20:1 Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites, 1 attacked Jehoshaphat. 20:2 Messengers 2 arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea, 3 from the direction of Edom. 4 Look, they are in Hazezon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).” 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice. 5 He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. 20:4 The people of Judah 6 assembled to ask for the Lord’s help; 7 they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help. 8
20:5 Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem 9 at the Lord’s temple, in front of the new courtyard. 20:6 He prayed: “O Lord God of our ancestors, 10 you are the God who lives in heaven 11 and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you. 20:7 Our God, you drove out 12 the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it as a permanent possession 13 to the descendants of your friend 14 Abraham. 20:8 They settled down in it and built in it a temple 15 to honor you, 16 saying, 20:9 ‘If disaster comes on us in the form of military attack, 17 judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple. 18 We will cry out to you for help in our distress, so that you will 19 hear and deliver us.’ 20:10 Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming! 20 When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands. 21 They bypassed them and did not destroy them. 20:11 Look how they are repaying us! They come to drive us out of our allotted land which you assigned to us! 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us! We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help.” 22
20:13 All the men of Judah 23 were standing before the Lord, along with their infants, wives, and children. 20:14 Then in the midst of the assembly, the Lord’s Spirit came upon Jachaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph. 20:15 He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah, 24 residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic 25 because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 20:16 Tomorrow march down against them as 26 they come up the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine in front of the Desert of Jeruel. 20:17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, 27 O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! 28 Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”
20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground, and all the people of Judah 29 and the residents of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord and worshiped him. 30 20:19 Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and Korahites, got up and loudly praised the Lord God of Israel. 31
20:20 Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah 32 and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe! 33 Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.” 20:21 He met 34 with the people and appointed musicians to play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched ahead of the warriors they said: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures.” 35
20:22 When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked 36 the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir 37 who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir 38 and annihilated them. 39 When they had finished off the men 40 of Seir, they attacked and destroyed one another. 41 20:24 When the men of Judah 42 arrived at the observation post overlooking the desert and looked at 43 the huge army, they saw dead bodies on the ground; there were no survivors! 20:25 Jehoshaphat and his men 44 went to gather the plunder; they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing 45 and valuable items. They carried away everything they could. 46 There was so much plunder, it took them three days to haul it off. 47
20:26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, where 48 they praised the Lord. So that place is called the Valley of Berachah 49 to this very day. 20:27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat leading them; the Lord had given them reason to rejoice over their enemies. 20:28 They entered Jerusalem to the sound of stringed instruments and trumpets and proceeded to the temple of the Lord. 20:29 All the kingdoms of the surrounding lands were afraid of God 50 when they heard how the Lord had fought against Israel’s enemies. 20:30 Jehoshaphat’s kingdom enjoyed peace; his God made him secure on every side. 51
20:31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. 52 His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 20:32 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved. 53 20:33 However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were still not devoted to the God of their ancestors. 54
20:34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of Hanani which are included in Scroll of the Kings of Israel. 55
20:35 Later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who 56 did evil. 20:36 They agreed 57 to make large seagoing merchant ships; 58 they built the ships in Ezion Geber. 20:37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, “Because 59 you made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will shatter what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and unable to go to sea. 60
21:1 Jehoshaphat passed away 61 and was buried with his ancestors 62 in the City of David. 63 His son Jehoram 64 replaced him as king.
21:2 His brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. 65 21:3 Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
21:4 Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. 66 Then he killed all his brothers, 67 as well as some of the officials of Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 68 21:6 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. 69 He did evil in the sight of 70 the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty 71 because of the promise 72 he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. 73
21:8 During Jehoram’s 74 reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king. 75 21:9 Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. 76 21:10 So Edom has remained free from Judah’s control to this very day. 77 At that same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah’s control 78 because Jehoram 79 rejected the Lord God of his ancestors. 21:11 He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord 80 and led Judah away from the Lord. 81
21:12 Jehoram 82 received this letter from Elijah the prophet: “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You 83 have not followed in the footsteps 84 of your father Jehoshaphat and of 85 King Asa of Judah, 21:13 but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. 86 You also killed your brothers, members of your father’s family, 87 who were better than you. 21:14 So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict 88 your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. 21:15 And you will get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your intestines to come out.” 89
21:16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines 90 and the Arabs who lived beside the Cushites. 21:17 They attacked Judah and swept through it. 91 They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, 92 including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah. 21:18 After all this happened, the Lord afflicted him with an incurable intestinal disease. 93 21:19 After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. 94 His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. 95
21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; 96 he was buried in the City of David, 97 but not in the royal tombs.
