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CHAPTER XIX And Jehoshaphat king of Judah turneth back unto his house in peace to Jerusalem, and go out unto his presence doth Jehu son of Hanani the seer, and saith unto king Jehoshaphat, To give help to the wicked and to those hating Jehovah dost thou love?

And for this against thee is wrath from before Jehovah. But good things have been found with thee, for thou hast put away the shrines out of the land, and hast prepared thy heart to seek God. And Jehoshaphat dwelleth in Jerusalem, and he turneth back and goeth out among the people from Beersheba unto the hill country of Ephraim, and bringeth them back unto Jehovah, God of their fathers.

And he establisheth judges in the land, in all the fenced cities of Judah, for every city, and saith unto the judges, See what ye are doing! For not for man do ye judge, but for Jehovah, who is with you in the matter of judgment. And now let fear of Jehovah be upon you, observe and do, for there is not with Jehovah our God perverseness and acceptance of faces, and taking of a bribe.

And also in Jerusalem hath Jehoshaphat appointed of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the heads of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah, and for strife. And they turn back to Jerusalem, and he layeth a charge upon them, saying, Thus do ye do in the fear of Jehovah, in faithfulness, and with a perfect heart. And any strife that cometh in unto you of your brethren who are dwelling in their cities,

between blood and blood, between law and command, statutes and judgments, then ye have warned them, and they become not guilty before Jehovah, and wrath hath not been on you and on your brethren. Thus do ye do, and ye are not guilty. And lo, Amariah the head priest is over you for every matter of Jehovah,

and Zebediah son of Ishmael the leader of the house of Judah is for every matter of the king, and officers the Levites are before you. Be strong and do, and Jehovah is with the good. And it cometh to pass after this, the sons of Moab have come in, and the sons of Ammon, and with them of the peoples, against Jehoshaphat to battle.

And they come in and declare to Jehoshaphat, saying, Come against thee, hath a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram and Lo, they are in Hazezon Tamar, it is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feareth and setteth his face to seek to Jehovah, and proclaimeth a fast over all Judah.

And Judah is gathered to inquire of Jehovah. Also, from all the cities of Judah they have come in to seek Jehovah. And Jehoshaphat standeth in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, at the front of the new court, and saith, O Jehovah, God of our fathers, art not thou God in the heavens?

Yea, thou art ruling over all kingdoms of the nations, and in thy hand is power and might, and there is none with thee to station himself. Art not thou our God? Thou hast dispossessed the inhabitants of this land from before thy people Israel, and dost give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend to the age.

And they dwell in it, and build to thee in it a sanctuary for thy name, saying, If evil doth come upon us, sword, judgment, and pestilence, and famine, we stand before this house and before thee, for thy name is in this house, and cry unto thee out of our distress, and thou dost hear and save. And now, Lo, sons of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir,

whom thou didst not grant to Israel to go in against in their coming out of the land of Egypt, for they turned aside from off them and destroyed them not. And Lo, they are recompensing to us, to come in to drive us out of thy possession, that thou hast caused us to possess. O our God, dost thou not execute judgment upon them?

For there is no power in us before this great multitude that hath come against us, and we know not what we do, but on thee are our eyes. And all Judah are standing before Jehovah, also their infants, their wives, and their sons. And upon Jehazael son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jiel, son of Mataniah the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, hath the spirit of Jehovah been in the midst of the assembly.

And he saith, Attend all, Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and O King Jehoshaphat, thus said Jehovah to you, ye fear not, nor are afraid of the face of this great multitude. For not for you is the battle, but for God. To-morrow go ye down against them. Lo, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz, and ye have found them in the end of the valley, the front of the wilderness of Jeruel.

Not for you to fight in this. Station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Be not afraid nor fear ye. To-morrow go out before them, and Jehovah is with you. And Jehoshaphat boweth face to the earth, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have fallen before Jehovah to bow themselves to Jehovah. And the Levites of the sons of the

Kohathites and of the sons of the Korhites rise to give praise to Jehovah, God of Israel, with a loud voice on high. And they rise early in the morning, and go out to the wilderness of Tekoa. And in their going out Jehoshaphat hath stood and saith, Hear me, O Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Remain steadfast in Jehovah your God, and be steadfast. Remain steadfast in his prophets, and prosper.

