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17 And Josaphat his son reigned in his stead, and grew strong against Israel.
2 And he placed numbers of soldiers in all the fortified cities of Juda. And he put garrisons in the land of Juda, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.
3 And the Lord was with Josaphat, because he walked in the first ways of David his father: and trusted not in Baalim,
4 But in the God of his father, and walk in his commandments, and not according to the sins of Israel.
5 And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand, and all Juda brought presents to Josaphat: and he acquired immense riches, and much glory.
6 And when his heart had taken courage for the ways of the Lord, he took away also the high places and the groves out of Juda.
7 And in the third year of his reign, he sent of his princes Benhail, and Abdias, and Zacharias, and Nathanael, and Micheas, to teach in the cities of Juda:
8 And with them the Levites, Semeias, and Nathanias, and Zabadias, and Asael, and Semiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonias, and Tobias, and Thobadonias Levites, and with them Elisama, and Joram priests.
9 And they taught the people in Juda, having with them the book of the law of the Lord: and they went about all the cities of Juda, and instructed the people.
10 And the fear of the Lord came upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Juda, and they durst not make war against Josaphat.
11 The Philistines also brought presents to Josaphat, and tribute in silver, and the Arabians brought him cattle, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and as many he goats.
12 And Josaphat grew, and became exceeding great: and he built in Juda houses like towers, and walled cities.
13 And he prepared many works in the cities of Juda: and he had warriors, and valiant men in Jerusalem.
14 Of whom this is the number of the houses and families of every one: in Juda captains of the army, Ednas the chief, and with him three hundred thousand most valiant men.
15 After him Johanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand.
16 And after him was Amasias the son of Zechri, consecrated to the Lord, and with him were two hundred thousand valiant men.
17 After him was Eliada valiant in battle, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield.
18 After him also was Jozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready for war.
19 All these were at the hand of the king, beside others, whom he had put in the walled cities, in all Juda.
18 Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by affinity to Achab.
2 And he went down to him after some years to Samaria: and Achab at his coming killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad.
3 And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.
4 And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord.
5 So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall we forbear? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king's hand.
6 And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire also of him?
7 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas the son of Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king.
8 And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: Call quickly Micheas the son of Jemla.
9 Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made him horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.
11 And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the king's hand.
12 And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I beseech thee therefore let not thy word disagree with them, and speak thou also good success.
13 And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak.
14 So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or forbear? And he answered him: Go up, for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands.
15 And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord.
16 Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no masters: let every man return to his own house in peace.
17 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil?
18 Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left.
19 And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke in this manner, and another otherwise:
20 There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou deceive him?
21 And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go out, and do so.
22 Now therefore behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.
23 And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak to thee?
24 And Micheas said: Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself.
25 And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry him to Amen the governor of the city, and to Joas the son of Amelech,
26 And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give him bread and water in a small quantity till I return in peace.
27 And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.
28 So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad.
29 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments. And the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry, saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel only.
31 So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.
32 For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.
33 And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders, and he said to his chariot man: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.
34 And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the sunset.
25 As in Osee he saith: I will call that which was not my people, my people; and her that was not beloved, beloved; and her that had not obtained mercy, one that hath obtained mercy.
26 And it shall be, in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people; there they shall be called the sons of the living God.
27 And Isaias crieth out concerning Israel: If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.
28 For he shall finish his word, and cut it short in justice; because a short word shall the Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Isaias foretold: Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been made as Sodom, and we had been like unto Gomorrha.
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who followed not after justice, have attained to justice, even the justice that is of faith.
31 But Israel, by following after the law of justice, is not come unto the law of justice.
32 Why so? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were of works. For they stumbled at the stumblingstone.
33 As it is written: Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and a rock of scandal; and whosoever believeth in him shall not be confounded.
10 Brethren, the will of my heart, indeed, and my prayer to God, is for them unto salvation.
2 For I bear them witness, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they, not knowing the justice of God, and seeking to establish their own, have not submitted themselves to the justice of God.
4 For the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses wrote, that the justice which is of the law, the man that shall do it, shall live by it.
6 But the justice which is of faith, speaketh thus: Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;
7 Or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.
8 But what saith the scripture? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart. This is the word of faith, which we preach.
9 For if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For, with the heart, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith: Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded.
12 For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
20 Unto the end. A psalm for David.
2 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.
3 Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.
4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.
5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.
6 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.
7 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.
8 For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.
9 Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.
10 Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.
11 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.
12 For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.
13 For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.
14 Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.
2 As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, sinneth against his own soul.
3 It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.
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