Study Desk

Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord enabled them to rejoice over their enemies.

Then Jehoshaphat's kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.

He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab's daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in the Lord 's sight,

He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice.

So he did what was evil in the Lord 's sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu's soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, "He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart." So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath—for Jehoiada the priest did not release the divisions.

Then Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of hundreds, those in charge of the army, saying, "Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword," for the priest had said, "Don't put her to death in the Lord 's temple."

He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord 's temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason.

All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

Jehoiada acquired two wives for him, and he was the father of sons and daughters.

So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, "Why haven't you required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by the Lord 's servant Moses and the assembly of Israel for the tent of the testimony?

For the sons of that wicked Athaliah broke into the Lord 's temple and even used the sacred things of the Lord 's temple for the Baals."

When they finished, they presented the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, who made articles for the Lord 's temple with it—articles for ministry and for making burnt offerings, and ladles and articles of gold and silver. They regularly offered burnt offerings in the Lord 's temple throughout Jehoiada's life.

and they abandoned the temple of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors and served the Asherah poles and the idols. So there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

However, he did not put their children to death, because—as it is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded—"Fathers must not die because of children, and children must not die because of fathers, but each one will die for his own sin."

Then Amaziah gathered Judah and assembled them according to ancestral house, according to commanders of thousands, and according to commanders of hundreds. He numbered those 20 years old or more for all Judah and Benjamin. He found there to be 300,000 choice men who could serve in the army, bearing spear and shield.

Then for 7,500 pounds of silver he hired 100,000 brave warriors from Israel.

However, a man of God came to him and said, "King, do not let Israel's army go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—all the Ephraimites.

But if you go with them, do it! Be strong for battle! But God will make you stumble before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to make one stumble."