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he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the 40 book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

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2 Chronicles 19. I.

The Prophecy of Jehu, son of Hanani.

And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace 2 to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the wicked, and love them that hate the LORD? for this thing wrath is upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast put away the Asheroth out of the land, and hast set thine heart to seek God.

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And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought 5 them back unto the LORD, the God of their fathers. And he set judges 6 in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, Consider what ye do for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD; and he is with you 'in the judgement. Now therefore 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 8 gifts. Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel, for the judgement of the LORD, and for controversies. And they returned to 9 Jerusalem. And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear Io of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. And whensoever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgements, ye shall warn them, that they be not guilty towards the LORD, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren: this do, II and ye shall not be guilty. 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, in all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD be with the good.

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Invasion of Judah by Moab and Ammon.

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And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came 2 against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar 3 (the same is En-gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek 4 unto the LORD; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And

1 Or, in giving judgement Heb. in the

matter of judgement.

2 Heb. Be strong and do.

3 Perhaps an error for Meunim. So the Sept. See ch. xxvi. 7.

Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of the LORD: even 5 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 6 house of the LORD, before the new court; and he said, O LORD, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thine hand is power 7 and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, 8 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, 9 saying, If evil come upon us, 'the sword, judgement, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, and thou wilt I hear and save. 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 aside from them, and II destroyed them not; behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us 12 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 13 our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the LORD, with 14 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 15 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. 16 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 17 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 18 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 19 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 20 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; 21 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 the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks unto the LORD; for his mercy endureth for 22 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, which

1 Or, the sword of judgement

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2 Or, in the beauty of holiness
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23 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 24 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 25 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 26 they were three days in taking of 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 27 called The valley of 2Beracah, 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 28 them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with 29 psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they 30 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.

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Jehoshaphat's Alliance with Ahaziah.

I Kings 22. 41. And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king 42 of Israel. Jehoshaphat 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 43 the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the 44 high places. And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of 45 Israel. Now the rest of the

acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how

1 According to some ancient authorities, garments.

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2 Chronicles 20. 31.

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. 32 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 33 LORD. Howbeit the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of their

34 fathers. Now the rest of the
acts of Jehoshaphat, first and
last, behold, they are written in
the history of Jehu the son of
Hanani, which is inserted in
the book of the kings of Israel.
2 That is, Blessing.
3 Heb. words.

4 Or, who is mentioned

he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of 46 the kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of 47 the land. And there was no king

in Edom a deputy was king. 48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships 49 were broken at Ezion-geber. Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat 50 would not. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

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Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over 52 Israel. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 'wherein he made Israel to sin. 53 And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

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2 Kings 1. I.

Elijah and the Messengers of Ahaziah.

1 And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick and he sent messengers, and said unto them,

1 Or, who made

1 Or, made a breach in

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Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of 3 this sickness. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire 4 of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is it that ye are returned? 6 And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt 7 surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he 8 which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was 'an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of the hill. And he spake unto him, 10 O man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came II down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And again he

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sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down 12 quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and 13 his fifty. And again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be 14 precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties: but now let 15 my life be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and 16 went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed 17 whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of 18 Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel ?

1 Or, a man with a garment of hair

2 Or, dwelt

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