2 Chronicles 15:1-19 The Israelites Turned Back to the Lord God Under Asa’s Rule

 

Under Asa’s Rule, the Israelites Turned Back to the Lord God

2 Chronicles 15:1-19                    2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

The spirit of God came upon Azariah, [Obed’s] son. And [Azariah] went out to meet Asa & said to [Asa,] Hear me, Asa & all [of] Judah & Benjamin. The Lord is with you, while you [are] with Him.

And if you seek Him, you will [find] Him. If you [abandon] Him, He will [abandon] you. Now, for a long [time,] Israel had been without the true God, without a teaching priest & without Law.

But when they [returned] to the Lord God of Israel, [in the midst of] their trouble & sought Him, [they] found [the Lord God.] And in those [days,] there was no peace [for those who] went out, nor came in. But great [harassment was] upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

And nation was destroyed [by] nation & city [by] city. For God [troubled] them with adversity. [Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation & kingdom against kingdom & there shall be famines, [pestilence] & earthquakes in [various] places.]

Therefore, be strong & [don’t] let your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. And when Asa heard these words & the prophecy of Oded, the prophet, he [gained] courage & put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah & Benjamin & out of [all] the cities he had taken from Mount Ephraim.

And [Asa restored] the altar of the Lord that was [in front of] the [covered] porch of the [Lord’s temple.] And [Asa] gathered all Judah & Benjamin & the strangers with them out of Ephraim, Manasseh & Simeon.

For they fell to [Asa] out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. So, they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the 3rd month, in the 15th year Asa [ruled.]

And the same time, they offered 700 oxen & 7,000 sheep to the Lord [from] the [plunder] they had brought. And they entered into a covenant [contract] to seek the Lord God of their [forefathers] with all their heart & all their soul.

That [whoever] wouldn’t seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether a man or woman, [powerless or powerful.] And they swore to the Lord with: a loud voice, shouting, trumpets & cornets.

And all Judah rejoiced at the oath. For they had sworn with all their heart & sought Him with [all] their desire & [God] was found [by] them & the Lord gave them [peace all around.] And [king] Asa removed [his] mother, Maachah, from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove.

And Asa cut down her idol, [stomped on it] & burnt it at the Brook Kidron. The high places weren’t taken away out of Israel: [still Asa’s] heart was [loyal] all his days.

[2 Chronicles 14:3-4 For [Asa] took away the altars of the strange gods & the high places & broke down the images [idols] & cut down the groves. And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their [forefathers] & to do the Law & the [commandments.]

And [Asa] brought into the house of God, the things that His father & he had dedicated: silver, gold & vessels. And there was no more war [until] the 35th year Asa [ruled.]

2 Chronicles 14:1-15 Asa Relied on the Lord God & Judah Had Peace 10 Years

 

Asa Relied on the Lord God & Judah Had Peace 10 Years

2 Chronicles 14:1-15                       2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

So, Abijah [did] & slept with his [forefathers] & was buried in the city of David. And his son, Asa, [ruled] in his [place.] [During Asa’s] days, the land was [peaceful] 10 years. And Asa did [what] was good & right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

For [Asa] took away all the altars of the strange gods & the high places. [They broke] down the images & cut down the groves. And [he] commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their [forefathers] & to do [God’s] Law & [commandments.]

[2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves & pray & seek My face & turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven & will forgive their sin & will heal their land.]

Asa, also took away [from] all the cities of Judah, the high places & the images & the kingdom was [peaceful under Asa.] And [Asa] built fenced cities in Judah: [since] the land [didn’t] have war in those years & had rest, because the Lord had given [Asa peace.]

Therefore, [Asa] said to Judah, Let’s build these cities & make walls [around] them [with] towers & gates [with] bars, while the land is [still] before us, because we have sought the Lord our God & He has given us rest on every side. So, they built & prospered.

And Asa had an army of 300,000 men [from] Judah, [who carried large shields] & spears. There [were] 280,000 [who carried] shields & [shot with] bows [from] Benjamin. All these were mighty men of valor.

And Zerah, [a.k.a. Zera,] the Ethiopian, [a.k.a. Cushite] came out against them, with an [army] of 1,000’s [upon 1,000’s] & 300 chariots & came to Mareshah. Asa went out against [Zera] & [put] his battle [in order] in the Valley of Zephathah [in] Mareshah.

