2 Chronicles 13-18

II Chronicles 13

¹In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam -- Abijah reigneth over Judah;

²three years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, (and the name of his mother is Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah,) and war hath been between Abijah and Jeroboam.

³And Abijah directeth the war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and Jeroboam hath set in array with him battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty of valour.

⁴And Abijah riseth up on the hill of Zemaraim that is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and saith, ‘Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!

⁵Is it not for you to know that Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the age, to him and to his sons -- a covenant of salt?

⁶and rise up doth Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord!

⁷‘And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and hath not strengthened himself against them.

⁸‘And now, ye are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David, and ye are a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that Jeroboam hath made to you for gods.

⁹‘Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to No-gods!

¹⁰‘As for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,

¹¹and are making perfume to Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread is on the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye -- ye have forsaken Him.

¹²‘And lo, with us -- at our head -- is God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah, God of your fathers, for ye do not prosper.'

¹³And Jeroboam hath brought round the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush is behind them.

¹⁴And Judah turneth, and lo, against them is the battle, before and behind, and they cry to Jehovah, and the priests are blowing with trumpets,

¹⁵and the men of Judah shout -- and it cometh to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God hath smitten Jeroboam, and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah.

¹⁶And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God giveth them into their hand,

¹⁷and Abijah and his people smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁸And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leant on Jehovah, God of their fathers.

¹⁹And Abijah pursueth after Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.

²⁰And Jeroboam hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.

²¹And Abijah strengtheneth himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters,

²²and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the ‘Inquiry' of the prophet Iddo.

II Chronicles 14

¹And Abijah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Asa his son in his stead: in his days was the land quiet ten years.

²And Asa doth that which is good, and that which is right, in the eyes of Jehovah his God,

³and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines,

⁴and saith to Judah to seek Jehovah, God of their fathers, and to do the law and the command;

⁵and he turneth aside out of all cities of Judah the high places and the images, and the kingdom is quiet before him.

⁶And he buildeth cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land hath quiet, and there is no war with him in these years, because Jehovah hath given rest to him.

⁷And he saith to Judah, ‘Let us build these cities, and compass them with wall, and towers, two-leaved doors, and bars, while the land is before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God, we have sought, and He giveth rest to us round about;' and they build and prosper.

⁸And there is to Asa a force bearing target and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, bearing shield and treading bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these are mighty of valour.

⁹And come out unto them doth Zerah the Cushite with a force of a thousand thousand, and chariots three hundred, and he cometh in unto Mareshah,

¹⁰and Asa goeth out before him, and they set battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹And Asa calleth unto Jehovah his God, and saith, ‘Jehovah! it is nothing with Thee to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O Jehovah, our God, for on Thee we have leant, and in Thy name we have come against this multitude; O Jehovah, our God thou art; let him not prevail with Thee -- mortal man!

¹²And Jehovah smiteth the Cushim before Asa, and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,

¹³and Asa and the people who are with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there fall of the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before Jehovah, and before His camp; and they bear away very much spoil,

¹⁴and smite all the cities round about Gerar, for a fear of Jehovah hath been upon them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil hath been in them;

¹⁵and also tents of cattle they have smitten, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and turn back to Jerusalem.

II Chronicles 15

¹And upon Azariah son of Oded hath been the Spirit of God,

²and he goeth out before Asa, and saith to him, ‘Hear, me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; Jehovah is with you -- in your being with Him, and if ye seek Him, He is found of you, and if ye forsake Him, He forsaketh you;

³and many days are to Israel without a true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law,

⁴and it turneth back in its distress unto Jehovah, God of Israel, and they seek Him, and He is found of them,

⁵and in those times there is no peace to him who is going out, and to him who is coming in, for many troubles are on all the inhabitants of the lands,

⁶and they have been beaten down, nation by nation, and city by city, for God hath troubled them with every adversity;

⁷and ye, be ye strong, and let not your hands be feeble, for there is a reward for your work.'

⁸And at Asa's hearing these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he hath strengthened himself, and doth cause the abominations to pass away out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities that he hath captured from the hill-country of Ephraim, and reneweth the altar of Jehovah that is before the porch of Jehovah,

⁹and gathereth all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them out of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and out of Simeon -- for they have fallen unto him from Israel in abundance, in their seeing that Jehovah his God is with him.

¹⁰And they are gathered to Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa,

¹¹and sacrifice to Jehovah on that day from the spoil they have brought in -- oxen seven hundred, and sheep seven thousand,

¹²and they enter into a covenant to seek Jehovah, God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soul,

¹³and every one who doth not seek for Jehovah, God of Israel, is put to death, from small unto great, from man unto woman.

