But as for the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.

and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and oil and wine.

And in every city [he put] shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their border.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years. For they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.

And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. And he gave them provisions in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives.

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

And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against LORD,

Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the rulers of Judah, who were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says LORD, Ye have forsaken me, therefore I have also left you in the hand of

And when LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jer

And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard that kept the door of the king's house.

And when he humbled himself, the wrath of LORD turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether. And moreover in Judah there were good things.

So 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 which LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Isra

Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, after the manner of genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

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

In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

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

And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men. And Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men who were mighty men of valor.

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel.

And there were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of LORD in the hand of the sons of David, and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

But as for us, LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And [we have] priests ministering to LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work.

And they burn to LORD every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense. Also [they set] the showbread in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps of it to burn every evening. For we kee

And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O sons of Israel, fight ye not against LORD, the God of your fathers. For ye shall not prosper.

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

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them. And they cried to LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah. And LORD smote him, and he died.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

So 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 right in the eyes of LORD his God.

And he built fortified cities in Judah. For the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because LORD had given him rest.

For he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side. So

And Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.

And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million, and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah.

Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

And Asa cried to LORD his God, and said, LORD, there is none besides thee to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, O LORD our God. For we rely on thee, and in thy name we come against this multitude. O LORD

And they smote all the cities round about Gerar. For the fear of LORD came upon them. And they despoiled all the cities. For there was much spoil in them.

They also smote the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

But when in their distress they turned to LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.

And in those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands.

And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city. For God vexed them with all adversity.

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephra

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon, for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that LORD his God was with him.

So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

And they sacrificed to LORD in that day of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

And also he removed Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. And Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease.

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, Because thou have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on LORD thy God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of thy hand.

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and horsemen exceedingly many? Yet, because thou relied on LORD, he delivered them into thy hand.

For the eyes of LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him. In this thou have done foolishly, for from henceforth thou shall have wars.

Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison-house. For he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet. His disease was exceedingly great, yet in his disease he did not seek for LORD, but to the physicians.

And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

And they buried him in his own sepulchers, which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds [of spices] prepared by the perfumers' art. And they mad

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

And LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David, and did not seek for the Baalim,

but sought for the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

Therefore LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

And his heart was lifted up in the ways of LORD. And furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.

Also in the third year of his reign he sent his rulers, even Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of LORD with them. And they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.

And Jehoshaphat grew exceedingly great. And he built in Judah castles and cities of storage.

And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem.

These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance. And he joined affinity with Ahab.

And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up [with him] to Ramoth-gilead.

And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou are, and my people as thy people, and [will be] with thee in the war.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of LORD, but I hate him. For he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil; the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said

Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before th

And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [are] good to the king with one mouth. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.

And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.

And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of LORD?

And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And LORD said, These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.

And LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shall entice him, and shall also prevail. Go forth, and do so.

Now therefore, behold, LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets. And LORD has spoken evil concerning thee.

And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shall see on that day when thou shall go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

and say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.

And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle, but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. And LORD helped him, and God moved them

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

And the battle increased that day. However the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the going down of the sun he died.

And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set thy heart to seek God.

And he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

and said to the judges, Consider what ye do. For ye judge not for man, but for LORD, and [he is] with you in the judgment.

Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat set from the Levites and the priests, and from the heads of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of LORD, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem.

And he charged them, saying, Thus ye shall do in the fear of LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

And whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards LORD, a

And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters. The Levites shall also be officers before you. Deal courageously

Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria. And, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi).