Study Desk

Now the king of Aram had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone."

Now it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel," and they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God incited them away from him.

But some good has been found in you, for you have purged the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God."

And he said to the judges, "Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Yahweh who is with you when you render judgment.

O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You."

and he said, "Pay attention, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says Yahweh to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.

And their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you,

He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one's regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans struck Joram.

But Jehoshabeath the king's daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so she did not put him to death.

But let no one enter the house of Yahweh except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of Yahweh.

And he gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and gather money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matter quickly." But the Levites did not act quickly.

But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.

Thus Joash the king did not remember the lovingkindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he killed his son. And as he died he said, "May Yahweh see and avenge!"

When they had gone from him (for they left him very sick), his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

But he did not put their sons to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which Yahweh commanded, saying, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor sons be put to death for their fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin."

But a man of God came to him saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.

But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will cause you to stumble before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cause to stumble."

Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "Yahweh has much more to give you than this."