2 Chronicles 16–18

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

¹And Jehoshaphat hath riches and honour in abundance, and joineth affinity to Ahab, ²and goeth down at the end of certain years unto Ahab to Samaria, and Ahab sacrificeth for him sheep and oxen in abundance, and for the people who are with him, and persuadeth him to go up unto Ramoth-Gilead. ³And Ahab king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, ‘Dost thou go with me to Ramoth-Gilead?’ And he saith to him, ‘As I—so thou, and as thy people—my people, even with thee in battle.’

⁴And Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, ‘Seek, I pray thee, this day, the word of Jehovah.’ ⁵And the king of Israel gathereth the prophets, four hundred men, and saith unto them, ‘Do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?’ And they say, ‘Go up, and God doth give it into the hand of the king.’ ⁶And Jehoshaphat saith, ‘Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah still, and we seek from him?’ ⁷And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, ‘Still—one man to seek Jehovah from him, and I—I have hated him, for he is not prophesying concerning me of good, but all his days of evil, he is Micaiah son of Imlah;’ and Jehoshaphat saith, ‘Let not the king say so.’ ⁸And the king of Israel calleth unto a certain officer, and saith, ‘Hasten Micaiah son of Imlah.’ ⁹And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, and they are sitting in a threshing-floor at the opening of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets are prophesying before them. ¹⁰And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah maketh for himself horns of iron, and saith, ‘Thus said Jehovah, ¹¹With these thou dost push Aram till thou hast consumed them.’ And all the prophets are prophesying so, saying, ‘Go up to Ramath-Gilead and prosper, and Jehovah hath given it into the hand of the king.’ ¹²And the messenger who hath gone to call for Micaiah hath spoken unto him, saying, ‘Lo, the words of the prophets—one mouth—are good towards the king, and let, I pray thee, thy word be like one of theirs: and thou hast spoken good.’ ¹³And Micaiah saith ‘Jehovah liveth, surely that which my God saith, it I speak.’ ¹⁴And he cometh in unto the king, and the king saith unto him, ‘Micaiah, do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?’ And he saith, ‘Go ye up, and prosper, and they are given into your hand.’ ¹⁵And the king saith unto him, ‘How many times am I adjuring thee, that thou speak unto me only truth in the name of Jehovah?’ ¹⁶And he saith, ‘I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah saith, There are no masters to these, they turn back each to his house in peace.’ ¹⁷And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not say unto thee, He doth not prophesy concerning me good, but rather of evil?’ ¹⁸And he saith, ‘Therefore, hear ye a word of Jehovah: I have seen Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right and His left; ¹⁹and Jehovah saith, Who doth entice Ahab king of Israel, and he doth go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? And this speaker saith thus, and that speaker thus. ²⁰And go out doth the spirit, and stand before Jehovah, and saith, I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, With what? ²¹and he saith, I go out, and have become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. And He saith, Thou dost entice, and also, thou art able; go out and do so. ²²And, now, lo, Jehovah hath put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of these thy prophets, and Jehovah hath spoken concerning thee—evil.’ ²³And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah cometh nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, ‘Where is this—the way the Spirit of Jehovah passed over from me to speak with thee?’ ²⁴And Micaiah saith, ‘Lo, thou dost see in that day, that thou dost enter into the innermost chamber to be hidden.’ ²⁵And the king of Israel saith, ‘Take ye Micaiah, and turn him back unto Amon head of the city, and unto Joash son of the king, ²⁶and ye have said, Thus said the king, Put ye this one in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my return in peace.’ ²⁷And Micaiah saith, ‘If thou dost certainly return in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me;’ and he saith, ‘Hear ye, O peoples, all of them!’

²⁸And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, unto Ramoth-Gilead; ²⁹and the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, ‘And thou, put on thy garments.’ And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and they go into battle. ³⁰And the king of Aram hath commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath, saying, ‘Ye do not fight with small or with great, except with the king of Israel by himself.’ ³¹And it cometh to pass at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they have said, ‘The king of Israel he is,’ and they turn round against him to fight, and…