Bible in 90 Days

The Lord Answers Solomon’s Prayer^(A)

¹¹ Solomon finished the Lord’s temple and the royal palace and completed everything he had in mind for the Lord’s temple and his own palace. ¹² Then the Lord appeared to him at night. He said to Solomon,

Solomon Completes His Construction^(B)

8 It took Solomon 20 years to build the Lord’s house and his own house. ² He rebuilt the cities Huram gave him, and he had Israelites live in them.

³ Then Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and conquered it. ⁴ He rebuilt Tadmor in the desert and built all the storage cities in Hamath. ⁵ He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon into cities fortified with walls, double-door gates, and bars. ⁶ ⌞He also rebuilt⌟ Baalath and all the storage cities that he owned. He built all the cities for his chariots, all the cities for his war horses, and whatever ⌞else⌟ he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or the entire territory that he governed.

⁷ The Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites had been left ⌞in the land⌟ because the Israelites had not been able to destroy them.^[a] They were not Israelites, ⁸ but they had descendants who were still in the land. Solomon drafted them for slave labor. (They are still ⌞slaves⌟ today.) ⁹ But Solomon didn’t make any of the Israelites slaves for his projects. Instead, they were the soldiers, officers, generals, and commanders of his chariot and cavalry units.

¹⁰ These were the officers in charge of King Solomon’s projects: 250 foremen for the people who did the work.

¹¹ Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter from the City of David to a palace he had built for her. He said, “My wife will not live in the palace of King David of Israel because these places where the Lord’s ark has come are holy.”

¹² Then Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar that he built in front of the entrance hall. ¹³ He sacrificed every day, on weekly days of rest—holy days, on the New Moon Festivals, and on the three annual festivals (the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths) as Moses had commanded. ¹⁴ As Solomon’s father David had directed, he set up the divisions of priests for their service and the ⌞divisions of⌟ Levites for their appointed places. ⌞The Levites⌟ were to lead in praising ⌞the Lord⌟ and to serve beside the priests by doing whatever needed to be done each day. Solomon also set up divisions of doorkeepers at every gate because this is what David, the man of God, had commanded. ¹⁵ No one neglected the king’s orders to the priests or the Levites in any matter, including the ⌞temple’s⌟ finances. ¹⁶ All of Solomon’s work was carried out from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid until it was completed. The Lord’s temple was ⌞now⌟ finished.

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to the coast near Ezion Geber and Elath in Edom. ¹⁸ Huram sent his own servants and his experienced sailors with ships to Solomon. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, got 33,750 pounds of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon^(C)

9 The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s reputation. So she came to Jerusalem to test him with riddles. She arrived with a large group of servants, with camels carrying spices, a large quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she talked to him about everything she had on her mind. ² Solomon answered all her questions. No question was too difficult for Solomon to answer.

³ When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he built, ⁴ the food on his table, his officers’ seating arrangement, the organization of his officials and the uniforms they wore, his cupbearers ^[b] and their uniforms, and the burnt offerings that he sacrificed at the Lord’s temple, she was breathless. ⁵ She told the king, “What I heard in my country about your words and your wisdom is true! ⁶ But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw it with my own eyes. I wasn’t even told about half of the extent of your wisdom. You’ve surpassed the stories I’ve heard. ⁷ How blessed your men must be! How blessed these servants of yours must be because they are always stationed in front of you and listen to your wisdom! ⁸ Thank the Lord your God, who is pleased with you. He has put you on his throne to be king on behalf of the Lord your God. Because of your God’s love for the people of Israel, he has established them permanently and made you king over them so that you would maintain justice and righteousness.”

⁹ She gave the king 9,000 pounds of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never was there such a large quantity of spices ⌞in Israel⌟ as those that the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

¹⁰ Huram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought sandalwood and precious stones. ¹¹ With the sandalwood the king made gateways to the Lord’s temple and the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. No one had ever seen anything like them in Judah.

¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba anything she wanted, whatever she asked for, more than what she had brought him. Then she and her servants went back to her country.

