Lamsa OT - 2Chronicles

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Lamsa OT - 2Chronicles

"1 ¶ AND Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly above all the kings of the earth. 2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the princes, the chiefs of the fathers. 3 So Solomon and all the people who were with him went to a great banquet that was at the town of Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of the LORD, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4 But David had brought up the ark of the LORD from Koriath-kaproney to the place which David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 Moreover the bronze altar that Bezaliel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was placed before the tabernacle of the LORD; and Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel went to it. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. 7 That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a vision and said to him, Ask what I shall give you. 8 And Solomon said to the LORD, Thou hast shown great mercy to David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. 9 Now, O LORD my God, let thy promise to David my father be established; for thou hast made me king over this people, like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this thy people that is so great? 11 And the LORD said to Solomon, Because this was in your mind, and you have not asked riches, honor, nor the life of your enemies, neither have you asked for long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king; 12 Also the things for which you have not asked will I grant to you. And I will give you wisdom and knowledge, wealth, riches, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like."

"13 ¶ Then Solomon came from his journey to the great banquet that was at the town of Gibeon, east of Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over all Israel. 14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and some of them with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and he made cedar as the sand that is by the sea for abundance. 16 And the king’s merchants purchased horses for Solomon from Egypt and from the city of the Apelites for a price. 17 And they went up and bought a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so through the king’s merchants they brought horses for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Aram."

"2:1 ¶ AND Solomon commanded to build a temple for the name of the LORD and a house for his kingdom. 2 And Solomon appointed seventy thousand men to bear burdens and eighty thousand stone cutters in the mountain and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. 3 And Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying, As you showed great kindness to David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, 4 Behold, I am building a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him and to burn before him sweet incense and to light a lamp continually and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. 5 And the house which I am about to build is very great, for our God is greater than all kings. 6 But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house or burn sweet incense before him? 7 Now therefore, send me a man skilled to work in gold and in silver and in brass and in iron and in purple and in fine linen and in crimson and in blue, and who has the skill to engrave with the skilled men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. 8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum timber out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut cedar timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with your servants 9 And shall bring me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build will be very great and wonderful. 10 And I will provide carpenters who are skilled in woodwork, and will give provisions to your servants, twenty thousand measures of wheat and twenty thousand measures of barley and twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of oil."

"11 ¶ Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing which he sent to Solomon, saying, Because the LORD has loved his people, he has made you king over them. 12 Hiram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who created heaven and earth, who has given to David a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, who has set his mind to build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom. 13 And now I have sent to you a skilful man, endued with understanding, even Hiram, 14 Who is the son of a widow of the house of Dan, and his father was a skilful man; he knows how to work in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stones, in timber, in purple, in blue, in fine linen, in crimson and other red materials, also how to make any manner of keys for the doors, and to devise every kind of craft which shall be assigned to him from the LORD, with your craftsmen and with the craftsmen of our lord David your father. 15 Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine which my lord has promised to his servants, let him send them; 16 And we will cut cedar trees out of Lebanon, as many as you wish; and we will bring them to you in floats by sea to Joppa; and you shall carry them up to Jerusalem. 17 Then Solomon gathered together all the proselytes who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering of them which David his father had done; and there were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred. 18 And King Solomon set seventy thousand of them to be bearers of burdens and eighty thousand to be stonecutters in the mountain and three thousand and six hundred overseers to make the people work."

"3:1 ¶ THEN Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on mount Moriah, in the place which David his father had prepared in the threshing floor which he had bought from Aran the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build the temple in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 3 Now these are the measurements which Solomon measured for the building of the house of the LORD: The length of the house by the measure of the sanctuary was sixty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits. 4 And he made a porch in the front thereof; the length of it was the same as the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its height twenty cubits; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. 5 And the greater house be ceiled with cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved on it the likeness of palm trees and flowers. 6 And he adorned the house with precious stones for beauty; and he overlaid all of it with fine gold. 7 He overlaid also the house, from the front of the porch and its walls and its door posts, with fine gold, and he carved on it the likeness of palm trees and flowers. 8 And he made the sanctuary of the holy of holies; its length was the same as the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. 9 And he also overlaid the altar with fine gold."

"10 ¶ In the most holy house he made two cherubim of solid material, and overlaid them with gold. 11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long; one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim were spread forth twenty cubits; they stood on their feet and their faces were inward. 14 And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and wrought cherubim on it, and placed the ark in it. 15 Also he made in front of the great house two pillars, eighteen cubits long, and the capitals that were on the top of each of them were five cubits high. 16 And he made chains, fifty cubits long, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17 And he set up the two pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; and he called the name of that which he set on the right hand, Jachin, and the name of that on the left, Boaz."

