2 Chronicles 16–17

In the ^asix and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa ^bBaasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. ²Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, ³There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. ⁴And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and ^cAbel-maim, and all ^dthe store cities of Naphtali. ⁵And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease. ⁶Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was a building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

⁷And at that time ^eHanani ^fthe seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, ^gBecause thou hast ^hrelied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. ⁸Were not ^ijthe Ethiopians and ^jthe Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, ^khe delivered them into thine hand. ⁹For ^lthe eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose ^mheart is perfect towards him. Herein ⁿthou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth ^othou shalt have wars. ¹⁰Then Asa was wroth with ^fthe seer, and put him in ^pa prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

¹¹And behold, ^qthe acts of Asa, ^rfirst and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹²And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign ^qwas diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. ^13sAnd Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. ¹⁴And ^sthey buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled ^twith sweet odours and ^udivers kinds of spices prepared by ^xthe apothecaries’ art: and they made ^ya very great burning for him.

XVII.And ^aJehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. ²And he placed forces in all ^bthe fenced cities of Judah, and set ^cgarrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, ^dwhich Asa his father had taken. ³And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; ⁴but ^esought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after ^fthe doings of Israel. ⁵Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat ^gpresents; and ^hhe had riches and honour in abundance. ⁶And his heart was lift up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away ⁱthe high places and ^jgroves out of Judah. ⁷Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. ⁸And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, ^kLevites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, ^kpriests. ⁹And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

¹⁰And ^lthe fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹Also some of the ^mPhilistines ⁿbrought Jehoshaphat ^gpresents, and tribute silver; and the ^mArabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he goats. ¹²And Jehoshaphat ^owaxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and ^pcities of store. ¹³And he had much business in the cities of Judah: and the men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand. ¹⁵And next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand. ¹⁶And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, ^qwho willingly offered himself unto the Lord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. ¹⁷And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him ^rarmed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand. ¹⁸And next him was Jehozabad, and with him an hundred and fourscore thousand ^sready prepared for the war. ¹⁹These waited on the king, besides those whom ^tthe king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.

XVIII.