22:1 The residents of Jerusalem 98 made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, for the raiding party that invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. 99 So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two 100 years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter 101 of Omri. 22:3 He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, 102 for his mother gave him evil advice. 103 22:4 He did evil in the sight of 104 the Lord like Ahab’s dynasty because, after his father’s death, they 105 gave him advice that led to his destruction. 22:5 He followed their advice and joined Ahab’s son King Joram 106 of Israel in a battle against King Hazael of Syria 107 at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram. 22:6 Joram 108 returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians 109 in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah 110 son of King Jehoram of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he had been wounded. 111
22:7 God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall through his visit to Joram. 112 When Ahaziah 113 arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had commissioned 114 to wipe out Ahab’s family. 115 22:8 While Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab’s family, he discovered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who were serving Ahaziah and killed them. 22:9 He looked for Ahaziah, who was captured while hiding in Samaria. 116 They brought him to Jehu and then executed him. They did give him a burial, for they reasoned, 117 “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with his whole heart.” There was no one in Ahaziah’s family strong enough to rule in his place. 118
22:10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line 119 of Judah. 120 22:11 So Jehoshabeath, 121 the daughter of King Jehoram, 122 took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked him away 123 from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. So Jehoshabeath the daughter of King Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah so she could not execute him. 22:12 He remained in hiding in God’s temple 124 for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact 125 with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 23:2 They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.
They came to Jerusalem, 126 23:3 and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada 127 said to them, “The king’s son will rule, just as the Lord promised David’s descendants. 23:4 This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors. 23:5 Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others 128 will stand in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. 23:6 No one must enter the Lord’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord. 23:7 The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple 129 must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” 130
23:8 The Levites and all the men of Judah 131 did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. 23:9 Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields 132 that were kept in God’s temple. 23:10 He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 133 23:11 Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. 134 They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. 135 They declared, “Long live the king!”
23:12 When Athaliah heard the royal guard 136 shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd 137 at the Lord’s temple. 23:13 Then she saw 138 the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, “Treason! Treason!” 139 23:14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. 140 Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 141 23:15 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. 142 There they executed her.
23:16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord. 143 23:17 All the people went and demolished 144 the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols. 145 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 23:18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to 146 the law of Moses and the edict of David. 23:19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 23:20 He summoned 147 the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 23:21 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah. 148
24:1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 149 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 24:2 Joash did what the Lord approved 150 throughout the lifetime 151 of Jehoiada the priest. 24:3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.
24:4 Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple. 152 24:5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.
24:6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, 153 and said to him, “Why have you not made 154 the Levites collect 155 from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?” 156 24:7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 24:8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple. 157 24:9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness. 158 24:10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 24:11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.
24:12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen 159 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 24:13 They worked hard and made the repairs. 160 They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it. 161 24:14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.
24:15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 162 24:16 He was buried in the City of David 163 with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.
24:17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. 164 The king listened to their advice. 165 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, 166 and worshiped 167 the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 24:19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. 168 They warned 169 the people, but they would not pay attention. 24:20 God’s Spirit energized 170 Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 24:21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 24:22 King Joash disregarded 171 the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s 172 son. As Zechariah 173 was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!” 174
24:23 At the beginning 175 of the year the Syrian army attacked 176 Joash 177 and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24:24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, 178 for the people of Judah 179 had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians 180 gave Joash what he deserved. 181 24:25 When they withdrew, they left Joash 182 badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to 183 the son 184 of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus 185 he died and was buried in the City of David, 186 but not in the tombs of the kings. 24:26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).
24:27 The list of Joash’s 187 sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings. 188 His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 189 His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 25:2 He did what the Lord approved, 190 but not with wholehearted devotion. 191
25:3 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 192 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 193 25:4 However, he did not execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 194 “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do, 195 and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do. 196 A man must be executed only for his own sin.” 197
25:5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah 198 and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age 199 equipped with spears and shields. 200 25:6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for a hundred talents 201 of silver.
25:7 But a prophet 202 visited him and said: “O king, the Israelite troops must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the Ephraimites. 203 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you 204 before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating.” 205 25:9 Amaziah asked the prophet: 206 “But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?” The prophet 207 replied, “The Lord is capable of giving you more than that.” 25:10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. 208 They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 25:11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt, 209 where he defeated 210 10,000 Edomites. 211 25:12 The men 212 of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. 213 All the captives 214 fell to their death. 215 25:13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle 216 raided 217 the cities of Judah from Samaria 218 to Beth Horon. They killed 219 3,000 people and carried off a large amount of plunder.
25:14 When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people 220 of Seir and made them his personal gods. 221 He bowed down before them and offered them sacrifices. 25:15 The Lord was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why are you following 222 these gods 223 that could not deliver their own people from your power?” 224 25:16 While he was speaking, Amaziah 225 said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” 226 So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided 227 to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”
25:17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers, 228 he sent this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, “Come, face me on the battlefield.” 229 25:18 King Joash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn bush. 230 25:19 You defeated Edom 231 and it has gone to your head. 232 Gloat over your success, 233 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 234
25:20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning, 235 for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom. 236 25:21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield 237 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 25:22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 238 25:23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. 239 25:24 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God’s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.
25:25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 25:26 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 240 25:27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 241 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 242 and they killed him there. 25:28 His body was carried back by horses, 243 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors 244 in the City of David. 245