The Second Book of Chronicles, starting at chapter 19
{19:1} Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace
to Jerusalem. {19:2} Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet
him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Should you help the wicked, and
love those who hate Yahweh? for this thing wrath is on you from before
Yahweh. {19:3} Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in
that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your
heart to seek God. {19:4} Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem: and he went
out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of
Ephraim, and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
{19:5} He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities
of Judah, city by city, {19:6} and said to the judges, Consider what
you do: for you don't judge for man, but for Yahweh; and [he is] with
you in the judgment. {19:7} Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on
you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our
God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes. {19:8} Moreover in
Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of
the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Israel, for the judgment of
Yahweh, and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem. {19:9} He
charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in the fear of Yahweh,
faithfully, and with a perfect heart. {19:10} Whenever any controversy
shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities,
between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and
ordinances, you shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards
Yahweh, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers: this do, and
you shall not be guilty. {19:11} Behold, Amariah the chief priest is
over you in all matters of Yahweh; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael,
the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters: also the
Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and Yahweh be
with the good.
{20:1} It happened after this, that the children of Moab, and the
children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against
Jehoshaphat to battle. {20:2} Then there came some who told
Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against you from
beyond the sea from Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar (the
same is En Gedi). {20:3} Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
to Yahweh; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. {20:4} Judah
gathered themselves together, to seek [help] of Yahweh: even out of
all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh. {20:5} Jehoshaphat
stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Yahweh,
before the new court; {20:6} and he said, Yahweh, the God of our
fathers, aren't you God in heaven? and aren't you ruler over all the
kingdoms of the nations? and in your hand is power and might, so that
none is able to withstand you. {20:7} Did not you, our God, drive out
the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to
the seed of Abraham your friend forever? {20:8} They lived therein,
and have built you a sanctuary therein for your name, saying, {20:9}
If evil come on us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we
will stand before this house, and before you, (for your name is in
this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and
save. {20:10} Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount
Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the
land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and didn't destroy
them; {20:11} behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of
your possession, which you have given us to inherit. {20:12} Our God,
will you not judge them? for we have no might against this great
company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but our
eyes are on you. {20:13} All Judah stood before Yahweh, with their
little ones, their wives, and their children. {20:14} Then on Jahaziel
the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of
Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of Yahweh
in the midst of the assembly; {20:15} and he said, Listen you, all
Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat:
Thus says Yahweh to you, Don't be afraid you, neither be dismayed by
reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but
God's. {20:16} Tomorrow go you down against them: behold, they come up
by the ascent of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the
valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. {20:17} You shall not need to
fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the
salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; don't be afraid,
nor be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them: for Yahweh is with you.
{20:18} Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and
all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh,
worshipping Yahweh. {20:19} The Levites, of the children of the
Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise
Yahweh, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice. {20:20} 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,
Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Yahweh your God,
so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you
prosper. {20:21} When he had taken counsel with the people, he
appointed those who should sing to Yahweh, and give praise in holy
array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to
Yahweh; for his loving kindness endures forever. {20:22} When they
began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set ambushers against the children
of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they
were struck. {20:23} For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up
against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to kill and destroy
them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir,
everyone helped to destroy another. {20:24} When Judah came to the
place overlooking the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and
behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none
who escaped. {20:25} When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the
spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead
bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves,
more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking
the spoil, it was so much. {20:26} On the fourth day they assembled
themselves in the valley of Beracah; for there they blessed Yahweh:
therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah to
this day. {20:27} Then they returned, every man of Judah and
Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to
Jerusalem with joy; for Yahweh had made them to rejoice over their
enemies. {20:28} They came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments and
harps and trumpets to the house of Yahweh. {20:29} The fear of God was
on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Yahweh
fought against the enemies of Israel. {20:30} So the realm of
Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about. {20:31}
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 Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. {20:32} He walked in
the way of Asa his father, and didn't turn aside from it, doing that
which was right in the eyes of Yahweh. {20:33} However the high places
were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts to
the God of their fathers. {20:34} Now the rest of the acts of
Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history
of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings
of Israel. {20:35} After this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join
himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; the same did very wickedly:
{20:36} and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to
Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. {20:37} Then Eliezer
the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat,
saying, Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has
destroyed your works. The ships were broken, so that they were not
able to go to Tarshish.
{21:1} Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his
place. {21:2} He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and
Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah; all
these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. {21:3} Their father
gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of precious things,
with fortified cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram,
because he was the firstborn. {21:4} Now when Jehoram was risen up
over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he
killed all his brothers with the sword, and various also of the
princes of Israel. {21:5} Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he
began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. {21:6} He
walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab;
for he had the daughter of Ahab as wife: and he did that which was
evil in the sight of Yahweh. {21:7} However Yahweh would not destroy
the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with
David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children
always. {21:8} In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah,
and made a king over themselves. {21:9} Then Jehoram passed over with
his captains, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night,
and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of
the chariots. {21:10} So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to
this day: then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his hand,
because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers. {21:11}
Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the
inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the prostitute, and led Judah astray.
{21:12} There came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,
Thus says Yahweh, the 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, {21:13} but have walked in the way of the kings of
Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play
the prostitute, like as the house of Ahab did, and also have slain
your brothers of your father's house, who were better than yourself:
{21:14} behold, Yahweh will strike with a great plague your people,
and your children, and your wives, and all your substance; {21:15} and
you shall have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your
bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day. {21:16} Yahweh
stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the
Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians: {21:17} and they came up
against Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance
that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives;
so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of
his sons. {21:18} After all this Yahweh struck him in his bowels with
an incurable disease. {21:19} It happened, in process of time, at the
end of two years, that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness,
and he died of sore diseases. His people made no burning for him, like
the burning of his fathers. {21:20} Thirty-two years old was he when
he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years: and he
departed without being desired; and they buried him in the city of
David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
___
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