¹⁴And they swear to Jehovah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets,

¹⁵and rejoice do all Judah concerning the oath, for with all their heart they have sworn, and with all their good-will they have sought Him, and He is found of them, and Jehovah giveth rest to them round about.

¹⁶And also Maachah, mother of Asa the king -- he hath removed her from being mistress, in that she hath made for a shrine a horrible thing, and Asa cutteth down her horrible thing, and beateth it small, and burneth it by the brook Kidron:

¹⁷yet the high places have not turned aside from Israel; only, the heart of Asa hath been perfect all his days.

¹⁸And he bringeth in the sanctified things of his father, and his own sanctified things, to the house of God, silver, and gold, and vessels.

¹⁹And war hath not been till the thirty and fifth year of the reign of Asa.

II Chronicles 16

¹In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa, come up hath Baasha king of Israel, against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, so as not to permit any going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah.

²And Asa bringeth out silver and gold from the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and of the house of the king, and sendeth unto Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who is dwelling in Damascus, saying,

³‘A covenant is between me and thee, and between my father and thy father, lo, I have sent to thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he doth go up from off me.'

⁴And Ben-Hadad hearkeneth unto king Asa, and sendeth the heads of the forces that he hath unto cities of Israel, and they smite Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Maim, and all the stores, cities of Naphtali.

⁵And it cometh to pass, at Baasha's hearing, that he ceaseth from building Ramah, and letteth his work rest;

⁶and Asa the king hath taken all Judah, and they bear away the stones of Ramah, and its wood, that Baasha hath built, and he buildeth with them Geba and Mizpah.

⁷And at that time hath Hanani the seer come in unto Asa king of Judah, and saith unto him, ‘Because of thy leaning on the king of Aram, and thou hast not leaned on Jehovah thy God, therefore hath the force of the king of Aram escaped from thy hand.

⁸Did not the Cushim and the Lubim become a very great force for multitude, for chariot, and for horsemen? and in thy leaning on Jehovah He gave them into thy hand,

⁹for Jehovah -- His eyes go to and fro in all the earth, to show Himself strong for a people whose heart is perfect towards Him; thou hast been foolish concerning this, because -- henceforth there are with thee wars.'

¹⁰And Asa is angry at the seer, and giveth him to the house of torture, for he is in a rage with him for this; and Asa oppresseth some of the people at that time.

¹¹And lo, the matters of Asa, the first and the last, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

¹²And Asa is diseased -- in the thirty and ninth year of his reign -- in his feet, till his disease is excessive, and also in his disease he hath not sought Jehovah, but among physicians.

¹³And Asa lieth with his fathers, and dieth in the forty and first year of his reign,

¹⁴and they bury him in one of his graves, that he had prepared for himself in the city of David, and they cause him to lie on a bed that one hath filled with spices, and divers kinds of mixtures, with perfumed work; and they burn for him a burning -- very great.

II Chronicles 17

¹And Jehoshaphat his son reigneth in his stead, and he strengtheneth himself against Israel,

²and putteth a force in all the fenced cities of Judah, and putteth garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured.

³And Jehovah is with Jehoshaphat, for he hath walked in the first ways of David his father, and hath not sought to Baalim,

⁴for to the God of his father he hath sought, and in His commands he hath walked, and not according to the work of Israel.

⁵And Jehovah doth establish the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah give a present to Jehoshaphat, and he hath riches and honour in abundance,

⁶and his heart is high in the ways of Jehovah, and again he hath turned aside the high places and the shrines out of Judah.

⁷And in the third year of his reign he hath sent for his heads, for Ben-Hail, and for Obadiah, and for Zechariah, and for Nethaneel, and for Michaiah, to teach in cities of Judah,

⁸and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijath, and Tob-Adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

⁹And they teach in Judah, and with them is the Book of the Law of Jehovah, and they go round about into all cities of Judah, and teach among the people.

¹⁰And here is a fear of Jehovah on all kingdoms of the lands that are round about Judah, and they have not fought with Jehoshaphat;

¹¹and of the Philistines they are bringing in to Jehoshaphat a present, and tribute silver; also, the Arabians are bringing to him a flock, rams seven thousand an seven hundred, and he-goats seven thousand and seven hundred.

¹²And Jehoshaphat is going on and becoming very great, and he buildeth in Judah palaces and cities of store,

¹³and he hath much work in cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty of valour, are in Jerusalem.

¹⁴And these are their numbers, for the house of their fathers: Of Judah, heads of thousands, Adnah the head, and with him mighty ones of valour, three hundred chiefs.

¹⁵And at his hand is Jehohanan the head, and with him two hundred and eighty chiefs.

¹⁶And at his hand is Amasiah son of Zichri, who is willingly offering himself to Jehovah, and with him two hundred chiefs, mighty of valour.