Solomon’s Wealth^(D)

¹³ The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed 49,950 pounds, ¹⁴ not counting ⌞the gold⌟ which the merchants and traders brought. All the Arab kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, using 15 pounds of gold on each shield. ¹⁶ He also made 300 small shields of hammered gold, using 7½ pounds of gold on each shield. The king put them in the hall ⌞named⌟ the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷ The king also made a large ivory throne and covered it with pure gold. ¹⁸ Six steps led to the throne, which had a gold footstool attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat. Two lions stood beside the armrests. ¹⁹ Twelve lions stood on six steps, one on each side. Nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

²⁰ All King Solomon’s cups were gold, and all the utensils for the hall ⌞named⌟ the Forest of Lebanon were fine gold. (Silver wasn’t considered valuable in Solomon’s time.) ²¹ The king had ships going to Tarshish with Huram’s sailors. Once every three years the Tarshish ships would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

²² In wealth and wisdom King Solomon was greater than all the ⌞other⌟ kings of the world. ²³ All the kings of the world wanted to listen to the wisdom that God gave Solomon. ²⁴ So everyone who came brought him gifts: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This happened year after year.

²⁵ Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 war horses. He stationed ⌞some⌟ in chariot cities and ⌞others⌟ with himself in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He ruled all the kings from the Euphrates River to the country of the Philistines and as far as the Egyptian border. ²⁷ The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as fig trees in the foothills. ²⁸ Horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all other countries.

Solomon’s Death^(E)

²⁹ Aren’t the rest of Solomon’s acts from first to last written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah from Shiloh, and in Iddo the seer’s ^[c] visions about Jeroboam (son of Nebat)?

³⁰ Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. ³¹ Solomon lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.

King Rehoboam Foolishly Rejects Israel’s Request^(F)

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. ² Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard ⌞about Rehoboam⌟, he returned from Egypt. ³ ⌞Israel⌟ sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said, ⁴ “Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ He said to them, “Come back the day after tomorrow.” So the people left.

⁶ King Rehoboam sought advice from the older leaders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked, “What do you advise? How should I respond to these people?”

⁷ They told him, “If you are good to these people and try to please them by speaking gently to them, then they will always be your servants.”

⁸ But he ignored the advice the older leaders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. ⁹ He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them?”

¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him answered, “This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is heavier than my father’s whole body. ¹¹ If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.’ ”

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them. ¹³ The king answered them harshly. He ignored the older leaders’ advice. ¹⁴ He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said, “If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will use scorpions.” ¹⁵ The king refused to listen to the people because the Lord was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) through Ahijah from Shiloh.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king,

So all Israel went home to their own tents. ¹⁷ But Rehoboam ruled the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.

¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram to the Israelites. He was in charge of forced labor, but they stoned him to death. So King Rehoboam got on his chariot as fast as he could and fled to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Israel has rebelled against David’s dynasty to this day.

Israel’s Priests Come to Judah^(G)

11 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered the people of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 of the best soldiers, to fight against Israel and return the kingdom to Rehoboam.

² But God spoke his word to Shemaiah, the man of God. He said, ³ “Speak to Judah’s King Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin. ⁴ This is what the Lord says: Don’t wage war against your relatives. Everyone, go home. What has happened is my doing.” So they obeyed the Lord’s word. They turned back from their attack on Jeroboam.

⁵ Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified cities in Judah. ⁶ He rebuilt Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. ¹¹ He strengthened them and put army officers with reserves of food, olive oil, and wine in them. ¹² In each city he stored shields and spears. He made the cities very secure. So Rehoboam held on to Judah and Benjamin.

¹³ The priests and Levites in every region of Israel sided with Rehoboam. ¹⁴ The priests abandoned their land and property and went to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his descendants rejected them as the Lord’s priests. ¹⁵ Instead, Jeroboam appointed ⌞his own⌟ priests for the illegal worship sites and the goat and calf statues he had made as idols. ¹⁶ People from every tribe of Israel who were determined to seek the Lord God of Israel followed the Levitical priests to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors.

¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah by supporting Rehoboam, son of Solomon, for three years. During ⌞those⌟ three years they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.

Rehoboam’s Family

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth. (Jerimoth was the son of David and Abihail. Abihail was the daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.) ¹⁹ Mahalath gave birth to the following sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

²⁰ After marrying Mahalath, he married Maacah, Absalom’s granddaughter. She gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah, Absalom’s granddaughter, more than all his other wives and concubines.^[d] (He had 18 wives and 60 concubines. He fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters.)

