2 Chronicles 8 — GNB

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ It took Solomon twenty years to build the Temple and his palace. ² He also rebuilt the cities that King Hiram had given him, and sent Israelites to settle in them. ³ He captured the territory of Hamath and Zobah ⁴ and fortified the city of Palmyra in the desert. He rebuilt all the cities in Hamath that were centers for storing supplies.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ Solomon also rebuilt the following cities: Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon (fortified cities with gates that could be barred), ⁶ the city of Baalath, all the cities where he stored supplies, and the cities where his horses and chariots were stationed. He carried out all his plans for building in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout the territory that he ruled over.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ -8 Solomon employed at forced labor all the descendants of the people of Canaan whom the Israelites had not killed when they took possession of the land. These included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, whose descendants continue to be slaves down to the present time. ⁹ Israelites were not used at forced labor, but served as soldiers, officers, chariot commanders, and cavalry troops.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ There were 250 officials in charge of the forced labor working on the various building projects.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Solomon moved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, from David's City to a house he built for her. He said, “She must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, because any place where the Covenant Box has been is holy.” ¹² Solomon offered sacrifices to the Lord on the altar which he had built in front of the Temple.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ He offered burnt offerings according to the requirements of the Law of Moses for each holy day: Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. ¹⁴ Following the rules laid down by his father David, he organized the daily work of the priests and of the Levites who assisted the priests in singing hymns and in doing their work. He also organized the Temple guards in sections for performing their daily duties at each gate, in accordance with the commands of David, the man of God. ¹⁵ The instructions which David had given the priests and the Levites concerning the storehouses and other matters were carried out in detail. ¹⁶ By this time all of Solomon's projects had been completed. From the laying of the foundation of the Lord's Temple to its completion, all the work had been successful. ¹⁷ Then Solomon went to Eziongeber and Elath, ports on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the land of Edom.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ King Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers and with experienced sailors. They sailed with Solomon's officers to the land of Ophir and brought back to Solomon about sixteen tons of gold.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ The queen of Sheba heard of King Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. She brought with her a large group of attendants, as well as camels loaded with spices, jewels, and a large amount of gold. When she and Solomon met, she asked him all the questions that she could think of. ² He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. ³ The queen of Sheba heard Solomon's wisdom and saw the palace he had built. ⁴ She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the clothing of the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ She said to the king, “What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true! ⁶ I did not believe what they told me until I came and saw for myself. I had not heard of even half your wisdom. You are even wiser than people say.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ How fortunate are those who serve you, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings! ⁸ Praise the Lord your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king, to rule in his name. Because he loves his people Israel and wants to preserve them forever, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice.” ⁹ She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. There have never been any other spices as fine as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ The sailors of King Hiram and of King Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought juniper wood and jewels.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Solomon used the wood to make stairs for the Temple and for his palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like that had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.) ¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she asked for. This was in addition to what he gave her in exchange for the gifts she brought to him. Then she and her attendants returned to the land of Sheba.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ Every year King Solomon received over twenty-five tons of gold, ¹⁴ in addition to the taxes paid by the traders and merchants. The kings of Arabia and the governors of the Israelite districts also brought him silver and gold. ¹⁵ Solomon made two hundred large shields, each of which was covered with about fifteen pounds of beaten gold, ¹⁶ and three hundred smaller shields, each covered with about eight pounds of beaten gold. He had them all placed in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon. ¹⁷ The king also had a large throne made. Part of it was covered with ivory and the rest of it was covered with pure gold.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ Six steps led up to the throne, and there was a footstool attached to it, covered with gold. There were arms on each side of the throne, and the figure of a lion stood at each side. ¹⁹ Twelve figures of lions were on the steps, one at either end of each step. No throne like this had ever existed in any other kingdom. ²⁰ All of King Solomon's drinking cups were made of gold, and all the utensils in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in Solomon's day. ²¹ He had a fleet of ocean-going ships sailing with King Hiram's fleet. Every three years his fleet would return, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. ²² King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king in the world. ²³ They all consulted him, to hear the wisdom that God had given him. ²⁴ Each of them brought Solomon gifts—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This continued year after year. ²⁵ King Solomon also had four thousand stalls for his chariots and horses, and had twelve thousand cavalry horses. Some of them he kept in Jerusalem and the rest he stationed in various other cities. ²⁶ He was supreme ruler of all the kings in the territory from the Euphrates River to Philistia and the Egyptian border. ²⁷ During his reign silver was as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar was as plentiful as ordinary sycamore in the foothills of Judah.

