The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

and he said: 'Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: thus saith the LORD unto you: Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

To-morrow go ye down against them; behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; to-morrow go out against them; for the LORD is with you.'

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said: 'Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.'

And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto the LORD, and praise in the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say: 'Give thanks unto the LORD, for His mercy endureth for ever.'

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

And when Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped.

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

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

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

And a terror from God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.

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

And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD.

Howbeit the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings of Israel.

And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; the same did very wickedly;

and he joined him with himself to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying: 'Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath made a breach in thy works.' And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

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

And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariahu, and Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

And their father gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.

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

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

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He promised to give a lamp to him and to his children alway.

In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

Then Jehoram passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots.

So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day; then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.

Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go astray, and drew Judah away.

And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father: Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah;

but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go astray, like as the house of Ahab made Israel to go astray; and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, who were better than thyself;

behold, the LORD will smite with a great plague thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy substance;

and thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.'

And the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians that are beside the Ethiopians;

and they came up against Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

And it came to pass, that in process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed joyless; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead; for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

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

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

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead; and the Arameans wounded Joram.

And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

Now the downfall of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went unto Joram; for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them.

And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him — now he was hiding in Samaria — and they brought him to Jehu, and slew him; and they buried him, for they said: 'He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.' And there was none of the house of Ahaziah that had power to hold the kingdom.

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bed-chamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest — for she was the sister of Ahaziah — hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

And he was with them hid in the house of God six years; and Athaliah reigned over the land.

And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them: 'Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath spoken concerning the sons of David.

This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;

and a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.

But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the charge of the LORD.

And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain; and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.'

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.

And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.

Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown and the insignia, and made him king; and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said: 'Long live the king.'

And when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD;

and she looked, and, behold, the king stood on his platform at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets; the singers also played on instruments of music, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said: 'Treason, treason.'

And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them: 'Have her forth between the ranks; and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword'; for the priest said: 'Slay her not in the house of the LORD.'

So they made way for her; and she went to the entry of the horse gate to the king's house; and they slew her there.

And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.

And all the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

And Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt-offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the direction of David.

And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none that was unclean in any thing should enter in.

And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD; and they came through the upper gate unto the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; and they slew Athaliah with the sword.

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begot sons and daughters.

And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house of the LORD.

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them: 'Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter.' Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.

And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and unto him: 'Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?'

For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the hallowed things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon the Baalim.

So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.

And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.

And it was so, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the chief priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it back to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to repair the house of the LORD.

So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set up the house of God in its state, and strengthened it.

And when they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels wherewith to minister, and buckets, and pans, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt-offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

But Jehoiada waxed old and was full of days, and he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.

And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and His house.

Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

And they forsook the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.

Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back unto the LORD; and they admonished them, but they would not give ear.

And the spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them: 'Thus saith God: Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, He hath also forsaken you.'

And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said: 'The LORD look upon it, and require it.'