"4:1 ¶ MOREOVER he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits its length and twenty cubits its breadth and ten cubits its height. 2 land he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape, and five cubits its height and thirty cubits its circumference. 3 And it stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing south, three facing west, and three facing east; and the sea was set above them, and their hinder parts were inward. 4 And the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and its brim was round like the brim of a cup, very beautiful. 5 And he made also ten poles, and put five on the right hand and five on the left, to carry with them the altar of burnt offering. 6 And he made ten lavers of brass, and put five on the right hand and five on the left, so that the priests might wash their hands and their feet in them. 7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their specifications, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left. 8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of fine gold. 9 Furthermore he made a large court for the priests and for the Levites, and overlaid the doors and the bars with brass. 10 And he set the sea on the right side of the north end, over against the south."

"11 ¶ And Hiram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. And Hiram finished the work that he was to make for King Solomon for the house of God; 12 To wit, the two pillars and the knobs and the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two knobs of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two knobs of the capitals which were upon the pillars. 14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases; 15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it. 16 The pots also and the shovels and the fleshhooks and all their instruments did Hiram make for King Solomon, for the house of the LORD, of bright brass. 17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah. 18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance; for the weight of these vessels of brass that Solomon made could not be found out. 19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set; 20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold; 21 And the flowers and the lamps and the tongs made he of gold, and that perfect gold; 22 And the snuffers and the basins and the spoons and the censers, of pure gold; and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold."

"5:1 ¶ THUS all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in all the things which David his father had dedicated; and the silver and the gold and all the vessels he put in the treasures of the house of the LORD. 2 Then Solomon assembled at Jerusalem all the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers of the children of Israel, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion. 3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at Jerusalem in the feast of tabernacles, which is in the seventh month. 4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the priests took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark of the LORD and the tabernacle of the congregation and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 6 And King Solomon and all the people of Israel that were assembled to him before the ark sacrificed sheep and oxen which could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and put it in its place, into the most holy place under the wings of the cherubim: 8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the poles thereof above. 9 And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from underneath the ark within the house, but they were not seen from the outside. And there they remain to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses had put there, which he brought from mount Sinai. This is the same covenant which the LORD made with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt."

"11 ¶ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present there entered into the holy place; 12 Also the Levites, who were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeruthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets): 13 That the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD, 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the house of the LORD was filled with the brightness of his glory."

"6:1 ¶ THEN Solomon said, O LORD, thou hast declared that thou wouldst dwell in the thick darkness. 2 But I have built a house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. 3 Then the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood. 4 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with his own mouth to David my father, and with his word has fulfilled that which he had promised, saying, 5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; 6 But I have chosen Jerusalem that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel. 7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 8 But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well in that it was in your heart; 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the house for my name, but your son who shall come forth out of your loins, he shall build the house for my name. 10 The LORD therefore has performed his word that he has spoken; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 11 And I have prepared a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt."

"12 ¶ And Solomon stood up before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; 13 For Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and two cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he went up and stood upon it, and knelt down upon his knees in the presence of all the people of Israel and spread forth his hands in prayer toward heaven, 14 And prayed and said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no one like thee; thou art the LORD who dwellest in heaven above, and thy will is carried out upon the earth below; who keepest covenant and showest mercy to thy servants who walk before thee uprightly with all their hearts; 15 Thou who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and thou didst speak with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy will, as it is this day. 16 Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father the promise which thou hast made to him, saying, There shall not fail you a son in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; if only your children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as you have walked before me. 17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy words be confirmed which thou hast spoken to thy servant David. 18 For in truth the LORD has made his dwelling place with his people Israel on the earth. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Have regard therefore to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications, O LORD my God, to hearken to the prayer and the supplication which thy servant prayeth before thee this day; 20 That this house may remain in thy presence, that thou mayest hearken to the prayer of whosoever may come to pray before thee in this house day and night, the place of which thou hast said that thou wouldst put thy habitation there. 21 Hearken therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall pray before thee in this place; hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive. 22 If a man should offend his neighbor, and it is decreed upon him that he should take an oath, and he should come and swear before thy altar in this house; 23 Then hear thou his prayer, even from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by bringing his guilt upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by rewarding him according to his righteousness. 24 And if thy people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, and shall return to thee and confess thy great name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; 25 Then hear thou from the heavens and forgive the sins of thy people Israel and bring them again to the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers. 26 And when the heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray before thee in this place, and confess thy great name and turn from their sins when thou dost afflict them; 27 Then hear thou from heaven their prayer, and forgive the sins of thy servants and of thy people Israel when thou hast taught them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain of blessing upon the land which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. 28 If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blasting or mildew or locusts or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever trouble or whatsoever sickness there be; 29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall declare his own grief, and shall come and spread forth his hands in this house; 30 Then hear thou from heaven their prayer and forgive their sins, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men), 31 That they may revere thee, to walk before thee in thy ways so long as they live in the land which thou gavest to their fathers. 32 Moreover concerning the stranger who is not of thy people Israel, but comes from a far country for thy great name’s sake and thy mighty hand and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray before thee on that day in this house; 33 Then hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven, and do according to all that the stranger prays before thee, so that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name and worship before thee, as do thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name. 34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray to thee towards this land which thou hast given to their fathers, or towards this city which thou hast chosen for thyself, or towards the house which I have built for thy name; 35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and plead their cause. 36 If they sin against thee (for there is no man who does not sin), and thou be angry with them and deliver them over to their enemies, and they carry them away captives to a land far off or near; 37 Yet if they pray before thee, and repent in the land to which they were carried captive, saying, We have sinned, we have provoked thee to anger and have dealt wickedly; 38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land which thou gavest to their fathers and toward the city which thou hast chosen for thyself and toward the house which I have built for thy name; 39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee. 40 Now, O my God, let thy eyes be open and let thy ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength; let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy righteous men rejoice in thy goodness. 42 O LORD God, turn not away the face of thy anointed one; remember the mercies of David thy servant."

