May 9 - 2 Chronicles 15-18
2 Chronicles
1The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.2He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.3For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.4But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.5In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil.6One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.7But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."8When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple.9Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.10They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.11At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back.12They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.13All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.14They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns.15All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.16King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley.17Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life.18He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.19There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.
1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.2Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.3"Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me."4Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali.5When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work.6Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.8Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand.9For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."10Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.11The events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.13Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers.14They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.
1Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel.2He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.3The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals4but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.5The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.6His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.7In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah.8With them were certain Levites-Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah-and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.9They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.10The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat.11Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.12Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah13and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem.14Their enrollment by families was as follows: From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;15next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;16next, Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered himself for the service of the LORD, with 200,000.17From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields;18next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.19These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
1Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead.3Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war."4But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."5So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-four hundred men-and asked them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand."6But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied.8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once."9Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.10Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"11All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."12The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."13But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says."14When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for they will be given into your hand."15The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"16Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'"17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"18Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left.19And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'"One suggested this, and another that.20Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'"'By what means?' the LORD asked.21"'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. "'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'22"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."23Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked.24Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room."25The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son,26and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'"27Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!"28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel."31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "This is 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,32for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.33But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded."34All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.