July
28
2
chronicles 16-18
2Ch
16:1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king
of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not
allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2Ch
16:2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of
the house of Yahweh and of the king's house, and sent to Ben Hadad
king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,
2Ch
16:3 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 depart from me.
2Ch
16:4 Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his
armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, and Dan,
and Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
2Ch
16:5 It happened, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building
Ramah, and let his work cease.
2Ch
16:6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the
stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he
built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
2Ch
16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and
said to him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have
not relied on Yahweh your God, therefore is the army of the king of
Syria escaped out of your hand.
2Ch
16:8 Weren't the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots
and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because you relyed on Yahweh, he
delivered them into your hand.
2Ch
16:9 For the eyes of Yahweh run back and forth throughout the whole
earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is
perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly; for from
henceforth you shall have wars.
2Ch
16:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison;
for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed
some of the people at the same time.
2Ch
16:11 Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are
written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
2Ch
16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his
feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he didn't
seek Yahweh, but to the physicians.
2Ch
16:13 Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth
year of his reign.
2Ch
16:14 They buried him in his own tombs, which he had dug out for
himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was
filled with sweet odors and various kinds of
spices prepared by the perfumers' art:
and they made a very great burning for him.
2Ch
17:1 Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened
himself against Israel.
2Ch
17:2 He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set
garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which
Asa his father had taken.
2Ch
17:3 Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first
ways of his father David, and didn't seek the Baals,
2Ch
17:4 but sought to the God of his father, and walked in his
commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
2Ch
17:5 Therefore Yahweh established the kingdom in his hand; and all
Judah brought to Jehoshaphat tribute; and he had riches and honor in
abundance.
2Ch
17:6 His heart was lifted up in the ways of Yahweh: and furthermore
he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
2Ch
17:7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even
Ben Hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to
teach in the cities of Judah;
2Ch
17:8 and with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and
Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah,
and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and
Jehoram, the priests.
2Ch
17:9 They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of Yahweh with
them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and
taught among the people.
2Ch
17:10 The fear of Yahweh fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that
were around Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
2Ch
17:11 Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and
silver for tribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven
thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred
male goats.
2Ch
17:12 Jehoshaphat grew great exceedingly; and he built in Judah
castles and cities of store.
2Ch
17:13 He had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war,
mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem.
2Ch
17:14 This was the numbering of them according to their fathers'
houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and
with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand;
2Ch
17:15 and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two
hundred eighty thousand;
2Ch
17:16 and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly
offered himself to Yahweh; and with him two hundred thousand mighty
men of valor.
2Ch
17:17 Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two
hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;
2Ch
17:18 and next to him Jehozabad and with him one hundred eighty
thousand ready prepared for war.
2Ch
17:19 These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom
the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
2Ch
18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he
joined affinity with Ahab.
2Ch
18:2 After certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab
killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who
were with him, and moved him to go up with
him to Ramoth Gilead.
2Ch
18:3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you
go with me to Ramoth Gilead? He answered him, I am as you are, and my
people as your people; and we will be
with you in the war.
2Ch
18:4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire first
for the word of Yahweh.
2Ch
18:5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four
hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to
battle, or shall I forbear? They said, Go up; for God will deliver it
into the hand of the king.
2Ch
18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, Isn't there here a prophet of Yahweh
besides, that we may inquire of him?
2Ch
18:7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by
whom we may inquire of Yahweh: but I hate him; for he never
prophesies good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah
the son of Imla. Jehoshaphat said, Don't let the king say so.
2Ch
18:8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Get
quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
2Ch
18:9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat
each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in
an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the
prophets were prophesying before them.
2Ch
18:10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and
said, Thus says Yahweh, With these you shall push the Syrians, until
they be consumed.
2Ch
18:11 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth
Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the
king.
2Ch
18:12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying,
Behold, the words of the prophets declare
good to the king with one mouth: let your word therefore, Please be
like one of theirs, and speak good.
2Ch
18:13 Micaiah said, As Yahweh lives, what my God says, that will I
speak.
2Ch
18:14 When he was come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah,
shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? He said,
Go up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.
2Ch
18:15 The king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you that
you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?
2Ch
18:16 He said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep
that have no shepherd: and Yahweh said, These have no master; let
them return every man to his house in peace.
2Ch
18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you that
he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
2Ch
18:18 Micaiah
said, "Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting
on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand
and on his left.
2Ch
18:19 Yahweh said, 'Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he
may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One spoke saying after this
manner, and another saying after that manner.
2Ch
18:20 There came forth a spirit, and stood before Yahweh, and said,
'I will entice him.' Yahweh said to him, 'How?'
2Ch
18:21 He said, 'I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all his prophets.' He said, 'You shall entice him, and shall
prevail also: go forth, and do so.'
2Ch
18:22 Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the
mouth of these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning
you."
2Ch
18:23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck
Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Yahweh
from me to speak to you?
2Ch
18:24 Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day, when you
shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.
2Ch
18:25 The king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to
Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
2Ch
18:26 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.
2Ch
18:27 Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not
spoken by me. He said, Hear, you peoples, all of you.
2Ch
18:28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went
up to Ramoth Gilead.
2Ch
18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise
myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes. So the
king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.
2Ch
18:30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his
chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with
the king of Israel.
2Ch
18:31 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw
Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they
turned about to fight against him: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and
Yahweh helped him; and God moved them to
depart from him.
2Ch
18:32 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was
not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
2Ch
18:33 A certain man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king
of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the
driver of the chariot, Turn your hand, and carry me out of the army;
for I am sore wounded.
2Ch
18:34 The battle increased that day: however the king of Israel
stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even;
and about the time of the going down of the sun he died.