Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel.

²He 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.

³Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals

⁴but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.

⁵So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

⁶His mind rejoiced in the LORD’s ways, and he again removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

⁷In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials — Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah — to teach in the cities of Judah.

⁸The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites.

⁹They taught throughout Judah, having the book of the LORD’s instruction with them. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰The terror of the LORD was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat.

¹¹Some 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.

¹²Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah

¹³and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem.

¹⁴These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander and three hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;

¹⁵next to him, Jehohanan the commander and two hundred eighty thousand with him;

¹⁶next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer of the LORD, and two hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;

¹⁷from Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and two hundred thousand with him armed with bow and shield;

¹⁸next to him, Jehozabad and one hundred eighty thousand with him equipped for war.

¹⁹These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

¹Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he made an alliance with Ahab through marriage.

²Then after some years, he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep, goats, and cattle for him and for the people who were with him. Then he persuaded him to attack Ramoth-gilead,

³for 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.”

⁴But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the LORD’s will is.”

⁵So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred 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.”

⁶But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD here anymore? Let’s ask him.”

⁷The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of 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.

⁸So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!”

⁹Now 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.

¹⁰Then 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.’”

¹¹And 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.”

¹²The 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.”

¹³But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say whatever my God says.”

¹⁴So 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.”

¹⁵But 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?”

¹⁶So 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.”

¹⁷So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”

¹⁸Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing at his right hand and at his left hand.

¹⁹And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? ’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.

²⁰“Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD asked him, ‘How?’

²¹“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.’

²²“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.”

²³Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD leave me to speak to you?”

²⁴Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”

²⁵Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son,

²⁶and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only a little bread and water until I come back safely.’”

²⁷But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Listen, all you people!”

²⁸Then the king of Israel and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead.

²⁹But 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.

³⁰Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone at all except the king of Israel.”

³¹When 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.

³²When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

³³But 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!”

³⁴The 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.

¹King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned to his home in Jerusalem in peace.

²Then Jehu son of the seer Hanani 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.

³However, some good is found in you, for you have eradicated the Asherah poles from the land and have decided to seek God.”

⁴Jehoshaphat 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, the God of their ancestors.

⁵He appointed judges in all the fortified cities of the land of Judah, city by city.

⁶Then he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for a mere mortal, but for the LORD, who is with you in the matter of judgment.

⁷And 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.”

⁸Jehoshaphat also appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and priests and some of the Israelite family heads for deciding the LORD’s will and for settling disputes of the residents of Jerusalem.

⁹He commanded them, saying, “In the fear of the LORD, with integrity, and wholeheartedly, you are to do the following:

¹⁰For 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.

¹¹“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.”

¹After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to fight against Jehoshaphat.

²People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

³Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the LORD. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah,

⁴who gathered to seek the LORD. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him.

⁵Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the LORD’s temple before the new courtyard.

⁶He 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.

⁷Are 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?

⁸They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said,

⁹“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.”

¹⁰Now 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.

¹¹Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance.

¹²Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.

¹³All Judah was standing before the LORD with their dependents, their wives, and their children.

¹⁴In the middle 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),

¹⁵and 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 number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

¹⁶Tomorrow, 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.

¹⁷You 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.’”

¹⁸Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD to worship him.

¹⁹Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel shouting loudly.

²⁰In 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.”

²¹Then 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.

²²The 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.

²³The 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.

²⁴When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the large army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; nobody had escaped.

²⁵Then 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.

²⁶They assembled in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today.

²⁷Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD enabled them to rejoice over their enemies.

²⁸So they came into Jerusalem to the LORD’s temple with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

²⁹The terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

³⁰Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.

³¹Jehoshaphat became king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

³²He walked in the ways of Asa his father; he did not turn away from it but did what was right in the LORD’s sight.

³³However, the high places were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

³⁴The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign from beginning to end are written in the Events of Jehu son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of Israel’s Kings.

³⁵After this, Judah’s King Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Israel’s King Ahaziah, who was guilty of wrongdoing.

³⁶Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

³⁷Then 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.

¹Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

²He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

³Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

⁴When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel.

⁵Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

⁶He walked in the ways 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,

⁷but for the sake of the covenant the LORD had made with David, he was unwilling to destroy the house of David since the LORD had promised to give a lamp to David and to his sons forever.

⁸During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.

⁹So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders.

¹⁰And now Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time against his control because he had abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors.

¹¹Jehoram also built high places in the hills of Judah, and he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and he led Judah astray.

¹²Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying: This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of King Asa of Judah

¹³but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you,

¹⁴the LORD is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction.

¹⁵You yourself will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”

¹⁶The LORD roused the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram.

¹⁷So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace and also his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.

¹⁸After all these things, the LORD afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

¹⁹This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his fathers.