And he taketh counsel with the people, and appointeth singers to Jehovah, and those giving praise to the honour of holiness in the going out before the armed men, and saying, Give ye thanks to Jehovah, for to the age is his kindness. And at the time they have begun with singing and praise, Jehovah hath put ambushments against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who are coming in to Judah, and they are smitten.

And the sons of Ammon stand up, and Moab against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, to devote and to destroy. And at their finishing with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped a man against his neighbour to destroy. And Judah hath come in unto the watchtower, to the wilderness, and they look unto the multitude, and lo, they are carcasses fallen to the earth, and there is none escaped. And Jehoshaphat cometh in, and his people,

to seize their spoil. And they find among them in abundance both goods and carcasses, and desirable vessels, and they take spoil to themselves without prohibition. They are three days seizing the spoil, for it is abundant. And on the fourth day they have been assembled at the valley of blessing, for there they blessed Jehovah. Therefore they have called the name of that place Valley of Blessing unto this day. And they turn back every man of Judah

and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to go back unto Jerusalem with joy, for Jehovah hath made them rejoice over their enemies. And they come into Jerusalem with saltaries, and with harps, and with trumpets, unto the house of Jehovah. And there is a fear of God on all kingdoms of the lands in their hearing, that Jehovah hath fought with the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat is quiet, and his God giveth rest to him round about.

And Jehoshaphat reigneth over Judah, a son of thirty and five years in his reigning, and twenty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother is Azubah, daughter of Shilhah. And he walketh in the way of his father Esau, and hath not turned aside from it to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah. Only the high places have not turned aside, and still the people have not prepared their heart for the God of their fathers.

And the rest of the matters of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, lo, they are written among the matters of Jehu, son of Hanani, who hath been mentioned on the book of the kings of Israel. And after this hath Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, he did wickedly in so doing, and he joineth him with himself to make ships to go to Tershis, and they make ships in Isiah and Geber. And prophesied doth Eliezer son of Dodavah of Marisha

against Jehoshaphat, saying, For thy joining thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath broken up thy works. And the ships are broken, and have not retained power to go unto Tershis. Chapter XXI And Jehoshaphat lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigneth in his stead. And he hath brethren, sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah and Jehael, and Zechariah and Azariah and Michael and Shephatiah, all these are sons of Jehoshaphat

king of Israel. And their father giveth to them many gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things with fenced cities in Judah. And the kingdom he hath given to Jehoram, for he is the firstborn. And Jehoram riseth up over the kingdom of his father, and strengtheneth himself, and slayeth all his brethren with the sword, and also of the heads of Israel. A son of thirty and two years is Jehoram in his reigning, and eight years he hath reigned in Jerusalem. And he walketh in the

way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab. For a daughter of Ahab hath been to him for a wife, and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah. And Jehovah hath not been willing to destroy the house of David for the sake of the covenant that he made with David, and as he had said to give to him a lamp and to his sons all the days. In his days hath Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and cause a king to reign over them. And Jehoram passeth over with his heads and

all the chariots with him, and it cometh to pass he hath risen by night, and smiteth the Edomites who are coming round against him and the princes of the chariots. And Edom revolteth from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then doth Libna revolt at that time from under his hand, because he hath forsaken Jehovah, God of his fathers. Also he hath made high places in the mountains of Judah, and causeth the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit whoredom, and compeleth Judah.

And there cometh in unto him a writing from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus said Jehovah God of David thy father, because that thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, and in the ways of Asa king of Judah, and thou dost walk in the way of the kings of Israel, and dost cause Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit whoredom like the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also thy brethren the house of thy father, who are better

than thyself thou hast slain. Lo, Jehovah is smiting, a great smiting, among thy people, and among thy sons, and among thy wives, and among all thy goods, and thou with many sicknesses, with disease of thy bowels, till thy bowels come out by the sickness day by day. And Jehovah waketh up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians, who are beside the Cushim. And they come up into Judah and rend it, and take captive all the

substance that is found at the house of the king, and also his sons, and his wives. And there hath not been left to him a son, except Jehoahaz the youngest of his sons. And after all this hath Jehovah plagued him in his bowels by a disease for which there is no healing. And it cometh to pass from days to days, and at the time of the going out of the end of two years, his bowels have gone out with his sickness, and he dieth of sore diseases. And his people have not made for him

