Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV)

1 And when the kingdom of Rehoboam had been strengthened and fortified, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all of Israel with him.

2 Then, in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak, the king of Egypt, ascended against Jerusalem (for they had sinned against the Lord)

3 with one thousand two hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the common people could not be numbered who had arrived with him from Egypt, namely, the Libyans, and the Troglodytes, and the Ethiopians.

4 And he seized the most fortified cities in Judah, and he went even to Jerusalem.

5 Then Shemaiah, the prophet, entered to Rehoboam, and to the leaders of Judah who had gathered together in Jerusalem while fleeing from Shishak, and he said to them: “Thus says the Lord: You have abandoned me, and so I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.”

6 And the leaders of Israel, and the king, being in consternation, said, “The Lord is just.”

7 And when the Lord had seen that they were humbled, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying: “Because they have been humbled, I will not disperse them. And I will give to them a little help, and my fury will not rain down upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8 Yet truly, they shall serve him, so that they may know the difference between my servitude, and the servitude of a kingdom of the lands.”

9 And so Shishak, the king of Egypt, withdrew from Jerusalem, taking up the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the house of the king. And he took away everything with him, even the gold shields that Solomon had made.

10 In place of these, the king made bronze ones, and he delivered them to the leaders of the shield bearers, who were guarding the vestibule of the palace.

11 And when the king would enter into the house of the Lord, the shield bearers would arrive and take them, and they would carry them back to their armory.

12 Yet truly, because they were humbled, the wrath of the Lord turned away from them, and so they were not utterly destroyed. And indeed, good works were also found in Judah.

13 Therefore, king Rehoboam was strengthened in Jerusalem, and he reigned. He was forty-one years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel, so that he might confirm his name there. Now the name of his mother was Naamah, an Ammonite.

14 But he did evil, and he did not prepare his heart so as to seek the Lord.

15 Truly, the works of Rehoboam, the first and the last, have been written in the books of Shemaiah, the prophet, and of Iddo, the seer, and diligently set forth. And Rehoboam and Jeroboam fought against one another during all their days.

16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the City of David. And his son, Abijah, reigned in his place.

1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah reigned over Judah.

2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And when Abijah had undertaken the conflict, and he had with him four hundred thousand elect men, very fit for war, Jeroboam set up a battle line opposite him of eight hundred thousand men, who were also elect and very strong in warfare.

4 Then Abijah stood upon mount Zemaraim, which was in Ephraim, and he said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all of Israel.

5 Are you ignorant that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave David the kingship over Israel for all time, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

6 But Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, the servant of Solomon, son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.

7 And there were gathered to him very vain men, and sons of Belial. And they prevailed against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. For Rehoboam was inexperienced, and he had a fearful heart, and so he was unable to resist them.

8 Now therefore, you say that you are able to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which he possesses through the sons of David, and you have a great multitude of people, and gold calves, which Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9 And you have cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, as well as the Levites. And like all the peoples of the lands, you have made priests for yourselves. Anyone who is willing to come and perform the ritual by his hand, with a bull from the herd and with seven rams, is made a priest of those who are not gods.

10 But the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And the priests who minister to the Lord are from the sons of Aaron. And the Levites are in their proper order.

11 Also, they offer holocausts to the Lord, each and every day, morning and evening, and incense composed according to the precept of the law, and the bread of the presence on a very pure table. And there is with us the gold lampstand with its lamps, so that they may burn continually in the evening. For certainly, we keep the precepts of the Lord our God, whom you have forsaken.

12 Therefore, God is the commander of our army, with his priests, who sound the trumpets that ring out against you. O sons of Israel, do not choose to fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers. For it is not expedient for you.”

13 While he was speaking these things, Jeroboam set in motion an ambush behind them. And while they stood facing the enemy, without Judah realizing it, his army circled around.

14 And looking back, Judah saw the war threatening in front and behind, and they cried out to the Lord. And the priests began to sound the trumpets.

15 And all the men of Judah shouted out. And behold, when they cried out, God terrified Jeroboam, and all of Israel who were standing in opposition to Abijah and Judah.

16 And the sons of Israel fled from Judah, and the Lord delivered them into their hand.

17 Therefore, Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter. And five hundred thousand strong men of Israel fell wounded.