²⁰Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret and was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings.

¹Then 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.

²Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri.

³He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice.

⁴So 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.

⁵He also followed their advice and went with Joram son of Israel’s King Ahab to fight against King Hazael of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram,

⁶so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

⁷Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

⁸So 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.

⁹Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

¹⁰When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.

¹¹Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.

¹²While Athaliah reigned over the land, he was hiding with them in God’s temple six years.

¹Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned his courage and took the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

²They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family heads of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He will reign, just as the LORD promised concerning David’s sons.

⁴This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath, are to be gatekeepers.

⁵A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of the LORD’s temple.

⁶No one is to enter the LORD’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

⁷Completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”

⁸So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men — those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath — for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.

⁹The priest Jehoiada gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers that were in God’s temple.

¹⁰Then he stationed all the troops 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.

¹¹They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live the king!”

¹²When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the troops in the LORD’s temple.

¹³As she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴Then the priest Jehoiada sent out the commanders of hundreds, those in charge of the army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in the LORD’s temple.”

¹⁵So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horse Gate to the king’s palace, where they put her to death.

¹⁶Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.

¹⁷So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.

¹⁸Then Jehoiada put the oversight of the LORD’s temple into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over the LORD’s temple, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and song ordained by David.

¹⁹He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD’s temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason.

²⁰Then he took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the LORD’s temple. They entered the king’s palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.

²¹All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

¹Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba.

²Throughout the time of the priest Jehoiada, Joash did what was right in the LORD’s sight.

³Jehoiada acquired two wives for him, and he was the father of sons and daughters.

⁴Afterward, Joash took it to heart to renovate the LORD’s temple.

⁵So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect silver from all Israel to repair the temple of your God as needed year by year, and do it quickly.” However, the Levites did not hurry.

⁶So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by the LORD’s servant Moses and the assembly of Israel for the tent of the testimony?

⁷For the sons of that wicked Athaliah broke into the LORD’s temple and even used the sacred things of the LORD’s temple for the Baals.”

⁸At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside the gate of the LORD’s temple.

⁹Then a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that the tax God’s servant Moses imposed on Israel in the wilderness be brought to the LORD.

¹⁰All the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought the tax, and put it in the chest until it was full.

¹¹Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers, and when they saw that there was a large amount of silver, the king’s secretary and the high priest’s deputy came and emptied the chest, picked it up, and returned it to its place. They did this daily and gathered the silver in abundance.

¹²Then the king and Jehoiada gave it to those in charge of the labor on the LORD’s temple, who were hiring stonecutters and carpenters to renovate the LORD’s temple, also blacksmiths and coppersmiths to repair the LORD’s temple.

¹³The workmen did their work, and through them the repairs progressed. They restored God’s temple to its specifications and reinforced it.

¹⁴When they finished, they presented the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada, who made articles for the LORD’s temple with it — articles for ministry and for making burnt offerings, and ladles and articles of gold and silver. They regularly offered burnt offerings in the LORD’s temple throughout Jehoiada’s life.

¹⁵Jehoiada died when he was old and full of days; he was 130 years old at his death.

¹⁶He was buried in the city of David with the kings because he had done what was good in Israel with respect to God and his temple.

¹⁷However, after Jehoiada died, the rulers of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them,

¹⁸and they abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and served the Asherah poles and the idols. So there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

¹⁹Nevertheless, he sent them prophets to bring them back to the LORD; they admonished them, but the people would not listen.

²⁰The Spirit of God enveloped Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands so that you do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’”

²¹But they conspired against him and stoned him at the king’s command in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple.

²²King Joash didn’t remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him, but killed his son. While he was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and demand an account.”

²³At the turn of the year, an Aramean army attacked Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people among them and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus.

²⁴Although the Aramean army came with only a few men, the LORD handed over a vast army to them because the people of Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors. So they executed judgment on Joash.

²⁵When the Arameans saw that Joash had many wounds, they left him. His servants conspired against him, and killed him on his bed, because he had shed the blood of the sons of the priest Jehoiada. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

²⁶Those who conspired against him were Zabad, son of the Ammonite woman Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of the Moabite woman Shimrith.

²⁷The accounts concerning his sons, the many divine pronouncements about him, and the restoration of God’s temple are recorded in the Writing of the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah became king in his place.

¹Amaziah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.

²He did what was right in the LORD’s sight but not wholeheartedly.

³As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed his servants who had killed his father the king.

⁴However, he did not put their children to death, because — as it is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded — “Fathers are not to die because of children, and children are not to die because of fathers, but each one will die for his own sin.”