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah, son of Maacah, as family head and prince among his brothers. By doing this, Rehoboam could make him king. ²³ He wisely placed his sons in every region of Judah and Benjamin, in every fortified city. He gave them allowances and obtained many wives for them.

King Shishak Takes the Temple Treasures^(H)

12 When Rehoboam had established his kingdom and made himself strong, he and all Israel abandoned the Lord’s teachings. ² In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. This happened because all Israel was not loyal to the Lord. ³ Shishak had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and an army of countless Libyans, Sukkites, and Sudanese from Egypt.

⁴ He captured the fortified cities in Judah and then came to Jerusalem.

⁵ The prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I will abandon you. I will hand you over to Shishak.” ⁶ Then the commanders of Israel and the king humbled themselves. “The Lord is right!” they said.

⁷ When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, he spoke his word to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them. In a little while I will give them an escape. I will not use Shishak to pour my anger on Jerusalem. ⁸ But they will become his servants so that they can learn the difference between serving me and serving foreign kings.”

⁹ King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took the treasures from the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He took them all. He took the gold shields Solomon had made. ¹⁰ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and put them by the entrance to the royal palace, where the captains of the guards were stationed. ¹¹ Whenever the king went into the Lord’s temple, guards carried the shields and then returned them to the guardroom.

¹² After Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord was no longer angry with him and didn’t completely destroy him. So things went well in Judah.

¹³ King Rehoboam strengthened his position in Jerusalem and ruled. He was 41 years old when he began to rule. He ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel, the city where the Lord put his name. (Rehoboam’s mother was an Ammonite woman named Naamah.) ¹⁴ He did evil things because he was not serious about dedicating himself to serving the Lord.

¹⁵ Aren’t the events concerning Rehoboam from first to last written in the records of the prophet Shemaiah and the records of the seer ^[e] Iddo in the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam as long as they lived. ¹⁶ Rehoboam lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Abijah succeeded him as king.

King Abijah’s War with King Jeroboam^(I)

13 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah began to rule Judah. ² He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Micaiah, daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

³ Abijah prepared for battle with an army of 400,000 of the best soldiers, while Jeroboam arranged to oppose him with 800,000 of the best professional soldiers.

⁴ Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the mountains of Ephraim. He called out, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! ⁵ Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever in a permanent promise? ^{[f] 6} But Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) rebelled against his master. He had been the servant of David’s son Solomon. ⁷ Worthless, good-for-nothing men gathered around him. They opposed Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was too young and inexperienced to challenge them. ⁸ Do you now intend to challenge the Lord’s kingdom, which has been placed in the hands of David’s descendants? You are a large crowd, and you have the gold calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. ⁹ You forced out the Lord’s priests who were Aaron’s descendants, and you forced out the Levites so that you could appoint your own priests, as the people in foreign countries do. Anyone who has a young bull and seven rams can be ordained as a priest of nonexistent gods.

¹⁰ “However, the Lord is our God. We haven’t abandoned him. The priests who serve the Lord are Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites assist them. ¹¹ They sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord every morning and every evening. They offer sweet-smelling incense and rows of bread on the clean ^[g] table. The lamps on the gold lamp stand burn every evening. We’re following the instructions the Lord our God gave us, but you have abandoned him. ¹² God is with us as our leader. His priests will sound their trumpets to call ⌞the army⌟ to fight you. Men of Israel, don’t wage war against the Lord God of your ancestors. You won’t succeed.”

¹³ But Jeroboam had set an ambush to attack them from behind. So Jeroboam’s army was in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴ When Judah’s soldiers looked around, the battle was in front of them and behind them. They cried out to the Lord, the priests blew the trumpets, ¹⁵ and the men of Judah shouted. When they shouted, God attacked Jeroboam and all Israel in front of Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ The Israelites fled from Judah’s ⌞army⌟, and God handed them over to Judah. ¹⁷ So Abijah and his men defeated them decisively, and 500,000 of the best men of Israel were killed. ¹⁸ So the Israelites were humbled at that time, and the men of Judah won because they trusted the Lord God of their ancestors. ¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some of his cities: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages.

²⁰ Jeroboam never regained power during Abijah’s time. The Lord caused Jeroboam to become sick, and Jeroboam died.

²¹ But Abijah became strong. He married 14 wives and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters.

²² Everything else about Abijah—how he lived and what he said—is written in the history by the prophet Iddo.