18 And the sons of Israel were humiliated at that time. And the sons of Judah were very greatly strengthened, because they had trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers.

19 Then Abijah pursued the fleeing Jeroboam. And he seized cities from him: Bethel and her daughters, and Jeshanah with her daughters, and also Ephron and her daughters.

20 And Jeroboam no longer had the strength to resist, in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him, and he died.

21 And so Abijah, having been strengthened in his authority, took fourteen wives. And he procreated twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 Now the rest of the words of Abijah, and his ways and works, have been written very diligently in the book of Iddo, the prophet.

1 Then Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. And his son, Asa, reigned in his place. During his days, the land was quiet for ten years.

2 Now Asa did what was good and pleasing in the sight of his God. And he overturned the altars of foreign worship, and the high places.

3 And he broke apart the statues, and he cut down the sacred groves.

4 And he instructed Judah that they should seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and that they should carry out the law and all the commandments.

5 And he took away, from all the cities of Judah, the altars and the shrines. And he reigned in peace.

6 Also, he built fortified cities in Judah. For it was quiet, and in his time no wars had arisen. For the Lord was generously granting peace.

7 Then he said to Judah: “Let us build these cities, and strengthen them with walls, and fortify them with towers and gates and bars, while all things are at rest from wars. For we have sought the Lord, the God of our fathers, and he has granted to us peace on every side.” And so they built, and there was nothing to impede them from building.

8 Now Asa had in his army three hundred thousand men of Judah, carrying shields and spears, and truly, of Benjamin, two hundred eighty thousand men with shields and bows. All of these were very valiant men.

9 Then Zerah, the Ethiopian, went forth against them with his army of one million men, and three hundred chariots. And he approached as far as Mareshah.

10 And Asa traveled to meet him, and he set up a battle line for the war in the Valley of Zephathah, which is near Mareshah.

11 And he called upon the Lord God, and he said: “O Lord, there is no difference to you, whether you assist by few, or by many. Help us, O Lord our God. For having faith in you and in your name, we have gone forth against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God. Do not allow man to prevail against you.”

12 And so the Lord terrified the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah. And the Ethiopians fled.

13 And Asa, and the people who were with him, pursued them as far as Gerar. And the Ethiopians fell, even unto utter destruction, for the Lord was striking, and his army was battling, and they were destroyed. Therefore, they took many spoils.

14 And they struck all the cities surrounding Gerar. For indeed, a great fear had overwhelmed everyone. And they despoiled the cities, and they carried away much plunder.

15 Then too, destroying the fencing for the sheep, they took an innumerable multitude of cattle and camels. And they returned to Jerusalem.

1 Now Azariah, the son of Oded, had the Spirit of God within him.

2 And he went out to meet Asa, and he said to him: “Listen to me, Asa and all of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you, because you have been with him. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.

3 Then many days will pass in Israel, apart from the true God, and apart from a learned priest, and apart from the law.

4 And when, in their anguish, they will have returned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and will have sought him, they shall find him.

5 In that time, there will be no peace for those who depart and those who enter. Instead, there will be terror on every side, among all the inhabitants of the lands.

6 For nation will fight against nation, and city against city. For the Lord will disturb them with every anguish.

7 But as for you, be strengthened, and do not let your hands be weakened. For there will be a reward for your work.”

8 And when Asa had heard these particular words, and the prophecy of the prophet Azariah, the son of Oded, he was strengthened, and he took away the idols from the entire land of Judah, and from Benjamin, and from the cities that he had seized of mount Ephraim, and he dedicated the altar of the Lord, which was before the portico of the Lord.

9 And he gathered together all of Judah and Benjamin, and with them the new arrivals from Ephraim and Manasseh and Simeon. For many had fled to him from Israel, seeing that the Lord his God was with him.

10 And when they had arrived in Jerusalem, in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa,

11 they immolated to the Lord on that day, from the best of the spoils and from the plunder that they had brought: seven hundred oxen and seven thousand rams.

12 And he entered, according to custom, in order to confirm the covenant, so that they would seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with their whole heart and with their whole soul.

13 “But if anyone,” he said, “will not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, let him die, from the least even to the greatest, from man even to woman.”