"7:1 ¶ NOW when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and the wood; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. 3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the LORD filled the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped, and said to each other. Praise the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever. 4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. 5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep; so the king and all the people dedicated the house of the LORD. 6 And the priests waited on their offices; the Levites also with instruments of music praised the LORD, and this is what they said in their praises. in the songs of David, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever; and the priests sounded with curved and straight trumpets, and all the people of Israel stood. 7 Moreover Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was too small to hold the burnt offerings and the meal offerings and the fat. 8 Also at that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from Hamath to the river of Egypt the people were assembled before the LORD our God. 9 Seven days were given for the feast and seven days for the dedication of the house; the extent of both occasions was fourteen days. 10 And on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishrin the king dismissed the people; and the people blessed the king and departed to their towns, glad and merry in heart, and giving thanks and praises for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David his servant and to Solomon his son and to Israel his people. 11 And it came to pass that King Solomon finished building the house of the LORD and the king’s house; and all that Solomon had reasoned in his mind to make in the house of the LORD and in the king’s house he successfully accomplished."

"12 ¶ And the LORD appeared to Solomon that night and said to him, I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my .people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land. 15 And even now my eyes shall be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen this house for myself, that my glory may be in it for ever, and that my good works and my will shall be done in the midst of it perpetually. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, with innocence of heart and uprightness, to do everything that I have commanded you and to observe my commandments and my statutes; 18 Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom for ever, as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a son in my presence to sit on the throne of Israel. 19 But if you turn away from my ways, both you and your children, and shall not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, and shall go and serve the idols of the nations and worship them; 20 Then I will scatter you out of this land which I have given you; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, I will uproot out of my sight, and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all nations. 21 And this house shall be in ruins, and every one passing by shall stand and shake his head in amazement, and say, Why has the LORD done thus to this great city and to this house? 22 And they will say, Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and they went and revered the gods of the Gentiles and served them and worshipped them; therefore the LORD has brought all this evil upon them."

"8:1 ¶ AND it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD and the royal palace, 2 That Solomon rebuilt the cities which Hiram had given to him, and caused the children of Israel to dwell in them. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath and besieged it, and destroyed it. 4 And he built Tadmor, which had been laid waste like the wilderness, and all the store-cities; 5 Also he built Beth-hauran the upper and Beth-hauran the lower; 6 And built all the store-cities that Solomon had and all the chariot cities and the cities for the horsemen and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion. 7 As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8 But of their descendants, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel could not destroy, these Solomon made servants for himself, and workers and tributaries to this day. 9 But of the children of Israel Solomon made no servants in his kingdom, for they were men of war and the commanders of his chariots and his horsemen. 10 And these were the governors and overseers of King Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, who exercised authority over the people, who did the work. 11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David to the house which he had built for her; for he said, No wife shall dwell with me in the house of David king of Israel, because the place in which the ark of the LORD has come is holy."

"12 ¶ Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and peace offerings upon the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch, 13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of the fasting, and in the feast of tabernacles. 14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; and the porters also by their courses, to guard the doors every day; for so had David the king of Israel, whom the LORD had made king, commanded. 15 And he did not depart from all that King David had commanded him concerning the priests and the Levites and concerning all the service of the house. 16 Thus all the work of Solomon was set in order from the day the foundations of the house of the LORD were laid until all its work was finished. 17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber, the town which is opposite Eloth, at the seaside in the land of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent his servants by ships, skilful mariners, who knew how to pilot ships in the sea, and they went with the servants of Solomon to the city of Ophir, and took from there four hundred talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon."