14 ^[h]Abijah lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king. In Asa’s time the land had peace for ten years.

King Asa of Judah^(J)

² Asa did what the Lord his God considered good and right.

³ He got rid of the altars of foreign gods, broke down the sacred stones, and cut down the poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. ⁴ He told the people of Judah to dedicate their lives to serving the Lord God of their ancestors and follow his teachings and commands. ⁵ He got rid of the illegal places of worship and the altars for incense in all the cities of Judah. The kingdom was at peace during his reign.

⁶ He built fortified cities in Judah because the land had peace. There was no war during those years because the Lord gave him a time of peace. ⁷ So Asa told Judah, “Let’s build these cities and make walls around them with towers and doors that can be barred. The country is still ours because we have dedicated our lives to serving the Lord our God. We have dedicated our lives to him, and he has surrounded us with peace.” So they built the cities, and everything went well.

⁸ Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans who were armed with large shields and spears and 280,000 Benjaminites who were armed with small shields and bows. All of these men were good fighting men.

⁹ Then Zerah from Sudan came with 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots to attack Asa. Zerah got as far as Mareshah. ¹⁰ Asa went to confront him, and the two armies set up their battle lines in the Zephathah Valley at Mareshah.

¹¹ Asa called on the Lord his God. He said, “Lord, there is no one except you who can help those who are not strong so that they can fight against a large ⌞army⌟. Help us, Lord our God, because we are depending on you. In your name we go against this large crowd. You are the Lord our God. Don’t let anyone successfully oppose you.”

¹² The Lord attacked the Sudanese army in front of Asa and Judah. The Sudanese army fled. ¹³ Asa and his troops pursued them as far as Gerar. Many of the Sudanese died in battle. As a result, the Sudanese army couldn’t fight again. It was crushed in front of the Lord and his army. The Lord’s army captured a lot of goods. ¹⁴ It attacked all the cities around Gerar because the cities were afraid of the Lord. The army looted all the cities because there were many things to take. ¹⁵ It also attacked those who were letting their cattle graze and captured many sheep and camels. Then it returned to Jerusalem.

15 God’s Spirit came to Azariah, son of Oded. ² Azariah went to Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all you men from Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you will dedicate your lives to serving him, he will accept you. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you. ³ For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest who taught ⌞correctly⌟, and without Moses’ Teachings. ⁴ But when they were in trouble, they turned to the Lord God of Israel. When they searched for him, he let them find him. ⁵ At those times no one could come and go in peace, because everyone living in the land had a lot of turmoil. ⁶ One nation crushed another nation; one city crushed another. God had tormented them with every kind of trouble. ⁷ But you must remain strong and not become discouraged. Your actions will be rewarded.”

⁸ When Asa heard the prophet Oded’s words of prophecy, he was encouraged and put away the detestable idols from all of Judah, Benjamin, and the cities he had captured in the mountains of Ephraim. He also repaired the Lord’s altar in front of the Lord’s entrance hall.

⁹ Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and the foreigners who had come from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon. (Many of them had come to him from Israel when they saw that Asa’s God, the Lord, was with him.) ¹⁰ In the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign, they gathered in Jerusalem. ¹¹ On that day they sacrificed to the Lord a part of the loot they had brought with them: 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep. ¹² They made an agreement with one another to dedicate their lives to serving the Lord God of their ancestors with all their heart and soul. ¹³ All people (young or old, male or female) who refused to dedicate their lives to the Lord God of Israel were to be killed. ¹⁴ Asa and the people swore their oath to the Lord with shouts, singing, and the blowing of trumpets and rams’ horns. ¹⁵ All the people of Judah were overjoyed because of the oath, since they took the oath wholeheartedly. They took great pleasure in looking for the Lord, and he let them find him. So the Lord surrounded them with peace.

¹⁶ King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from the position of queen mother because she made a statue of the repulsive goddess Asherah. Asa cut the statue down, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁷ Although the illegal worship sites in Israel were not taken down, Asa remained committed ⌞to the Lord⌟ his entire life. ¹⁸ He brought into God’s temple the silver, the gold, and the utensils he and his father had set apart as holy.

King Asa’s War with King Baasha^(K)

¹⁹ There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah to keep anyone from going to or coming from King Asa of Judah.