14 And they swore to the Lord, with a great voice, in jubilation, and with the blare of trumpets, and with the sound of horns,

15 all who were in Judah swore with a curse. For with all their heart they swore, and with all their will they sought and found him. And the Lord granted rest on all sides to them.

16 Then too, Maacah, the mother of king Asa, he deposed from the august authority, because she had made an idol of Priapus within a sacred grove. And he entirely crushed it, breaking it into pieces, and he burned it at the torrent Kidron.

17 But some high places were left in Israel. Even so, the heart of Asa was perfect during all his days.

18 And whatever his father or he himself had vowed, he brought into the house of the Lord: silver and gold, and vessels for various uses.

19 Truly, there was no war, until the thirty-fifth year of the kingdom of Asa.

1 Then, in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Baasha, the king of Israel, ascended against Judah. And he encircled Ramah with a wall, so that no one could safely depart or enter from the kingdom of Asa.

2 Therefore, Asa brought forth silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord, and from the treasuries of the king. And he sent to Benhadad, the king of Syria, who was living in Damascus, saying:

3 “There is a pact between me and you. Also, my father and your father had an agreement. For this reason, I have sent silver and gold to you, so that you may break the pact that you have with Baasha, the king of Israel, and so that you may cause him to withdraw from me.”

4 And when he verified this, Benhadad sent the leaders of his armies to the cities of Israel. And they struck Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Naphtali.

5 And when Baasha had heard of it, he ceased to build around Ramah, and he interrupted his work.

6 Then king Asa took all of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and the wood that Baasha had prepared for the things to be built. And he built up Gibeah and Mizpah with them.

7 In that time, the prophet Hanani went to Asa, the king of Judah, and he said to him: “Because you have faith in the king of Syria, and not in the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.

8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans much more numerous in chariots, and horsemen, and an exceedingly great multitude? Yet when you believed in the Lord, he delivered them into your hand.

9 For the eyes of the Lord contemplate the entire earth, and offer fortitude to those who believe in him with a perfect heart. And so, you acted foolishly. And so, because of this, from the present time wars shall rise up against you.”

10 And Asa was angry against the seer, and he ordered him to be sent into prison. For indeed, he had been very indignant over this. And in that time, he put to death very many of the people.

11 But the works of Asa, the first and the last, have been written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 And now Asa became ill, in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, with a very severe pain in his feet. And yet, in his infirmity, he did not seek the Lord. Instead, he trusted more in the skill of physicians.

13 And he slept with his fathers. And he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in his own sepulcher, which he had made for himself in the City of David. And they placed him upon his bed, full of the aromatics and ointments of courtesans, which were composed with the skill of the perfumers. And they burned these over him with very great ostentation.

1 Then Jehoshaphat, his son, reigned in his place. And he grew strong against Israel.

2 And he appointed numbers of soldiers in all the cities of Judah that had been fortified with walls. And he placed garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.

3 And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father, David. And he did not trust in the Baals,

4 but in the God of his father. And he advanced in his precepts, and not according to the sins of Israel.

5 And the Lord confirmed the kingdom in his hand. And all of Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat. And innumerable riches were brought to him, and much glory.

6 And when his heart had taken courage because of the ways of the Lord, he now also took away the high places and the sacred groves from Judah.

7 Then, in the third year of his reign, he sent Benhail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, from among his leaders, so that they might teach in the cites of Judah.

8 And with them were the Levites Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah, and also Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan, and the Levites Adonijah and Tobijah and Tobadonijah. And with them were the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

9 And they were teaching the people in Judah, having with them the book of the law of the Lord. And they were traveling through all the cities of Judah, and were instructing the people.

10 And so, the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah. And they did not dare to make war against Jehoshaphat.

11 Moreover, the Philistines carried gifts to Jehoshaphat, and a tribute in silver. Also, the Arabians brought cattle: seven thousand seven hundred rams, and the same number of he-goats.

12 Therefore, Jehoshaphat increased and was magnified, even on high. And in Judah, he built houses in the likeness of towers, and walled cities.

13 And he prepared many works in the cities of Judah. Also, there were men experienced in warfare in Jerusalem,

14 and this is the number of them, by each of the houses and families. In Judah, the leader of the army was Adnah, the commander; and with him were three hundred thousand very experienced men.