"9:1 ¶ AND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with enigmas. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great company, and camels bearing spices and gold in abundance and precious stones; and when she was come to King Solomon, she told him all that was in her heart. 2 And King Solomon told her every secret that was in her heart; and there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not tell her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built 4 And the food of his table and the seating of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cupbearers also and their apparel, and the sacrifices that he offered in the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit left in her to see more. 5 And she said to King Solomon, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom; 6 Howbeit I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; for you exceed the report which I heard. 7 Happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom. 8 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has chosen you and set you on the throne of the kingdom of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel, he has made you king over them for ever, to do judgment and justice. 9 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones; there were no such spices in the world as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 10 And the servants also of Hiram and the servants of King Solomon brought gold from Ophir. 11 And they also brought algum wood for stools for the house of the LORD and for the house of King Solomon, and harps for singers, and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. 12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she asked, besides that which he had already given, and he told her all that was in her heart. So she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants."

"13 ¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 Besides the taxes from the cities and the traffic which the merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought silver and gold to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made two hundred shields of fine gold; six hundred shekels of fine gold went into each shield. 16 And he made three hundred shields of fine gold; three hundred shekels of fine gold went to the handle of each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 And there were six steps to the throne, and the rim of the throne encircled from behind it, with armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions standing behind the armrests. 19 And twelve lions stood there, on the one side and on the other side upon the six steps. There was not the like ever made in any kingdom. 20 And all the vessels of the service of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the king’s treasuries were of pure gold; silver was not accounted as anything in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came loaded with silver and gold, elephants, apes, and peacocks. 22 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear the wisdom that the LORD had put into his heart. 24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold and garments, myrrh and spices, horses and mules, a fixed amount year by year. 25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he placed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 26 And Solomon ruled over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. 27 And King Solomon made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as the sand that is by the sea in abundance. 28 And they brought to Solomon horses from Egypt and from all lands. 29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem forty years over all Israel. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."

"10:1 ¶ AND Rehoboam went to Shechem; for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. 2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam and all Israel heard it, 3 They came and said to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, 4 Your father made our yoke grievous; now therefore lighten somewhat the harsh rule of your father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve you. 5 And he said to them, Go away and come again to me after three days. And the people departed. 6 And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had served Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, What counsel do you give me to return an answer to this people? 7 And they spoke to him, saying, If you will answer kindly to this people, and please them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants for ever. 8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, What advice do you give me that we may return answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke which your father did put upon us, and we will serve you? 10 And the young men who were brought up with him in the streets spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you say to the people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it somewhat lighter for us; thus shall you say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s thumb. 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."

"12 ¶ So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had bade them, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 13 And the king answered them with harsh words; and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 14 And spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the decree had been made by God, that the LORD might perform the word of Ahijah the prophet the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying. We have no portion in David, nor an inheritance in the son of Jesse; return every man to his house, O Israel; and now, David, see to your own house. So Israel went to their houses. 17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But King Rehoboam hastily got up into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day."

"11:1 ¶ AND when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled of the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who drew sword, and who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, 3 Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to the house of Benjamin and to all Israel and to the rest of the people, saying, 4 Thus says the LORD: YOU shall not go up, nor fight; return every man to his house, for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the word of the LORD, and returned, to go every man to his house. 5 And Jeroboam built Shechem on the mountain of the tribe of the house of Ephraim, and dwelt in it; and went out from there and built Penuel. 6 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David; 7 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their LORD, and they shall kill me and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 8 Therefore the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said to the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem, why should you go up to Jerusalem and come down? Then he said, These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 9 And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other he put in Dan. 10 And this thing became a sin; for the people went to worship before the calf, even to Dan. And this thing became a sin to all the house of Jeroboam, to be uprooted and destroyed from the earth. 11 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick; and Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise and disguise yourself, and be as a simple woman, that you may not be known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and go to Shiloh; behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who told me that I should be king over this people. 12 Go to him; he shall tell you what shall become of this child."

"13 ¶ And the LORD said to Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to ask a thing of you concerning her son; for he is sick; thus and thus shall you say to her; for it shall be, when she comes in, that she will disguise herself. 14 And it came to pass, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said to her, Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why have you disguised yourself? For I am sent to tell you harsh words. 15 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus says the LORD God of Israel: I have exalted you from among the people and made you king over my people Israel, 16 And took the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you; and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and who walked in my statutes with all his heart to do that which was right in my presence; 17 But you have done evil above all kings who were before you; for you have gone and made for yourself idols of the nations, and images to blaspheme before me, and have cast my worship behind your back. 18 And Rehoboam took to him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah and Zaham. 20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom, which bore him Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith. 21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters). 22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the crown prince, to be ruler among his brethren; for he thought to make him king. 23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all of his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin unto every fortified city; and he gave them food in abundance. And he desired many wives."