² Then Asa brought out all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He sent them to Damascus to Aram’s King Benhadad. ³ He said, “There’s a treaty between you and me ⌞as⌟ there was between your father and my father. I’m sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”

⁴ Benhadad did what King Asa requested. He sent his generals and their armies to attack the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities in the territory of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work on it.

⁶ Then King Asa took everyone in Judah ⌞to Ramah⌟. He made them carry the stones and lumber from Ramah. Baasha had been using those to fortify the city. Asa used the materials to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time the seer ^[i] Hanani came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you depended on the king of Syria and did not depend on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped your grasp. ⁸ Weren’t the Sudanese and Libyans a large army with many chariots and drivers? But when you depended on the Lord, he handed them over to you. ⁹ The Lord’s eyes scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to him and to strengthen them. You acted foolishly in this matter. So from now on, you will have to fight wars.”

¹⁰ Asa was furious at the seer. He was so angry with Hanani that he put Hanani in prison. Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time in his reign.

¹¹ Everything about Asa from first to last is written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa got a foot disease that became progressively worse. Instead of asking the Lord for help, he went to doctors.

¹³ Asa lay down in death with his ancestors. He died in the forty-first year of his reign. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had prepared for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bed full of spices and blended perfumes. And they burned a bonfire in his honor.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah

17 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king. Jehoshaphat strengthened himself ⌞to wage war⌟ against Israel. ² He put troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and placed military posts in Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, who lived in the old way like his ancestor David. Jehoshaphat didn’t dedicate his life to serving other gods—the Baals. ⁴ Instead, he dedicated his life to his ancestor’s God and lived by God’s commands. Jehoshaphat did not do what Israel was doing. ⁵ So the Lord established Jehoshaphat’s power over the kingdom. All the people of Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat, and he had a lot of riches and honor. ⁶ He had the confidence to live the way the Lord wanted him to live. He also got rid of the illegal places of worship and poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah in Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign, he sent his officers Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. ⁸ With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, Tob Adonijah, and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught in Judah. They had the Book of the Lord’s Teachings with them when they taught the people in all the cities of Judah.

¹⁰ Fear of the Lord came to all the kingdoms around Judah. As a result, they didn’t wage war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver as taxes. The Arabs also brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. ¹² So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built fortresses and cities where supplies were stored in Judah. ¹³ He had large supplies of food in the cities of Judah and an army of professional soldiers with him in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ The following is a breakdown of these soldiers. They are listed by families. Judah’s regimental commanders were Commander Adnah (with 300,000 fighting men), ¹⁵ next to him Commander Jehohanan (with 280,000), ¹⁶ and next to him Amasiah, Zichri’s son, who volunteered to serve the Lord (with 200,000 fighting men). ¹⁷ From Benjamin there was the fighting man Eliada (with 200,000 armed men with bows and shields), ¹⁸ and next to him was Jehozabad (with him was an army of 180,000 armed men). ¹⁹ These were the men who served the king in addition to those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Micaiah Prophesies against King Ahab^(L)

18 Jehoshaphat was wealthy and honorable and became Ahab’s in-law. ² A few years later he went to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for a banquet in honor of Jehoshaphat and the people who were with him. And Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth in Gilead with him.

³ King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth in Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, “I will do what you do. My troops will do what your troops do. ⌞We will join⌟ your troops in battle.” ⁴ Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first, find out what the Lord’s word is ⌞in this matter⌟.”

⁵ So the king of Israel called 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”

“Go,” they said. “God will hand over Ramoth to you.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord whom we could ask?”

⁷ The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imla, but I hate him. Nothing he prophesies about me is good; it’s always evil.”

Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”

⁸ The king of Israel called for an officer and said, “Quick! ⌞Get⌟ Micaiah, son of Imla!”

⁹ The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were dressed in royal robes and seated on thrones. They were sitting on the threshing floor ^[j] at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. ¹⁰ Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will push the Arameans to their destruction.” ¹¹ All the other prophets made the same prophecy. They said, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead, and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”

¹² The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all told the king the same good message. Make your message agree with their message. Say something good.”

¹³ Micaiah answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will tell him whatever my God says to me.”

¹⁴ When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah,^[k] should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”

Micaiah said, “Attack and you will win. They will be handed over to you.”

¹⁵ The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?”

¹⁶ So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These sheep have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”

¹⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me?”

¹⁸ Micaiah added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing on his right and his left. ¹⁹ The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others were saying something else.

