. 3 All the people together made an ·agreement [covenant; pact] with the king in the ·Temple [L house] of God.
Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son will ·rule [reign], as the Lord ·promised [has spoken] about David’s ·descendants [sons]. 4 Now this is what you must do: You priests and Levites ·go [or who go…] on duty on the Sabbath. A third of you will ·guard the doors [be gatekeepers]. 5 A third of you will be at the king’s ·palace [L house], and a third of you will be at the Foundation Gate. All the other people will stay in the courtyards of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 6 Don’t let anyone ·come into [enter] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord except the priests and Levites ·who serve [on duty]. They may come because they ·have been made ready to serve the Lord [are holy/consecrated/set apart], but all the others must ·do the job the Lord has given them [obey the Lord’s instructions]. 7 The Levites must ·stay near [surround] the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. If anyone tries to enter the ·Temple [L house], kill him. Stay close to the king when he goes in and when he goes out.”
Joash Becomes King
8 The Levites and all the people of Judah obeyed everything Jehoiada the priest ·had commanded [ordered]. He did not ·excuse [dismiss; release] anyone from the ·groups [divisions] of the priests. So each commander took his men who came on duty on the Sabbath ·with [as well as] those who went off duty on the Sabbath. 9 Jehoiada gave the ·commanders [officers] of a hundred men the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were kept in the ·Temple [L house] of God. 10 Then Jehoiada ·told the soldiers where to stand [stationed/positioned all the people] with weapon in hand. There were guards from the ·south [L right] side of the ·Temple [L house] to the ·north [L left] side. They stood by the altar and the ·Temple [L house] and around the king.
11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him a copy of the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. Then they ·appointed [anointed] him king and shouted, “Long live the king!”
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and ·praising [cheering] the king, she ·went to them [joined the crowd] at the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 13 She looked, and there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance [C a symbolic place of authority]. The ·officers [commanders] and the trumpeters were standing beside him, and all the people of the land were ·happy [rejoicing] and blowing trumpets. The singers were playing musical instruments and leading the ·praises [celebration]. Then Athaliah tore her clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress] and screamed, “·Traitors! Traitors! [Treason! Treason!]”
14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the ·commanders [officers] of a hundred men, who ·led [were in charge of] the army. He said, “Surround her with soldiers and take her out of the ·Temple [L house] area. Kill with a sword anyone who follows her.” He had said, “Don’t put Athaliah to death in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.” 15 So they ·caught [seized] her ·when she came [or and took her] to the entrance of the Horse Gate near the ·palace [L house]. There they put her to death.
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