To The Word – Day 147

₁Jehoshaphat succeeded his father Asa as king and strengthened his position against Israel. ₂He 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. ₃The LORD blessed Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father's early life and did not worship Baal. ₄He served his father's God, obeyed God's commands, and did not act in the way the kings of Israel did. ₅The LORD gave Jehoshaphat firm control over the kingdom of Judah, and all the people brought him gifts, so that he became wealthy and highly honoured. ₆He took pride in serving the LORD and destroyed all the pagan places of worship and the symbols of the goddess Asherah in Judah.

₇In 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. ₈They 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. ₉They took the book of the Law of the LORD and went through all the towns of Judah, teaching it to the people.

₁₀The LORD made all the surrounding kingdoms afraid to go to war against King Jehoshaphat. ₁₁Some 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. ₁₂So Jehoshaphat continued to grow more and more powerful. Throughout Judah he built fortifications and cities, ₁₃where supplies were stored in huge amounts.

In Jerusalem he stationed outstanding officers, ₁₄according to their clans. Adnah was the commander of the troops from the clans of Judah, and he had 300,000 soldiers under him. ₁₅Second in rank was Jehohanan, with 280,000 soldiers, ₁₆and third was Amasiah son of Zichri, with 200,000. (Amasiah had volunteered to serve the LORD.) ₁₇The 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. ₁₈His second in command was Jehozabad with 180,000 men, well equipped for battle. ₁₉These men served the king in Jerusalem, and in addition he stationed other soldiers in the other fortified cities of Judah.

₁When 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. ₂A number of years later Jehoshaphat went to the city of Samaria to visit Ahab. To honour 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. ₃He 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.” ₄Then he added, “But first let's consult the LORD.”

₅So Ahab called in the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I go and attack Ramoth, or not?”

“Attack it,” they answered. “God will give you victory.”

₆But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet through whom we can consult the LORD?”

₇Ahab 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.

₈So King Ahab called in a court official and told him to go and fetch Micaiah at once.

₉The 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. ₁₀One 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.’ ” ₁₁All the other prophets said the same thing. “March against Ramoth and you will win,” they said. “The LORD will give you victory.”

₁₂Meanwhile, the official who had gone to fetch Micaiah said to him, “All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same.”

₁₃But Micaiah answered, “By the living LORD, I will say what my God tells me to!”

₁₄When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not?”

“Attack!” Micaiah answered. “Of course you'll win. The LORD will give you victory.”

₁₅But Ahab replied, “When you speak to me in the name of the LORD, tell the truth! How many times do I have to tell you that?”

₁₆Micaiah answered, “I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These men have no leader; let them go home in peace.’ ”

₁₇Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad!”

₁₈Micaiah went on: “Now listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him. ₁₉The LORD asked, ‘Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and get killed at Ramoth?’ Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else, ₂₀until a spirit stepped forward, approached the LORD, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ ‘How?’ the LORD asked. ₂₁The spirit replied, ‘I will go and make all Ahab's prophets tell lies.’ The LORD said, ‘Go and deceive him. You will succeed.’ ”

₂₂And Micaiah concluded: “This is what has happened. The LORD has made these prophets of yours lie to you. But he himself has decreed that you will meet with disaster!”

₂₃Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, “Since when did the LORD's spirit leave me and speak to you?”

₂₄“You will find out when you go into some back room to hide,” Micaiah replied.

₂₅Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, “Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash. ₂₆Tell them to throw him in prison and to put him on bread and water until I return safely.”

₂₇“If you return safely,” Micaiah exclaimed, “then the LORD has not spoken through me!” And he added, “Listen, everyone, to what I have said!”

₂₈Then King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead. ₂₉Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself, but you wear your royal garments.” So the king of Israel went into battle in disguise.

₃₀The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel. ₃₁So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat gave a shout, and the LORD God rescued him and turned the attack away from him. ₃₂The chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, so they stopped pursuing him. ₃₃By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armour. “I'm wounded!” he cried out to his chariot driver. “Turn round and pull out of the battle!” ₃₄While the battle raged on, King Ahab remained propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. At sunset he died.

₁King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. ₂A prophet, Jehu son of Hanani, went to meet the king and said to him, “Do you think it is right to help those who are wicked and to take the side of those who hate the LORD? What you have done has brought the LORD's anger on you. ₃But even so, there is some good in you. You have removed all the symbols of the goddess Asherah which people worshipped, and you have tried to follow God's will.”

