2 Chronicles 10-32

New Catholic Bible

The Monarchy before Hezekiah

Chapter 10

The Kingdom Divided. ¹ Rehoboam immediately went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there. ² When Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, learned about this in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon, he then returned from Egypt.

³ The people thereupon summoned Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said to him: ⁴ “Your father laid a heavy yoke upon us. However, if you agree to lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke that he imposed on us, we will serve you.” ⁵ Rehoboam replied to them: “Come back to me again in three days, and then I will inform you of my decision.” On hearing this, the people departed.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam sought the counsel of the elders who had served as attendants and advisors to his father Solomon during his lifetime. He asked them: “What answer do you advise me to give to this people?” ⁷ They replied: “If you will treat this people with kindness and be fair in your dealings with them, they will remain your servants forever.”

⁸ However, Rehoboam rejected the advice that the elders had given him and proceeded to consult the young men who had grown up with him and who now attended him. ⁹ He said to them: “What reply do you advise me to give to this people who have requested that I lighten the yoke that my father imposed on them?”

¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied: “This is the answer that you should give to this people who said to you: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy. We implore you to lighten it for us.’ Tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. ¹¹ Although my father laid a heavy yoke on you, I shall make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ”

¹² On the third day, Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam as the king had instructed them to do. ¹³ The king replied to them sharply, having rejected the advice which the elders had given him. ¹⁴ Rather, he followed the advice of the younger men and said: “My father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will scourge you with scorpions.”

¹⁵ Thus the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was ordained by God so that the Lord might fulfill his word that he had spoken to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, through Ahijah the Shilonite.

^16 [a]When all Israel realized that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king:

Then all Israel departed to their tents. ¹⁷ Therefore, Rehoboam reigned over only those Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.

¹⁸ When King Rehoboam sent forth Hadoram, the commander in charge of the forced labor, the Israelites stoned him to death. However, King Rehoboam managed to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Thus from that day to this, Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.

Chapter 11

¹ When Rehoboam reached Jerusalem, he mustered one hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors of the house of Judah and Benjamin to fight against David and restore the kingdom to him. ² However, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God: ³ “Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin: ⁴ ‘Thus says the Lord: You are not to march out to fight against your brothers. Return home, every single one of you, for this is my doing.’ ” Therefore, they obeyed the command of the Lord and turned back from their campaign against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam’s Works. ⁵ Rehoboam took up residence in Jerusalem, and he built a number of fortified cities in Judah. ⁶ He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoram, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.

¹¹ He then strengthened the defenses of these fortifications and stationed commanders in them, as well as supplies of food, oil, and wine. ¹² He also supplied all the cities with large shields and spears of great strength. Thus he retained control of Judah and Benjamin.

¹³ Jeroboam’s Priests. The priests and the Levites throughout Israel placed themselves at Rehoboam’s disposal. ¹⁴ Actually the Levites had abandoned their pasture lands and their holdings and had come to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected their services as priests of the Lord. ¹⁵ Jeroboam therefore appointed his own priests for the high places and for the satyrs and calves he had made.

¹⁶ On the other hand, those who were determined to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, secure, for they followed the example of David and Solomon for three years.

¹⁸ Rehoboam’s Wives. Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, and whose mother was Abihail, the daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. ¹⁹ She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

²⁰ After her he married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and concubines. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah, the son of Maacah, as the chief prince among his brothers, inasmuch as he intended to make him king. ²³ He acted wisely by distributing some of his sons throughout all the districts of Judah and Benjamin in all the fortified cities. He also gave them copious provisions and obtained a number of wives for them.

Chapter 12

Rehoboam’s Unfaithfulness. ¹ After Rehoboam’s kingdom was firmly established and he grew ever more powerful, he, and all Israel^[b] with him, abandoned the law of the Lord. ² In the fifth year of the reign of King Rehoboam, because he and his people had been unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem^{[c] 3} with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. In addition, he also brought with him from Egypt a vast army beyond counting—Libyans, Sukkites,^[d] and Ethiopians.

⁴ After Shishak had captured the fortified cities of Judah and had arrived at the outskirts of Jerusalem, ⁵ the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the commanders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them: “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have abandoned me, and therefore I have abandoned you to the power of Shishak.’ ” ⁶ Then the officers of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said: “The Lord is just.”

⁷ When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them. Rather, I will grant them some degree of deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. ⁸ However, they shall become his servants, so that they may come to understand the difference between serving me and serving the rulers of other countries.”

⁹ Therefore, Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and carried away the treasures of the house of the Lord as well as the treasures of the king’s palace. He seized everything, including the shields of gold that Solomon had made. ¹⁰ Therefore, King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and entrusted them to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance of the king’s palace.

¹¹ Whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards would accompany him, bearing the shield and then afterward would return them to the guardroom. ¹² Because Rehoboam had humbled himself, the anger of the Lord was averted from him so as not to destroy him completely, and the conditions in Judah continued to improve.

¹³ Therefore, King Rehoboam strengthened his power in Jerusalem and continued to reign. He was forty-one years old when he first ascended the throne, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which, out of all the tribes of Israel, the Lord chose to be honored. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonite. ¹⁴ However, he followed an evil path, for he had not truly resolved to seek the Lord.

¹⁵ The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer. There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ¹⁶ Rehoboam slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah succeeded him as king.

Chapter 13

Abijah and Jeroboam Go to War. ¹ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah. ² He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

When war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam,^{[e] 3} Abijah prepared to engage in battle with an army of valiant warriors composed of four hundred thousand picked men, while Jeroboam took the field against him with eight hundred thousand chosen mighty warriors.

⁴ Then Abijah stood up on the slopes of Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and cried out: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! ⁵ Do you not know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David and his sons forever by a covenant of salt? ⁶ Yet Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon, the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, ⁷ and certain worthless scoundrels gathered around him and proved to be too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, since at that time Rehoboam was far too young and inexperienced and was unable to withstand them.

⁸ “And now you believe that you can withstand the kingdom of the Lord that is in the hands of David’s descendants, you with your multitude of supporters and the golden calves that Jeroboam made as gods for you. ⁹ Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and made priests of your own like the peoples of foreign countries? Anyone who comes with an offering of a young bull and seven rams is automatically accepted as a priest of these gods that are no gods. ¹⁰ But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who are ministering to the Lord are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. ¹¹ Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord, display the rows of bread on the table of pure gold, and light the lamps on the golden lampstand every evening. For we indeed observe our responsibilities toward the Lord, our God, but you have abandoned him. ¹² God is with us. He is our leader. His priests with their trumpets are prepared to sound the call to battle against you. O Israelites, do not engage in conflict against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”

¹³ Meanwhile Jeroboam had sent a detachment of troops to attack them from behind. His main force was stationed in front of the forces of Judah, while the ambush lay behind them. ¹⁴ When the men of Judah turned around, they realized that they were surrounded and that they had to engage in battle on both fronts. Then they cried out to the Lord while the priests blew the trumpets. ¹⁵ After that, the men of Judah sounded their battle cry, and when they shouted, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ The Israelites fled before the Judahites, and God delivered them into the Judahites’ hands.