The Death of Ahab

(1 Kings 22.29-35)

²⁸ Solomon imported horses from Musri and from every other country.

Summary of Solomon's Reign

(1 Kings 11.41-43)

²⁹ The rest of the history of Solomon from beginning to end is recorded in The History of Nathan the Prophet, in The Prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in The Visions of Iddo the Prophet, which also deal with the reign of King Jeroboam of Israel. ³⁰ Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. ³¹ He died and was buried in David's City, and his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the people of northern Israel had gathered to make him king. ² When Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had gone to Egypt to escape from King Solomon, heard this news, he returned home. ³ The people of the northern tribes sent for him, and they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him, ⁴ “Your father placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects.”

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to consider the matter. Then come back.” So the people left. ⁶ King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served as his father Solomon's advisers. “What answer do you advise me to give these people?” he asked.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ They replied, “If you are kind to these people and try to please them by giving a considerate answer, they will always serve you loyally.” ⁸ But he ignored the advice of the older men and went instead to the young men who had grown up with him and who were now his advisers. ⁹ “What do you advise me to do?” he asked. “What shall I say to the people who are asking me to make their burdens lighter?”

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ They replied, “This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.’

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Tell them, ‘My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!’” ¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to King Rehoboam, as he had instructed them.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the people, ¹⁴ as the younger men had advised. He said, “My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!” ¹⁵ It was the will of the Lord God to bring about what he had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. This is why the king did not pay any attention to the people. ¹⁶ When the people saw that the king would not listen to them, they shouted, “Down with David and his family! What have they ever done for us? People of Israel, let's go home! Let Rehoboam look out for himself” So the people of Israel rebelled, ¹⁷ leaving Rehoboam as king only of the people who lived in the territory of Judah.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, to go to the Israelites, but they stoned him to death. At this, Rehoboam hurriedly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Ever since that time the people of the northern kingdom of Israel have been in rebellion against the dynasty of David.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ When King Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he called together 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. He intended to go to war and restore his control over the northern tribes of Israel. ² But the Lord told the prophet Shemaiah ³ to give this message to King Rehoboam and to all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: ⁴ “Do not attack your own relatives. Go home, all of you. What has happened is my will.” They obeyed the Lord's command and did not go to fight Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and had fortifications built for the following cities of Judah and Benjamin: ⁶ Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ Bethzur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ He had them strongly fortified and appointed a commander for each of them, and in each one he placed supplies of food, olive oil, and wine, ¹² and also shields and spears. In this way he kept Judah and Benjamin under his control.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ From all the territory of Israel priests and Levites came south to Judah. ¹⁴ The Levites abandoned their pastures and other land and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because King Jeroboam of Israel and his successors would not let them serve as priests of the Lord. ¹⁵ Jeroboam appointed priests of his own to serve at the pagan places of worship and to worship demons and the idols he made in the form of bull-calves. ¹⁶ From all the tribes of Israel people who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, so that they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁷ This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon and lived as they had under the rule of King David and King Solomon.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalath, whose father was Jerimoth son of David and whose mother was Abihail, the daughter of Eliab and granddaughter of Jesse. ¹⁹ They had three sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ Later he married Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, and they had four sons: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ In all, Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Of all his wives and concubines he loved Maacah best, ²² and he favored her son Abijah over all his other children, choosing him as the one to succeed him as king. ²³ Rehoboam wisely assigned responsibilities to his sons and stationed them throughout Judah and Benjamin in the fortified cities. He provided generously for them and also secured many wives for them.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ As soon as Rehoboam had established his authority as king, he and all his people abandoned the Law of the Lord. ² In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign their disloyalty to the Lord was punished. King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem ³ with an army of twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand cavalry, and more soldiers than could be counted, including Libyan, Sukkite, and Ethiopian troops. ⁴ He captured the fortified cities of Judah and advanced as far as Jerusalem.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ Shemaiah the prophet went to King Rehoboam and the Judean leaders who had gathered in Jerusalem to escape Shishak. He said to them, “This is the Lord's message to you: ‘You have abandoned me, so now I have abandoned you to Shishak.’” ⁶ The king and the leaders admitted that they had sinned, and they said, “What the Lord is doing is just.”

