2Chronicles:17-20
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And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead ,
and strengthened himself against Israel .
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And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah ,
and set garrisons in the land of Judah ,
and in the cities of Ephraim ,
which Asa his father had taken .
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And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat ,
because he walked in the first ways of his father David ,
and sought not unto Baalim ;
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But sought to the LORD God of his father ,
and walked in his commandments ,
and not after the doings of Israel .
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Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand ;
and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents ;
and he had riches and honour in abundance .
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And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD :
moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah .
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Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes ,
even to Benhail ,
and to Obadiah ,
and to Zechariah ,
and to Nethaneel ,
and to Michaiah ,
to teach in the cities of Judah .
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And with them he sent Levites ,
even Shemaiah ,
and Nethaniah ,
and Zebadiah ,
and Asahel ,
and Shemiramoth ,
and Jehonathan ,
and Adonijah ,
and Tobijah ,
and Tobadonijah ,
Levites ;
and with them Elishama and Jehoram ,
priests .
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And they taught in Judah ,
and had the book of the law of the LORD with them ,
and went about throughout all the cities of Judah ,
and taught the people .
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And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah ,
so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat .
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Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents ,
and tribute silver ;
and the Arabians brought him flocks ,
seven thousand and seven hundred rams ,
and seven thousand and seven hundred he goats .
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And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly ;
and he built in Judah castles ,
and cities of store .
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And he had much business in the cities of Judah :
and the men of war ,
mighty men of valour ,
were in Jerusalem .
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And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers :
Of Judah ,
the captains of thousands ;
Adnah the chief ,
and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand .
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And next to him was Jehohanan the captain ,
and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand .
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And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri ,
who willingly offered himself unto the LORD ;
and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour .
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And of Benjamin ;
Eliada a mighty man of valour ,
and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand .
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And next him was Jehozabad ,
and with him an hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for the war .
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These waited on the king ,
beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah .
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Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance ,
and joined affinity with Ahab .
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And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria .
And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance ,
and for the people that he had with him ,
and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead .
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And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah ,
Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead ?
And he answered him ,
I am as thou art ,
and my people as thy people ;
and we will be with thee in the war .
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And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel ,
Enquire ,
I pray thee ,
at the word of the LORD to day .
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Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men ,
and said unto them ,
Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle ,
or shall I forbear ?
And they said ,
Go up ;
for God will deliver it into the king '
s hand .
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But Jehoshaphat said ,
Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides ,
that we might enquire of him ?
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And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat ,
There is yet one man ,
by whom we may enquire of the LORD :
but I hate him ;
for he never prophesied good unto me ,
but always evil :
the same is Micaiah the son of Imla .
And Jehoshaphat said ,
Let not the king say so .
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And the king of Israel called for one of his officers ,
and said ,
Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla .
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And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne ,
clothed in their robes ,
and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria ;
and all the prophets prophesied before them .
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And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron ,
and said ,
Thus saith the LORD ,
With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed .
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And all the prophets prophesied so ,
saying ,
Go up to Ramothgilead ,
and prosper :
for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king .
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And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him ,
saying ,
Behold ,
the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent ;
let thy word therefore ,
I pray thee ,
be like one of theirs ,
and speak thou good .
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And Micaiah said ,
As the LORD liveth ,
even what my God saith ,
that will I speak .
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And when he was come to the king ,
the king said unto him ,
Micaiah ,
shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle ,
or shall I forbear ?
And he said ,
Go ye up ,
and prosper ,
and they shall be delivered into your hand .
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And the king said to him ,
How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD ?
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Then he said ,
I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains ,
as sheep that have no shepherd :
and the LORD said ,
These have no master ;
let them return therefore every man to his house in peace .
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And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat ,
Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me ,
but evil ?
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Again he said ,
Therefore hear the word of the LORD ;
I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne ,
and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left .
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And the LORD said ,
Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel ,
that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead ?
And one spake saying after this manner ,
and another saying after that manner .
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Then there came out a spirit ,
and stood before the LORD ,
and said ,
I will entice him .
And the LORD said unto him ,
Wherewith ?
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And he said ,
I will go out ,
and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets .
And the LORD said ,
Thou shalt entice him ,
and thou shalt also prevail :
go out ,
and do even so .
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Now therefore ,
behold ,
the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets ,
and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee .
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Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near ,
and smote Micaiah upon the cheek ,
and said ,
Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee ?
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And Micaiah said ,
Behold ,
thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself .
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Then the king of Israel said ,
Take ye Micaiah ,
and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city ,
and to Joash the king '
s son ;
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And say ,
Thus saith the king ,
Put this fellow in the prison ,
and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction ,
until I return in peace .
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And Micaiah said ,
If thou certainly return in peace ,
then hath not the LORD spoken by me .
And he said ,
Hearken ,
all ye people .
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So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead .
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And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat ,
I will disguise myself ,
and will go to the battle ;
but put thou on thy robes .
So the king of Israel disguised himself ;
and they went to the battle .
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Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him ,
saying ,
Fight ye not with small or great ,
save only with the king of Israel .
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And it came to pass ,
when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat ,
that they said ,
It is the king of Israel .
Therefore they compassed about him to fight :
but Jehoshaphat cried out ,
and the LORD helped him ;
and God moved them to depart from him .
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For it came to pass ,
that ,
when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel ,
they turned back again from pursuing him .
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And a certain man drew a bow at a venture ,
and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness :
therefore he said to his chariot man ,
Turn thine hand ,
that thou mayest carry me out of the host ;
for I am wounded .
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And the battle increased that day :
howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even :
and about the time of the sun going down he died .
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And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah ,
city by city ,
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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And he charged them ,
saying ,
Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD ,
faithfully ,
and with a perfect heart .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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And Jehoshaphat feared ,
and set himself to seek the LORD ,
and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah .
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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 .
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And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem ,
in the house of the LORD ,
before the new court ,
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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 ?
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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 ?
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And they dwelt therein ,
and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name ,
saying ,
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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 .
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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 ;
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Behold ,
I say ,
how they reward us ,
to come to cast us out of thy possession ,
which thou hast given us to inherit .
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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 .
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And all Judah stood before the LORD ,
with their little ones ,
their wives ,
and their children .
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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 ;
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD .
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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 .
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So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet :
for his God gave him rest round about .
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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 .
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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 .
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Howbeit the high places were not taken away :
for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers .
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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 .
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And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel ,
who did very wickedly :
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And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish :
and they made the ships in Eziongeber .
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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 .
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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 .