¹⁷ Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses upon the Israelites. Five hundred thousand picked men of Israel fell during the battle. ¹⁸ The Israelites were thoroughly defeated at that time by the forces of Judah, because the Judahites relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured three cities from him: Bethel with its dependencies, Jeshanah with its dependencies, and Ephron with its dependencies. ²⁰ Jeroboam did not regain his power during the reign of Abijah. Finally the Lord struck him down, and he died. ²¹ However, Abijah continued to grow ever stronger. He married fourteen wives and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

²² The Death of Abijah. The rest of the acts of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are recorded in the midrash of the prophet Iddo. ²³ Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him, and during his reign the country was at peace for ten years.

Chapter 14

Asa the Reformer. ¹ Asa did what was good and righteous in the eyes of the Lord, his God. ² He destroyed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed to pieces the sacred pillars, and cut down the sacred poles. ³ He further commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and his commandments.

⁴ Throughout all the cities of Judah he removed the high places and the incense altars, and under him the kingdom was at peace. ⁵ He also built fortified cities in Judah during those years of peace which the Lord had granted. ⁶ Asa then said to Judah: “Let us build up these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the guidance of the Lord, our God, and he has given us peace on every side.” Therefore, they built and prospered.

Zerah’s Invasion. ⁷ Asa had an army of three hundred thousand warriors from Judah armed with shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin armed with shields and bows. All of them were mighty warriors. ^8 [f]Zerah the Ethiopian marched out against them with an army of one million men and three hundred chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah. ⁹ Asa went forth, to confront him, and the opposing armies drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

¹⁰ Asa then cried out to the Lord, his God, saying: “Lord, there is no one else like you to help the powerless against a mighty foe. Come to our aid, O Lord, our God, for we are relying upon you, and in your name we are prepared to confront this horde. O Lord, you are our God. Do not allow these mere mortals to prevail against you.” ¹¹ Then the Lord enabled Asa and Judah to strike down the Ethiopians, and they fled. ¹² Asa and his army followed in pursuit as far as Gerar. The Ethiopians fell mortally wounded until there were no survivors. Then the army of Judah carried off a tremendous amount of booty.

¹³ Following that victory, the Judahites destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord had filled the people with terror. Then they plundered all these villages and carried off all the treasures that were of great value. ¹⁴ They also attacked the tents of those who had livestock and carried away great numbers of sheep and goats and camels. After that they returned to Jerusalem.

Chapter 15

Cult Reform. ¹ The Spirit of God then came upon Azariah, the son of Oded. ² He went out to meet Asa and said to him: “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will permit you to find him, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you. ³ For a long time Israel was without a priest to impart teaching and without the law. ⁴ However, when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he allowed them to find him.

⁵ “In those times it was not safe for anyone to come or go, since all the inhabitants of the land were afflicted with massive disturbances, ⁶ with nations being crushed by other nations and cities by other cities, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But as for you, be strong and do not be discouraged, for your work shall be rewarded.”

⁸ When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah, the son of Oded the prophet, he became resolute in his courage and ordered the removal of the abominable idols throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin as well as from the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He also repaired the altar of the Lord which stood in the vestibule of the house of the Lord.

⁹ Then Asa assembled all the people of Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing among them, since great numbers of people from Israel had deserted to him when they came to realize that the Lord his God was with him. ¹⁰ All the people assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. ¹¹ On that day they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the plunder they had brought back. ¹² After that, they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul, ¹³ while asserting that all those who refused to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether young or old, whether man or woman.

¹⁴ Then all of them swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and shouts of joy, while the trumpets and the horns resounded. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought the Lord with sincere desire. As a result, the Lord had allowed himself to be found by them, and he granted them peace on every side.

¹⁶ King Asa even removed his mother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, crushed it to powder, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁷ Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa himself remained faithful throughout his life. ¹⁸ He brought into the house of God the votive gifts^[g] of his father as well as his own votive gifts—silver, gold, and sacred vessels.

¹⁹ There was no further warfare until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

Chapter 16

Asa’s Infidelity. ¹ In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of King Asa, Baasha, the king of Israel, invaded Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the kingdom of Asa, the king of Judah. ² Asa then brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of his own palace, and he sent it to Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, who resided in Damascus.

³ “Let there be an alliance between the two of us,” Asa said, “as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending you silver and gold. In return, I am asking you to break your alliance with Baasha, the king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” ⁴ Ben-hadad approved the request of King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the towns of Israel. They ravaged Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all of the store cities of Naphtali.

⁵ When Baasha heard this, he discontinued his plan to fortify Ramah, and he abandoned any further improvements. ⁶ Then King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to remove the stones of Ramah and its timber that Baasha had been using to fortify that place, and he used them instead to fortify Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and did not rely instead on the Lord, your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your clutches. ⁸ Did not the Ethiopians and the Libyans have a vast army with great numbers of chariots and cavalry? And yet, when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hands. ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout all the earth to strengthen the hearts of those who are totally committed to him. You have acted foolishly in this instance, and from now on you will be forced to endure wars.” ¹⁰ Then Asa became enraged at what the seer had said, and he ordered Hanani to be imprisoned in the stocks. Furthermore, at the same time Asa treated some others of his people with great cruelty.

¹¹ The history of the reign of Asa, from beginning to end, is recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa was gravely afflicted with severe disease in his feet. However, even during his illness he did not seek the help of the Lord but rather resorted to taking the advice of physicians. ¹³ Then, in the forty-first year of his reign, he died and fell asleep with his ancestors. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had hewn for himself in the City of David, having laid him on a bier that had been filled with spices and various kinds of perfumes. In addition they also kindled a very great fire in his honor.^[h]

Chapter 17

Zeal of Jehoshaphat for the Law. ¹ Asa was succeeded as king by his son Jehoshaphat, and immediately thereafter he set out to strengthen his position against Israel. ² He stationed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and he placed garrisons throughout Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which his father Asa had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat^[i] because he had followed the example of his father from his earliest years and did not consult the Baals. ⁴ Rather, he sought the God of his father, observing his commandments, and refused to follow the practices of Israel. ⁵ As a result of this, the Lord made secure Jehoshaphat’s control of the kingdom. All Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, and his wealth and glory were exceedingly great. ⁶ He took enormous pride in following the ways of the Lord, and he ordered the removal of the high places and the sacred poles from Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his most learned officials—Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach in the cities of Judah. ^8 [j]With them he also sent the Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, and Tobijah. Accompanying those Levites were the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught in Judah, having with them the book of the law of the Lord. They traveled through all the cities of Judah, instructing the people.

