¹In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, in order to let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. ²And Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying, ³There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I send thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. ⁴And Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his forces against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon and Dan and Abelmaim, and all the store-magazines of the cities of Naphtali. ⁵And it came to pass when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease. ⁶And king Asa took all Judah; and they carried away the stones and the timber from Ramah, with which Baasha had been building, and he built with them Geba and Mizpah.

⁷And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on Jehovah thy God, therefore has the army of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand. ⁸Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army, with very many chariots and horsemen? but when thou didst rely on Jehovah, he delivered them into thy hand. ⁹For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro through the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars. ¹⁰And Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was enraged with him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. ¹¹And behold the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹²And Asa in the thirty-ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was extremely great; yet in his disease he did not seek Jehovah, but the physicians. ¹³And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one-and-fortieth year of his reign. ¹⁴And they buried him in his own sepulchre, which he had excavated for himself in the city of David, and laid him in a bed filled with spices, a mixture of divers kinds prepared by the perfumer’s art; and they made a very great burning for him.

Chapter 17

¹And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. ²And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had taken. ³And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat, for he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baals; ⁴but he sought the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. ⁵And Jehovah established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat; and he had riches and honour in abundance. ⁶And he took courage in the ways of Jehovah; moreover, he removed the high places and Asherahs out of Judah. ⁷And in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Micah, to teach in the cities of Judah; ⁸and with them the Levites: Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. ⁹And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of Jehovah with them; and they went about through all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.

¹⁰And the terror of Jehovah was upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute-silver. The Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. ¹²And Jehoshaphat waxed exceeding great; and he built in Judah castles and store-cities. ¹³And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and men of war, strong and valiant, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And these are the numbers of them according to their fathers’ houses. Of Judah the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valour; ¹⁵and next to him was Johanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; ¹⁶and next to him, Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Jehovah; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. ¹⁷And of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand, armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready prepared for war. ¹⁹These were they that waited on the king, besides those that the king had put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

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