Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make him king.

Rehoboam was wise to distribute some of his children throughout all of the territories of Judah and Benjamin, placing them in all of the fortified cities. He allotted them abundant supplies of food and sought many wives for them.

And it came to pass when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and when he had become strong, that he forsook the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him.

with one thousand two hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And there was no number to the people who came up with him from Egypt--Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

And in Jehovah's seeing that they humbled themselves, the word of Jehovah was to Shemaiah, saying, They humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, and I gave to them as a little for deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

And it was so, that as often as the king entered into the house of Jehovah, the couriers came and fetched them, and brought them again into the chamber of the couriers.

And when he made himself low, the wrath of the Lord was turned back from him, and complete destruction did not come on him, for there was still some good in Judah.

And king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord.

The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning genealogies. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns.

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David, - and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

Then Abijah died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. Abijah's son Asa reigned in his place, and during his lifetime the land enjoyed rest for ten years.

three years, reigned he in Jerusalem, and, the name of his mother, was Maacah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah, - and there was, war, between Abijah and Jeroboam.

And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of the Abandoned One, who emboldened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon,-when, Rehoboam, was young and tender of heart, and had not strengthened himself to meet them.

Did ye not thrust out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron and the Levites? and ye will make to you priests according to the peoples of the lands, every one coming to fill his hand with a bullock, son of the cow, and seven rams; and he was priest to no God.

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

And, when Judah turned and lo! as for them, the battle was before and behind, then made they outcry unto Yahweh, - and, the priests, kept on blowing with the trumpets.

Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

neither was Jeroboam strong any more, in the days of Abijah, - and Yahweh smote him that he died.

And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

And Asa did that which was good and that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh his God;

And he removed out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.

And he built cities of defence, in Judah, - for the land had quiet, nor was there near him any war, in these years, because Yahweh had given him rest.

And Asa went out before him, and a battle was put in order in the valley of Zepah at Mareshah.

And Asa and the people that were with him pursued as far as to Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell, so that there was no way for them to recover, for they were routed before Yahweh, and before him host, - and they carried away exceeding much spoil.

And they smote all the cities round shout Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh was upon them, - and they plundered all the cities, for, great plunder, was there in them.

And Azariah son of Oded, upon him was the spirit of God.

Now for a long while Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law;

But they turned, in their distress, unto Yahweh God of Israel, - and sought him, and he was found of them.

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in, but great disturbances were amongst all the inhabitants of the countries.

And nation was broken against nation, and city against city; for God disturbed them with all manner of distress.

And, when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he strengthened himself, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured out of the hill country of Ephraim, - and renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh.

And he gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them, out of Ephraim and out of Manasseh, and out of Simeon, - for they fell unto him out of Israel, in great numbers, because they saw that, Yahweh his God, was with him.

And that anyone, small or great, man or woman, who was not true to the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death.

And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for, with all their heart, had they sworn, and, with all their good will, had they sought him, and he was found of them, - and Yahweh gave them rest round about.

But, the high places, were not taken away out of Israel, - only, the heart of Asa, was perfect, all his days.

And, war, was there none, - until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

In the thirty-sixth year of the rule of Asa, Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah, building Ramah so that no one was able to go out or in to Asa, king of Judah.

Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message:

There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a very great army, with war-carriages and horsemen more than might be numbered? but because your faith was in the Lord, he gave them up into your hands.

Then was Asa angry with the seer, and put him in the house of the stocks, for he was in a rage with him, over this, - and Asa oppressed some of the people, at that time.

And Asa became diseased - in the thirty-ninth year of his reign - in his feet, exceedingly severe, was his disease, - yet, even in his disease, he sought not Yahweh, but unto physicians.

and they buried him in his own stately sepulchre, which he had hewn for himself in the city of David, and laid him on a couch which was full of sweet spices - yea of various kinds, made by the perfumer's art, - and they burned for him with an exceeding great burning.

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead and was mightier than Israel.

And it came to pass, that, Yahweh, was with Jehoshaphat, - because he walked in the first ways of David his father, and sought not unto the Baalim;

And his heart was encouraged, in the ways of Yahweh, - and he, yet further, took away the high places and the Sacred Stems, out of Judah.

and they taught throughout Judah, and, with them, was the book of the law of Yahweh, - so they went round throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

And it came to pass, that, the dread of Yahweh, was upon all the kingdoms of the countries, that were round about Judah, - and they warred not against Jehoshaphat.