¹⁰ The Power of Jehoshaphat. The fear of the Lord seized all the kingdoms of the countries surrounding Judah, and as a result, they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, as well as silver as a tribute, while the Arabs also brought him a flock of seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat grew steadily more powerful. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. ¹³ He also supervised great works in the cities of Judah, and he stationed soldiers, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ The soldiers were classified by ancestral houses. Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah was the highest-ranking commander, with three hundred thousand mighty warriors. ¹⁵ Next in line under him was Jehohanan the commander, with two hundred and eighty thousand mighty warriors, ¹⁶ and next to him was Amasiah, the son of Zichri, who had volunteered for the service of the Lord, with two hundred thousand mighty warriors.

¹⁷ Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty warrior with two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield, ¹⁸ and next in line to him was Jehozabad with one hundred and eighty thousand men equipped for war. ¹⁹ These were the men in the service of the king, apart from those whom the king had stationed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Chapter 18

Alliance with King Ahab. ¹ When Jehoshaphat had accumulated great wealth and honor, he allied himself to Ahab by marriage. ² Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and his retinue, hoping also to persuade him to join forces and attack Ramoth-gilead.

³ King Ahab of Israel, therefore, asked Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah: “Will you join me in attacking Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied: “I am united with you. My people are your people. We will join you in this war.” ⁴ However, Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel: “First let us consult the word of the Lord.”

The Prophets. ⁵ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred in number, and said to them: “Shall we go forth to engage in battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” They replied: “Go forth, for God will deliver it into the king’s power.” ⁶ However, Jehoshaphat asked: “Is there no other prophet of the Lord here from whom we may seek guidance?”

⁷ The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat: “There is still one other prophet here through whom we may seek the guidance of the Lord. However, I hate him, because he never prophesies anything that is favorable for me, but only disaster. His name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” ⁸ Then the king of Israel summoned a court official and said: “Bring here quickly Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”

⁹ The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, arrayed in their robes, were seated on their respective thrones at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, had made for himself iron horns, and he said: “Thus says the Lord: ‘With horns like these you shall gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ” ¹¹ All of the prophets were prophesying in the same vein, saying: “Attack Ramoth-gilead and you will triumph. The Lord will deliver it into your hands.”

¹² The messenger who had been sent to summon Micaiah said to him: “Listen to what I am telling you. What the prophets have said is favorable to the king. I trust that you will also deliver a favorable decision.” ¹³ However, Micaiah replied: “As the Lord lives, I can announce only what the Lord instructs me to say.”

¹⁴ When the prophet arrived, the king asked him: “Micaiah, shall we go up to attack Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” Micaiah replied: “Attack and triumph. They will be delivered into your hands.” ¹⁵ However, the king said to him: “How many times must I demand that you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then Micaiah said:

¹⁷ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me, but only whatever is unfavorable?”

¹⁸ However, Micaiah continued: “Listen now to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord seated on his throne with all the host of heaven sitting to his right and to his left. ¹⁹ The Lord asked: ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said one thing and another said something in contradiction, ²⁰ until a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying: ‘I will entice him.’ ‘How?’ asked the Lord.

²¹ “The spirit replied: ‘I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then the Lord said: ‘You shall succeed in deceiving him. Go forth and do it.’ ²² So now you will see that the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these your prophets. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”^[k]

²³ Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, came up to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. After he had done so, he asked: “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” ²⁴ Micaiah replied: “You shall find out on the day when you run from room to room in order to hide.”

²⁵ The king of Israel then ordered that Micaiah be seized and handed over to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son, ²⁶ and said: “Throw this man into prison and give him only a meager portion of bread and water until I return home safely.” ²⁷ Micaiah retorted: “If you ever do return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added: “Mark my words, you peoples, all of you!”^[l]

²⁸ Ahab’s Death. The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “I shall disguise myself when I go into battle, while you wear your royal robes.” Therefore, the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went forth into battle.

³⁰ Meanwhile the king of Aram had issued this command to the captains of his chariots: “Do not engage in battle with anyone, whether small or great, except with the king of Israel.” ³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted: “That is the king of Israel,” and they moved quickly to attack him. However, when Jehoshaphat cried out, the Lord came to his aid and drew them away from him.

³² Once the chariot commanders realized that he was not the king, they ceased their pursuit of him. ³³ However, one man drew his bow at random, and without realizing it he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. The king then ordered the driver of his chariot: “Turn around and carry me away from the fighting, for I am wounded.” ³⁴ The battle grew ever more fierce as the day went on, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He remained there until evening, and at sunset he passed away.

Chapter 19

Jehoshaphat Rebuked. ¹ When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned in safety to his palace in Jerusalem, ² Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went forth to meet him, and he said to the king: “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord will strike you. ³ Even so, some good can be found in you, for you have removed the sacred poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”

Jehoshaphat’s Appointments. ⁴ Jehoshaphat resided in Jerusalem, but he regularly went forth among the people, from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ⁵ He also appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.

⁶ Jehoshaphat said to the judges: “Pay careful attention to what you are doing. You are to judge not on behalf of human beings but on behalf of the Lord, who will be with you when you pronounce sentence. ⁷ Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful in your judgments, for the Lord, our God, will not tolerate the perversion of justice, or partiality, or the taking of bribes.”

⁸ Jehoshaphat also appointed some of the Levites, priests, and heads of families in Jerusalem to administer justice in the name of the Lord and to settle disputes. ⁹ He gave them this command: “You shall act at all times in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart. ¹⁰ Whenever a case is brought before you from your kinsmen who live in other towns, whether in regard to bloodshed or offenses against the law or the commandments, statutes, or ordinances, then you shall instruct them in such a way that they do not incur guilt before the Lord; and the wrath of the Lord will not descend upon you and your kindred. ¹¹ Amariah, the chief priest, will be your superior in all matters that concern the Lord; and Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael, the leader of the house of Judah, is your superior in all matters that concern the king,^[m] while the Levites will serve as your officers. Act firmly and with courage, and may the Lord be with those on the side of the good.”

Chapter 20

War against Edom. ¹ A short time afterward, the Moabites and the Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites,^[n] came to engage Jehoshaphat in battle. ² The following communiqué was sent to Jehoshaphat: “A great multitude is coming forth against you from Edom, from beyond the sea.^[o] They are already at Hazazon-tamar, that is, En-gedi.” ³ Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and he hastened to seek the guidance of the Lord, while proclaiming a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah assembled, to seek help from the Lord, as they came from all the towns of Judah to consult the Lord.

Prayer of Jehoshaphat. ⁵ Jehoshaphat stood up 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 the God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hands are power and might, and there is no one who can withstand you. ⁷ Was it not you, our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land for your people Israel and gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham? ⁸ They have lived in it and have built you a sanctuary there to honor your name, saying: ⁹ ‘Should any disaster befall us, whether the sword of judgment or war or blood or pestilence or famine, we shall stand before this temple that bears your name and call out to you in our distress, and you will hear our cries and save us.’