⁵Then Amaziah gathered Judah and assembled them according to ancestral families, according to commanders of thousands, and according to commanders of hundreds. He numbered those twenty years old or more for all Judah and Benjamin. He found there to be three hundred thousand fit young men who could serve in the army, bearing spear and shield.

⁶Then for 7,500 pounds of silver he hired one hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel.

⁷However, a man of God came to him and said, “King, do not let Israel’s army go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel — all the Ephraimites.

⁸But if you go with them, do it! Be strong for battle! But God will make you stumble before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to make one stumble.”

⁹Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “What should I do about the 7,500 pounds of silver I gave to Israel’s division?” The man of God replied, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”

¹⁰So Amaziah released the division that came to him from Ephraim to go home. But they got very angry with Judah and returned home in a fierce rage.

¹¹Amaziah strengthened his position and led his people to the Salt Valley. He struck down ten thousand Seirites,

¹²and the Judahites captured ten thousand alive. They took them to the top of a cliff where they threw them off, and all of them were dashed to pieces.

¹³As for the men of the division that Amaziah sent back so they would not go with him into battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, struck down three thousand of their people, and took a great deal of plunder.

¹⁴After Amaziah came from the attack on the Edomites, he brought the gods of the Seirites and set them up as his gods. He worshiped before them and burned incense to them.

¹⁵So the LORD’s anger was against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why have you sought a people’s gods that could not rescue their own people from you?”

¹⁶While he was still speaking to him, the king asked, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop, why should you lose your life?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God intends to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice.”

¹⁷King Amaziah of Judah took counsel and sent word to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, and challenged him: “Come, let’s meet face to face.”

¹⁸King Jehoash of Israel sent word to King Amaziah of Judah, saying, “The thistle in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.

¹⁹You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Edom,’ and you have become overconfident that you will get glory. Now stay at home. Why stir up such trouble so that you fall and Judah with you?”

²⁰But Amaziah would not listen, for this turn of events was from God in order to hand them over to their enemies because they went after the gods of Edom.

²¹So King Jehoash of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face at Beth-shemesh that belonged to Judah.

²²Judah was routed before Israel, and each man fled to his own tent.

²³King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash took him to Jerusalem and broke down two hundred yards of Jerusalem’s wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.

²⁴He took all the gold, silver, all the utensils that were found with Obed-edom in God’s temple, the treasures of the king’s palace, and the hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

²⁵Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash lived fifteen years after the death of Israel’s King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz.

²⁶The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

²⁷From the time Amaziah turned from following the LORD, 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.

²⁸They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

¹All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

²After Amaziah the king rested with his fathers, Uzziah rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah.

³Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

⁴He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his father Amaziah had done.

⁵He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

⁶Uzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod. Then he built cities in the vicinity of Ashdod and among the Philistines.

⁷God helped him against the Philistines, the Arabs that live in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

⁸The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for God made him very powerful.

⁹Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the corner buttress, and he fortified them.

¹⁰Since he had many cattle both in the Judean foothills and the plain, he built towers in the desert and dug many wells. And since he was a lover of the soil, he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands.

¹¹Uzziah had an army equipped for combat that went out to war by division according to their assignments, as recorded by Jeiel the court secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders.

¹²The total number of family heads was 2,600 valiant warriors.

¹³Under their authority was an army of 307,500 equipped for combat, a powerful force to help the king against the enemy.

¹⁴Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones.

¹⁵He made skillfully designed devices in Jerusalem to shoot arrows and catapult large stones for use on the towers and on the corners. So his fame spread even to distant places, for he was wondrously helped until he became strong.

¹⁶But when he became strong, he grew arrogant, and it led to his own destruction. He acted unfaithfully against the LORD his God by going into the LORD’s sanctuary to burn incense on the incense altar.

¹⁷The priest Azariah, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him.

¹⁸They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD  — only the consecrated priests, the descendants of Aaron, have the right to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully! You will not receive honor from the LORD God.”

¹⁹Uzziah, with a firepan in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But when he became enraged with the priests, in the presence of the priests in the LORD’s temple beside the altar of incense, a skin disease broke out on his forehead.

²⁰Then Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw that he was diseased on his forehead. They rushed him out of there. He himself also hurried to get out because the LORD had afflicted him.

²¹So King Uzziah was diseased to the time of his death. He lived in quarantine with a serious skin disease and was excluded from access to the LORD’s temple, while his son Jotham was over the king’s household governing the people of the land.

²²Now the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz wrote about the rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end.

²³Uzziah rested with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the burial ground of the kings’ cemetery, for they said, “He has a skin disease.” His son Jotham became king in his place.

¹Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok.

²He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his father Uzziah had done. In addition, he didn’t enter the LORD’s sanctuary, but the people still behaved corruptly.

³Jotham built the Upper Gate of the LORD’s temple, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel.

⁴He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.

