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2 Chronicles 19-23
New King James Version

Jehoshaphat’s Additional Reforms

19 Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu the son of Hanani (A)the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and (B)love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the (C)wrath of the Lord is upon you. 3 Nevertheless (D)good things are found in you, in that you have removed the [a]wooden images from the land, and have (E)prepared your heart to seek God.”

The Reforms of Jehoshaphat

4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their (F)fathers. 5 Then he set (G)judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for (H)you do not judge for man but for the Lord, (I)who is with you [b]in the judgment. 7 Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for (J)there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no (K)partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

8 Moreover in Jerusalem, for the judgment of the Lord and for controversies, Jehoshaphat (L)appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, [c]when they returned to Jerusalem. 9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall act (M)in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart: 10 (N)Whatever case comes to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them, lest they trespass against the Lord and (O)wrath come upon (P)you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty. 11 And take notice: (Q)Amariah the chief priest is over you (R)in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters; also the Levites will be officials before you. Behave courageously, and the Lord will be (S)with the good.”

Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir Defeated

20 It happened after this that the people of (T)Moab with the people of (U)Ammon, and others with them besides the (V)Ammonites,[d] came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [e]Syria; and they are (W)in Hazazon Tamar” (which is (X)En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [f]himself to (Y)seek the Lord, and (Z)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask (AA)help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not (AB)God in heaven, and (AC)do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and (AD)in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not (AE)our God, who (AF)drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham (AG)Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 (AH)‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your (AI)name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You (AJ)would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but (AK)they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us (AL)by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not (AM)judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but (AN)our eyes are upon You.”

13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

14 Then (AO)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: (AP)‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, (AQ)for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the [g]brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 (AR)You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, (AS)for the Lord is with you.”

18 And Jehoshaphat (AT)bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: (AU)Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, (AV)and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

(AW)“Praise the Lord,
(AX)For His mercy endures forever.”

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, (AY)the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they [h]had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, (AZ)they helped to destroy one another.

24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the [i]dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of [j]Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had (BA)made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And (BB)the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his (BC)God gave him rest all around.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign(BD)

31 (BE)So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father (BF)Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33 Nevertheless (BG)the [k]high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not (BH)directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, (BI)which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 After this (BJ)Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, (BK)who acted very (BL)wickedly. 36 And he allied himself with him (BM)to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” (BN)Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go (BO)to Tarshish.

Jehoram Reigns in Judah(BP)

21 And (BQ)Jehoshaphat [l]rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram [m]was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

5 (BR)Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of (BS)Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the (BT)covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his (BU)sons forever.

8 (BV)In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. 9 So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. 11 Moreover he made [n]high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to (BW)commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.

12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

Thus says the Lord God of your father David:

Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have (BX)made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to (BY)play the harlot like the (BZ)harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have (CA)killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a (CB)disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

16 Moreover the (CC)Lord (CD)stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the (CE)Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also (CF)his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except [o]Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 After all this the Lord struck him (CG)in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no [p]burning for him, like (CH)the burning for his fathers.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Ahaziah Reigns in Judah(CI)

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made (CJ)Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the raiders who came with the (CK)Arabians into the camp had killed all the (CL)older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned. 2 Ahaziah was [q]forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was (CM)Athaliah the [r]granddaughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly. 4 Therefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction. 5 He also followed their advice, and went with [s]Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. 6 (CN)Then he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And [t]Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

7 His going to Joram (CO)was God’s occasion for Ahaziah’s [u]downfall; for when he arrived, (CP)he went out with [v]Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, (CQ)whom the Lord had anointed to [w]cut off the house of Ahab. 8 And it happened, when Jehu was (CR)executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and (CS)found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who served Ahaziah, that he killed them. 9 (CT)Then he searched for Ahaziah; and they caught him (he was hiding in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. When they had killed him, they buried him, “because,” they said, “he is the son of (CU)Jehoshaphat, who (CV)sought the Lord with all his heart.”