¹⁰ “But now, behold the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir, whom you would not permit the Israelites to invade when they came from the land of Egypt and whom they avoided and made no attempt to destroy them. ¹¹ See how these people repay us by coming forth to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O God will you not pass judgment against them? For we are powerless against this vast horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are turned toward you.”

¹³ Prophecy of Victory. All the men of Judah were standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

¹⁵ Jahaziel said: “Listen attentively, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not fear or lose heart at the sight of this vast horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ¹⁶ March down against them tomorrow. They will be coming up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will encounter them at the end of the gorge near the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will have no need to fight in this battle. Take your position, stand firm, and behold the victory of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed. Go forth against them tomorrow, for the Lord will be with you.’ ”

¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat knelt down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him. ¹⁹ After that, the Levites from among the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and sang the praises of the Lord, the God of Israel, with a powerful voice.

²⁰ Overcoming the Invaders. Early the next morning they rose and hastened to set out for the wilderness of Tekoa. As they departed, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Hold firmly to your faith in the Lord, your God, and you will be secure. Believe in his prophets and you will be successful.”

²¹ After conferring with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed some to sing to the Lord and praise the splendor of his holiness as they marched forth at the head of the army:

²² At the moment they began their hymn of praise, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the people from Mount Seir who were invading Judah. As a result, they were routed. ²³ For the Ammonites and the Moabites turned against the people of Mount Seir and completely destroyed them. Then, when they had finished off the inhabitants of Mount Seir, they proceeded to destroy each other.

²⁴ When the warriors of Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness and looked toward the multitude, what they beheld were nothing but corpses lying on the ground. No one had escaped. ²⁵ Then, when Jehoshaphat and his men came to collect the booty, they found an immense number of livestock as well as personal property, clothing, and precious articles which they took for themselves until they were unable to carry any more. They spent three days gathering the booty because of its abundance.

²⁶ On the fourth day they all assembled, in the Valley of Berakah,^[p] the name that it bears to this day, because it was there that they blessed the Lord. ²⁷ Then all the people of Judah and Jerusalem returned to Jerusalem with joy, since the Lord had given them reason to rejoice over their triumph against their enemies.

²⁸ They entered Jerusalem to the sound of lyres, harps, and trumpets and went into the house of the Lord. ²⁹ The fear of God fell upon all the kingdoms of the neighboring countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ And thereafter Jehoshaphat’s kingdom enjoyed peace, since God gave him rest on every side.

³¹ Jehoshaphat’s Many Deeds. Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah; she was the daughter of Shilhi. ³² He followed the example of his father Asa, and he did not deviate from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. ³³ However, the high places were not abolished, and the people had not as yet fixed their hearts on the God of their fathers.^[q]

³⁴ The remainder of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which is included in the book of the kings of Israel.^[r]

³⁵ Later King Jehoshaphat of Judah allied himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was guilty of wicked deeds. ^36 [s]Jehoshaphat joined Ahaziah in the building of ships to sail to Tarshish. The fleet was built at Ezion-geber. ³⁷ As a result, Eliezer, the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, then prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying: “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked, and they were never fit to sail to Tarshish.

Chapter 21

^1 [t]Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king. ² Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. ³ Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and other valuable possessions, as well as fortified cities in Judah. However, he bestowed the kingship upon Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

The Evil Deeds of Jehoram. ⁴ When Jehoram had firmly established himself on his father’s throne, he put all of his brothers to the sword as well as some of the princes of Israel. ⁵ He was thirty-two years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.

⁶ Jehoram followed the practices of the kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters, and he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. ⁷ However, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant that he had made with David and because of his promise to give him and his descendants a lamp forever.

⁸ During the reign of Jehoram, Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and appointed its own king. ⁹ Therefore, Jehoram crossed over into Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. He set out during the night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders.

¹⁰ However, Edom has remained in rebellion against the sovereignty of Judah to the present day. Libnah revolted against the rule of Jehoram at the same time because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers, ¹¹ and because he had established shrines in the hill country of Judah, leading the inhabitants of Jerusalem into idolatry and the people of Judah into apostasy.

¹² Retribution. A letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah with this message: “Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David: ‘You have not followed the example of your father Jehoshaphat, nor of Asa, king of Judah,^{[u] 13} but have instead followed the example of the kings of Israel and have led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into apostasy, just as the house of Ahab did. Also, you have murdered your brothers, members of your father’s house, who were far more worthy than you.

¹⁴ “ ‘Because of all this, the Lord will cause a great affliction to affect your people, your children, your wives, and all your property. ¹⁵ Moreover, you yourself will suffer greatly from a severe disease afflicting your bowels that will eventually cause them to protrude.’ ”

¹⁶ Then the Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who dwelt near the Ethiopians.^{[v] 17} They attacked Judah, invaded it, and carried away all the wealth that was found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and his wives. Not a son was left to him except the youngest, Jehoahaz.

¹⁸ After all this the Lord struck down Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. ¹⁹ In the course of time, after two years had gone by, his bowels came forth as a result of his disease, and he died in unbearable agony. His people did not bother to make a funeral pyre for him as they had done for his ancestors.

²⁰ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. He passed away with none of the people exhibiting any sign of regret, and he was buried in the City of David, although not in the tombs of the kings.

Chapter 22

Ahaziah. ¹ The people of Jerusalem then chose Jehoram’s youngest son Ahaziah^[w] as his successor, since the troops who had come into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. Thus Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, reigned as King of Judah.

² Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned in Jerusalem for one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. ³ He too followed the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to pursue evil practices. ^4 [x]To his own destruction he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisors.

⁵ Ahaziah even followed their advice when he made an alliance with Jehoram, the son of King Ahab of Israel, to make war against King Hazael of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead. In that conflict Jehoram was wounded by the Arameans. ⁶ As a result, Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to visit Jehoram, the son of Ahab, in Jezreel.

⁷ However, it was ordained by God that the visit of Ahaziah to Jehoram should be the occasion of his downfall. For when he arrived there, he went forth with Jehoram to meet Jehu, the 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, he also encountered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers, and he killed them.

⁹ Then Jehu went forth in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. They brought Ahaziah to Jehu, who put him to death. However, they buried him, for they said: “He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart.” As a result, there was no one remaining from the house of Ahaziah who was strong enough to rule.

¹⁰ When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, was told that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. ¹¹ However, Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, secretly took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed, and she put him with his nurse in a bedroom.

In this way, Jehosheba, who was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, as well as a sister of Ahaziah, hid Joash from Athaliah so that she was unable to kill him. ¹² Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Chapter 23

Athaliah Opposed. ¹ In the seventh year Jehoiada bolstered his courage and entered into a covenant with regimental commanders: Azariah, son of Jehoram; Ishmael, son of Jehohanan; Azariah, son of Obed; Maaseiah, son of Adaiah; and Elishaphat, son of Zichri. ² They went throughout Judah, gathering the Levites from all the cities of Judah as well as the heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them: “Here is the king’s son! He will reign as king, as the Lord promised concerning the sons of David. ⁴ This is what you must do: one-third of you, priests and Levites, who come on duty on the Sabbath, are to guard the gates. ⁵ Another third are to be assigned to the king’s palace, and the final third are to be stationed at the Foundation Gate, while all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. ⁶ Allow no one to enter the house of the Lord except the priests and the Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are holy, but all the other people must continue to observe the instructions of the Lord. ⁷ The Levites shall station themselves by surrounding the king on all sides, each one with his weapon drawn, and anyone who tries to enter the temple is to be put to death. They must remain with the king wherever he goes.”