15 After him, Jehohanan was the leader; and with him were two hundred eighty thousand.

16 Also after him, there was Amasiah, the son of Zichri, who was consecrated to the Lord; and with him were two hundred thousand strong men.

17 Following him, there was Eliada, who was experienced in battle; and with him were two hundred thousand, holding bow and shield.

18 Then too, after him, there was Jehozabad; and with him were one hundred eighty thousand lightly-armed solders.

19 All these were at the hand of the king, aside from the others, whom he had positioned in the walled cities, in all of Judah.

1 Therefore, Jehoshaphat was wealthy and very famous, and he was joined by affinity to Ahab.

2 And after some years, he descended to him in Samaria. And upon his arrival, Ahab slaughtered very many sheep and oxen, for him and for the people who had arrived with him. And he persuaded him that he should ascend against Ramoth Gilead.

3 And Ahab, the king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, “Come with me to Ramoth Gilead.” And he answered him: “As I am, so also are you. As your people are, so also are my people. And we will be with you in war.”

4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Consult, I beg you, the word of the Lord for the present circumstances.”

5 And so the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and he said to them: “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” But they said, “Ascend, and God will deliver into the hand of the king.”

6 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may inquire of him as well?”

7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “There is one man, from whom we would be able to ask the will of the Lord. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but at all times evil. And it is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this manner, O king.”

8 Therefore, the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: “Quickly, summon Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”

9 Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both sitting upon their thrones, clothed in royal vestments. And they were sitting in an open area, beside the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 Truly, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said: “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you crush it.”

11 And all the prophets prophesied similarly, and they said: “Ascend against Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the hand of the king.”

12 Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “Lo, the words of all the prophets, with one mouth, announce good to the king. Therefore, I ask you that you not dissent from them in your word, and that you speak prosperity.”

13 And Micaiah responded to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say to me, the same shall I speak.”

14 Therefore, he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” And he responded to him: “Ascend. For everything will come to prosperity, and the enemies will be delivered into your hands.”

15 And the king said, “Again and again, I bind you by an oath, so that you will not speak to me except what is true in the name of the Lord!”

16 Then he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered amid the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no masters. Let each one return in peace to his own house.’ “

17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that this one would not prophesy to me anything good, but only what is evil?”

18 Then he said: “Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, on the right and on the left.

19 And the Lord said: ‘Who will deceive Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And when one spoke in one way, and another in another way,

20 there came forward a spirit, and he stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘In what way will you deceive him?’

21 And he responded, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive and prevail. Go forth and do so.’

22 Therefore now, behold: the Lord gave a lying spirit to the mouth of all your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil about you.”

23 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, approached, and he struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said: “In what way did the Spirit of the Lord depart from me, so that he would speak to you?”

24 And Micaiah said: “You yourself shall see it, in that day, when you will enter a room within a room, so that you may be hidden.”

25 Then the king of Israel instructed, saying: “Take Micaiah, and lead him to Amon, the leader of the city, and to Joash, the son of Amalech.

26 And you shall say: ‘Thus says the king: Send this man to prison, and give to him a little bread and a little water, until I return in peace.’ “

27 And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “May all the people listen.”

28 And so, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended against Ramoth Gilead.

29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “I will change my clothing, and in this way I will go into battle. But you should be clothed in your own garments.” And the king of Israel, having changed his clothing, went to war.

30 Now the king of Syria had instructed the commanders of his horsemen, saying, “You shall not fight against the least or the greatest, but only against the king of Israel.”

31 And so, when the leaders of the horsemen had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, “This one is the king of Israel.” And while fighting, they surrounded him. But he cried out to the Lord, and he assisted him, and he turned them away from him.

32 For when the commanders of the horsemen had seen that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.

33 Then it happened that one of the people shot an arrow indiscriminately, and it struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulder. And so he said to his chariot driver: “Turn your hand, and lead me away from the battle line. For I have been wounded.”

34 And the fight ended on that day. But the king of Israel was standing in his chariot facing the Syrians, even until evening. And he died when the sun set.