²⁰ “Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’

“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.

²¹ “The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’

“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’

²² “So the Lord has put into the mouths of these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.”

²³ Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “Which way did the Spirit go when he left me to talk to you?” he asked.

²⁴ Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”

²⁵ The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince. ²⁶ Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return home safely.’ ”

²⁷ Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”

²⁸ So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead. ²⁹ The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

³⁰ The king of Aram had given orders to the chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”

³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they surrounded him in order to fight him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, ³² and the chariot commanders realized that Jehoshaphat wasn’t the king of Israel. Then they turned away from him.

³³ One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told the chariot driver, “Turn around, and get me away from these troops. I’m badly wounded.” ³⁴ But the battle got worse that day, and the king propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. At sundown he died.

King Jehoshaphat’s Religious Reforms

19 King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his home in Jerusalem. ² Jehu, son of the seer ^[l] Hanani, asked King Jehoshaphat, “Why do you help wicked people and love those who hate the Lord? The Lord’s anger is directed toward you because you have done this. ³ However, you’ve done some good things: You’ve burned the Asherah poles in this country, and you’ve wholeheartedly dedicated your life to serving God.”

⁴ While Jehoshaphat was living in Jerusalem, he regularly went to the people between Beersheba and the mountains of Ephraim. He brought the people back to the Lord God of their ancestors. ⁵ He appointed judges in the country, in each fortified city of Judah. ⁶ He told the judges, “Pay attention to what you’re doing. When you judge, you aren’t doing it for a human but for the Lord. He will be with you when you hear a case. ⁷ May you have the fear of the Lord in you. Be careful about what you do. The Lord our God is never unjust. He is impartial and never takes bribes.”

⁸ In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed some Levites, priests, and family heads from Israel to administer the Lord’s laws and decide cases. They lived in Jerusalem. ⁹ He ordered them, “Do this wholeheartedly—with the fear of the Lord and with faithfulness. ¹⁰ Warn your relatives living in other cities about every case they bring to you, even if the case involves bloodshed or commands, rules, or regulations derived from Moses’ Teachings. Then your relatives will not become guilty in front of the Lord. Otherwise, he will become angry with you and your relatives. Do this, and you won’t be guilty ⌞of anything⌟. ¹¹ Now, the chief priest Amariah will be in charge of you in every matter involving the Lord. Zebadiah, who is the son of Ishmael and the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be in charge of every matter involving the king. The Levites will serve as officers of the court. Be strong, and do your job. May the Lord be with those who do right.”

King Jehoshaphat Defeats Judah’s Enemies

20 Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites ^[m] came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. ² Some men reported to Jehoshaphat, “A large crowd is coming against you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from Edom.^[n] The crowd is already in Hazazon Tamar” (also called En Gedi).

³ Frightened, Jehoshaphat decided to ask for the Lord’s help. He announced a fast throughout Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah gathered to seek the Lord’s help. They came from every city in Judah.

⁵ In the new courtyard at the Lord’s temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the people. ⁶ He said, “Lord God of our ancestors, aren’t you the God in heaven? You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess power and might, and no one can oppose you. ⁷ Didn’t you, our God, force those who were living in this country out of Israel’s way? Didn’t you give this country to the descendants of your friend Abraham to have permanently? ⁸ His descendants have lived in it and built a holy temple for your name in it. They said, ⁹ ‘If evil comes in the form of war, flood,^[o] plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple and in front of you because your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you in our troubles, and you will hear us and save us.’

¹⁰ “The Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir have come here. However, you didn’t let Israel invade them when they came out of Egypt. The Israelites turned away from them and didn’t destroy them. ¹¹ They are now paying us back by coming to force us out of your land that you gave to us. ¹² You’re our God. Won’t you judge them? We don’t have the strength to face this large crowd that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you.”

¹³ All the people from Judah, their infants, wives, and children were standing in front of the Lord. ¹⁴ Then the Lord’s Spirit came to Jahaziel. (He was the son of Zechariah, grandson of Benaiah, great-grandson of Jeiel, whose father was Mattaniah, a Levite descended from Asaph.) ¹⁵ Jahaziel said, “Pay attention to me, everyone from Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be frightened or terrified by this large crowd. The battle isn’t yours. It’s God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go into battle against them. They will be coming up the Ziz Pass. You will find them at the end of the valley in front of the Jeruel Desert. ¹⁷ You won’t fight this battle. ⌞Instead,⌟ take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord for you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be frightened or terrified. Tomorrow go out to face them. The Lord is with you.”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face touching the ground. Everyone from Judah and the people who lived in Jerusalem immediately bowed down in front of the Lord. ¹⁹ The Levites, descendants of Kohath and Korah, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with very loud songs.