⁸ The Levites and all Judah did everything that the priest Jehoiada had commanded. Each one brought his own men, both those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who were scheduled to go off duty, since Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed any of the divisions. ⁹ Then the priest handed over to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that belonged to King David and that were stored in the house of God.

¹⁰ After that, Jehoiada the priest stationed all the people, each one with a weapon in his hand, from the south side to the north side of the temple and around the altar, while forming a circle around the king. ¹¹ Then they brought forth the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, presented him with the covenant, and proclaimed him king. When Jehoiada and his sons had anointed him, they shouted: “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the shouts of the people as they ran forth to proclaim him as king, she went into the house of the Lord where the people had assembled. ¹³ As she looked on, she beheld the king standing by his pillar^[y] at the entrance, with the officers and the trumpeters at the king’s side, and with the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with their musical instruments were leading the celebrations. Thereupon Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out: “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴ Immediately Jehoiada the priest gave the following orders to the captains who were in command of the troops: “Take her outside between the ranks. If anyone tries to follow her, put him to death by the sword!” Then the priest made it clear: “Do not put her to death in the temple of the Lord.” ¹⁵ After that they seized her and brought her to the entrance of the Horse Gate of the palace, and there they put her to death.

¹⁶ After that, Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ Then all the people went to the temple of Baal and demolished it. They smashed its altars and its images, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. ¹⁸ Jehoiada entrusted the supervision of the temple of the Lord to the Levitical priests whom David had designated to present burnt offerings to the Lord, as prescribed in the law of Moses, with singing and rejoicing as David had ordained. ¹⁹ He also stationed guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple to ensure that no one should enter who was in any way unclean.

²⁰ Then Jehoiada took with him the captains of units of a hundred, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land and escorted the king down from the house of the Lord. Entering the palace through the Upper Gate, they seated the king on the royal throne. ²¹ All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet and serene after Athaliah had been put to death by the sword.

Chapter 24

Temple Repairs.^{[z] 1} Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord as long as Jehoiada was alive. ³ Jehoiada selected two wives for him, and he became the father of several sons and daughters.

⁴ Sometime later, Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. ⁵ After he assembled the priests and the Levites, he said to them: “Go forth to all the towns of Judah and without any delay collect the money that is due each year so that we may make the annual repairs that are necessary. See to it that you act quickly.” However, the Levites did not hasten to proceed immediately.

⁶ Therefore, the king summoned Jehoiada, the chief priest, and asked him: “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the testimony?” ⁷ For the wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into the house of God and had even given to the Baals the sacred revenues of the temple of the Lord.

⁸ Therefore, the king ordered that a chest be made and placed outside the gate of the house of the Lord. ⁹ Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the tax which Moses, the servant of God, had imposed on Israel in the desert. ¹⁰ As a result, the officials and all the people rejoiced, and they willingly brought their contributions, depositing them in the chest until it was filled.

¹¹ Whenever the chest was brought to the royal officials by the Levites, and it was evident that it contained a large amount of money, the king’s secretary and the representative of the chief priest would come to empty it and then return the chest to its designated place. They did this day after day and collected money in great abundance. ¹² Then the king and Jehoiada gave the money to those who were responsible for carrying out the work of the house of the Lord, and they also hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, while workers skilled in iron and bronze devoted themselves to making all the necessary repairs.

¹³ The laborers concentrated on their labor, and the repairs progressed steadily at their hands. They restored the house of God to its original state and strengthened it. ¹⁴ After they had completed their work, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and it was used to make vessels for the house of the Lord, vessels for the services and for burnt offerings, and basins and other gold and silver utensils. They continually offered burnt offerings in the Lord’s temple throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ Jehoiada lived to a ripe old age. He was one hundred and thirty years old when he died. ¹⁶ He was buried with the kings in the City of David because of all the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

¹⁷ Apostasy of King Joash.^[aa] After the death of Jehoiada, the officials came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to their advice. ¹⁸ Then they forsook the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they began to worship the sacred poles and the idols. Because of their guilt, God’s wrath descended upon Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Although the Lord sent prophets to lead them back to him, they refused to listen.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of God took possession of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Why do you transgress the commands of the Lord so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.’ ”

²¹ However, they conspired against him, and at the king’s order they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the Lord. ²² Thus King Joash, forgetting the loyalty of Zechariah’s father, Jehoiada, killed his son. As he was dying, he said: “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”

²³ Retribution. At the turn of the year the Aramean army advanced against Joash. When they reached Judah and Jerusalem, they massacred all the leaders of the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ Although the invading Aramean army had come with only a small force, the Lord delivered into their hands a very large army because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment against Joash.

²⁵ When the Arameans had withdrawn, leaving Joash severely wounded, his servants conspired against him to avenge the blood of the son of the priest Jehoiada, and they killed him on his bed. Thus he died, and they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

²⁶ Those who conspired against him were Zabad, the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith, a Moabite. ²⁷ Accounts of his sons, of the many oracles against him, and of the rebuilding of the house of God are all recorded in the commentary of the book of kings. His son Amaziah succeeded him.

Chapter 25

Campaign in Edom. ¹ Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. ² He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, although he did not do so wholeheartedly.

³ As soon as the kingdom was firmly under his control, Amaziah put to death those servants who had murdered his father, the king. ⁴ However, he did not put their children to death, in obedience to what is written in the law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents. Each one shall he put to death for his own sin.”

⁵ Then Amaziah assembled the people of Judah and assigned them according to their ancestral houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He registered those who were twenty years old and upward and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for service and capable of wielding spear and shield. ⁶ He also hired one hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for one hundred talents of silver.

⁷ However, a man of God came to him and said: “O king, do not permit the Israelite army to march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or with any of the Ephraimites. ⁸ Rather, fight valiantly only with your own forces. Remember that God has the power to help you or to cause your defeat.”

⁹ Amaziah then said to the man of God: “What shall I do about the one hundred talents that I paid for the Israelite troops?” The man of God replied: “The Lord can give you much more than that.” ¹⁰ Amaziah then dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. That caused them to be infuriated with Judah, and they returned home seething with fierce resentment.

^11 [ab]Then Amaziah marshaled his courage and led out his army. They advanced to the Valley of Salt, and there they killed ten thousand men of Seir. ¹² In addition, the men of Judah captured another ten thousand men alive. Bringing them to the top of a cliff, they threw them down so that they were all dashed to pieces. ¹³ Meanwhile, the mercenaries whom Amaziah had sent back home, without allowing them to take part with him in the battle, raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon. They slaughtered three thousand people in those cities and carried off great quantities of plunder.