"12:1 ¶ AND it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. 2 And it came to pass that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD, 3 With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen; and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims and the Ethiopians. 4 And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. 5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus says the LORD: You have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. 6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous. 7 And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. 9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all; he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 10 Instead of which King Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard that kept the entrance of the king’s house. 11 And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber. 12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether; and also in Judah things went well."

"13 ¶ So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. 14 And he did evil before the LORD, for he did not prepare his heart to worship the LORD and to seek him with all his heart. 15 Now these are the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, to do evil before the LORD God of Israel. And there were wars between Rehoboam the son of Solomon and Jeroboam the son of Nebat continually. 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead."

"13:1 ¶ IN the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat Abijah began to reign over the tribe of Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the daughter of Uriel of Ramtha. 3 And Abijah mobilized an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand young men, who took upon themselves to go and fight against Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And Jeroboam also had mobilized an army, and he came to fight against him with eight hundred thousand young men, being mighty men of valour. 4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the border of mount Ephraim, and said. Hear me, O Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and all Israel; 5 Perhaps you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant pertaining to the kingship. 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. 7 And he gathered to him certain wicked men, the children of iniquity, and he prevailed against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and not advanced in years and did not know what to say, and did not comfort the people concerning the heavy yoke which Solomon his father had laid upon them. 8 And even now what can you say? You went away and renounced the kingdom of the house of David and went and served dead gods. And I reign over a single tribe, but you over many tribes, and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam the son of Nebat made for you. 9 And you have cast out the priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and have made priests for yourselves of the people of the land. And whosoever comes to offer an offering, you take from him a young bullock and seven rams, and he becomes a priest of them that are not gods. 10 But as for us, we have not forsaken the LORD our God, and the priests, who minister to the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites serve as they should; 11 They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offering and sweet incense, and set the shewbread in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps, and a boy having charge of the lamps lights them every evening; thus we have charge of the ordinances of the LORD our God; 12 But you have forsaken him and have gone after dead gods, and you serve them and worship them; and have forsaken the LORD God of your fathers, therefore you shall not prosper in the world."

"13 ¶ But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind; and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 And it came to pass when the men of the house of Judah shouted, the LORD defeated Jeroboam the son of Nebat and all Israel before Judah and Abijah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah; 17 And Abijah slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand young men. 18 Thus the children of Israel were defeated at that time. and the children of Judah prevailed, because they said, We rely upon the LORD God of our fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took some great cities from him, Beth-el with its pastures, Shelah with its pastures, and Ephron with its pastures. 20 Neither did Jereboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck Jeroboam, and he died. 21 But Abijah became strong, and he married fourteen wives, and there were born to him twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways, behold, are written in the poems of the prophet Iddo."

"14:1 ¶ So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet for ten years. 2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the presence of the LORD his God; 3 For he demolished the altars of the strange gods and the shrines, and broke down the images and cut down the groves; 4 And he said to Judah, Come, let us pray before the LORD God of our fathers. 5 Also he uprooted out of all the cities of Judah the shrines on the high places and the idols; and his kingdom was quiet in his days, and he had no enemies on all his borders. 6 And he built fenced cities in Judah; for the land had rest, and there was no one who made war against him in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7 Therefore he said to Judah, Come, let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is still quiet of wars; because we have sought the LORD our God, and he also has sought us and he has given us rest from all those who are round about us, and has comforted us and delivered us. 8 And Asa had an army of mighty men of valour that bore swords and spears out of the tribe of Judah, three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, that bore breastplate and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valour."

"9 ¶ And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a large army of a million men and thirty thousand chariots, and came to Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out against him, and he fought against him in the valley of Mareshah. 11 And Asa prayed before the LORD his God and said, Thou art our LORD, thou art the help of thy people; and when thou dost deliver a great army in the hands of a small force, then all the inhabitants of the earth shall know that it is good to rely on thee; help us, O LORD our God, because in thy name we have come against this great army. O LORD our God, delay not thy might from us. 12 And when Asa had finished praying, the angel of the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them as far as Gedar; and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not be numbered: for they were defeated before the LORD and before his armies; and they took and carried away very much spoil. 14 And they smote all the cities round about Gedar, for the fear of the LORD came upon them; and they plundered all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them. 15 They also carried away the tents of the Arabians and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and brought them to Jerusalem."

