2 Chronicles 16–17

¹In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa, come up hath Baasha king of Israel, against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, so as not to permit any going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah. ²And Asa bringeth out silver and gold from the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and of the house of the king, and sendeth unto Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who is dwelling in Damascus, saying, ³‘A covenant is between me and thee, and between my father and thy father, lo, I have sent to thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he doth go up from off me.’ ⁴And Ben-Hadad hearkeneth unto king Asa, and sendeth the heads of the forces that he hath unto cities of Israel, and they smite Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Maim, and all the stores, cities of Naphtali. ⁵And it cometh to pass, at Baasha’s hearing, that he ceaseth from building Ramah, and letteth his work rest; ⁶and Asa the king hath taken all Judah, and they bear away the stones of Ramah, and its wood, that Baasha hath built, and he buildeth with them Geba and Mizpah.

⁷And at that time hath Hanani the seer come in unto Asa king of Judah, and saith unto him, ‘Because of thy leaning on the king of Aram, and thou hast not leaned on Jehovah thy God, therefore hath the force of the king of Aram escaped from thy hand. ⁸Did not the Cushim and the Lubim become a very great force for multitude, for chariot, and for horsemen? and in thy leaning on Jehovah He gave them into thy hand, ⁹for Jehovah—His eyes go to and fro in all the earth, to show Himself strong for a people whose heart is perfect towards Him; thou hast been foolish concerning this, because—henceforth there are with thee wars.’ ¹⁰And Asa is angry at the seer, and giveth him to the house of torture, for he is in a rage with him for this; and Asa oppresseth some of the people at that time. ¹¹And lo, the matters of Asa, the first and the last, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹²And Asa is diseased—in the thirty and ninth year of his reign—in his feet, till his disease is excessive, and also in his disease he hath not sought Jehovah, but among physicians. ¹³And Asa lieth with his fathers, and dieth in the forty and first year of his reign, ¹⁴and they bury him in one of his graves, that he had prepared for himself in the city of David, and they cause him to lie on a bed that one hath filled with spices, and divers kinds of mixtures, with perfumed work; and they burn for him a burning—very great.

Chapter 17

¹And Jehoshaphat his son reigneth in his stead, and he strengtheneth himself against Israel, ²and putteth a force in all the fenced cities of Judah, and putteth garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. ³And Jehovah is with Jehoshaphat, for he hath walked in the first ways of David his father, and hath not sought to Baalim, ⁴for to the God of his father he hath sought, and in His commands he hath walked, and not according to the work of Israel. ⁵And Jehovah doth establish the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah give a present to Jehoshaphat, and he hath riches and honour in abundance, ⁶and his heart is high in the ways of Jehovah, and again he hath turned aside the high places and the shrines out of Judah. ⁷And in the third year of his reign he hath sent for his heads, for Ben-Hail, and for Obadiah, and for Zechariah, and for Nethaneel, and for Michaiah, to teach in cities of Judah, ⁸and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijath, and Tob-Adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. ⁹And they teach in Judah, and with them is the Book of the Law of Jehovah, and they go round about into all cities of Judah, and teach among the people.

¹⁰And here is a fear of Jehovah on all kingdoms of the lands that are round about Judah, and they have not fought with Jehoshaphat; ¹¹and of the Philistines they are bringing in to Jehoshaphat a present, and tribute silver; also, the Arabians are bringing to him a flock, rams seven thousand and seven hundred, and he-goats seven thousand and seven hundred. ¹²And Jehoshaphat is going on and becoming very great, and he buildeth in Judah palaces and cities of store, ¹³and he hath much work in cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty of valour, are in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And these are their numbers, for the house of their fathers: Of Judah, heads of thousands, Adnah the head, and with him mighty ones of valour, three hundred chiefs. ¹⁵And at his hand is Jehohanan the head, and with him two hundred and eighty chiefs. ¹⁶And at his hand is Amasiah son of Zichri, who is willingly offering himself to Jehovah, and with him two hundred chiefs, mighty of valour. ¹⁷And of Benjamin: mighty of valour, Eliada, and with him, armed with bow and shield, two hundred chiefs. ¹⁸And at his hand is Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty chiefs, armed ones of the host. ¹⁹These are those serving the king, apart from those whom the king put in the cities of fortress, in all Judah.

Chapter 18