So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume power over the kingdom.

Athaliah Reigns in Judah(CW)

10 (CX)Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 11 But [x]Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took (CY)Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. 12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash Crowned King of Judah(CZ)

23 In (DA)the seventh year (DB)Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of (DC)Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the (DD)chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has (DE)said of the sons of David. 4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you (DF)entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and (DG)those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed (DH)the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small (DI)shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. 10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king. 11 And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, (DJ)gave him the [y]Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!”

Death of Athaliah(DK)

12 Now when (DL)Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. 13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and (DM)those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, (DN)“Treason! Treason!”

14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of the Lord.”

15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance (DO)of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there.

16 Then Jehoiada made a (DP)covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 And all the people went to the [z]temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and (DQ)killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had (DR)assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the (DS)Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. 19 And he set the (DT)gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.

20 (DU)Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:3 Or Asherim, Heb. Asheroth
  2. 2 Chronicles 19:6 Lit. in the matter of the judgment
  3. 2 Chronicles 19:8 LXX, Vg. for the inhabitants of Jerusalem
  4. 2 Chronicles 20:1 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Meunites (cf. 2 Chr. 26:7)
  5. 2 Chronicles 20:2 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Heb. mss., Old Lat. Edom
  6. 2 Chronicles 20:3 Lit. his face
  7. 2 Chronicles 20:16 streambed or wadi
  8. 2 Chronicles 20:23 had finished
  9. 2 Chronicles 20:25 A few Heb. mss., Old Lat., Vg. garments; LXX armor
  10. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Lit. Blessing
  11. 2 Chronicles 20:33 Places for pagan worship
  12. 2 Chronicles 21:1 Died and joined his ancestors
  13. 2 Chronicles 21:4 Lit. arose
  14. 2 Chronicles 21:11 Places for pagan worship
  15. 2 Chronicles 21:17 Ahaziah or Azariah, 2 Chr. 22:1
  16. 2 Chronicles 21:19 Burning of spices
  17. 2 Chronicles 22:2 twenty-two, 2 Kin. 8:26
  18. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Lit. daughter
  19. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Joram, v. 7; 2 Kin. 8:28
  20. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. Ahaziah and 2 Kin. 8:29
  21. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Lit. crushing
  22. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Joram, vv. 5, 7; 2 Kin. 8:28
  23. 2 Chronicles 22:7 destroy
  24. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Jehosheba, 2 Kin. 11:2
  25. 2 Chronicles 23:11 Law, Ex. 25:16, 21; 31:18
  26. 2 Chronicles 23:17 Lit. house
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2 Chronicles 19-23
New International Version

19 When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu(A) the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked(B) and love[a] those who hate the Lord?(C) Because of this, the wrath(D) of the Lord is on you. 3 There is, however, some good(E) in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles(F) and have set your heart on seeking God.(G)”

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges(H) in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6 He told them, “Consider carefully what you do,(I) because you are not judging for mere mortals(J) but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7 Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice(K) or partiality(L) or bribery.”

8 In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites,(M) priests(N) and heads of Israelite families to administer(O) the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. 9 He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. 10 In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations—you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord;(P) otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.

11 “Amariah the chief priest will be over you in any matter concerning the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be over you in any matter concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act with courage,(Q) and may the Lord be with those who do well.”

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

20 After this, the Moabites(R) and Ammonites with some of the Meunites[b](S) came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army(T) is coming against you from Edom,[c] from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar(U)” (that is, En Gedi).(V) 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast(W) for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah(X) came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors,(Y) are you not the God who is in heaven?(Z) You rule over all the kingdoms(AA) of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.(AB) 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land(AC) before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?(AD) 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary(AE) for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine,(AF) we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt;(AG) so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession(AH) you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them?(AI) For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.(AJ)”

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

14 Then the Spirit(AK) of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,(AL) a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged(AM) because of this vast army. For the battle(AN) is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see(AO) the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down(AP) with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith(AQ) in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.(AR)” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his[d] holiness(AS) as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his love endures forever.”(AT)

22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes(AU) against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites(AV) and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir(AW) to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.(AX)

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing[e] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah[f] to this day.