1 Then Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned in peace to his house in Jerusalem.

2 And the seer Jehu, the son of Hanani, met him, and said to him: “You offer assistance to the impious, and you are joined in friendship with those who hate the Lord. And for this reason, you certainly deserve the wrath of the Lord.

3 But good works have been found in you. For you have taken away the sacred groves from the land of Judah. And you have prepared your heart, so as to seek the Lord, the God of your fathers.”

4 Then Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. And again he went out to the people, from Beersheba as far as mount Ephraim. And he called them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

5 And he appointed judges of the land, in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each place.

6 And instructing the judges, he said: “Pay attention to what you are doing. For you exercise judgment, not of man, but of the Lord. And whatever you will have judged, it will come back to you.

7 Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and do all things with diligence. For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor desire for gifts.”

8 Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites and priests and leaders of families, out of Israel, in Jerusalem, so that they might judge the judgment and purpose of the Lord for its inhabitants.

9 And he instructed them, saying, “So shall you act: faithfully, in the fear of the Lord, and with a perfect heart.

10 Every case that will come to you from your brothers, who live in their cities, between kindred and kindred, wherever there is a question concerning law, commandment, ceremonies, or justifications, reveal it to them, so that they may not sin against the Lord, and so that wrath may not overwhelm you and your brothers. Then, by acting in this way, you will not sin.

11 But Amariah, a priest and your high priest, shall preside over those things which pertain to God. Then Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael, who is a ruler in the house of Judah, shall be over those works that pertain to the office of the king. And you have before you the Levites as teachers. Be strengthened and act diligently, and the Lord will be with you for what is good.”

1 After these things, the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and with them some from the Ammonites, gathered together so that they might fight against him.

2 And messengers arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying: “A great multitude has arrived against you, from those places that are across the sea, and from Syria. And behold, they are standing together at Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.”

3 Then Jehoshaphat, being terrified with fear, gave himself entirely to petitioning the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.

4 And Judah gathered together to pray to the Lord. Moreover, everyone from their cities came to beseech him.

5 And when Jehoshaphat had stood up in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new atrium,

6 he said: “O Lord, God of our fathers, you are God in heaven, and you rule over all the kingdoms of the Gentiles. In your hand is strength and power, and no one is able to withstand you.

7 Did not you, our God, put to death all the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel? And you gave it to the offspring of your friend Abraham, for all time.

8 And they lived in it. And they built a Sanctuary to your name in it, saying:

9 ‘If evils will have fallen upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in your sight before this house, in which your name is invoked, and we will cry out to you in our tribulations. And you will heed us and accomplish our salvation.’

10 Now therefore, behold the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands you did not permit Israel to cross when they were departing from Egypt. Instead, they turned aside from them, and they did not put them to death.

11 They are doing the contrary, and they are striving to cast us from the possession which you delivered to us.

12 Therefore, will you, our God, not judge them? Certainly, in us there is not enough strength so that we would be able to withstand this multitude, which rushes against us. But although we do not know what we ought to do, we have this alone remaining, that we direct our eyes to you.”

13 Truly, all of Judah was standing before the Lord with their little ones and wives and children.

14 But there was Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the sons of Asaph, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord went, in the midst of the crowd.

15 And he said: “Pay attention, all of Judah, and you who live in Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed by this multitude. For the fight is not yours, but God’s.

16 Tomorrow, you shall descend against them. For they will ascend along the incline named Ziz, and will find them at the summit of the torrent, which is opposite the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 It will not be you who will fight. Instead, only stand with confidence, and you will see the help of the Lord over you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed. Tomorrow you shall go forth against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

18 Then Jehoshaphat, and Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell prone on the ground before the Lord, and they adored him.

19 And the Levites from the sons of Kohath, and from the sons of Korah, were praising the Lord, the God of Israel, with a great voice, on high.

20 And when they had risen up in the morning, they went out through the desert of Tekoa. And as they were setting out, Jehoshaphat, standing in their midst, said: “Listen to me, men of Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be secure. Believe in his prophets, and everything will come to prosperity.”

21 And he gave counsel to the people. And he appointed the singing men of the Lord, so that they would praise him by their companies, and so that they would go before the army, and with one voice say: “Confess to the Lord. For his mercy is eternal.”

22 And when they had begun to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushes upon themselves, that is, those of the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who had gone forth so that they might fight against Judah. And they were struck down.