²⁰ They got up early in the morning and went to the desert of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. Trust the Lord your God, and believe. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

²¹ After he had advised the people, he appointed people to sing to the Lord and praise him for the beauty of his holiness. As they went in front of the troops, they sang, “Thank the Lord because his mercy endures forever!” ²² As they started to sing praises, the Lord set ambushes against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir who had come into Judah. They were defeated. ²³ Then the Ammonites and Moabites attacked the people from Mount Seir and annihilated them. After they had finished off the people of Seir, they helped destroy one another.

²⁴ The people of Judah went to the watchtower in the desert and looked for the crowd. Corpses were lying on the ground. No one had escaped. ²⁵ When Jehoshaphat and his troops came to take the loot, they found among them a lot of goods, clothes,^[p] and valuables. They found more than they could carry. They spent three days collecting the loot. ²⁶ On the fourth day they gathered in the valley of Beracah. Because they thanked the Lord there, that place is still called the valley of Beracah [Thanks] today.

²⁷ All the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned to Jerusalem. They rejoiced while Jehoshaphat led them. The Lord gave them a reason to rejoice about ⌞what had happened to⌟ their enemies. ²⁸ So they brought harps, lyres, and trumpets to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

²⁹ The fear of the Lord came over the kingdoms in that area when they heard how the Lord waged war against Israel’s enemies. ³⁰ Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was peaceful, since his God surrounded him with peace.

Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign^(M)

³¹ Jehoshaphat ruled as king of Judah. He was 35 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. ³² Jehoshaphat carefully followed the example his father Asa had set and did what the Lord considered right. ³³ But the illegal worship sites on the hills were not torn down. The people still didn’t have their hearts set on the God of their ancestors.

³⁴ Everything else about Jehoshaphat from first to last is written in the records of Jehu, son of Hanani, which is included in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

³⁵ After this, King Jehoshaphat of Judah allied himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, who led him to do evil. ³⁶ Jehoshaphat joined him in making ships to go to Tarshish. They made the ships in Ezion Geber. ³⁷ Then Eliezer, son of Dodavahu from Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, “The Lord will destroy your work because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah.” So the ships were wrecked and couldn’t go to Tarshish.

King Jehoram of Judah^(N)

21 Jehoshaphat lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king. ² He had the following brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. ³ Their father gave them many gifts: silver, gold, and other expensive things, along with fortified cities in Judah. But Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to Jehoram, who was the firstborn.

⁴ After Jehoram had taken over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position and then executed all his brothers and some of the officials of Israel. ⁵ Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem. ⁶ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab’s family had done, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. So he did what the Lord considered evil. ⁷ But the Lord, recalling the promise ^[q] he had made to David, didn’t want to destroy David’s family. The Lord had told David that he would always give him and his descendants a ⌞shining⌟ lamp.

Edom Wins Independence from Judah^(O)

⁸ During Jehoram’s time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king. ⁹ Jehoram took all his chariot commanders to attack. The Edomites and their chariot commanders surrounded him, but he got up at night and broke through their lines. ¹⁰ So Edom rebelled against Judah’s rule and is still independent today. At the same time Edom rebelled, Libnah rebelled because Jehoram had abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors. ¹¹ Jehoram made illegal places of worship in the hills of Judah. This caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. So he led Judah astray.

¹² Then a letter came to him from the prophet Elijah. It read, “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: You haven’t followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of King Asa of Judah. ¹³ Instead, you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel. You, like Ahab’s family, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. You have killed your brothers, your father’s family. Your brothers were better than you. ¹⁴ The Lord will strike a great blow to your people, your sons, your wives, and all your property because you did this. ¹⁵ You will suffer from a chronic intestinal disease until your intestines come out.”