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ When the Lord saw this, he spoke again to Shemaiah and said to him, “Because they admit their sin, I will not destroy them. But when Shishak attacks, they will barely survive. Jerusalem will not feel the full force of my anger, ⁸ but Shishak will conquer them, and they will learn the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.” ⁹ King Shishak came to Jerusalem and took the treasures from the Temple and from the palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that King Solomon had made.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ To replace them, Rehoboam made bronze shields and entrusted them to the officers responsible for guarding the palace gates.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Every time the king went to the Temple, the guards carried the shields and then returned them to the guardroom. ¹² Because he submitted to the Lord, the Lord's anger did not completely destroy him, and things went well for Judah.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem and increased his power as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the territory of Israel as the place where he was to be worshiped. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, from the land of Ammon. ¹⁴ He did what was evil, because he did not try to find the Lord's will. ¹⁵ Rehoboam's acts from beginning to end and his family records are found in The History of Shemaiah the Prophetand The History of Iddo the Prophet. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were constantly at war with each other. ¹⁶ Rehoboam died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City and his son Abijah succeeded him as king.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam of Israel, Abijah became king of Judah, ² and he ruled three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Micaiah daughter of Uriel, from the city of Gibeah. War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. ³ Abijah raised an army of 400,000 soldiers, and Jeroboam opposed him with an army of 800,000. ⁴ The armies met in the hill country of Ephraim. King Abijah went up Mount Zemaraim and called out to Jeroboam and the Israelites: “Listen to me!” he said.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ “Don't you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, made an unbreakable covenant with David, giving him and his descendants kingship over Israel forever? ⁶ Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against Solomon, his king.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ Later he gathered together a group of worthless scoundrels, and they forced their will on Rehoboam son of Solomon, who was too young and inexperienced to resist them. ⁸ Now you propose to fight against the royal authority that the Lord gave to David's descendants. You have a huge army and have with you the gold bull-calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. ⁹ You drove out the Lord's priests, the descendants of Aaron, and you drove out the Levites. In their place you appointed priests in the same way that other nations do. Anybody who comes along with a bull or seven sheep can get himself consecrated as a priest of those so-called gods of yours.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ “But we still serve the Lord our God and have not abandoned him. Priests descended from Aaron perform their duties, and Levites assist them.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Every morning and every evening they offer him incense and animal sacrifices burned whole. They present the offerings of bread on a table that is ritually clean, and every evening they light the lamps on the gold lampstand. We do what the Lord has commanded, but you have abandoned him. ¹² God himself is our leader and his priests are here with trumpets, ready to blow them and call us to battle against you. People of Israel, don't fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors! You can't win!”

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ Meanwhile Jeroboam had sent some of his troops to ambush the Judean army from the rear, while the rest faced them from the front. ¹⁴ The Judeans looked around and saw that they were surrounded. They cried to the Lord for help, and the priests blew the trumpets. ¹⁵ The Judeans gave a loud shout, and led by Abijah, they attacked; God defeated Jeroboam and the Israelite army. ¹⁶ The Israelites fled from the Judeans, and God let the Judeans overpower them. ¹⁷ Abijah and his army dealt the Israelites a crushing defeat—half a million of Israel's best soldiers were killed.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ And so the people of Judah were victorious over Israel, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam's army and occupied some of his cities: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the villages near each of these cities. ²⁰ Jeroboam never regained his power during Abijah's reign. Finally the Lord struck him down, and he died. ²¹ Abijah, however, grew more powerful. He had fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. ²² The rest of the history of Abijah, what he said and what he did, is written in The History of Iddo the Prophet.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ King Abijah died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City. His son Asa succeeded him as king, and under Asa the land enjoyed peace for ten years. ² Asa pleased the Lord, his God, by doing what was right and good. ³ He removed the foreign altars and the pagan places of worship, broke down the sacred stone columns, and cut down the symbols of the goddess Asherah. ⁴ He commanded the people of Judah to do the will of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his teachings and commands.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ Because he abolished the pagan places of worship and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, the kingdom was at peace under his rule. ⁶ He built fortifications for the cities of Judah during this time, and for several years there was no war, because the Lord gave him peace.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ He told the people of Judah, “Let us fortify the cities by building walls and towers, and gates that can be shut and barred. We have control of the land because we have done the will of the Lord our God. He has protected us and given us security on every side.” And so they built and prospered. ⁸ King Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, armed with shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin, armed with shields and bows. All of them were brave, well-trained men. ⁹ An Ethiopian named Zerah invaded Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots and advanced as far as Mareshah.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ Asa went out to fight him, and both sides took up their positions at Zephathah Valley near Mareshah.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Asa prayed to the Lord his God, “O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.” ¹² The Lord defeated the Ethiopian army when Asa and the Judean army attacked them. They fled,