₄Even though King Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, he travelled regularly among the people, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north, in order to call the people back to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. ₅He appointed judges in each of the fortified cities of Judah ₆and instructed them: “Be careful in pronouncing judgement; you are not acting on human authority, but on the authority of the LORD, and he is with you when you pass sentence. ₇Honour the LORD and act carefully, because the LORD our God does not tolerate fraud or partiality or the taking of bribes.”

₈In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests, and some of the leading citizens as judges in cases involving a violation of the Law of the LORD or legal disputes between inhabitants of the city. ₉He gave them the following instructions: “You must perform your duties in reverence for the LORD, faithfully obeying him in everything you do. ₁₀Whenever your fellow-citizens from any of the cities bring before you a case of homicide or any other violation of a law or commandment, you must instruct them carefully how to conduct themselves during the trial, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against the LORD. Unless you do, you and your fellow-citizens will feel the force of the LORD's anger. But if you do your duty, you will not be guilty. ₁₁Amariah the High Priest will have final authority in all religious cases, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, governor of Judah, will have final authority in all civil cases. The Levites have the responsibility of seeing that the decisions of the courts are carried out. Be courageous and carry out these instructions, and may the LORD be on the side of the right!”

₁Some time later the armies of Moab and Ammon, together with their allies, the Meunites, invaded Judah. ₂Some messengers came and announced to King Jehoshaphat: “A large army from Edom has come from the other side of the Dead Sea to attack you. They have already captured Hazazon Tamar.” (This is another name for Engedi.) ₃Jehoshaphat was frightened and prayed to the LORD for guidance. Then he gave orders for a fast to be observed throughout the country. ₄From every city of Judah people hurried to Jerusalem to ask the LORD for guidance, ₅and they and the people of Jerusalem gathered in the new courtyard of the Temple. King Jehoshaphat went and stood before them ₆and prayed aloud, “O LORD God of our ancestors, you rule in heaven over all the nations of the world. You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you. ₇You are our God. When your people Israel moved into this land, you drove out the people who were living here and gave the land to the descendants of Abraham, your friend, to be theirs for ever. ₈They have lived here and have built a temple to honour you, knowing ₉that if any disaster struck them to punish them — a war, an epidemic, or a famine — then they could come and stand in front of this Temple where you are worshipped. They could pray to you in their trouble, and you would hear them and rescue them.

₁₀“Now the people of Ammon, Moab, and Edom have attacked us. When our ancestors came out of Egypt, you did not allow them to enter those lands, so our ancestors went round them and did not destroy them. ₁₁This is how they repay us — they come to drive us out of the land that you gave us. ₁₂You are our God! Punish them, for we are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help.”

₁₃All the men of Judah, with their wives and children, were standing there at the Temple. ₁₄The Spirit of the LORD came upon a Levite who was present in the crowd. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah; he was a member of the clan of Asaph and was descended from Asaph through Mattaniah, Jeiel, and Benaiah. ₁₅Jahaziel said, “Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you. ₁₆Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel. ₁₇You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the LORD give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the LORD will be with you!”

₁₈Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low, with his face touching the ground, and all the people bowed with him and worshipped the LORD. ₁₉The members of the Levite clans of Kohath and Korah stood up and with a loud shout praised the LORD, the God of Israel.

₂₀Early the next morning the people went out to the wild country near Tekoa. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat addressed them with these words: “People of Judah and Jerusalem! Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand firm. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed.” ₂₁After consulting with the people, the king ordered some musicians to put on the robes they wore on sacred occasions and to march ahead of the army, singing: “Praise the LORD! His love is eternal!”

₂₂When they began to sing, the LORD threw the invading armies into a panic. ₂₃The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting. ₂₄When the Judean army reached a tower that was in the desert, they looked towards the enemy and saw that they were all lying on the ground, dead. Not one had escaped.

₂₅Jehoshaphat and his troops moved in to take the loot, and they found many cattle, supplies, clothing, and other valuable objects. They spent three days gathering the loot, but there was so much that they could not take everything. ₂₆On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah and praised the LORD for all he had done. That is why the valley is called “Beracah”. ₂₇Jehoshaphat led his troops back to Jerusalem in triumph, because the LORD had defeated their enemies. ₂₈When they reached the city, they marched to the Temple, to the music of harps and trumpets. ₂₉Every nation that heard how the LORD had defeated Israel's enemies was terrified, ₃₀so Jehoshaphat ruled in peace, and God gave him security on every side.