¹⁶ The Lord prompted the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the people of Sudan to attack Jehoram. ¹⁷ They fought against Judah, broke into the country, and took away everything that could be found in the royal palace. They even took Jehoram’s sons and wives. The only son left was Ahaziah,^[r] Jehoram’s youngest son. ¹⁸ After this, the Lord struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease. ¹⁹ Two years later, as his life was coming to an end, his intestines fell out because of his sickness. He died a painful death.

His people did not make a bonfire in his honor as they had done for his ancestors. ²⁰ He was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem. No one was sorry to see him die. He was buried in the City of David but not in the tombs of the kings.

King Ahaziah of Judah^(P)

22 The people of Jerusalem made Jehoram’s youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, because the raiders who came to the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became king of Judah. ² Ahaziah ^[s] was 42 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. ³ Ahaziah also followed the ways of Ahab’s family, because his mother gave him advice that led him to sin. ⁴ He did what the Lord considered evil, as Ahab’s family had done. After his father died, they advised him to do what Ahab’s family had done. They did this to destroy him.

⁵ Ahaziah followed their advice and went with Ahab’s son King Joram ^[t] of Israel to fight against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. There the Arameans wounded Joram. ⁶ Joram returned to Jezreel to let his wounds heal. (He had been wounded by the Arameans at Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Aram.) Then Jehoram’s son Ahaziah ^[u] went to Jezreel to see Ahab’s son Joram, who was sick.

⁷ God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall when he went to Joram. He went with Joram to meet Jehu, grandson of Nimshi. (The Lord had anointed Jehu to destroy Ahab’s family.) ⁸ When Jehu was executing judgment on Ahab’s family, he found Judah’s leaders (Ahaziah’s nephews) who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. ⁹ He searched for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. They brought him to Jehu and killed him. Then they buried him. They explained, “Ahaziah is Jehoshaphat’s grandson. Jehoshaphat dedicated his life to serving the Lord with all his heart.” But no one in Ahaziah’s family was able to rule as king.

The Priest Jehoiada Opposes Queen Athaliah^(Q)

¹⁰ When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, saw that her son was dead, she began to destroy the entire royal family of the house of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehoshebath, daughter of the king and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash. She saved him from being killed with the king’s other sons, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Jehoshebath was the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest. Because she was also Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah. So he wasn’t killed. ¹² Joash was with the priests. He was hidden in God’s temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.

23 In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada strengthened his position by making an agreement with the company commanders: Azariah, son of Jeroham, Ishmael, son of Jehohanan, Azariah, son of Obed, Maaseiah, son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, son of Zichri. ² They went around Judah, gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the leaders of the families of Israel, and came to Jerusalem. ³ The whole assembly made an agreement with the king in God’s temple.

Then Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son. He should be king, as the Lord said about David’s descendants. ⁴ This is what you must do: One third of you, the priests and Levites who are on duty on the day of rest—a holy day, must guard the gates. ⁵ Another third must be at the royal palace. And another third must be at Foundation Gate. All the people must be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ No one should come into the Lord’s temple except the priests and the Levites who are on duty with them. They may enter because they are holy, but all other people should follow the Lord’s regulations. ⁷ The Levites should surround the king. Each man should have his weapon in his hand. Kill anyone who tries to come into the temple. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”

⁸ So the Levites and all the Judeans did what the priest Jehoiada had ordered them. Each took his men who were coming on duty on the day of rest—a holy day, as well as those who were about to go off duty. Jehoiada had not dismissed the priestly divisions.

⁹ Jehoiada gave the commanders the spears and the small and large shields that had belonged to King David but were now in God’s temple. ¹⁰ All the troops stood with their weapons drawn. They were stationed around the king and around the altar and the temple (from the south side to the north side of the temple). ¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son, gave him the crown and the religious instructions, and Jehoiada and his sons made him king by anointing him. They said, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the people running and praising the king, she went into the Lord’s temple, where the people were. ¹³ She looked, and the king was standing by the pillar at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by his side. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. The singers were leading the celebration with songs accompanied by musical instruments. As Athaliah tore her clothes ⌞in distress⌟, she said, “Treason, treason!”

¹⁴ Then the priest Jehoiada brought the company commanders who were in charge of the army out ⌞of the temple⌟. He said to them, “Take her out of the temple. Use your sword to kill anyone who follows her.” (The priest had said, “Don’t kill her in the Lord’s temple.”) ¹⁵ So they arrested her as she entered Horse Gate of the royal palace, and they killed her there.