¹⁴ Infidelity of Amaziah. On his return from his slaughter of the Edomites, Amaziah brought back with him the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down before them, and burned sacrifices to them. ¹⁵ As a result, the Lord’s anger was aroused by Amaziah, and he sent him a prophet who said to him: “Why have you resorted to gods who could not save their own people from your clutches?”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, however, the king said to him: “Have we appointed you as a royal counselor? Stop right now, if you value your life!” Therefore the prophet stopped, but first he said: “I know that God has decided to destroy you for having done this and for not listening to my advice.”

¹⁷ Retribution. After King Amaziah of Judah consulted his advisors, he sent a message to Joash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying: “Come and let us meet face to face.”

¹⁸ King Joash of Israel sent back this reply to King Amaziah of Judah: “The thistle on Lebanon sent a message to the cedar on Lebanon, saying: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ However, the wild animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. ¹⁹ You say to yourself: ‘I have defeated Edom,’ and now you are growing ever more boastful. Remain at home. Why should you get involved with potential disaster so that you fall and bring down Judah with you?”

²⁰ However, Amaziah refused to listen, for God had resolved to hand them over because they had consulted the gods of Edom. ²¹ Therefore, King Joash of Israel marched forth, and he and King Amaziah of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh which belongs to Judah. ²² There Judah was defeated by Israel, and everyone fled to his tent.

²³ King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he demolished the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits. ²⁴ After that he took away all the gold and silver and all the vessels he found in the house of God that had been in the care of Obed-edom, together with the treasures of the palace, as well as hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

²⁵ King Amaziah, son of Joash of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash, son of Jehoahaz of Israel. ²⁶ The rest of the deeds of Amaziah’s reign, from first to last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

²⁷ From the time when Amaziah turned away from the Lord, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, where he was pursued and murdered. ²⁸ His body was conveyed on horses to Jerusalem, and there he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

Chapter 26

The Works of Uzziah.^{[ac] 1} Then all the people of Judah chose Uzziah, even though he was only sixteen years old, and they made him king as the successor to his father Amaziah. ² It was he who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king had fallen asleep with his ancestors.

³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ Furthermore, he consulted God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the guidance of the Lord, God allowed him to prosper.^[ad]

⁶ Uzziah went forth and fought the Philistines. He demolished the walls of Gath, the walls of Jabneh, and the walls of Ashdod; and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod, and elsewhere among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites.

⁸ The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the borders of Egypt, for he became ever more powerful. ⁹ Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle, and he fortified them. ¹⁰ He also erected towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had large herds of cattle both in the Shephelah and in the plain; and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

¹¹ Uzziah had a well-trained army ready to engage in battles and divided into divisions according to their numbers as specified by the scribe Jeiel and the staff officer Maaseiah, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders. ¹² The total number of the heads of ancestral houses of mighty warriors was two thousand six hundred. ¹³ Under their command was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, a powerful force to help the king against his enemies.

¹⁴ Uzziah provided for the entire army the shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and slingstones. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he also had requisitioned machines, invented by skilled workers, to be placed on the towers and battlements for shooting arrows and large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was so miraculously gifted that he became very powerful.

¹⁶ Pride and Punishment. However, when Uzziah continued to grow ever stronger, he also was afflicted with pride, and that led to his destruction. For he proved unfaithful to the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to make an offering on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Then the priest Azariah and eighty priests of the Lord who were courageous men followed him.

¹⁸ The priests confronted King Uzziah and said to him: “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to make offerings. Leave the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and you will no longer share in the glory that comes from the Lord God.” ¹⁹ Uzziah had a censer in his hand to burn the incense, but while he showed his intense anger to the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense.

²⁰ When the chief priest, Azariah, and all the other priests looked at Uzziah carefully and saw that his forehead was leprous, they quickly removed him from the temple; and he himself was equally anxious to leave because the Lord had afflicted him. ²¹ King Uzziah remained a leper until the day of his death, and because he was thus afflicted, he dwelt while confined in a separate house, since he was excluded from the house of the Lord. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace of the king, and he governed the people of the land.

²² The rest of the history of Uzziah, from first to last, was written by the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. ²³ Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried with them, but in the field adjoining the royal tombs, for they said: “He is a leper.” His son Jotham succeeded him as king.

Chapter 27

Jotham. ¹ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the sight of the Lord just as his father had done, although he did not enter the temple of the Lord. However, the people continued their corrupt practices.

³ Jotham built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and he supervised the extensive construction on the wall of Ophel.^{[ae] 4} He also built towns in the hill country of Judah as well as forts and towers in the wooded areas.

⁵ Later Jotham went to war against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. As a result, the Ammonites had to give him one hundred talents of silver, together with ten thousand kors of wheat and ten thousand kors of barley. The Ammonites also paid him the same amount in the second and third year afterward. ⁶ Jotham became very powerful because he followed an unswerving course in the presence of the Lord, his God.

⁷ The rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and other projects, are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ Jotham slept with his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. His son Ahaz succeeded him.

Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah

Chapter 28

The Impiety of Ahaz. ¹ Ahaz was twenty years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. Unlike what his ancestor David had done, he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord. ² Rather, he followed the example of the kings of Israel and even cast molten idols of the Baals.

³ Furthermore, Ahaz offered burnt sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-hinnom^[af] and even went so far as to immolate his sons by fire according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Retribution. ⁵ Therefore, the Lord his God delivered him over into the hands of the king of Aram. After the Arameans defeated him, they took large numbers of captives and brought them to Damascus. He was also given over into the power of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him.^{[ag] 6} In a single day, Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed one hundred and twenty thousand valiant warriors.

⁷ Zichri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son, Azrikam, the commander of the palace, and Elkanah, who was second only to the king in authority. ⁸ The Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand women, sons and daughters. They also took immense quantities of booty from them and brought it all back to Samaria.

The Prophecy of Oded. ⁹ In Samaria there was a prophet of the Lord by the name of Oded. He went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria, and he said: “It was because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah that he delivered them into your hands. However, you have slaughtered them with an intense rage that has reached up to heaven.

¹⁰ “And now you have decided to force the people of Judah and Jerusalem to be your slaves. However, have you yourselves not been guilty of sins against the Lord, your God? ¹¹ Now listen to me! Release the captives you have taken from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the Lord has been aroused against you.”

¹² On hearing this, some of the Ephraimite leaders—Azariah, son of Jehohanan; Berechiah, son of Meshillemoth; Jehizkiah, son of Shallum; and Amasa, son of Hadlai—confronted those who were returning from the war ¹³ and said to them: “Do not bring these captives here, for what you are proposing will only increase our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is already substantial, and fierce anger threatens the security of Israel.”

