were with him pursued after them unto Gerar. And the Moors fell, and none of them lived: but they were smitten before the LORD, and before his camp.
And they carried away much spoil.

And he smote all the cities that were round about Gerar: for the fear of the LORD was upon them. And they spoiled all the cities: for there was much spoil in them.

And they smote the tents of the cattle, and brought sheep in multitude, and camels: and they returned to Jerusalem.
(2 Chronicles)
Chapter 15
Assa continues in his church reformation.

And upon Azariah the son of Oded came the Spirit of GOD.

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you, because ye are with him: and if ye seek him, he will be found of you: but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you also.

And there shall be many days in Israel, that there shall be no right God, neither priest to teach, neither law.

And if they turn in their affliction unto the LORD God of Israel, and shall seek him, he will be found.

In those days it shall not be well with him that goeth out, nor with him that cometh in. For there shall be great tumults upon all them that dwell upon the earth.

For nation shall smite nation, and city city: for God shall terrify them with all fear.

But be of good cheer, and do not cast off your hands: for the work of great price hath its reward.

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was confident, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had gotten in mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, which was before the hall of the LORD.

And gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers that were with them out of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Simeon. For the multitude fell upon him out of Israel, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

And they gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem the third month, in the fifteenth year of the kingdom of Asa,

And they sacrificed unto the LORD the same day of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

And they entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.

And whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should die, both small and great, both man and woman.

And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, with sound, with trumpets and with trumpets.

And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and they sought him with all their will, and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

And Asa the king deposed Maechah his mother from the office which she had set up in the grove of Miplezeth. And Assa cut off her Miplezeth, and destroyed it, and burned it in the brook Kidron.

But the high places of Israel were not removed: yet the heart of Asa was righteous all the days of his life.

And he brought into the house of God that which his father had hallowed, and that which he had hallowed, silver, and gold, and vessels.

And there was no controversy until the thirty and fifth year of the kingdom of Asa.
(2 Chronicles)
Chapter 16
Assa’s triple fall from grace.

In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, to hinder Asa king of Judah to go out and to come in.

And Assa took silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD, and out of the treasures of the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, which dwelt at Damascus, and told him:

There is a covenant between me and thee, between my father and thy father: therefore have I sent thee silver and gold, that thou shouldest put away the covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he should depart from me.

And Benhadad obeyed king Asa, and sent his princes against the cities of Israel; and they smote Eion, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the corn cities of Naphtali.

And when Baasha heard it, he left off building Ramah, and ceased from his work.

And king Asa took all Judah unto him, and they carried the stones and the timber from Ramah, that Baasha might build; and he built Geba and Mizpah therewith.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast trusted in the king of Syria, and hast not trusted in the LORD thy God, therefore the power of the king of Syria is escaped out of thine hand.

Were not the Moors and Libyans a great multitude, with many chariots and horsemen? But the LORD delivered them into thine hand, because thou trustedst in him.

For the eyes of the LORD behold all the earth, to strengthen them that are in him with all their heart. Thou hast done foolishly: therefore shalt thou have war henceforth.

And Assa was wroth with the seer, and put him in prison: for he murmured with him against this thing. And Assa oppressed some of the people at that time.

And the acts of Assa, both the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And Assa was sick of his feet in the thirty and ninth year of his reign, and his sickness increased greatly: neither sought he the LORD in his sickness, but sought physicians.

So Assa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty and first year of his reign.

And they buried him in his sepulchre, which he had digged for him in the city of David. And they laid him in his bed, which was filled with good incense, and with all manner of spices made with the apothecary’s skill, and made a very great burning.
(2 Chronicles)
Chapter 17
Jehoshaphat is blissful in his fear of God.

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and was mighty against Israel.

And he put men of war in all the strong cities of Judah, and appointed officers in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Assa his father had gained.

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat: for he walked in the former ways of David his father, and sought not Baalim,

But the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the works of Israel.

Therefore the LORD confirmed the kingdom unto him, and all Judah gave gifts unto Jehoshaphat: and he had riches and honour abundantly.

And when his heart was bold in the ways of the LORD, he removed again the high places and the groves out of Judah.

In the third year of his kingdom he sent his princes Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethaneel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

And with them the Levites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asael, and Shemiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobiah, and Tob-Adonijah; and with them the priests Elishama and Joram.

And they taught in Judah, having with them the book of the law of the LORD: and they went about all the cities of Judah, teaching the people.

And the fear of the LORD came upon all the kingdoms of the countries that were round about Judah, that they should not fight against Jehoshaphat.

And the Philistines brought gifts unto Jehoshaphat, a burden of silver. And the Arabians brought him seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he goats.

So Jehoshaphat increased, and waxed greater and greater; and he built castles and corn cities in Judah.

And had much store in the cities of Judah, and men of valour, and mighty men in Jerusalem.

And this was the order of the house of their fathers, which were in Judah over the thousand princes: Adnah, a chief, and with him were three hundred thousand mighty men.

Next unto him was Johanan the chief; and with him were two hundred and fourscore thousand.

And next unto him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, the volunteer of the LORD: and with him were two hundred thousand mighty men.

Of the children of Benjamin was Eliada, a mighty man; and with him were two hundred thousand armed with bows and shields.

And next unto him was Jozabad; and with him were an hundred and fourscore thousand armed for the army.

These were all waiting for the king, without any thing that the king had yet laid up in the strong cities throughout all Judah.
(2 Chronicles)
Chapter 18
Jehoshaphat’s march with Ahab against the Syrians.

And Jehoshaphat had great riches and honour, and befriended Ahab.

And he went down to Ahab to Samaria in two years. And Ahab slew for him, and for the people that were with him, many sheep and oxen. And he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth in Gilead.

And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Go with me to Ramoth in Gilead. And he said unto him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people: we will go with thee to battle.

And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Ask the word of the LORD this day.

And the king of Israel gathered the prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or shall I leave it? And they said: Go up, and God will deliver them into the