2 Chronicles 4

1 Then he made an altar of brass, twenty cubitslong, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.

2 Also he made the molten seaof ten cubits from brim to brim. It was round, five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference.

3 Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

4 It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward.

5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.

6 He also made ten basins, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them. The things that belonged to the burnt offering were washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 He made the ten lamp stands of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold.

9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with brass.

10 He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south.

11 Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins.

So Huram finished doing the work that he did for king Solomon in God’s house:

12 the two pillars, the bowls, the two capitals which were on the top of the pillars, the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars,

13 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars.

14 He also made the bases, and he made the basins on the bases;

15 one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

16 Huram his father also made the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all its vessels for king Solomon, for Yahweh’s house, of bright brass.

17 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.

18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance; for the weight of the brass could not be determined.

19 Solomon made all the vessels that were in God’s house, the golden altar also, and the tables with the show bread on them;

20 and the lamp stands with their lamps, to burn according to the ordinance before the inner sanctuary, of pure gold;

21 and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold that was perfect gold;

22 and the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans of pure gold. As for the entry of the house, its inner doors for the most holy place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were of gold.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/4-c1b4210fb31422b8e3e85ee65ce4a26d.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 5

1 Thus all the work that Solomon did for Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of God’s house.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion.

3 So all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month.

4 All the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark;

5 and they brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the priests the Levites brought up.

6 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or counted for multitude.

7 The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

8 For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.

9 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside; and it is there to this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11 When the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions;

12 also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets);

13 when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, saying,

“For he is good;

for his loving kindness endures forever!”

then the house was filled with a cloud, even Yahweh’s house,

14 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled God’s house.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/5-d0c3aacc26d0fad840950799349a3b15.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 6

1 Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

2 But I have built you a house and home, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

3 The king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.

4 He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and has with his hands fulfilled it, saying,

5 ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there and I chose no man to be prince over my people Israel;

6 but now I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

8 But Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart;

9 nevertheless you shall not build the house; but your son who will come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’

10 “Yahweh has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

11 There I have set the ark, in which is Yahweh’s covenant, which he made with the children of Israel.”

12 He stood before Yahweh’s altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands

13 (for Solomon had made a bronze scaffold, five cubitslong, and five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the middle of the court; and he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven)

14 and he said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth; you who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

15 who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today.

16 “Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’

17 Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David.

18 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house which I have built!

19 Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and to his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you;

20 that your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put your name; to listen to the prayer which your servant will pray toward this place.

21 Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.

22 “If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;

23 then hear from heaven, act, and judge your servants, bringing retribution to the wicked, to bring his way on his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

24 “If your people Israel are struck down before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and confess your name, and pray and make supplication before you in this house;

25 then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers.

26 “When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them;

27 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.

28 “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;

29 whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who will each know his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread out his hands toward this house;

30 then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children of men)

31 that they may fear you, to walk in your ways, so long as they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.

32 “Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for your great name’s sake, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm; when they come and pray toward this house;

33 then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.

34 “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name;

35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 “If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to a land far off or near;

37 yet if they come to their senses in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;’

38 if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name;

39 then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

40 “Now, my God, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive, to the prayer that is made in this place.

41 “Now therefore arise, Yahweh God, into your resting place, you, and the ark of your strength. Let your priests, Yahweh God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness.

42 “Yahweh God, don’t turn away the face of your anointed. Remember your loving kindnesses to David your servant.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/6-2ea16ff6f17fc24bf0f6b9096834c71c.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 7

1 Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and Yahweh’s glory filled the house.

2 The priests could not enter into Yahweh’s house, because Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.

3 All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and Yahweh’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahweh, saying,

“For he is good;

for his loving kindness endures for ever.”

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Yahweh.

5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house.

6 The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments of music of Yahweh, which David the king had made to give thanks to Yahweh, when David praised by their ministry, saying “For his loving kindness endures for ever.” The priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israel stood.

7 Moreover Solomon made the middle of the court that was before Yahweh’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the fat.

8 So Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.

9 On the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11 Thus Solomon finished Yahweh’s house and the king’s house; and he successfully completed all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in Yahweh’s house and in his own house.

12 Yahweh appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself for a house of sacrifice.

13 “If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

15 Now my eyes will be open my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place.

16 For now I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.

17 “As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;

18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.’