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ and Asa and his troops pursued them as far as Gerar. So many of the Ethiopians were killed that the army was unable to rally and fight. They were overpowered by the Lord and his army, and the army took large amounts of loot. ¹⁴ Then they were able to destroy the cities in the area around Gerar, because the people there were terrified of the Lord. The army plundered all those cities and captured large amounts of loot. ¹⁵ They also attacked the camps of some shepherds, capturing large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ The spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, ² and he went to meet King Asa. He called out, “Listen to me, King Asa, and all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you as long as you are with him. If you look for him, he will let you find him, but if you turn away, he will abandon you. ³ For a long time Israel lived without the true God, without priests to teach them, and without a law. ⁴ But when trouble came, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. They searched for him and found him.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ In those days no one could come and go in safety, because there was trouble and disorder in every land. ⁶ One nation oppressed another nation, and one city oppressed another city, because God was bringing trouble and distress on them.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ But you must be strong and not be discouraged. The work that you do will be rewarded.” ⁸ When Asa heard the prophecy that Azariah son of Oded had spoken, he was encouraged. He did away with all the idols in the land of Judah and Benjamin and all the idols in the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He also repaired the altar of the Lord that stood in the Temple courtyard. ⁹ Many people had come over to Asa's side from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, and were living in his kingdom, because they had seen that the Lord was with him. Asa summoned all of them and the people of Judah and Benjamin.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ They assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year that Asa was king.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ On that day they offered sacrifices to the Lord from the loot they had brought back: seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep. ¹² They made a covenant in which they agreed to worship the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ Anyone, young or old, male or female, who did not worship him was to be put to death. ¹⁴ In a loud voice they took an oath in the Lord's name that they would keep the covenant, and then they shouted and blew trumpets. ¹⁵ All the people of Judah were happy because they had made this covenant with all their heart. They took delight in worshiping the Lord, and he accepted them and gave them peace on every side. ¹⁶ King Asa removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made an obscene idol of the fertility goddess Asherah. Asa cut down the idol, chopped it up, and burned the pieces in Kidron Valley. ¹⁷ Even though Asa did not destroy all the pagan places of worship in the land, he remained faithful to the Lord all his life.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ He placed in the Temple all the objects his father Abijah had dedicated to God, as well as the gold and silver objects that he himself dedicated. ¹⁹ There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of his reign.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and started to fortify Ramah in order to cut off all traffic in and out of Judah. ² So Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple and the palace and sent it to Damascus, to King Benhadad of Syria, with this message: ³ “Let us be allies, as our fathers were. This silver and gold is a present for you. Now break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel so that he will have to pull his troops out of my territory.” ⁴ Benhadad agreed to Asa's proposal and sent his commanding officers and their armies to attack the cities of Israel. They captured Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the cities of Naphtali where supplies were stored.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ When King Baasha heard what was happening, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned the work. ⁶ Then King Asa gathered men from throughout Judah and had them carry off the stones and timbers that Baasha had been using at Ramah, and they used them to fortify the cities of Geba and Mizpah.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ At that time the prophet Hanani went to King Asa and said, “Because you relied on the king of Syria instead of relying on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Israel has escaped from you. ⁸ Didn't the Ethiopians and the Libyans have large armies with many chariots and cavalry troops? But because you relied on the Lord, he gave you victory over them. ⁹ The Lord keeps close watch over the whole world, to give strength to those whose hearts are loyal to him. You have acted foolishly, and so from now on you will always be at war.”

