2Chronicles:19-23

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* And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem . * And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him , and said to king Jehoshaphat , Shouldest thou help the ungodly , and love them that hate the LORD ? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD . * Nevertheless there are good things found in thee , in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land , and hast prepared thine heart to seek God . * And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem : and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim , and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers . * And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah , city by city , * And said to the judges , Take heed what ye do : for ye judge not for man , but for the LORD , who is with you in the judgment . * Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you ; take heed and do it : for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God , nor respect of persons , nor taking of gifts . * Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites , and of the priests , and of the chief of the fathers of Israel , for the judgment of the LORD , and for controversies , when they returned to Jerusalem . * And he charged them , saying , Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD , faithfully , and with a perfect heart . * And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities , between blood and blood , between law and commandment , statutes and judgments , ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the LORD , and so wrath come upon you , and upon your brethren : this do , and ye shall not trespass . * And , behold , Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD ; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael , the ruler of the house of Judah , for all the king 's matters : also the Levites shall be officers before you . Deal courageously , and the LORD shall be with the good . * It came to pass after this also , that the children of Moab , and the children of Ammon , and with them other beside the Ammonites , came against Jehoshaphat to battle . * Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat , saying , There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria ; and , behold , they be in Hazazontamar , which is Engedi . * And Jehoshaphat feared , and set himself to seek the LORD , and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah . * And Judah gathered themselves together , to ask help of the LORD : even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD . * And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem , in the house of the LORD , before the new court , * And said , O LORD God of our fathers , art not thou God in heaven ? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen ? and in thine hand is there not power and might , so that none is able to withstand thee ? * Art not thou our God , who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel , and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever ? * And they dwelt therein , and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name , saying , * If , when evil cometh upon us , as the sword , judgment , or pestilence , or famine , we stand before this house , and in thy presence , (for thy name is in this house ,) and cry unto thee in our affliction , then thou wilt hear and help . * And now , behold , the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir , whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade , when they came out of the land of Egypt , but they turned from them , and destroyed them not ; * Behold , I say , how they reward us , to come to cast us out of thy possession , which thou hast given us to inherit . * O our God , wilt thou not judge them ? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us ; neither know we what to do : but our eyes are upon thee . * 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 , a 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 , Be not afraid nor 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 cliff of Ziz ; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook , 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 will be with you . * And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground : and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD , worshipping the LORD . * And the Levites , of the children of the Kohathites , and of the children of the Korhites , stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high . * 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 consulted with the people , he appointed singers unto the LORD , and that should praise the beauty of holiness , as they went out before the army , and to say , Praise the LORD ; for his mercy endureth for ever . * And when they began to sing and to praise , the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon , Moab , and mount Seir , which 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 toward the watch tower in the wilderness , they looked unto the multitude , and , behold , they were dead bodies fallen to the earth , and none escaped . * And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them , they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies , and precious jewels , which they stripped off for themselves , more than they could carry away : and they were three days in gathering of the spoil , it was so much . * And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah ; for there they blessed the LORD : therefore the name of the same place was called , The valley of Berachah , unto this day . * Then they returned , every man of Judah and Jerusalem , and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them , to go again 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 the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries , when they had 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 departed not from it , doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD . * Howbeit the high places were not taken away : for as yet the people had not prepared 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 book of Jehu the son of Hanani , who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel . * And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel , who did very wickedly : * And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish : and they made the ships in Eziongeber . * Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat , saying , Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah , the LORD hath broken thy works . And the ships were broken , that they were not able to go to Tarshish . * Now 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 Azariah , 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 fenced cities in Judah : but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram ; because he was the firstborn . * Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father , he strengthened himself , and 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 , like as did the house of Ahab : for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife : and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes 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 light to him and to his sons for ever . * In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah , and made themselves a king . * Then Jehoram went forth with his princes , and all his chariots with him : and he rose up by night , and smote the Edomites which compassed him in , and the captains of the chariots . * So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day . The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand ; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers . * Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah , and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication , and compelled Judah thereto . * And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet , saying , Thus saith the LORD 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 a whoring , like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab , and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father 's house , which were better than thyself : * Behold , with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people , and thy children , and thy wives , and all thy goods : * And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels , until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day . * Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines , and of the Arabians , that were near the Ethiopians : * And they came up into Judah , and brake 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 , after the end of two years , his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness : so 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 departed without being desired . Howbeit 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 . His mother 's name also 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 . * Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like 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 Syria at Ramothgilead : and the Syrians smote Joram . * And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah , when he fought with Hazael king of Syria . And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel , because he was sick . * And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to 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 , that , when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab , and found the princes of Judah , and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah , that ministered to Ahaziah , he slew them . * And he sought Ahaziah : and they caught him , (for he was hid in Samaria ,) and brought him to Jehu : and when they had slain him , they buried him : Because , said they , he is the son of Jehoshaphat , who sought the LORD with all his heart . So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom . * But 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 from among the king 's sons that were slain , and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber . 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 chief of the fathers 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 said of the sons of David . * This is the thing that ye shall do ; A third part of you entering 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 go in , for they are holy : but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD . * And the Levites shall compass the king round about , every man with his weapons in his hand ; and whosoever else cometh into the house , he shall be put to death : but be ye with the king when he cometh in , and when he goeth out . * So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded , and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath , with them that were to go out on the sabbath : for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses . * Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds 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 having his weapon in his hand , from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple , along by the altar and the temple , by the king round about . * Then they brought out the king 's son , and put upon him the crown , and gave him the testimony , and made him king . And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him , and said , God save the king . * Now 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 at his pillar at the entering in , and the princes and the trumpets by the king : and all the people of the land rejoiced , and sounded with trumpets , also the singers with instruments of musick , and such as taught to sing praise . Then Athaliah rent her clothes , and said , Treason , Treason . * Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host , and said unto them , Have her forth of the ranges : 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 laid hands on her ; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king 's house , they slew her there . * And Jehoiada made a covenant between him , and between all the people , and between the king , that they should be the LORD 'S people . * Then all the people went to the house of Baal , and brake it down , and brake his altars and his images in pieces , and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars . * Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by 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 , as it was ordained by David . * And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD , that none which 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 high gate into the king 's house , and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom . * And all the people of the land rejoiced : and the city was quiet , after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword . * Joash was seven years old when he began to reign , and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem . His mother 's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba .

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