Study Desk

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, ^(C1)Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and ^(F1)fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king's house, and sent it to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,

"A treaty must be made between ^(F1)you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me."

And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they ^(F1)conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all ^(C1)the ^(F2)storage cities of Naphtali.

When Baasha heard about it, he stopped ^(F1)fortifying Ramah and put an end to his work.

Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with it he ^(F1)fortified Geba and Mizpah.

At that time ^(C1)Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "^(C2)Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, for that reason the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.

"Were not ^(C1)the Ethiopians and the Lubim ^(C2)an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet ^(C3)because you relied on the LORD, He handed them over to you.

"For ^(C1)the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those ^(C2)whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will have wars."

Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in ^(F1)prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa mistreated some of the people at the same time.

^(C1)Now, the acts of Asa from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he ^(C1)did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.

So Asa ^(F1)lay down with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled ^(C1)with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers' art; and ^(C2)they made a very great fire for him.

His son ^(C1)Jehoshaphat then became king in his place, and he proved himself strong over Israel.

He placed troops in all ^(C1)the fortified cities of Judah, and placed garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim ^(C2)which his father Asa had captured.

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he ^(F1)followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals,

but sought the God of his father, ^(F1)followed His commandments, ^(C1)and did not act as Israel did.

So the LORD established the kingdom in his ^(F1)control, and all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and ^(C1)he had great riches and honor.

^(F1)He took great pride in the ways of the LORD, and again ^(C1)removed the high places and the ^(F2)Asherim from Judah.

Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, ^(C1)to teach in the cities of Judah;

and with them ^(C1)the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

They taught in Judah, having ^(C1)the Book of the Law of the LORD with them; and they went throughout the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

Now ^(C1)the dread of the LORD was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

Some of the Philistines ^(C1)brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat; the Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah.

He had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant mighty men, in Jerusalem.

This was their muster according to their fathers' households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him three hundred thousand valiant warriors;

and next to him was Johanan the commander, and with him 280,000;

and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, ^(C1)who volunteered for the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand valiant warriors;

and of Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;

and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 equipped for war.

These are the ones who served the king, apart from ^(C1)those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.