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ This made Asa so angry with the prophet that he had him put in chains. It was at this same time that Asa began treating some of the people cruelly.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ All the events of Asa's reign from beginning to end are recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year that Asa was king, he was crippled by a severe foot disease; but even then he did not turn to the Lord for help, but to doctors.

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ Two years later he died ¹⁴ and was buried in the rock tomb which he had carved out for himself in David's City. They used spices and perfumed oils to prepare his body for burial, and they built a huge bonfire to mourn his death.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ Jehoshaphat succeeded his father Asa as king and strengthened his position against Israel. ² He stationed troops in the fortified cities of Judah, in the Judean countryside, and in the cities which Asa had captured in the territory of Ephraim. ³ The Lord blessed Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father's early life and did not worship Baal. ⁴ He served his father's God, obeyed God's commands, and did not act the way the kings of Israel did.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ The Lord gave Jehoshaphat firm control over the kingdom of Judah, and all the people brought him gifts, so that he became wealthy and highly honored. ⁶ He took pride in serving the Lord and destroyed all the pagan places of worship and the symbols of the goddess Asherah in Judah.

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent out the following officials to teach in the cities of Judah: Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. ⁸ They were accompanied by nine Levites and two priests. The Levites were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and the priests were Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They took the book of the Law of the Lordand went through all the towns of Judah, teaching it to the people.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ The Lord made all the surrounding kingdoms afraid to go to war against King Jehoshaphat.

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat a large amount of silver and other gifts, and some Arabs brought him 7,700 sheep and 7,700 goats. ¹² So Jehoshaphat continued to grow more and more powerful. Throughout Judah he built fortifications and cities,

King Solomon's Wealth

Priests and Levites Come to Judah

Summary of Rehoboam's Reign

¹³ where supplies were stored in huge amounts. In Jerusalem he stationed outstanding officers, ¹⁴ according to their clans. Adnah was the commander of the troops from the clans of Judah, and he had 300,000 soldiers under him. ¹⁵ Second in rank was Jehohanan, with 280,000 soldiers, ¹⁶ and third was Amasiah son of Zichri, with 200,000. (Amasiah had volunteered to serve the Lord.) ¹⁷ The commander of the troops from the clans of Benjamin was Eliada, an outstanding soldier, in command of 200,000 men armed with shields and bows.

Rehoboam's Family

¹⁸ His second in command was Jehozabad with 180,000 men, well-equipped for battle. ¹⁹ These soldiers served the king in Jerusalem, and in addition he stationed others in the other fortified cities of Judah.

Solomon's Achievements

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Shemaiah's Prophecy

An Egyptian Invasion of Judah

Abijah's War with Jeroboam

King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians

Asa's Reforms

Troubles with Israel

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

The Prophet Micaiah Warns Ahab

¹ When King Jehoshaphat of Judah became rich and famous, he arranged a marriage between a member of his family and the family of King Ahab of Israel. ² A number of years later Jehoshaphat went to the city of Samaria to visit Ahab. To honor Jehoshaphat and those with him, Ahab had a large number of sheep and cattle slaughtered for a feast. He tried to persuade Jehoshaphat to join him in attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead. ³ He asked, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am ready when you are, and so is my army. We will join you.” ⁴ Then he added, “But first let's consult the Lord.”

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

⁵ So Ahab called in the prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them, “Should I go and attack Ramoth, or not?” “Attack it,” they answered. “God will give you victory.” ⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet through whom we can consult the Lord?”

The Prophet Hanani

⁷ Ahab answered, “There is one more, Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad.” “You shouldn't say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. ⁸ So King Ahab called in a court official and told him to go and get Micaiah at once. ⁹ The two kings, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing place just outside the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them.

Jehoshaphat's Greatness

¹⁰ One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said to Ahab, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will fight the Syrians and totally defeat them.’”

The End of Asa's Reign

(1 Kings 15.23, 24)

¹¹ All the other prophets said the same thing. “March against Ramoth and you will win,” they said. “The Lord will give you victory.” ¹² Meanwhile, the official who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, “All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same.”

King Solomon's Wealth