23 For the sons of Ammon and of Moab rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, so that they might slay and destroy them. And when they had perpetrated this work, now also turning upon themselves, they cut one another with wounds.

24 Then, when Judah had gone to the high point that looks out toward the desert, they saw, from far away, the entire wide region filled with dead bodies. Neither was there anyone who was left alive and had been able to escape death.

25 Therefore, Jehoshaphat went, and all the people with him, in order to take away the spoils of the dead. And they found, among the dead bodies, diverse equipment, and also garments, and very precious vessels. And they despoiled these, to such an extent that they were unable to carry everything. Neither could they, over three days, take away the spoils because of the magnitude of the plunder.

26 Then, on the fourth day, they were gathered together in the Valley of Blessing. For they had blessed the Lord there, and therefore they called that place the Valley of Blessing, even to the present day.

27 And every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, returned, with Jehoshaphat before them, to Jerusalem, with great rejoicing. For the Lord had granted to them gladness concerning their enemies.

28 And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, into the house of the Lord.

29 Then the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands, when they had heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. And God granted to him peace on all sides.

31 And so Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. And he was thirty-five years old when he had begun to reign. Then he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

32 And he walked in the way of his father, Asa, and he did not decline from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.

33 Yet truly, he did not take away the high places, and the people still had not directed their heart to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

34 But the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, have been written in the words of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books of the kings of Israel.

35 After these things, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, formed a friendship with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, whose works were very impious.

36 And he was a partner in the making of ships, which would go to Tarshish. And they made the fleet at Eziongeber.

37 Then Eliezer, the son of Dodavahu, from Mareshah, prophesied to Jehoshaphat, saying: “Because you have made a pact with Ahaziah, the Lord has struck your works, and the ships have been broken, and they have not been able to go to Tarshish.”

1 Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the City of David. And his son, Jehoram, reigned in his place.

2 And he had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah.

3 And their father gave to them many gifts of silver, and gold, and valuables, with very fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he handed on to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

4 Therefore, Jehoram rose up over the kingdom of his father. And when he had established himself, he killed with the sword all his brothers, and certain ones from the leaders of Israel.

5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

6 And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For his wife was a daughter of Ahab, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

7 But the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had formed with him, and because he had promised that he would provide a lamp to him, and to his sons, for all time.

8 In those days, Edom rebelled, so as not to be subject to Judah, and they appointed for themselves a king.

9 And when Jehoram had gone across with his leaders, and all the horsemen who were with him, he arose in the night, and struck the Edomites (who had surrounded him), and all the commanders of his horsemen.

10 Even so, Edom rebelled, so as not to be under the authority of Judah, even to this day. Also at that time, Libnah withdrew, so as not to be under his hand. For he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers.

11 Moreover, he also constructed high places in the cities of Judah. And he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to fornicate, and Judah to prevaricate.

12 Then letters were conveyed to him from the prophet Elijah, in which it was written: “Thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat, your father, nor in the ways of Asa, the king of Judah,

13 but instead you have advanced along the paths of the kings of Israel, and you have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to fornicate, imitating the fornication of the house of Ahab, and moreover, you have killed your brothers, the house of your father, who are better than you:

14 behold, the Lord will strike you with a great plague, with all your people, and your sons and wives, and all your substance.

15 And you shall be sickened by a very grievous disease of your bowels, until your inner organs depart, little by little, each day.”

16 Therefore, the Lord stirred up, against Jehoram, the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, who are along the borders of the Ethiopians.

17 And they ascended into the land of Judah. And they laid waste to it. And they despoiled all the substance that was found in the house of the king, including even his sons and wives. Neither did there remain for him any son, except Jehoahaz, who was the youngest born.

18 And in addition to all these things, the Lord struck him with an incurable disease of the bowels.

19 And as day followed after day, and the space of time turned, the course of two years was completed. And after having been wasted by a long consumption, so much so that even his inner organs were discharged, the disease ended along with his life. And so he died of a very grievous illness. And the people did not make a funeral for him, according to the custom of burning, as they had done for his ancestors.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. And he did not walk uprightly. And they buried him in the City of David, yet truly, not in the sepulcher of the kings.