"15:1 ¶ AND the Spirit of the LORD came upon Azariah the son of Azor; 2 And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you for ever and ever; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now for a long time Israel has not served their God in truth and has not accepted the teaching of their priests and would not obey their laws; therefore they were delivered into the hand of their enemies. 4 But when in their distress they prayed to the LORD God of Israel and sought him, he was found by them. 5 And in those early times when we did not worship our God, there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in. because of great misfortune that came upon all the inhabitants of the land. 6 And we were scattered in every nation and people, and in towns and cities, 7 Because we had forsaken our God and would not listen to the voice of his servants, the prophets; so he rewarded us according to our works."

"8 ¶ And when Asa heard these words of Azariah the son of Azor the prophet, he took courage and removed the idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the land of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in the front of the porch of the LORD. 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and the proselytes with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh and out of Simeon; for they gathered together and came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And the same day they offered to the LORD of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and six thousand sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to pray to the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 And that whosoever would not pray to the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 And they swore to the LORD with a loud voice, and with sounding of curved and straight trumpets. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at this report which they heard; for they sought him with all their heart and prayed to him with all their soul; and he was found by them, and he delivered them from all their enemies round about. 16 And also Maachah the mother of Asa he removed from being queen mother, because she had a feast to her idols; and Asa cut down her idols and burned them at the brook Kidron. 17 But the altars on the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect in the worship of the LORD his God all the days of his life. 18 And he brought into the house of the LORD the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated, silver and gold and vessels. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa."

"16:1 ¶ IN the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramtha, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent them to Bar-hadad king of Aram, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, 3 There is a league between me and you, as there was between my father and your father; behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me. 4 And Bar-hadad hearkened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they came and encamped against the cities of Israel; and they took Ijon, Abel, and Beth-maacah, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 Then when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramtha, and let his work cease. 6 Then Asa the king gathered together all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramtha and its timber with which Baasha was building; and King Asa built with them Ramtha of Benjamin and the town of Mizpah."

"7 ¶ And at that time Hanan the prophet came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of Aram will flee. 8 And they will go and become strong, both they and the Ethiopians and the kings that are with them, and will become great armies with very many chariots and horsemen, but when you seek the LORD your God, he will deliver them into your hands. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth; therefore, be strong, and let your heart be perfect towards his worship, and understand all his wonders; for the LORD your God will fight for you. 10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in prison because he reported things which he did not see and made the heart of the people tremble; therefore Asa kept himself aloof from the people at that time. 11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And Asa was diseased in his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, and was laid in his house. 13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 And they buried him in his own sepulchre in the city of David, and they laid him on a bier which was filled with many kinds of spices, and they made a very great burnt offering for him."

"17:1 ¶ AND Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 And he placed mighty men in all the fortified cities of Judah, and appointed governors in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken. 3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and did not pray to images; 4 But he prayed to the LORD God of his father and walked in his commandments and kept his statutes, and did not do according to the ways of Israel. 5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought presents to Jehoshaphat and he had riches and honor in abundance. 6 And his heart was strengthened in the ways of the LORD; moreover he uprooted the altars and the high places which were within the territory of Judah. 7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent and called his princes and the commanders of the armies, even to Obadiah, Zechariah, Nathanael, Melachiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. 8 And with them were the Levites, even Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zechariah, Ashaiel, Natorah, Jonathan, Adonijah, and Tobiah. These were all Levites, and with them were Elishama and Jehoram, priests. 9 And they taught in all the land of Judah, having the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people."

"10 ¶ And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Also some of the cities of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, silver, and poll tax; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats, yearly. 12 And Jehoshaphat grew exceedingly rich; and he built in Judah castles and store cities. 13 And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Jerusalem. 14 And this is the number of them according to the house of their fathers. Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adino the chief, and with him mighty men of valour, three hundred thousand. 15 And next to him was Johanan the commander, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand valiant men. 16 And next to him was Shemai the son of Zerah, with whom the LORD was pleased, and with him two hundred thousand valiant men. 17 And of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valour, and with him, armed with bow and shield, two hundred thousand. 18 And next to him was Jehozabad, a mighty man, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready for the war. 19 These were all who served King Jehoshaphat, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all the land of Judah."

"18:1 ¶ NOW Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he made an alliance with Ahab. 2 And after two years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the armed forces that were with him, and advised him to go up to Ramath-gilead. 3 And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go up with me to Ramath-gilead? And he answered him, I will go up as you do; and my people are as your people; and my horses as your horses, and we will go with you to war."