₃₁Jehoshaphat had become king of Judah at the age of 35 and had ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. ₃₂Like his father Asa before him, he did what was right in the sight of the LORD; ₃₃but the pagan places of worship were not destroyed. The people still did not turn wholeheartedly to the worship of the God of their ancestors.

₃₄Everything else that Jehoshaphat did, from the beginning of his reign to its end, is recorded in The History of Jehu Son of Hanani, which is a part of The History of the Kings of Israel.

₃₅At one time King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who did many wicked things. ₃₆At the port of Eziongeber they built ocean-going ships. ₃₇But Eliezer son of Dodavahu, from the town of Mareshah, warned Jehoshaphat, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have built.” And the ships were wrecked and never sailed.

₁Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king.

₂Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah had six brothers: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. ₃Their father gave them large amounts of gold, silver, and other valuable possessions, and placed each one in charge of one of the fortified cities of Judah. But because Jehoram was the eldest, Jehoshaphat made him his successor. ₄When Jehoram was in firm control of the kingdom, he had all his brothers killed, and also some Israelite officials.

₅Jehoram became king at the age of 32, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. ₆He followed the wicked example of King Ahab and the other kings of Israel, because he had married one of Ahab's daughters. He sinned against the LORD, ₇but the LORD was not willing to destroy the dynasty of David, because he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would always continue to rule.

₈During Jehoram's reign Edom revolted against Judah and became an independent kingdom. ₉So Jehoram and his officers set out with chariots and invaded Edom. There the Edomite army surrounded them, but during the night they managed to break out and escape. ₁₀Edom has been independent of Judah ever since. During this same period, the city of Libnah also revolted, because Jehoram had abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors. ₁₁He even built pagan places of worship in the Judean highlands and led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to sin against the LORD.

₁₂The prophet Elijah sent Jehoram a letter, which read as follows: “The LORD, the God of your ancestor David, condemns you, because you did not follow the example of your father, King Jehoshaphat, or that of your grandfather, King Asa. ₁₃Instead, you have followed the example of the kings of Israel and have led the people of Judah and Jerusalem into being unfaithful to God, just as Ahab and his successors led Israel into unfaithfulness. You even murdered your brothers, who were better men than you are. ₁₄As a result, the LORD will severely punish your people, your children, and your wives, and will destroy your possessions. ₁₅You yourself will suffer a painful disease of the intestines that will grow worse day by day.”

₁₆Some Philistines and Arabs lived near where some Ethiopians had settled along the coast. The LORD incited them to go to war against Jehoram. ₁₇They invaded Judah, looted the royal palace, and carried off as prisoners all the king's wives and sons except Ahaziah, his youngest son.

₁₈Then after all this, the LORD brought on the king a painful disease of the intestines. ₁₉For almost two years it grew steadily worse until finally the king died in agony. His subjects did not light a bonfire in mourning for him as had been done for his ancestors.

₂₀Jehoram had become king at the age of 32 and had ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. Nobody was sorry when he died. They buried him in David's City, but not in the royal tombs.

₁Homes are made by the wisdom of women, but are destroyed by foolishness.

₂Be honest and you show that you have reverence for the LORD; be dishonest and you show that you do not.

₃Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.

₄Without any oxen to pull the plough your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of corn.

₅A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.

₆Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.

₇Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.

₈Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.

₉Foolish people don't care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.

₁₀Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.

₁₁A good person's house will still be standing after an evildoer's house has been destroyed.

₁₂What you think is the right road may lead to death.

₁₃Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.

₁₄Bad people will get what they deserve. Good people will be rewarded for their deeds.

₁₅A fool will believe anything; sensible people watch their step.

₁₆Wise people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.

₁₇People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.

₁₈Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.

₁₉Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favour.

₂₀No one likes the poor, not even their neighbours, but the rich have many friends.

₂₁If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.

₂₂You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.

₂₃Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.

₂₄Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools are known by their foolishness.

₂₅A witness saves lives when he tells the truth; when he tells lies, he betrays people.

₂₆Reverence for the LORD gives confidence and security to a man and his family.

₂₇Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for the LORD is a fountain of life.

₂₈A king's greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.

₂₉If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.

₃₀Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.

₃₁If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

₃₂Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good people are protected by their integrity.

₃₃Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothing about wisdom.

₃₄Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.

₃₅Kings are pleased with competent officials, but they punish those who fail them.