Revised Version 1885 (RV1885)

1 And the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: theLordis with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him he will forsake you.

3 Now for long seasons Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law:

4 But when in their distress they turned unto theLord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands.

6 And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city: for God did vex them with all adversity.

7 But be ye strong, and let not your hands be slack: for your work shall be rewarded.

8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of theLord, that was before the porch of theLord.

9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and them that sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that theLordhis God was with him.

10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

11 And they sacrificed unto theLordin that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

12 And they entered into the covenant to seek theLord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;

13 and that whosoever would not seek theLord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

14 And they sware unto theLordwith a loud voice; and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and theLordgave them rest round about.

16 And also Maacah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

18 And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

19 And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of theLordand of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

3 There isa league between me and thee, asthere wasbetween my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

4 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on theLordthy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because thou didst rely on theLord, he delivered them into thine hand.

9 For the eyes of theLordrun to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 And in the thirty and ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to theLord, but to the physicians.

13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kindsof spicesprepared by the apothecaries’ art: and they made a very great burning for him.

1 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

2 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.

3 And theLordwas with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baalim;

4 but sought to the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

5 Therefore theLordstablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.

6 And his heart was lifted up in the ways of theLord: and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.

7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

8 and with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

9 And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of theLordwith them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.

10 And the fear of theLordfell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

11 And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats.

12 And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles and cities of store.

13 And he had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valour, in Jerusalem.

14 And this was the numbering of them according to their fathers’ houses: of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand:

15 and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand:

16 and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto theLord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour:

17 And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield:

18 and next to him Jehozabad, and with him an hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for war.

19 These were they that waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.

1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and he joined affinity with Ahab.

2 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 were with him, and moved him to go upwith himto Ramoth-gilead.

3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; andwe will bewith thee in the war.

4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel; Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of theLordtoday.

5 When the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here besides a prophet of theLord, that we might inquire of him?

7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of theLord: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.

9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith theLord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until they be consumed.

11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for theLordshall deliver it into the hand of the king.

12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophetsdeclaregood to the king with one mouth: let thy word, therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.

13 And Micaiah said, As theLordliveth, what my God saith, that will I speak.

14 And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.

15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of theLord?

16 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and theLordsaid, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.

17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?

18 And he said, Therefore hear ye the word of theLord: I saw theLordsitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

19 And theLordsaid, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

20 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before theLord, and said, I will entice him. And theLordsaid unto him, Wherewith?

21 And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so.

22 Now therefore, behold, theLordhath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets; and theLordhath spoken evil concerning thee.

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the spirit of theLordfrom me to speak unto thee?

24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

25 And the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

26 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.

27 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, theLordhath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you.

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they turned about to fight against him: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and theLordhelped him; and God moved themto departfrom him.

32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

33 And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said to the driver of the chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded.

34 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 going down of the sun he died.

1 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

2 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 theLord? for this thing wrath is upon thee from before theLord.

3 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.

4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto theLord, the God of their fathers.

5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

6 and said to the judges, Consider what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for theLord; andhe iswith you in the judgment.

7 Now therefore let the fear of theLordbe upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with theLordour God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers’housesof Israel, for the judgment of theLord, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem.

9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of theLord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

10 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 judgments, ye shall warn them, that they be not guilty towards theLord, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not be guilty.

11 And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of theLord; 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 theLordbe with the good.

1 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 against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2 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 (the same is En-gedi).

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek unto theLord; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to seekhelpof theLord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek theLord.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of theLord, before the new court;

6 and he said, OLord, 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 and might, so that none is able to withstand thee.

7 Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

9 If evil come upon us, the sword, judgment, 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 hear and save.

10 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 destroyed them not;

11 behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

12 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.

13 And all Judah stood before theLord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

14 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 theLordin the midst of the congregation;

15 and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: thus saith theLordunto you, Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16 Tomorrow 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 the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 Ye shall not need to fight in thisbattle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of theLordwith you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them; for theLordis with you.

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before theLord, worshipping theLord.

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise theLord, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.

20 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 theLordyour God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto theLord, and praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks unto theLord; for his mercyendurethfor ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, theLordset liers in wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

23 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.

24 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 earth, and there were none that escaped.

25 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 they were three days in taking of the spoil, it was so much.

26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Beracah; for there they blessed theLord: therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah, unto this day.

27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for theLordhad made them to rejoice over their enemies.

28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of theLord.

29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that theLordfought against the enemies of Israel.

30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

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 theLord.

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

34 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.

35 And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; the same did very wickedly:

36 and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, theLordhath destroyed thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

1 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

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 fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

5 Jehoram was thirty and 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 theLord.

7 Howbeit theLordwould 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 alway.

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 smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots.

10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, unto this day: then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his hand: because he had forsaken theLord, the God of his fathers.

11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, and led Judah astray.

12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith theLord, the God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah;

13 but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like as the house of Ahab did; and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:

14 behold, theLordwill smite with a great plague thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy substance:

15 and thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

16 And theLordstirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians which are beside the Ethiopians:

17 and they came up against Judah, and brake 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 theLordsmote 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 sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

20 Thirty and two years old was he 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.

1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

2 Forty and 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 counsellor to do wickedly.

4 And he did that which was evil in the sight of theLord, as did the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors: 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 of God, in that he went unto Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom theLordhad 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 slew them.

9 And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him, (now he was hiding in Samaria,) and they brought him to Jehu, and slew him; and they buried him, for they said; He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought theLordwith 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 seed royal 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 that she slew him not.

12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, 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 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’housesof Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as theLordhath spoken concerning the sons of David.

4 This is the thing that ye 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 doors;

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 theLord.

6 But let none come into the house of theLord, 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 watch of theLord.

7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth 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 God.

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 round about.

11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, andgave himthe testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, God save 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 theLord:

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 with trumpets; the singers alsoplayedon 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 host, and said unto them, Have her forth between the ranks; and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword: for the priest said, Slay her not in the house of theLord.

15 So they made way for her; and she went to the entry of the horse gate to the king’s house: and they slew her there.

16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be theLord’S people.

17 And all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18 And Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of theLordunder the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of theLord, to offer the burnt offerings of theLord, 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 theLord, that none which 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 theLord: and they came through the upper gate unto 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 they slew Athaliah with the sword.

1 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 theLordall the days of Jehoiada the priest.

3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.

4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house of theLord.

5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.

6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of theLord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?

7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of theLorddid they bestow upon the Baalim.

8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of theLord.

9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for theLordthe tax that Moses the servant of God 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 they had made an end.

11 And it was so, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s office 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. Thus 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 theLord; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of theLord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to repair the house of theLord.

13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set up the house of God in its state, and strengthened it.

14 And when they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of theLord, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of theLordcontinually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada waxed old and was full of days, and he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he 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 God and his house.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

18 And they forsook the house of theLord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.

19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto theLord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

20 And the spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of theLord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken theLord, he hath 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 theLord.

22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, TheLordlook 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 spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.

24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and theLorddelivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken theLord, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash.

25 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not 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 burdenslaidupon him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.