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2 Chronicles 21
And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 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. 3 And their father gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah: but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born. 4 Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brethren with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. 7 However Yahweh would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children always.
8 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 9 Then Jehoram passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and struck the Edomites that were coming around him and the captains of the chariots. 10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day: then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the Elohim of his fathers.
11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, and led Judah astray. 12 And there came a writing to him from EliYah the prophet, saying, In this manner says Yahweh, the Elohim of David your father, Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like as the house of Ahab did, and also have killed your brethren of your father’s house, who were better than yourself: 14 behold, Yahweh will strike your people with a great plague, and your children, and your wives, and all your substance; 15 and you shall have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.
16 And Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians that are beside the Ethiopians: 17 and they came up against Judah, and broke 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.
18 And after all this Yahweh plagued him in his bowels with an incurable disease. 19 And it came to pass, in process of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of painful diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years: and he departed without being desired; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
2 Chronicles 22
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place; for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had killed all the oldest ones. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. 2 Forty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. 4 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction. 5 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 Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram. 6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
7 Now the destruction of Ahaziah was from Elohim, in that he went to Joram: for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 8 And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and killed them. 9 And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him, (now he was hiding in Samaria,) and they brought him to Jehu, and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart. And the house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.
10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in the 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 she could not kill him. 12 And he was with them hid in the house of Elohim six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.
2 Chronicles 23
And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jehoram, 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 a covenant with him. 2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of Elohim. And he said to them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David. 4 This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds; 5 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 Yahweh. 6 But let no one come into the house of Yahweh, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the charge of Yahweh. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king all around, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death: and be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out.
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses. 9 And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in the house of Elohim. 10 And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king all around. 11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, Long live the king.
12 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of Yahweh: 13 and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also played on instruments of music, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason! Treason! 14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the army, and said to them, Bring her out to the outside of the ranks; and whoever follows her, let him be killed with the sword: for the priest said, Kill her not in the house of Yahweh. 15 So they made way for her; and she went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house: and they killed her there.
16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be Yahweh’s people. 17 And all the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 And Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of Yahweh under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Yahweh, to offer the burnt-offerings of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David. 19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of Yahweh, that no one that was unclean in any thing should enter in. 20 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 Yahweh: and they came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And Athaliah they had killed with the sword.
2 Chronicles 24
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beer-sheba. 2 And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he procreated sons and daughters.
4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash decided to restore the house of Yahweh. 5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your Elohim from year to year; and see that you do it quickly. However the Levites did not act quickly. 6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, Why have you not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony? 7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of Elohim; and also all the dedicated things of the house of Yahweh they have used upon the Baalim.
8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of Yahweh. 9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for Yahweh the tax that Moses the servant of Elohim laid upon Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until it was finished. 11 And it was so, that, when the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. In this manner they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of Yahweh; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of Yahweh, and also such as worked iron and bronze to repair the house of Yahweh. 13 So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up the house of Elohim in its state, and strengthened it. 14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, of which were made vessels for the house of Yahweh, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt-offerings in the house of Yahweh continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was a hundred and thirty years old when he died. 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward Elohim and his house. 17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 And they forsook the house of Yahweh, the Elohim of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their guiltiness. 19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to Yahweh; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
20 And the Spirit of Elohim came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, In this manner says Elohim. Why do you transgress the commandments of Yahweh, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken Yahweh, he has also forsaken you. 21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of Yahweh. 22 In this manner Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. And when he died, he said, Yahweh look upon it, and require it.
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the plunder of them to the king of Damascus. 24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Yahweh delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the Elohim of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash.
25 And when they had departed from him, (for they left him very sick,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings. 26 And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the rebuilding of the house of Elohim, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