a burning like the burning of his fathers. A son of thirty and two years was he in his reigning, and eight years he hath reigned in Jerusalem. And he goeth without desire, and they bury him in the city of David, and not in the graves of the kings. Chapter 22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem cause Ehaziah his youngest son to reign in his stead, for all the elder had the troops slain that came in with the Arabians to the camp, and Ehaziah son

of Jehoram king of Judah reigneth. A son of twenty and two years is Ehaziah in his reigning, and one year he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Athaliah daughter of Omri. He also hath walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother hath been his counselor to do wickedly, and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, like the house of Ahab, for they have been his counselors after the death of his father, for destruction to him. Also in their counsel he

hath walked, and goeth with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel to battle against Hazael king of Aram in Ramoth-Gilead, and they of Ramah smite Jehoram, and he turneth back to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds with which they had smitten him in Ramah in his fighting with Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah hath gone down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he is sick, and from God hath been the destruction of Ehaziah to come unto Jehoram,

and in his coming he hath gone out with Jehoram unto Jehu son of Nimshai, whom Jehovah anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. And it cometh to pass in Jehu's executing judgment with the house of Ahab that he findeth the heads of Judah and sons of the brethren of Ehaziah, ministers of Ehaziah, and slayeth them. And he seeketh Ehaziah, and they capture him, and he is hiding himself in Samaria, and bring him in unto Jehu, and put him to death, and bury him. For they said, He is son of Jehoshaphat

who sought Jehovah with all his heart. And there is none to the house of Ehaziah to retain power for the kingdom. And Athaliah mother of Ehaziah hath seen that her son is dead, and she riseth and destroyeth the whole seed of the kingdom of the house of Judah. And Jehoshabah daughter of the king taketh Joash son of Ehaziah, and stealeth him from the midst of the sons of the king who are put to death, and putteth him and his nurse into the inner part of the bed chambers. And

Jehoshabeah daughter of king Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she hath been sister of Ehaziah, hideeth him from the face of Athaliah, and she hath not put him to death. And he is with them in the house of God hiding himself six years, and Athaliah is reigning over the land. Chapter 23 And in the seventh year hath Jehoiada strengthened himself, and taketh the heads of the hundreds, even Azariah son of Jeroham, and Ishmael son of Jehohanan, and Azariah son of Obed,

and Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishavat son of Zikrai, with him into covenant. And they go round about in Judah, and gather the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and heads of the fathers of Israel, and come in unto Jerusalem. And all the assembly make a covenant in the house of God with the king, and he saith to them, Lo, the son of the king doth reign, as Jehovah spake concerning the sons of David. This is the thing that ye do. The third of you going in on the

Sabbath of the priests and of the Levites are for gatekeepers of the thresholds, and the third are at the house of the king, and the third at the gate of the foundation, and all the people are in the courts of the house of Jehovah. And none doth enter the house of Jehovah except the priests, and those ministering of the Levites, they go in for they are holy, and all the people keep the watch of Jehovah. And the Levites have compassed the king round about, each with his weapon in his

hand. And he who hath gone in unto the house is put to death. And be ye with the king in his coming in, and in his going out. And the Levites and all Judah do according to all that Jehoiada the priest hath commanded, and take each his men going in on the Sabbath with those going out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hath not let away the courses. And Jehoiada the priest giveth to the heads of the hundreds the spears, and the shields, and the bucklers that are King David's,

that are in the house of God. And he stationeth the whole of the people, and each his dart in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house unto the left shoulder of the house, at the altar, and at the house by the king round about. And they bring out the son of the king, and put upon him the crown, and the testimony, and cause him to reign, and Jehoiada and his sons anoint him, and say, Let the king live! And Athaliah heareth the voice of the people who are running, and who

are praising the king. And she cometh in unto the people in the house of Jehoiada, and seeth, and lo, the king is standing by his pillar in the entrance, and the heads, and the trumpets are by the king. And all the people of the land rejoicing and shouting with trumpets, and the singers with instruments of song, and the teachers to praise. And Athaliah rendeth her garments, and sayeth, Conspiracy! conspiracy! And Jehoiada the priest bringeth out the heads of the hundreds, inspectors

of the force, and sayeth unto them, Take her out from within the rows, and he who hath gone after her is put to death by the sword. For the priest said, Put her not to death in the house of Jehovah, and they make for her sides, and she cometh in unto the entrance of the gate of the horses at the house of the king, and they put her to death there. And Jehoiada maketh a covenant between him and between all the people and between the king to be for a people to Jehovah.