27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.

29 The fear(AY) of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought(AZ) against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest(BA) on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign(BB)

31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 32 He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 33 The high places,(BC) however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

34 The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu(BD) son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance(BE) with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.(BF) 36 He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.[g] After these were built at Ezion Geber, 37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships(BG) were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.[h]

21 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram(BH) his son succeeded him as king. 2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.[i] 3 Their father had given them many gifts(BI) of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities(BJ) in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

Jehoram King of Judah(BK)

4 When Jehoram established(BL) himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers(BM) to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel,(BN) as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab.(BO) He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David,(BP) the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David.(BQ) He had promised to maintain a lamp(BR) for him and his descendants forever.

8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom(BS) rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10 To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

Libnah(BT) revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah(BU) the prophet, which said:

“This is what the Lord, the God of your father(BV) David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa(BW) king of Judah. 13 But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did.(BX) You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better(BY) than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease(BZ) of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’”

16 The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs(CA) who lived near the Cushites. 17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,[j] the youngest.(CB)

18 After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor,(CC) as they had for his predecessors.

20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried(CD) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Ahaziah King of Judah(CE)(CF)

22 The people(CG) of Jerusalem(CH) made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders,(CI) who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

2 Ahaziah was twenty-two[k] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

3 He too followed(CJ) the ways of the house of Ahab,(CK) for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. 4 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. 5 He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram[l] son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.(CL) The Arameans wounded Joram; 6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramoth[m] in his battle with Hazael(CM) king of Aram.

Then Ahaziah[n] son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.

7 Through Ahaziah’s(CN) visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab,(CO) he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9 He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding(CP) in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought(CQ) the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

Athaliah and Joash(CR)

10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehosheba,[o] the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba,[p] the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. 12 He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites(CS) and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, 3 the whole assembly made a covenant(CT) with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.(CU) 4 Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, 5 a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. 6 No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe(CV) the Lord’s command not to enter.[q] 7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

8 The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered.(CW) Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.(CX) 9 Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. 10 He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy(CY) of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. 13 She looked, and there was the king,(CZ) standing by his pillar(DA) at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks[r] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.” 15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate(DB) on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

16 Jehoiada then made a covenant(DC) that he, the people and the king[s] would be the Lord’s people. 17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed(DD) Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests,(DE) to whom David had made assignments in the temple,(DF) to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. 19 He also stationed gatekeepers(DG) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

20 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate(DH) and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.(DI)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:2 Or and make alliances with
  2. 2 Chronicles 20:1 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew Ammonites
  3. 2 Chronicles 20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate Aram
  4. 2 Chronicles 20:21 Or him with the splendor of
  5. 2 Chronicles 20:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts corpses
  6. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Berakah means praise.
  7. 2 Chronicles 20:36 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
  8. 2 Chronicles 20:37 Hebrew sail for Tarshish
  9. 2 Chronicles 21:2 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  10. 2 Chronicles 21:17 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah
  11. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:26); Hebrew forty-two
  12. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 6 and 7
  13. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Hebrew Ramah, a variant of Ramoth
  14. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:29); most Hebrew manuscripts Azariah
  15. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Hebrew Jehoshabeath, a variant of Jehosheba
  16. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Hebrew Jehoshabeath, a variant of Jehosheba
  17. 2 Chronicles 23:6 Or are to stand guard where the Lord has assigned them
  18. 2 Chronicles 23:14 Or out from the precincts
  19. 2 Chronicles 23:16 Or covenant between the Lord and the people and the king that they (see 2 Kings 11:17)
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2 Chronicles 18
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