¹⁴ Therefore, in the presence of the officials and the entire assembly, the soldiers surrendered the captives and the booty. ¹⁵ Then those Ephraimite leaders proceeded to help those who had been led away captive. From the booty they clothed those who were naked. They gave them clothing and sandals and gave them food, drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they mounted on donkeys and took them to their brethren in Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they themselves returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ Other Sins of Ahaz. At that time King Ahaz sent a plea to the king of Assyria asking for help. ¹⁷ The Edomites had once again invaded and defeated Judah, and carried away captives.

¹⁸ Meanwhile, the Philistines had raided the towns in the foothills and the Negeb of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and settled there. ¹⁹ For the Lord had brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel,^[ah] who had behaved without restraint in Judah and had proved to be totally unfaithful to the Lord.

²⁰ After that, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came to Ahaz, but rather than assisting him, he oppressed him instead. ²¹ Then Ahaz plundered the temple of the Lord, the palace of the king, and the house of his officials. He proceeded to give the plunder to the king of Assyria, but no help from him was forthcoming.

²² During this period of distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. ²³ He proceeded to offer sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, thinking: “Since the gods of the king of Aram have supported them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may decide to help me.” However, they only caused further disaster to him and to all of Israel. ²⁴ Then Ahaz gathered up the vessels of the house of God and broke them into pieces. After he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord he made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every city of Judah he built high places to offer sacrifices to other gods, thus provoking the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

²⁶ The rest of his deeds and all his activities, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz slept with his ancestors, and he was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not laid to rest in the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah succeeded him.

Chapter 29

Reforms of Hezekiah.^{[ai] 1} Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.

³ In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. ⁴ Next he brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east. ⁵ Then he said to them: “Listen to me, you Levites. Sanctify yourselves first. Then sanctify the house of the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the sanctuary. ⁶ For our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, our God. They abandoned him, turned away their faces from him, and turned their backs on him. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the vestibule and extinguished the lamps, and they ceased to burn incense or present any burnt offerings in the sanctuary to the God of Israel.

⁸ “Therefore, the anger of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of terror, astonishment, and derision, as you can see with your own eyes. ⁹ Our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and our wives have been taken captive as a result. ¹⁰ Now I am determined to make a covenant with the God of Israel, in the hope that his fierce anger may turn away from us. ¹¹ Therefore, my sons, do not be negligent any longer, for the Lord has chosen you to sit in his presence and to serve him, to be his ministers, and to offer incense before him.”

¹² The Levites immediately set to work: from the sons of the Kohathites: Mahath, son of Amasai, and Joel, son of Azariah; from the sons of Merari: Kish, son of Abdi, and Azariah, son of Jehallel; from the Gershonites: Joah, son of Zimmah, and Eden, son of Joah; ¹³ from the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeuel; from the sons of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah; ¹⁴ from the sons of Heman: Jehuel and Shimei; from the sons of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel. ¹⁵ They gathered their brothers together and sanctified themselves; then, in obedience to the king’s order in accordance with the Lord’s command, they proceeded to purify the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ The priests entered the inner part of the Lord’s house to cleanse it, and they brought all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the Lord and deposited them in the court of the house of the Lord, where the Levites collected them and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. ¹⁷ They began the rites of sanctification on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they had arrived at the vestibule of the Lord. Then for eight days they sanctified the Lord’s house, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they had finished.

¹⁸ Their work having been completed, they went in to King Hezekiah and said: “We have cleansed the entire house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread with all its utensils. ¹⁹ We have restored and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz had cast aside during his reign because of his infidelity. They are now in place before the altar of the Lord.”

²⁰ The Rite of Expiation. King Hezekiah rose early the next morning, assembled the officials of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. ²¹ They brought with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah, and he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.

²² Therefore, after the city officials slaughtered the bulls, the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Then the rams were slaughtered, and, the priests sprinkled the blood on the altar. After that, the lambs were slaughtered, and the priests sprinkled the blood on the altar.

²³ Finally the he-goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them. ²⁴ Then the priests slaughtered them and used their blood as a sin offering at the altar in order to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

²⁵ The king stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the ordinance prescribed by David, by Gad the king’s seer, and by Nathan the prophet. This commandment was prescribed by the Lord through his prophets. ²⁶ The Levites were stationed with the instruments of David while the priests stood ready with the trumpets. ²⁷ Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be presented on the altar. And at the moment when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, to the accompaniment of the trumpets and the instruments of King David of Israel. ²⁸ The entire assembly bowed in worship while the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded, all of this continuing until the burnt offering had been completed.

²⁹ When the burnt offering was finished, the king and all those who were present with him bowed down and worshiped. ³⁰ King Hezekiah and his officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord in the words of David and of the seer, Asaph. They joyfully sang their praises, after which they knelt down and prostrated themselves in worship.

³¹ Then Hezekiah issued this command: “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come forward and bring your sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.”

Therefore, the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who had generous hearts brought burnt offerings. ³² The number of burnt offerings that the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were designated as a burnt offering to the Lord. ³³ The consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three hundred sheep.

³⁴ However, the priests were too few in number to be able to skin the burnt offerings. Therefore, their brethren the Levites were clearly more conscientious than the priests in sanctifying themselves. ³⁵ In addition to a great number of burnt offerings, there was also the fat of the fellowship offerings and the libations for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. ³⁶ Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had done for the people and how suddenly all this had been completed.

Chapter 30^[aj]

Invitation to the Passover. ¹ Hezekiah sent messengers to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manas-seh, inviting them to come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honor of the Lord, the God of Israel. ^2 [ak]The king and his officials and the entire assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to celebrate the Passover in the second month, ³ having been unable to celebrate it at the proper time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient numbers and the people had not yet assembled in Jerusalem.

⁴ The proposal was accepted by the king and all the assembly. ⁵ Therefore, they resolved to issue a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, that the people should come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover in honor of the Lord, the God of Israel. For the feast had not been celebrated in large numbers in the manner prescribed. ⁶ Accordingly, couriers traveled throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, as the king had commanded, saying: “O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may turn back to you, the remnant left from the hands of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ Do not be like your ancestors and your brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you yourselves now see. ⁸ Do not be stiff-necked as your ancestors were, but submit yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord, your God, so that his fierce anger may turn away from you. ⁹ For when you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will be treated with compassion by their captors and return to this land. For the Lord, your God, is gracious and compassionate, and he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”

¹⁰ The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and mocked them. ¹¹ Nevertheless a few people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² The hand of God was also on Judah to make the people of one mind to do what the king and the officials commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

¹³ The Passover Celebrated. A huge crowd gathered together in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. ¹⁴ They began their work by removing the altars that were in Jerusalem. Then they removed all the altars of incense and threw them into the Kidron Valley.

¹⁵ On the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. Meanwhile, the priests and the Levites were ashamed; after they consecrated themselves, they brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. ¹⁶ Then they took their accustomed places according to the law of Moses, the man of God, while the priests sprinkled the blood that they had received from the Levites.

