Thematic Bible: Who reigned over judah


Thematic Bible



Now Rehoboam, Solomon's son, reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king; he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name. Rehoboam's mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. Judah did what was evil in the Lord's eyes. They provoked Him to jealous anger more than all that their ancestors had done with the sins they committed. They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree; read more.
there were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasuries of the Lord's temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took all the gold shields that Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them into the care of the captains of the royal escortswho guarded the entrance to the king's palace. Whenever the king entered the Lord's temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields, then they would take them back to the royal escorts' armory. The rest of the events of Rehoboam's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. His son Abijam became king in his place.

When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized 180,000 choice warriors from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. But a revelation from God came to Shemaiah, the man of God: "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, read more.
'This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for I have done this.' " So they listened to what the Lord said and went back as He had told them.

But as for the Israelites living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. However, King Rehoboam managed to get up into the chariot to flee to Jerusalem. Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today. read more.
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin-180,000 choice warriors-to fight against Israel to restore the reign to Rehoboam. But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God: "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people: 'This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this incident has come from Me.' " So they listened to what the Lord said and turned back from going against Jeroboam. Rehoboam stayed in Jerusalem, and he fortified cities in Judah. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. He strengthened their fortifications and put leaders in them with supplies of food, oil, and wine. He also put large shields and spears in each and every city to make them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his. The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand with Rehoboam, for the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests of the Lord. Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places, the goat-demons, and the [gold] calves he had made. Those from every tribe of Israel who had determined in their hearts to seek the Lord their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. Rehoboam married Mahalath, daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom. She bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. He acquired 18 wives and 60 concubines and was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters. Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief, leader among his brothers, intending to make him king. Rehoboam also showed discernment by dispersing some of his sons to all the regions of Judah and Benjamin and to all the fortified cities. He gave them plenty of provisions and sought many wives for them. When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he abandoned the law of the Lord-he and all Israel with him. Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalrymen, and countless people who came with him from Egypt-Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet went to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them: "This is what the Lord says: 'You have abandoned Me; therefore, I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.' " So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is righteous." When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the Lord's message came to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them but will grant them a little deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize [the difference between] serving Me and serving the kingdoms of the land." So King Shishak of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasuries of the Lord's temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took the gold shields that Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them into the care of the captains of the royal escorts who guarded the entrance to the king's palace. Whenever the king entered the Lord's temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields and take them back to the royal escorts' armory. When Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord's anger turned away from him, and He did not destroy [him] completely. Besides that, conditions were good in Judah. King Rehoboam established his royal power in Jerusalem. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king; he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name. Rehoboam's mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the Lord. The events of Rehoboam's [reign], from beginning to end, are written about in the Events of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning genealogies. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Abijah became king in his place.

In the twelfth year of Israel's King Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Israel's King Omri. He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the Lord's sight like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law to Ahab's family. read more.
Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram in Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead when he fought against Aram's King Hazael. Then Judah's King Ahaziah son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel since Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to visit Joram. Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu's troops approaching and shouted, "I see troops!" Joram responded, "Choose a rider and send him to meet them and have him ask, '[Do you come in] peace?' " So a horseman went to meet Jehu and said, "This is what the king asks: '[Do you come in] peace?' " Jehu replied, "What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me." The watchman reported, "The messenger reached them but hasn't started back." read more.
So he sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, "This is what the king asks: '[Do you come in] peace?' " Jehu answered, "What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me." Again the watchman reported, "He reached them but hasn't started back. Also, the driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi-he drives like a madman." "Harness!" Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu at the plot of land of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "[Do you come in] peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be as long as there is so much prostitution and witchcraft from your mother Jezebel?" Joram turned around and fled, shouting to Ahaziah, "It's treachery, Ahaziah!" Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow went through his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, "Pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember when you and I were riding side by side behind his father Ahab, and the Lord uttered this oracle against him: 'As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday,' this is the Lord's message, 'so will I repay you on this plot of land,' this is the Lord's message. So now, according to the word of the Lord, pick him up and throw him on the plot of land." When King Ahaziah of Judah saw [what was happening], he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, shouting, "Shoot him too!" So they shot him in his chariot at Gur Pass near Ibleam, but he fled to Megiddo and died there. Then his servants carried him to Jerusalem in a chariot and buried him in his fathers' tomb in the city of David. It was in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab that Ahaziah had become king over Judah.

Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, because the troops that had come with the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri. He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice. read more.
So he did what was evil in the Lord's sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction. He also followed their advice and went with Joram son of Israel's King Ahab to fight against Hazael, king of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram, so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead when he fought against Aram's King Hazael. Then Judah's King Ahaziah son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill. With his going to Joram, Ahaziah's downfall was from God, for when Ahaziah went, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. So it happened when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu's soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). Then they brought him to Jehu, and they killed him. They buried him, for they said, "He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah had no one to exercise power over the kingdom.

Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was 16 years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. Verse ConceptsAge When CrownedMaking KingsKings Of All Israel Or Judah

In the twenty-seventh year of Israel's King Jeroboam, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah. He was 16 years old when he became king; he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah; [she was] from Jerusalem. Azariah did what was right in the Lord's sight just as his father Amaziah had done. read more.
Yet, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. The Lord afflicted the king, and he had a serious skin disease until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house,while Jotham, the king's son, was over the household governing the people of the land. The rest of the events of Azariah's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. Azariah rested with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jotham became king in his place.

Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king; he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet at the Lord's command. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate and hardened his heart against returning to the Lord God of Israel. read more.
All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord's temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem. But the Lord God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God's messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord's wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy. So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their choice young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young man and virgin or elderly and aged; He handed them all over to him. He took everything to Babylon-all the articles of God's temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord's temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. Then the Chaldeans burned God's temple. They tore down Jerusalem's wall, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable utensils. Those who escaped from the sword he deported to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation until 70 years were fulfilled.

Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king; he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; [she was] from Libnah. Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord's sight just as Jehoiakim had done. read more.
Because of the Lord's anger, it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that He finally banished them from His presence. Then, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around. The city was under siege until King Zedekiah's eleventh year. By the ninth day of the [fourth] month the famine was so severe in the city that the people of the land had no food. Then the city was broken into, and all the warriors [fled] by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah, the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah's entire army was scattered from him. The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze [chains], and took him to Babylon.

Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Israel's King Ahab. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king; he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them but did what was right in the Lord's sight. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. read more.
Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat's [reign], along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. He removed from the land the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who were left from the days of his father Asa. There was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. At that time, Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehoshaphat was not willing. Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his forefather David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals read more.
but sought the God of his father and walked by His commands, not according to the practices of Israel. So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance. His mind rejoiced in the Lord's ways, and he again removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah. In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials-Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah-to teach in the cities of Judah. The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites. They taught throughout Judah, [having] the book of the Lord's instruction with them. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people. The terror of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so they didn't fight against Jehoshaphat. Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, brave warriors, in Jerusalem. These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander and 300,000 brave warriors with him; next to him, Jehohanan the commander and 280,000 with him; next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer of the Lord, and 200,000 brave warriors with him; from Benjamin, Eliada, a brave warrior, and 200,000 with him armed with bow and shield; next to him, Jehozabad and 180,000 with him equipped for war. These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he made an alliance with Ahab through marriage. Then after some years, he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and for the people who were with him. Then he persuaded him to march up to Ramoth-gilead, for Israel's King Ahab asked Judah's King Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" He replied to him, "I am as you are, my people as your people; [we will be] with you in the battle." But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First, please ask what the Lord's will is." So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, 400 men, and asked them, "Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?" They replied, "March up, and God will hand it over to the king." But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of Yahweh here any more? Let's ask him." The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man who can ask the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't say that," Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hurry [and get] Micaiah son of Imlah!" Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were sitting on the threshing floor at the entrance to Samaria's gate, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns and said, "This is what the Lord says: 'You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.' " And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, "March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king." The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, "Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably." But Micaiah said, "As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God says." So he went to the king, and the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should I refrain?" Micaiah said, "March up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you." But the king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?" So Micaiah said: I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, 'They have no master; let each return home in peace.' So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?" 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. "Then a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, 'I will entice him.' "The Lord asked him, 'How?' "So he said, 'I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' "Then He said, 'You will entice him and also prevail. Go and do that.' "Now, you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you." Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah in the face, and demanded, "Did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?" Micaiah replied, "You will soon see when you go to hide yourself in an inner chamber on that day." Then the king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son, and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only bread and water until I come back safely.' " But Micaiah said, "If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me." Then he said, "Listen, all you people!" Then the king of Israel and Judah's King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, "He must be the king of Israel!" So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him. When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. But a man drew his bow without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to the charioteer, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!" The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then he died at sunset. Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned to his home in Jerusalem in peace. Then Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the Lord's wrath is on you. However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have decided to seek God." Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and once again he went out among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord God of their ancestors. He appointed judges in all the fortified cities of the land of Judah, city by city. Then he said to the judges, "Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment. And now, may the terror of the Lord be on you. Watch what you do, for there is no injustice or partiality or taking bribes with the Lord our God." Jehoshaphat also appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and priests and some of the heads of the Israelite families for [rendering] the Lord's judgments and for [settling] disputes of the residents of Jerusalem. He commanded them, saying, "In the fear of the Lord, with integrity, and with a whole heart, you are to do the following: for every dispute that comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities-whether it regards differences of bloodguilt, law, commandment, statutes, or judgments-you are to warn them, so they will not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath will not come on you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not incur guilt. "Note that Amariah, the chief priest, is over you in all matters related to the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all matters related to the king, and the Levites are officers in your presence. Be strong; may the Lord be with those who do what is good." After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came [to fight] against Jehoshaphat. People came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast multitude from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come [to fight] against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar" (that is, En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he resolved to seek the Lord. So he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord's temple before the new courtyard. He said: Lord God of our ancestors, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You. Are You not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? They have lived in the land and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name and have said, "If disaster comes on us-sword or judgment, pestilence or famine-we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your name is in this temple. We will cry out to You because of our distress, and You will hear and deliver." Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and [the inhabitants of] Mount Seir. You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of Your possession that You gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast multitude that comes [to fight] against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to You. All Judah was standing before the Lord with their infants, their wives, and their children. In the midst of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph's descendants), and he said, "Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. You do not have to fight this [battle]. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. [He is] with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.' " Then Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship Him. Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting in a loud voice. In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed." Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of [His] holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for His faithful love endures forever. The moment they began [their] shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and [the inhabitants of] Mount Seir who came [to fight] against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other. When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and there were corpses lying on the ground; nobody had escaped. Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to gather the plunder. They found among them an abundance of goods on the bodies and valuable items. So they stripped them until nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much. They assembled in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day, for there they praised the Lord. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today. Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord enabled them to rejoice over their enemies. So they came into Jerusalem to the Lord's temple with harps, lyres, and trumpets. The terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then Jehoshaphat's kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side. Jehoshaphat became king over Judah. He was 35 years old when he became king; he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He walked in the way of Asa his father; he did not turn away from it but did what was right in the Lord's sight. However, the high places were not taken away; the people had not yet determined in their hearts [to worship] the God of their ancestors. The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat's [reign] from beginning to end are written about in the Events of Jehu son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of Israel's Kings. After this, Judah's King Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Israel's King Ahaziah, who was guilty of wrongdoing. Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you formed an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken up what you have made." So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish. Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there. So Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but at Pharaoh's command he taxed the land to give the money. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, each man according to his valuation, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king; he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; [she was] from Rumah read more.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight just as his ancestors had done. During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. The Lord sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through His servants the prophets. This happened to Judah only at the Lord's command to remove them from His sight. It was because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all he had done, and also because of all the innocent blood he had shed. He had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not forgive. The rest of the events of Jehoiakim's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. Jehoiakim rested with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king; he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him in bronze [shackles] to take him to Babylon. Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the utensils of the Lord's temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon. read more.
The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, the detestable things he did, and what was found against him, are written about in the Book of Israel's Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Amon was 22 years old when he became king; he reigned two years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. But he did not humble himself before the Lord like his father Manasseh humbled himself; instead, Amon increased [his] guilt. read more.
So his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. Then the common people executed all those who conspired against King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place.

Amon was 22 years old when he became king; he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; [she was] from Jotbah. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight as his father Manasseh had done. He walked in all the ways his father had walked; he served the idols his father had served, and he worshiped them. read more.
He abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors and did not walk in the way of the Lord. Amon's servants conspired against the king and killed him in his own house. Then the common people executed all those who had conspired against King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place. The rest of the events of Amon's [reign], along with his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.

Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent [messengers] and brought in the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards. He had them come to him in the Lord's temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king's son and commanded them, "This is what you are to do: one third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the king's palace. A third are to be at the Sur gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace. read more.
Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the Lord's temple. You must completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. You must be with the king in all his daily tasks." So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men-those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty-and went to Jehoiada the priest. The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David's spears and shields that were in the Lord's temple. Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king-from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple. He brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,and made him king. They anointed him and clapped their hands and cried, "Long live the king!" When Athaliah heard the noise from the guard [and] the crowd, she went out to the people at the Lord's temple. As she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed "Treason! Treason!" Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, "Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword," for the priest had said, "She is not to be put to death in the Lord's temple." So they arrested her, and she went out by way of the Horses' Entrance to the king's palace, where she was put to death. Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord's people and [another one] between the king and the people. So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke its altars and images into pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars. Then [Jehoiada] the priest appointed guards for the Lord's temple. He took [with him] the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord's temple. They entered the king's palace by way of the guards' gate. Then Joash sat on the throne of the kings. All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword in the king's palace. Joash was seven years old when he became king. In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king; he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah, who was from Beer-sheba. Throughout the time Jehoiada the priest instructed him, Joash did what was right in the Lord's sight. Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. Then Joash said to the priests, "All the dedicated money brought to the Lord's temple, census money, money from vows, and all money voluntarily given for the Lord's temple, each priest is to take from his assessor and repair whatever damage to the temple is found. But by the twenty-third year [of the reign] of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage to the temple. So King Joash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said, "Why haven't you repaired the temple's damage? Since you haven't, don't take any money from your assessors; instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple." So the priests agreed they would not take money from the people and they would not repair the temple's damage. Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the Lord's temple; in it the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the Lord's temple. Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest would go to the Lord's temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags. Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those doing the work-those who oversaw the Lord's temple. They [in turn] would pay it out to those working on the Lord's temple-the carpenters, the builders, the masons, and the stonecutters-and [would use it] to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the damage to the Lord's temple and for all spending for temple repairs. However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver were made for the Lord's temple from the money brought into the temple. Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired the Lord's temple with it. No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity. The money from the restitution offering and the sin offering was not brought to the Lord's temple since it belonged to the priests. At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem. So King Joash of Judah took all the consecrated items that his ancestors-Judah's kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah-had consecrated, along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and in the king's palace, and he sent [them] to Hazael king of Aram. Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem. The rest of the events of Joash's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. Joash's servants conspired against him and killed him at Beth-millo [on the road that] goes down to Silla. His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died. Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king; he reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah; [she was] from Bozkath. He did what was right in the Lord's sight and walked in all the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn to the right or the left. In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the court secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord's temple, saying, read more.
"Go up to Hilkiah the high priest so that he may total up the money brought into the Lord's temple-[the money] the doorkeepers have collected from the people. It is to be put into the hands of those doing the work-those who oversee the Lord's temple. They [in turn] are to give it to the workmen in the Lord's temple to repair the damage. [They are to give it] to the carpenters, builders, and masons to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the temple. But no accounting is to be required from them for the money put into their hands since they work with integrity." Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the book of the law in the Lord's temple," and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. Then Shaphan the court secretary went to the king and reported, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hand of those doing the work-those who oversee the Lord's temple." Then Shaphan the court secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book," and Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then he commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and the king's servant Asaiah: "Go and inquire of the Lord for me, the people, and all Judah about the instruction in this book that has been found. For great is the Lord's wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us." So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District. They spoke with her. She said to them, "This is what the Lord God of Israel says, 'Say to the man who sent you to Me: This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, [fulfilling] all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read, because they have abandoned Me and burned incense to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the work of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard you-declares the Lord. Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.'" Then they reported to the king. So the king sent [messengers], and they gathered to him all the elders of Jerusalem and Judah. Then the king went to the Lord's temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets-all the people from the youngest to the oldest. As they listened, he read all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the Lord's temple. Next, the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant in the presence of the Lord to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments, His decrees, and His statutes with all his mind and with all his heart, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to the covenant. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord's temple all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and the whole heavenly host. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel Then he did away with the idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places in the cities of Judah and in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. They had burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, moon, constellations, and the whole heavenly host. He brought out the Asherah pole from the Lord's temple to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it at the Kidron Valley, beat it to dust, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. He also tore down the houses of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the Lord's temple, in which the women were weaving tapestries for Asherah. Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and he defiled the high places from Geba to Beer-sheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city (on the left at the city gate). The priests of the high places, however, did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem; instead, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests. He defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Hinnom, so that no one could make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech. He did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. [They had been] at the entrance of the Lord's temple in the precincts by the chamber of Nathan-melech the court official, and he burned up the chariots of the sun. The king tore down the altars that were on the roof-Ahaz's upper chamber that the kings of Judah had made-and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the Lord's temple. Then he smashed them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. The king also defiled the high places that were across from Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Destruction, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the detestable idol of the Sidonians; for Chemosh, the detestable idol of Moab; and for Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. He broke the sacred pillars into pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, then filled their places with human bones. He even tore down the altar at Bethel and the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, had made. Then he burned the high place, crushed it to dust, and burned the Asherah. As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mountain. He sent [someone] to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar. He defiled it according to the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who proclaimed these things. Then he said, "What is this monument I see?" The men of the city told him, "It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar at Bethel." So he said, "Let him rest. Don't let anyone disturb his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [the Lord]. Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars. Then he returned to Jerusalem. The king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant." No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem. In addition, Josiah removed the mediums, the spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the Lord's temple. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him. In spite of all that, the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath and anger, which burned against Judah because of all the provocations Manasseh had provoked Him with. For the Lord had said, "I will also remove Judah from My sight just as I have removed Israel. I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said, 'My name will be there.' " The rest of the events of Josiah's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. During his reign, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt marched up to the king of Assyria at the Euphrates river. King Josiah went to confront him, and at Megiddo when Neco saw him he killed him. From Megiddo his servants carried his dead body in a chariot, brought him into Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the common people took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.

When Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. Jehoshabeath, the king's daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king's sons who were being killed and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest. Since she was Ahaziah's sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. While Athaliah ruled over the land, he was hiding with them in God's temple six years.

When Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. Jehosheba, [who was] King Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's sister, secretly rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king's sons who were being killed and [put] him and his nurse in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed. Joash was in hiding with Jehosheba in the Lord's temple six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; [she was] from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight as his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. read more.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials, surrendered to the king of Babylon. So the king of Babylon took him [captive] in the eighth year of his reign. He also carried off from there all the treasures of the Lord's temple and the treasures of the king's palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the Lord's sanctuary, just as God had predicted. Then he deported all Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the fighting men, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and metalsmiths. Except for the poorest people of the land, nobody remained. Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehoiachin to Babylon. Also, he took the king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. The king of Babylon also brought captive into Babylon all 7,000 fighting men and 1,000 craftsmen and metalsmiths-all strong and fit for war.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king; he reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight. In the spring Nebuchadnezzar sent [for him] and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable utensils of the Lord's temple. Then he made Jehoiachin's brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king; he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. read more.
He built altars in the Lord's temple, where the Lord had said: "Jerusalem is where My name will remain forever." He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the Lord's temple. He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great deal of evil in the Lord's sight, provoking Him. Manasseh set up a carved image of the idol he had made, in God's temple, about which God had said to David and his son Solomon: "I will establish My name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. I will never again remove the feet of the Israelites from upon the land where I stationed your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses-all the law, statutes, and judgments." So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn't listen. So He brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze [shackles], and took him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. He prayed to Him, so He heard his petition and granted his request, and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord is God. After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate; he brought it around the Ophel, and he heightened it considerably. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the Lord's temple, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the Lord's temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. He built the altar of the Lord and offered fellowship and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. However, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God. The rest of the events of Manasseh's [reign], along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are [written about] in the Events of Israel's Kings. His prayer and how God granted his request, and all his sin and unfaithfulness and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and carved images before he humbled himself, they are written about in the Records of Hozai. Manasseh rested with his fathers, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king; he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, imitating the abominations of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. read more.
He would build altars in the Lord's temple, where the Lord had said, "Jerusalem is where I will put My name." He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the Lord's temple. He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great amount of evil in the Lord's sight, provoking [Him]. Manasseh set up the carved image of Asherah he made in the temple that the Lord had spoken about to David and his son Solomon, "I will establish My name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to wander from the land I gave to their ancestors if only they will be careful to do all I have commanded them-the whole law that My servant Moses commanded them." But they did not listen; Manasseh caused them to stray so that they did greater evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. The Lord spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, "Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these abominations-greater evil than the Amorites who preceded him had done-and by means of his idols has also caused Judah to sin, this is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'I am about to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that everyone who hears about it will shudder. I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line [used on] Samaria and the mason's level [used on] the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a bowl-wiping it and turning it upside down. I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in My sight and have provoked Me from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until today.' " Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem with it from one end to another. This was in addition to his sin he caused Judah to commit so that they did what was evil in the Lord's sight. The rest of the events of Manasseh's [reign], along with all his accomplishments and the sin that he committed, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, the garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king in his place.

Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; [she was] from Libnah. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight just as his ancestors had done. Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath to keep him from reigning in Jerusalem, and he imposed on the land a fine of 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold.

Then the common people took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold. read more.
Then [Neco] king of Egypt made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt.

In the twentieth year of Israel's King Jeroboam, Asa became king of Judah; he reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. Asa did what was right in the Lord's eyes, as his ancestor David had done. read more.
He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all of the idols that his fathers had made. He also removed his grandmother Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned it in the Kidron Valley. The high places were not taken away; but Asa's heart was completely with the Lord his entire life. He brought his father's consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the Lord's temple: silver, gold, and utensils. There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. Israel's King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to deny anyone access to Judah's King Asa. So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and the treasuries of the royal palace and put it into the hands of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus, saying, "There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me." Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, all Chinneroth, and the whole land of Naphtali. When Baasha heard [about it], he quit building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah. Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah with them. The rest of all the events of Asa's [reign], along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. But in his old age he developed a disease in his feet. Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his forefather David. His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place.

In the second year of Israel's King Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah. He was 25 years old when he became king; he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. He did what was right in the Lord's sight just as his father Uzziah had done. read more.
Yet, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. It was Jotham who built the Upper Gate of the Lord's temple. The rest of the events of Jotham's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. In those days the Lord began sending Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. Jotham rested with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.

In the fifth year of Israel's King Joram son of Ahab, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, replacing his father. He was 32 years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab's daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight. read more.
The Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah because of His servant David, since He had promised to give a lamp to David and to his sons forever. During Jehoram's reign, Edom rebelled against Judah's control and appointed their own king. So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders, but his troops fled to their tents. So Edom is still in rebellion against Judah's control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time. The rest of the events of Jehoram's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

In the second year of Israel's King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. He was 25 years old when he became king; he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan and was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the Lord's sight, but not like his ancestor David. He did everything his father Joash had done. read more.
Yet, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah killed his servants who had murdered his father the king. However, he did not put the children of the murderers to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded, "Fathers must not be put to death because of children, and children must not be put to death because of fathers; instead, each one will be put to death for his own sin." Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, [which is its name] to this very day. Amaziah then sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us meet face to face." King Jehoash of Israel sent [word] to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon once sent [a message] to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and you have become overconfident. Enjoy your glory and stay at home. Why should you stir up such trouble that you fall-you and Judah with you?" But Amaziah would not listen, so King Jehoash of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced off at Beth-shemesh that belongs to Judah. Judah was routed before Israel, and [Judah's men] fled, each to his own tent. King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah's King Amaziah son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down 200 yards of Jerusalem's wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils found in the Lord's temple and in the treasuries of the king's palace, and the hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. The rest of the events of Jehoash's [reign], along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written about in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. Jehoash rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became king in his place. Judah's King Amaziah son of Joash lived 15 years after the death of Israel's King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz. The rest of the events of Amaziah's [reign] are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. A conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. However, [men] were sent after him to Lachish, and they put him to death there. They carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

In the eighteenth year of [Israel's] King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah; he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. Abijam walked in all the sins his father had done before him, and he was not completely devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been. read more.
But because of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem because David did what was right in the Lord's eyes, and he did not turn aside from anything He had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. There had been war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam's life. The rest of the events of Abijam's [reign], along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam. Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place.

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