"4 ¶ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray, for the word of the LORD today. 5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramath-gilead to battle or shall I forbear? And they said to him, Go up; for the LORD will deliver your enemies into your hands. 6 But King Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a true prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of him? 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him; for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. His name is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 8 And the king of Israel called for one of the officers and said to him, Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. 9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each man on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the false prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of a Canaanitish woman had made for himself horns of iron, and he said, Thus says the LORD: With these you shall pierce the Arameans until they are cut off and destroyed. 11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramath-gilead, and triumph: for the LORD will deliver your enemies into your hands, O king. 12 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the false prophets have declared good to the king with one accord; let your words, therefore, be pleasant like one of theirs, and you also prophesy good. 13 And Micaiah said, As the LORD God lives, what my God puts into my heart, that will I speak. 14 And when he was come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramath-gilead or shall I forbear? And he said to him, Go up and triumph, and they shall be delivered into your hands. 15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you that you say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD? 16 Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said, These have no king; let them return therefore every man to his house 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 Then Micaiah said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and be slain at Ramath-gilead? And one said, I will entice him after this manner, and another said, I will entice him after that manner. 20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD and said, I will entice him, and the LORD said to him, With what? 21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, You shall entice him, and you shall also prevail; go out, and do according to what you have said. 22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the LORD has decreed evil against you. 23 Then Zedekiah the son of the Canaanitish woman came near and struck Micaiah on his cheek, and said to him, Since when did the Spirit of the LORD depart from me to speak to you? 24 And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. 25 Then the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back and detain him in the house of Amon the governor of the city and in the house of Joash the king’s son; 26 And say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace. 27 And Micaiah said, If you certainly return in peace, then the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, all you people."

"28 ¶ So Jehoshaphat the king of Judah and Ahab the king of Israel went up to Ramath-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will put on my armor, and go and stand in the battle array; and you put on your armor. So the king of Israel put on his armor, and went and stood in the battle array. 30 Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, thirty-two in number, saying, Fight not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. 31 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they came against him to fight him; but Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD helped him; and he turned them away from him. 32 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 And a certain man shot an arrow unwittingly towards him, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of his breastplate; therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn your hand and carry me out of the host; for I am grievously wounded. 34 And the battle grew fiercer that day; but the king of Israel was seated in the chariot fighting against the Arameans until the evening, and at sunset he died."

"19:1 ¶ AND at the evening Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu the son of Hanan the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, Should you go to help the ungodly, and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the LORD is angry with you. 3 But I believe good reports have been heard about you, in that you have not shed innocent blood in the land and have prepared your heart to pray before the LORD in truth. 4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from the city of Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back to worship the LORD God of their fathers."

"5 ¶ And he appointed judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah and the great cities. 6 And he said to the judges, Take heed what you do; for you judge not for man, but for the LORD our God. 7 Therefore be courageous and judge righteously, so that the LORD may be with you for ever; take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God nor respect of persons nor taking of bribes. 8 Moreover in Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed men of the Levites and of the priests and of the chiefs of the fathers of the children of Israel for the judgment of the LORD; then he returned to Jerusalem. 9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in reverence of the LORD, in faithfulness and with a perfect heart. 10 And whatsoever case shall come to you of your brethren who dwell in your cities, between bloodshed and bloodshed, between law and commandment, between statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the LORD, and thus he become angry with them and with their brethren; this do, and you shall not be guilty. 11 And, behold, I have appointed priests over you, that they may judge just and faithful judgments according to the commandment of the LORD. And Zechariah the son of Shemiah declared to all the people of Judah all the commandments of the king; he also declared to the scribes and the Levites, repeating everything before them, saying, Deal courageously, and the LORD will help you for ever."

"20:1 ¶ AND it came to pass after this, the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, with the mighty men of war, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 Then there came messengers and told Jehoshaphat, saying, A great army has come against you from beyond the Red Sea; and, behold, they are encamping in Jericho, which is En-gad. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and he raised up his face to pray before the LORD and proclaimed a fast for all the inhabitants of Judah. And he said to them, Gather yourselves together and come let us beseech the LORD our God. 4 And all the inhabitants of Judah gathered themselves together, even from far off cities, and they came to beseech the LORD. 5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Judah in the house of the LORD, which is in Jerusalem, before the new court, 6 And he prayed and said, O LORD God of our fathers, thou art the God in heaven, and thou art ruler over all the kingdoms of the world, and thine is power and might, and now I stand before thee praying. 7 And thou art our God, who didst destroy the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the descendants of Abraham thy friend for ever. 8 And they have dwelt in it, and have built in it a sanctuary for thy name, saying, 9 Now, because there is a sanctuary among us, no evil shall come upon us, nor the sword nor judgment nor pestilence nor famine; and we shall come and stand before this house and before thee (for thy name has been invoked in this house), and we will pray before thee in this house, and thou wilt hear our prayer and save us. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon, of the mount of Gabel, and of Moab, with whom thou wouldst not let Israel mix when thou didst bring them out of the land of Egypt, and thou hadst removed the yoke of the Egyptians from them, 11 Behold, now they reward us; they are coming to drive us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, make thyself known and judge them, for we have no strength to stand before them; bring upon them the sword of thy judgment, for we do not know what to do; but our eyes are upon thee. 13 And all Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters."

"14 ¶ Then upon Hazaiel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiadah, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of might from before the LORD, and he was standing before the people of Israel; 15 And he said, Hearken, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, thus says the LORD your God: Be not afraid nor dismayed because of this great army; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Hasten, go down against them; behold, they are coming up early in the morning; and you shall find them in the cliff of the valley, before the wilderness. They are coming up to fight against you. 17 And in that hour, stand still and see the salvation that the LORD will do for you, O Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them; for the LORD God will help you. 18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and worshipped; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. 19 And the Levites of the descendants of the Kohathites and of the descendants of the Korhites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice,"

"20 ¶ And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, so you shall be established; believe in his prophets, and you shall be delivered. 21 Then he stood in the midst of the people and said, Come, let us give thanks to the LORD, and give praise to the excellency of his holiness, as he is going forth before our armies to fight for us against our enemies. And they said, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever. Then the hills began to give praise and the mountains began to rejoice. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked to the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel came to take away the spoil from them, they found among them an abundance of booty: riches, bridles, horses, and precious jewels, and they took for themselves whatever they desired. 26 And it came to pass after three days, when they were through taking the spoil, because it was so much, they assembled themselves on the fourth day in the valley of Borktha; for there they blessed the LORD God; therefore the name of that place was called the valley of Borktha to this day. 27 Then all the men of Judah returned to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat at their head, for they were returning to Jerusalem rejoicing; for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to Jerusalem with songs, harps, lyres, and curved and straight trumpets, to the house of the LORD. 29 And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for the LORD gave him rest on all sides."

"31 ¶ And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah; he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Arubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father, and did not turn aside from them, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD. 33 However the shrines on the high places were not removed; for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the sayings of Jehu the son of Hanan, which are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. 35 And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly, more than all the kings of Israel. 36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-gaber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Jehoshaphat’s uncle prophesied in the city of Mareshah against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because of your partnership with Ahaziah, the LORD has confused all your works. And the ships were damaged and were not able to go to Tarshish."

"21:1 ¶ NOW Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. 2 And he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, and these are their names: Azariah, Nahjaiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Malchael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold, and many other gifts, with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram because he was his first-born. 4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and slew all his brothers in the battle and also slew some of the elders of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for Ahab’s sister was his wife; and he did that which was evil in the presence of the LORD. 7 However the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David anti because he had promised to give an heir to him and to his sons for ever. 8 In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king. 9 Then Jehoram crossed over the Jordan with his princes, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night and smote the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10 So the Edomites revolted from the dominion of Judah to this day. At the same time also did the Edomites who dwelt in Libnah revolt from his rule, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers. 11 Moreover he made shrines on high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the Nazarites of Jerusalem to drink wine and scattered the house of Judah."

"12 ¶ And there was brought to him a letter from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the LORD God of David your father: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 But have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go astray with the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also have Main your brothers, your father’s sons, who were better than yourself; 14 Behold, the LORD will smite you with a great plague, together with your people, your children, your wives, and all your goods; 15 And you yourself shall die with a severe sickness; and you shall be consumed with a great torment until your bowels fall out because of your sickness. And you shall be tormented for many years. 16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who dwelt near the Ethiopians; 17 And they came up against Judah and smote it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also and his wives; so that no son was left to him except Ahaziah his youngest son. 18 And after all this he was smitten in his bowels with an incurable disease. 19 And it came to pass that in the process of time, after the end of two years, the word of the prophet was fulfilled, his bowels fell out because of his sickness; so he died of sore disease. And his people did not honor him with a funeral according to the manner they had done for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem, and his departure was not regretted. And he was buried in the city of David his father, but not in the sepulchres of the kings."

"22:1 ¶ THEN the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead; for raiders had come to the camp and slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. 2 Twenty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3 And he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for he was the son of Ahab’s sister. 4 He also committed many sins and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction, 5 Because he walked after their counsel, and went with Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramath-gilead; and the Arameans smote Joram. 6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which he had received at Ramtha, when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick. 7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was determined by God, who decreed that he should go to Joram; for when he was come, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu the son of Jamshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 And when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah who ministered to Ahaziah and slew them. 9 And he sought Ahaziah and he caught him (for he was hiding in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu; and when they had slain him, they buried him; for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no one with power to rule over the kingdom."

"10 ¶ Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the king’s sons of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, stole Joash the son of Ahaziah from among the king’s sons who were about to be slain, and hid him and his nurse in her bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiadah the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not slay him. 12