¹⁷And of Benjamin: mighty of valour, Eliada, and with him, armed with bow and shield, two hundred chiefs.

¹⁸And at his hand is Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty chiefs, armed ones of the host.

¹⁹These are those serving the king, apart from those whom the king put in the cities of fortress, in all Judah.

II Chronicles 18

¹And Jehoshaphat hath riches and honour in abundance, and joineth affinity to Ahab,

²and goeth down at the end of certain years unto Ahab to Samaria, and Ahab sacrificeth for him sheep and oxen in abundance, and for the people who are with him, and persuadeth him to go up unto Ramoth-Gilead.

³And Ahab king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, ‘Dost thou go with me to Ramoth-Gilead?' And he saith to him, ‘As I -- so thou, and as thy people -- my people, even with thee in battle.'

⁴And Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, ‘Seek, I pray thee, this day, the word of Jehovah.'

⁵And the king of Israel gathereth the prophets, four hundred men, and saith unto them, ‘Do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' And they say, ‘Go up, and God doth give it into the hand of the king.'

⁶And Jehoshaphat saith, ‘Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah still, and we seek from him?'

⁷And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, ‘Still -- one man to seek Jehovah from him, and I -- I have hated him, for he is not prophesying concerning me of good, but all his days of evil, he is Micaiah son of Imlah;' and Jehoshaphat saith, ‘Let not the king say so.'

⁸And the king of Israel calleth unto a certain officer, and saith, ‘Hasten Micaiah son of Imlah.'

⁹And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, and they are sitting in a threshing-floor at the opening of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets are prophesying before them.

¹⁰And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah maketh for himself horns of iron, and saith, ‘Thus said Jehovah,

¹¹With these thou dost push Aram till thou hast consumed them.' And all the prophets are prophesying so, saying, ‘Go up to Ramath-Gilead and prosper, and Jehovah hath given it into the hand of the king.'

¹²And the messenger who hath gone to call for Micaiah hath spoken unto him, saying, ‘Lo, the words of the prophets -- one mouth -- are good towards the king, and let, I pray thee, thy word be like one of theirs: and thou hast spoken good.'

¹³And Micaiah saith ‘Jehovah liveth, surely that which my God saith, it I speak.'

¹⁴And he cometh in unto the king, and the king saith unto him, ‘Micaiah, do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' And he saith, ‘Go ye up, and prosper, and they are given into your hand.'

¹⁵And the king saith unto him, ‘How many times am I adjuring thee, that thou speak unto me only truth in the name of Jehovah?'

¹⁶And he saith, ‘I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah saith, There are no masters to these, they turn back each to his house in peace.'

¹⁷And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not say unto thee, He doth not prophesy concerning me good, but rather of evil?'

¹⁸And he saith, ‘Therefore, hear ye a word of Jehovah: I have seen Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right and His left;

¹⁹and Jehovah saith, Who doth entice Ahab king of Israel, and he doth go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? And this speaker saith thus, and that speaker thus.

²⁰And go out doth the spirit, and stand before Jehovah, and saith, I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, With what?

²¹and he saith, I go out, and have become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. And He saith, Thou dost entice, and also, thou art able; go out and do so.

²²And, now, lo, Jehovah hath put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of these thy prophets, and Jehovah hath spoken concerning thee -- evil.'

²³And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah cometh nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, ‘Where is this -- the way the Spirit of Jehovah passed over from me to speak with thee?'

²⁴And Micaiah saith, ‘Lo, thou dost see in that day, that thou dost enter into the innermost chamber to be hidden.'

²⁵And the king of Israel saith, ‘Take ye Micaiah, and turn him back unto Amon head of the city, and unto Joash son of the king,

²⁶and ye have said, Thus said the king, Put ye this one in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my return in peace.'

²⁷And Micaiah saith, ‘If thou dost certainly return in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me;' and he saith, ‘Hear ye, O peoples, all of them!'

²⁸And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, unto Ramoth-Gilead;

²⁹and the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, ‘And thou, put on thy garments.' And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and they go into battle.

³⁰And the king of Aram hath commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath, saying, ‘Ye do not fight with small or with great, except with the king of Israel by himself.'

³¹And it cometh to pass at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they have said, ‘The king of Israel he is,' and they turn round against him to fight, and Jehoshaphat crieth out, and Jehovah hath helped him, and God enticeth them from him,

³²yea, it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that it hath not been the king of Israel -- they turn back from after him.

³³And a man hath drawn with a bow, in his simplicity, and smiteth the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he saith to the charioteer, ‘Turn thy hand, and thou hast brought me out of the camp, for I have become sick.'

³⁴And the battle increaseth on that day, and the king of Israel hath been stayed up in the chariot over-against Aram till the evening, and he dieth at the time of the going in of the sun.