And it will be Jehoshaphat went and was great even to above; and he will build fortresses in Judah, and cities of stores.

And much work was to him in the cities of Judah: and the men of war strong of power in Jerusalem.

This was the number of them by their fathers’ (ancestors’) households: of Judah, the commanders of thousands, Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 courageous men;

and, under his direction, was Jehohanan the chief, - and, with him, two hundred and eighty thousand;

And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour.

There was also Eliada from Benjamin, himself a valiant soldier. He was accompanied by 200,000 expert archers bearing shields.

and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready prepared for war.

Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab,

And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.

Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and the whole heavenly host was standing at His right hand and at His left hand.

And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.

And so it came to pass, when the chariot-captains saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned hack from pursuing him;

And a certain man sent an arrow from his bow without thought of its direction, and gave the king of Israel a wound where his breastplate was joined to his clothing; so he said to the driver of his war-carriage, Go to one side and take me away out of the army, for I am badly wounded.

But the battle increased on that day, and, the king of Israel, was propping himself up in the chariot before the Syrians, until evening,-and died at the time of the going in of the sun.

And there came out to meet him, Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, who said unto King Jehoshaphat, Unto the lawless, was it right to give help? and, on them who hate Yahweh, to bestow thy love? For this cause, therefore, is there wrath against thee, from before Yahweh;

And Jehoshaphat was living in Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people, from Beer-sheba to the hill-country of Ephraim, guiding them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Then it was reported to Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, out of Aram (Syria); and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is, Engedi).”

And Jehoshaphat was afraid, and set his face to seek unto Yahweh, - and proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

All Judah was standing before the Lord with their infants, their wives, and their children.

And Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah the Levite from the sons of Asaph, upon him was the spirit of Jehovah in the midst of the convocation.

And the children of Ammon and Moab made an attack on the people of Mount Seir with a view to their complete destruction; and when they had put an end to the people of Seir, everyman's hand was turned against his neighbour for his destruction.

And Judah came to the watchtower of the waste land, and looking in the direction of the army, they saw only dead bodies stretched on the earth; no living man was to be seen.

And Jehoshaphat and his people came to plunder the spoil of them, and they found among them in abundance, both riches with the dead bodies, and precious things, and they stripped off for themselves more than they could carry away; and they were three days in plundering the spoil, it was so much.

And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah, for there they blessed Jehovah; therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Berachah, to this day.

And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned, and Jehoshaphat [was] at their head in returning to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh caused them to rejoice over their enemies.

And the terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands, when they had heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel.

And the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; and his God gave him rest round about.

And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.

And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of Jehovah.

And the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, behold them written in the words of Jehu son of Hanani, who was made to go up upon the book of the kings of Israel.

Yet, after this, did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, - he, was lawless in his doings;

And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

And their father had given them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, besides fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, for he was the firstborn.

Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of Jehovah.

Howbeit Yahweh was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which he had solemnised, unto David, - and as he had promised to give unto him a lamp, and unto his sons, all the days.

Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all the chariots with him, and when night came he struck Edom who [was] all around him and the commanders of his chariots.

So Edom made themselves free from the rule of Judah, to this day: and at the same time Libnah made itself free from his rule; because he was turned away from the Lord, the God of his fathers.

and they came up into Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was no son left him, except Jehoahaz the youngest of his sons.

And after all this the Lord sent on him a disease of the stomach from which it was impossible for him to be made well.

And it came to pass, from day to day, and at the time when the second year was drawing to a close, that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died in cruel sufferings. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being regretted. And they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

And the inhabiters of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: For the men of war that came with the Arabians in the host had slain all his elder sons. And so Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah, was made king.

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Athaliah, daughter of Omri.

He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.

Wherefore he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, like the house of Ahab, - for, they, became his counselors, after the death of his father, to his destruction.

Acting on their suggestion, he went with Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, to make war on Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead: and Joram was wounded by the bowmen.

And he returned to be healed in Jizreel because of the wounds that were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jizreel; for he was sick.

But his coming to Joram was from God the complete ruin of Ahaziah. And when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.