19 But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

20 then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

21 This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land and to this house?’

22 They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshiped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all this evil on them.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/7-883976488f94eac32f111ed56e4ed94a.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 8

1 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built Yahweh’s house and his own house,

2 Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it.

4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Beth Horon the upper and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 and Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel;

8 of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel didn’t consume, of them Solomon conscripted forced labor to this day.

9 But of the children of Israel, Solomon made no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

10 These were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.

11 Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter out of David’s city to the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places where Yahweh’s ark has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on Yahweh’s altar, which he had built before the porch,

13 even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of tents.

14 He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate, for David the man of God had so commanded.

15 They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of Yahweh’s house until it was finished. So Yahweh’s house was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom.

18 Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talentsof gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/8-dd0c38d931b87d4f5c5af8ad0a0a5b34.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 9

1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great caravan, including camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart.

2 Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from Solomon which he didn’t tell her.

3 When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

4 the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers, their clothing, his cup bearers also, their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh’s house; there was no more spirit in her.

5 She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.

6 However I didn’t believe their words until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame that I heard!

7 Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom.

8 Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God; because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever. Therefore made he you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

9 She gave the king one hundred and twenty talentsof gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones. There was never before such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

10 The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum treesand precious stones.

11 The king used algum tree wood to make terraces for Yahweh’s house and for the king’s house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers. There were none like these seen before in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talentsof gold,

14 besides that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold. Six hundred shekelsof beaten gold went to one buckler.

16 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekelsof gold went to one shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

19 Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom.

20 All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

24 They each brought tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules every year.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he stationed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars to be as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

28 They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, aren’t they written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in his father David’s city: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/9-517a96f364dab03edd011fbaa6ee844f.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 10

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

3 They sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 “Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”

5 He said to them, “Come again to me after three days.”

So the people departed.

6 King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me about how to answer these people?”

7 They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9 He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may give an answer to these people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?’”

10 The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall tell the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter on us;’ thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

11 Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”

13 The king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men,

14 and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”

15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was brought about by God, that Yahweh might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel departed to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/10-b0dfcc5497aea57c37a6036ffc5b6d9e.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 11

1 When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2 But Yahweh’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4 ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers! Every man return to his house; for this thing is of me.”’” So they listened to Yahweh’s words, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.

6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.

11 He fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil and wine.

12 He put shields and spears in every city, and made them exceedingly strong. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

13 The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him out of all their territory.

14 For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office to Yahweh.

15 He himself appointed priests for the high places, for the male goats, and for the calves which he had made.

16 After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those who set their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years; for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.

18 Rehoboam took a wife for himself, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.

19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

20 After her, he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the prince among his brothers; for he intended to make him king.

23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. He gave them food in abundance and he sought many wives for them.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/11-01998fc3a9f84025f3c18a7c43e1451f.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 12

1 When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned Yahweh’s law, and all Israel with him.

2 In the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against Yahweh,

3 with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen. The people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

4 He took the fortified cities which belonged to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

5 Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Yahweh says, ‘You have forsaken me, therefore I have also left you in the hand of Shishak.’”

6 Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “Yahweh is righteous.”

7 When Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, Yahweh’s word came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath won’t be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8 Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of Yahweh’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He took it all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10 King Rehoboam made shields of brass in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.

11 As often as the king entered into Yahweh’s house, the guard came and bore them, then brought them back into the guard room.

12 When he humbled himself, Yahweh’s wrath turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether. Moreover, there were good things found in Judah.

13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

14 He did that which was evil, because he didn’t set his heart to seek Yahweh.

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, aren’t they written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, in the genealogies? There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16 Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in David’s city; and Abijah his son reigned in his place.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/12-d71e290827dbdbdd67d9115c9775a7f0.mp3?version_id=206—

2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.

4 Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

5 Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

7 Worthless men were gathered to him, base fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.

8 “Now you intend to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David. You are a great multitude, and the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods are with you.

9 Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods.

10 “But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests serving Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work;

11 and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lamp stand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken him.

12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

14 When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.

17 Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.

18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.

20 Jeroboam didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abijah. Yahweh struck him, and he died.

21 But Abijah grew mighty, and took for himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/9/32k/2CH/13-a5a8362cb7d57a952d6af5038cc218eb.mp3?version_id=206—