¹⁷ Since many people in the assembly had not sanctified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lambs for them to the Lord.^{[al] 18} For a large number of people, mainly from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, but even so they ate the Passover contrary to what was prescribed.

However, Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the good Lord grant pardon ¹⁹ to all those who are determined to seek God, the Lord, the God of their ancestors, even though they have not been purified as holiness requires.” ²⁰ The Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

²¹ With great rejoicing the Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days, while the Levites and the priests day after day praised the Lord with all their strength. ²² Hezekiah then spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had shown themselves to be well skilled in the service of the Lord. During the seven days of the festival the people consumed their assigned portion of food, sacrificing offerings of well-being and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

²³ Then the entire assembly agreed to continue the festival for another seven days, and they did so with joyous celebration. ²⁴ Hezekiah, the king of Judah, contributed to the assembly one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the officials gave to the assembly one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep, while the priests sanctified themselves in great numbers. ²⁵ The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and the Levites and the resident aliens who had come from Israel, as well as the resident aliens who dwelt in Judah. ²⁶ There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, the son of King David of Israel, nothing of this magnitude had been seen in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Then the priests and the Levites stood up and blessed the people, and their voices were heard by God when their prayer reached his holy dwelling in heaven.

Chapter 31

Reform of Worship. ¹ When the festivities had come to a close, all of the Israelites who were present went forth to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the sacred poles, and demolished the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their various towns and their individual properties.

² Hezekiah reestablished the priests and the Levites into various divisions, assigning to each priest and Levite his own specific duty, whether in regard to holocausts or peace offerings, to minister or to give thanks, or to sing praises within the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.

³ The king provided from his own wealth a portion from his possessions for holocausts during the morning and evening as well as on Sabbaths, new moons, and festivals, as prescribed in the law of the Lord. ⁴ He also commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to provide the portion due to the priests and the Levites so that they might devote themselves completely to the law of the Lord.

⁵ As soon as the command of the king had been promulgated, the Israelites provided an abundance of the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and all the other produce of the fields; they brought in an abundant tithe of everything. ⁶ The Israelites and Judeans who lived in the towns of Judah also brought in a tithe of their cattle and sheep and a tithe of sacred gifts that had been consecrated to the Lord, their God, laying them in heaps. ⁷ They began to accumulate the heaps in the third month, and they completed that task in the seventh month.

⁸ When Hezekiah and his officials came and beheld the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. ⁹ Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about those heaps. ¹⁰ The chief priest Azariah, who was of the house of Zadok, replied: “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and much more in addition. For the Lord has so greatly blessed his people that a great amount is still left over.”

¹¹ Then Hezekiah issued orders to prepare storerooms in the house of the Lord. When that task was completed, ¹² the people faithfully brought in their contributions, their tithes, and their consecrated gifts. The chief officer in charge of the donations was Conaniah the Levite, with his brother Shimei as second in command. ¹³ Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were appointed as supervisors under Conaniah and his brother, Shimei, by the order of King Hezekiah and Azariah, the chief officer of the house of God.

¹⁴ Kore, the son of Imnah the Levite, and the keeper of the east gate, was in charge of the free-will offerings to God, with the responsibility to apportion the contributions made to God and the most sacred offerings. ¹⁵ Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in the priestly cities and distributed the portions to their kindred, old and young alike, by divisions.^[am]

¹⁶ In addition, they distributed shares to the males thirty years old and above who would enter the house of the Lord to take their part daily in the service, according to their divisions as their office required. ¹⁷ The priests were enrolled according to their ancestral houses; the Levites who were twenty years old and above were registered according to their offices.

¹⁸ The priests were enrolled with all their dependents—their little children, their wives, their sons and their daughters, the entire multitude—since in virtue of their permanent standing they had to be faithful in consecrating themselves. ¹⁹ As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests, who lived on the pasture lands belonging to their towns, designated the men to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone who was registered in the genealogies of the Levites.

²⁰ Hezekiah did this throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful in the eyes of the Lord, his God. ²¹ Every-thing that he undertook in the service of the house of God, and in obedience to the law and the commandments to seek his God, he did with all his heart, and he prospered.

Chapter 32

Invasion of Sennacherib. ¹ After Hezekiah had proved his fidelity by his deeds and his acts of faithfulness, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah and laid siege to the fortified towns, intending to take them by storm.

² When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib was determined to attack Jerusalem, ³ he suggested to his officers and warriors that they block up the springs of water that were outside the city, and they supported his plan. ⁴ Then a large number of people were summoned to block up all the springs, as well as the stream that flowed through that land, saying: “Why should the kings of Assyria come here and find an abundance of water?”

⁵ Hezekiah next concentrated on strengthening his defenses. He repaired every breach in the city wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it. Then he built another wall outside that first wall. He also strengthened the Millo of the City of David and gathered large numbers of weapons and shields.

⁶ Next Hezekiah appointed military commanders over the people, and after gathering them together in his presence in the square at the gate of the city, he spoke these words of encouragement: ⁷ “Be strong and brave. Do not have any fear or be discouraged when confronted with the king of Assyria and the vast horde that serves him. Remember that there is one with us who is greater than anyone who is with him. ⁸ He has only human strength, but we have the Lord, our God, with us to help us and to fight our battles.” The people were greatly encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib’s Threat. ⁹ After this, while King Sennacherib of Assyria was besieging Lachish with all his forces, he sent his representatives to Jerusalem to deliver this message to King Hezekiah of Judah and to all the Judeans who were in Jerusalem: ¹⁰ “King Sennacherib of Assyria has this to say: What gives you the confidence to remain in Jerusalem while it is under siege? ¹¹ Hezekiah is misleading you, condemning you to die of famine and thirst, when he says: ‘The Lord, our God, will save us from the clutches of the king of Assyria.’ ¹² Was it not the same Hezekiah who removed the Lord’s shrines and altars and issued this command to Judah and Jerusalem: ‘You shall worship before only one altar, and on that altar alone you shall offer sacrifices’? ¹³ Are you not aware what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of those nations able to save their lands from my power? ¹⁴ Of all the gods of these nations which my ancestors totally destroyed, was there even one who was able to save his people from my hand? How then will your God be able to deliver you from my power?

¹⁵ “Do not permit Hezekiah to deceive you or mislead you in this way, and do not believe him. How can you place your trust in him, since no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from my hand or from the hand of my ancestors? How much less will your God be able to save you from my clutches!”

¹⁶ Sennacherib’s officials offered further negative comments against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ In addition, Sennacherib wrote letters filled with contemptuous remarks about the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: “Just as the gods of other nations could not rescue their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not be able to save his people from my power.”

¹⁸ Then the forces of Sennacherib shouted loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were stationed on the wall, trying to strike them with terror and fear, and thus hoping to be able to conquer the city. ¹⁹ They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as if he were in no way superior to any of the gods of the other peoples of the earth, simply the work of human hands.

²⁰ The Defeat of Sennacherib. Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.