⁵He waged war against the king of the Ammonites. He overpowered the Ammonites, and that year they gave him 7,500 pounds of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat, and 50,000 bushels of barley. They paid him the same in the second and third years.

⁶So Jotham strengthened his position because he did not waver in obeying the LORD his God.

⁷As for the rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, along with all his wars and his ways, note that they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

⁸He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

⁹Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.

¹Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the LORD’s sight like his ancestor David,

²for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals.

³He burned incense in Ben Hinnom Valley and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites.

⁴He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

⁵So the LORD his God handed Ahaz over to the king of Aram. He attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with great force:

⁶Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day — all brave men — because they had abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors.

⁷An Ephraimite warrior named Zichri killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam governor of the palace, and Elkanah who was second to the king.

⁸Then the Israelites took two hundred thousand captives from their brothers — women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria.

⁹A prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, the LORD God of your ancestors handed them over to you because of his wrath against Judah, but you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached heaven.

¹⁰Now you plan to reduce the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, to slavery. Are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?

¹¹Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers, for the LORD’s burning anger is on you.”

¹²So some men who were leaders of the Ephraimites — Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai — stood in opposition to those coming from the war.

¹³They said to them, “You must not bring the captives here, for you plan to bring guilt on us from the LORD to add to our sins and our guilt. For we have much guilt, and burning anger is on Israel.”

¹⁴The army left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officers and the congregation.

¹⁵Then the men who were designated by name took charge of the captives and provided clothes for their naked ones from the plunder. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food and drink, dressed their wounds, and provided donkeys for all the feeble. The Israelites brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, among their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help.

¹⁷The Edomites came again, attacked Judah, and took captives.

¹⁸The Philistines also raided the cities of the Judean foothills and the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their surrounding villages.

¹⁹For the LORD humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the LORD.

²⁰Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support.

²¹Although Ahaz plundered the LORD’s temple and the palace of the king and of the rulers and gave the plunder to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

²²At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the LORD.

²³He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.

²⁴Then Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God’s temple, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the LORD’s temple, and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem.

²⁵He made high places in every city of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and he angered the LORD, the God of his ancestors.

²⁶As for the rest of his deeds and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

²⁷Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.

¹Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

²He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.

³In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the LORD’s temple and repaired them.

⁴Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the eastern public square.

⁵He said to them, “Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.

⁶For our fathers were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned him, turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place, and turned their backs on him.

⁷They also closed the doors of the portico, extinguished the lamps, did not burn incense, and did not offer burnt offerings in the holy place of the God of Israel.

⁸Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you see with your own eyes.

⁹Our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this.

¹⁰It is in my heart now to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel so that his burning anger may turn away from us.

¹¹My sons, don’t be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to serve him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”

¹²Then the Levites stood up: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;

¹³Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;

¹⁴Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.

¹⁵They gathered their brothers together, consecrated themselves, and went according to the king’s command by the words of the LORD to cleanse the LORD’s temple.

¹⁶The priests went to the entrance of the LORD’s temple to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in the LORD’s sanctuary to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple. Then the Levites received them and took them outside to the Kidron Valley.

¹⁷They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of the LORD’s temple. They consecrated the LORD’s temple for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

¹⁸Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and all its utensils.

¹⁹We have set up and consecrated all the utensils that King Ahaz rejected during his reign when he became unfaithful. They are in front of the altar of the LORD.”

²⁰King Hezekiah got up early, gathered the city officials, and went to the LORD’s temple.

²¹They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he told the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

²²So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and splattered it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and splattered the blood on the altar. They slaughtered the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar.

²³Then they brought the goats for the sin offering right into the presence of the king and the congregation, who laid their hands on them.

²⁴The priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, for the king said that the burnt offering and sin offering were for all Israel.

²⁵Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the LORD’s temple with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, Gad the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. For the command was from the LORD through his prophets.

²⁶The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

²⁷Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. When the burnt offerings began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began, accompanied by the instruments of King David of Israel.

²⁸The whole assembly was worshiping, singing the song, and blowing the trumpets — all this continued until the burnt offering was completed.

²⁹When the burnt offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.

³⁰Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to the LORD in the words of David and of the seer Asaph. So they sang praises with rejoicing and knelt low and worshiped.

³¹Hezekiah concluded, “Now you are consecrated to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the LORD’s temple.” So the congregation brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those with willing hearts brought burnt offerings.

³²The number of burnt offerings the congregation brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.

³³Six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats were consecrated.

³⁴However, since there were not enough priests, they weren’t able to skin all the burnt offerings, so their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests were.

³⁵Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the fellowship offerings and with the drink offerings for the burnt offering. So the service of the LORD’s temple was established.

³⁶Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over how God had prepared the people, for it had come about suddenly.