And all the people enter the house of Baal, and break it down, yea, his altars and his images they have broken, and Matan, priest of Baal, they have slain before the altars. And Jehoiada putteth the offices of the house of Jehovah into the hand of the priests, the Levites whom David had apportioned over the house of Jehovah, to cause to ascend the burnt offerings of Jehovah, as written in the law of Moses, with joy and with singing by the hands of David. And he stationeth the gatekeepers over

the gates of the house of Jehovah, and the unclean in anything doth not go in. And he taketh the heads of the hundreds, and the honourable ones, and the rulers among the people, and all the people of the land, and bringeth down the king from the house of Jehovah. And they come in through the high gate to the house of the king, and cause the king to sit on the throne of the kingdom. And all the people of the land rejoice, and the city hath been quiet, and Athaliah they have put to death by the sword.

Chapter 24. A son of seven years is Joash in his reigning, and forty years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Zibia of Beersheba. And Joash doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada taketh for him two wives, and he begetteth sons and daughters. And it cometh to pass after this, it hath been with the heart of Joash to renew the house of Jehovah. And he gathereth the priests and the Levites, and sayeth to them,

Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to strengthen the house of your God sufficiently year by year. And ye, ye do haste to the matter. And the Levites have not hasted. And the king calleth for Johoiada the head, and sayeth to him, Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses, servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony? For sons of Athaliah the wicked one

have broken up the house of God, and also all the holy things of the house of Jehovah they have prepared for Baalim. And the king speaketh, and they make one chest, and put it at the gate of the house of Jehovah without, and give an intimation in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring in to Jehovah the tribute of Moses, servant of God, laid on Israel in the wilderness. And all the heads, and all the people rejoice, and they bring in, and cast into the chest unto completion.

And it cometh to pass, at the time one bringeth in the chest for the inspection of the king by the hand of the Levites, and at their seeing that the money is abundant, that a scribe of the king hath come in, and an officer of the head priest, and they empty the chest, and take it up, and turn it back unto its place. Thus they have done day by day, and gather money in abundance. And the king and Johoiada give it unto the doers of the work of the service of the house of Jehovah,

and they are hiring hewers and artificers to renew the house of Jehovah, and also to artificers in iron and brass to strengthen the house of Jehovah. And those doing the business work, and there goeth up lengthening to the work by their hand, and they establish the house of God by its proper measure, and strengthen it. And at their completing it they have brought in before the king and Johoiada the rest of the money, and they make it vessels for the house of Jehovah, vessels of serving, and of

offering up, and spoons, even vessels of gold and silver. And they are causing burnt offerings to ascend in the house of Jehovah continually all the days of Johoiada. And Johoiada is aged and satisfied with days, and dieth, a son of a hundred and thirty years in his death. And they bury him the city of David with the kings, for he hath done good in Israel and with God and his house. And after the death of Johoiada come in have heads of Judah and bow themselves to the king.

Then hath the king hearkened unto them, and they forsake the house of Jehovah, God of their fathers, and serve the shrines and the idols, and there is wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem, for this their guilt. And he sendeth among them prophets to bring them back unto Jehovah, and they testify against them, and they have not given ear. And the Spirit of God hath clothed Zechariah son of Johoiada the priest, and he standeth over against the people, and sayeth to them,

Thus said God, Why are ye transgressing the commands of Jehovah, and prosper not? Because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he doth forsake you. And they conspire against him, and stone him with stones by the command of the king in the court of the house of Jehovah. And Joash the king hath not remembered the kindness that Johoiada his father did with him, and slayeth his son. And in his death he said, Jehovah doth see, and require,

and it cometh to pass at the turn of the year, come up hath the force of Aram against him, and they come in unto Judah and Jerusalem, and destroy all the heads of the people from the people, and all their spoil they have sent to the king of Damascus. For with few men have the force of Aram come in, and Jehovah hath given into their hand a mighty force for multitude, because they have forsaken Jehovah, God of their fathers, and with Joash they have executed judgments.

And in their going from him, for they left him with many diseases, his servants themselves have conspired against him, for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slay him on his bed, and he dieth. And they bury him in the city of David, and have not buried him in the graves of the kings. And these are those conspiring against him, Zabod son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess. As to his sons, and the greatness of the burden upon him,

and the foundation of the house of God, lo, they are written on the inquiry of the book of the kings, and reign doth Amaziah his son in his stead.