Chapter 16

¹ And in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Asa, the king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, so as not to allow egress or ingress to Asa king of Juda.

² And Asa took silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and sent them to the son of Ader king of Syria, which dwelt in Damascus, saying, ³ Make a covenant between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee gold and silver: come, and turn away from me Baasa king of Israel, and let him depart from me.

⁴ And the son of Ader hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his host against the cities of Israel; and smote Æon, and Dan, and Abelmain, and all the country round Nephthali.

⁵ And it came to pass when Baasa heard it he left off building Rama, and put a stop to his work: ⁶ then king Asa took all Juda, and took the stones of Rama, and its timber, with which Baasa had built; and he built with them Gabae and Maspha.

⁷ And at that time came Anani the prophet to Asa king of Juda, and said to him, Because thou didst trust on the king of Syria, and didst not trust on the Lord thy God, therefore the army of Syria is escaped out of thy hand. ⁸ Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a great force, in courage, in horsemen, in great numbers? and did not He deliver them into thy hands, because thou trustedst in the Lord? ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord look upon all the earth, to strengthen every heart that is perfect toward him. In this thou hast done foolishly; henceforth there shall be war with thee. ¹⁰ And Asa was angry with the prophet, and put him in prison, for he was angry at this: and Asa vexed some of the people at that time.

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

¹² And Asa was diseased in his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, until he was very ill: but in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. ¹³ And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the fortieth year of his reign. ¹⁴ And they buried him in the sepulchre which he had dug for himself in the city of David, and they laid him on a bed, and filled it with spices and all kinds of perfumes of the apothecaries; and they made for him a very great funeral.

Chapter 17

¹ And Josaphat his son reigned in his stead, Josaphat strengthened himself against Israel. ² And he put garrisons in all the strong cities of Juda, and appointed captains in all the cities of Juda, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. ³ And the Lord was with Josaphat, for he walked in the first ways of his father, and did not seek to idols; ⁴ but he sought to

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the Lord God of his father, and walked in the commandments of his father, and not according to the works of Israel. ⁵ And the Lord prospered the kingdom in his hand; and all Juda gave gifts to Josaphat; and he had great wealth and glory. ⁶ And his heart was exalted in the way of the Lord; and he removed the high places and the groves from the land of Juda.

⁷ And in the third year of his reign, he sent his chief men, and his mighty men, Abdias and Zacharias, and Nathanael, and Michaias, to teach in the cities of Juda. ⁸ And with them were the Levites, Samaias, and Nathanias, and Zabdias, and Asiel, and Semiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonias, and Tobias, and Tobadonias, Levites, and with them Elisama and Joram, the priests. ⁹ And they taught in Juda, and there was with them the book of the law of the Lord, and they passed through the cities of Juda, and taught the people.

¹⁰ And a terror of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms of the land round about Juda, and they made no war against Josaphat. ¹¹ And some of the Philistines brought to Josaphat gifts, and silver, and presents; and the Arabians brought him seven thousand seven hundred rams. ¹² And Josaphat increased in greatness exceedingly, and built in Judea places of abode, and strong cities. ¹³ And he had many works in Judea: and the mighty men of war, the men of strength, were in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ And this is their number according to the houses of their fathers; even the captains of thousands in Juda were, Ednas the chief, and with him mighty men of strength three hundred thousand. ¹⁵ And after him, Joanan the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand. ¹⁶ And after him Amasias the son of Zari, who was zealous for the Lord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of strength. ¹⁷ And out of Benjamin there was a mighty man of strength, even Eliada, and with him two hundred thousand archers and targeteers. ¹⁸ And after him Jozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand mighty men of war. ¹⁹ These were the king's servants besides those whom the king put in the strong cities in all Judea.