And Asa cried [out] to the Lord his God & said, Lord, [it’s] nothing [for] You to help [us,] whether with many or with [those who are powerless.] Help us. O Lord our God, for we [rely] on You & in Your Name we go against this multitude.

O Lord, You are our God. [Don’t] let man prevail against You. So, the Lord [struck down] the Ethiopians [in front of] Asa & Judah & the Eithiopians fled. And Asa & the people with him, pursued them to Gerar & the Ethiopians were overthrown & couldn’t recover.

For they were destroyed before the Lord & His [army] & they carried away [lots of plunder.] They [destroyed] all the cities around Gerar; for the fear [respect] of the Lord came upon them.

And they [plundered] all the cities; for there was an [enormous amount of plunder] in them. They also [struck] the tents of [those who cared for livestock] & carried away an abundance of sheep & camels & returned to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 13:1-22 War Between Abijah & Jeroboam

 

War Between Abijah & Jeroboam

2 Chronicles 13:1-22                       2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

Now, in the 18th year king Jeroboam [ruled,] Abijah began to [rule] over Judah & he [ruled] 3 years in Jerusalem. Also, his mother’s name was Michaiah, [Uriel’s] daughter, [from] Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah & Jeroboam. Abijah [put] the battle [in order] with an [army] of 400,000 chosen, valiant men of war. Also, Jeroboam [put] his battle [in order] against him with 800,000 chosen, mighty men of valor.

And Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim & said, Jeroboam & all Israel, hear me: [Don’t] you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom of Israel over to [king] David & his sons forever by a covenant [contract] of salt?

[2 Samuel 7:12-13 *And when your days are [are] fulfilled & you shall sleep with your [forefathers, I will set up your seed after you, which shall proceed [from your body] & I will [establish] his kingdom. *He shall build a house for My Name & I will [establish] the throne of his kingdom forever.]

[Still] Jeroboam, [Nebat’s] son, [Solomon’s] servant, [has] risen up & rebelled against his lord. And vain, [a.k.a. worthless] men, [scoundrels] are gathered to him & have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam, [Solomon’s] son, when Rehoboam was young & [inexperienced] & couldn’t withstand them.

And now, you think you can [resist] the Kingdom of the Lord, [that’s] in the [hands] of [David’s descendants] & you are a [large] multitude. And there with you are golden calves, which Jeroboam made for you [as] gods.

Haven’t you cast out the [Lord’s] priests, [Aaron’s] sons & the Levites & have made [yourselves] priests after the [customs] of the nations of other lands? So [anyone who] comes to consecrate himself with a young [bull] & 7 rams, may be a priest of [what] are [not] gods.

But as for us, the Lord is our God & we haven’t [abandoned] Him. The priests [who] minister to the Lord are [Aaron’s descendants] & the Levites [assist] them in their [work.]

And every morning & every evening, they [offer] burnt sacrifices & sweet incense to the Lord [God.] They also [put the showbread] in order on the [purified] table with the candlestick of gold & [its] lamps, to burn every evening.

For we keep the [commandments] of the Lord, our God, but you have [abandoned] Him. [See,] God Himself is with us for our [leader] & His priests with [blaring] trumpets to [sound the battle] cry against you.

O children [people] of Israel, [don’t] fight against the Lord God of your [forefathers:] for you [won’t] prosper. But Jeroboam caused an [ambush to happen] behind them. So [those with Jeroboam] were [in front of] Judah & the [ambush] was behind them. When Judah looked back & [saw,] the battle was [in front] & behind; they cried [out] to the Lord & the priests sounded the trumpets.

Then, the men of Judah gave a shout & as [they] shouted, it [happened,] that God [struck down] Jeroboam & all Israel [in front of] Abijah & Judah. And the children [people] of Israel fled [in front of] Judah & [the Lord] God delivered them into their hand.

And Abijah & his people [struck] them with a [large] slaughter, so 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell down slain. The children [people] of Judah prevailed, [over] the children [people] of Israel, because they relied on the Lord God, of their [forefathers.]

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam & [captured these] cities & [their] towns from him: BethEl, Jeshanah & Ephrain, [a.k.a. Ephron] & [their] towns. Neither did Jeroboam [regain] strength again [during] the days of Abijah.

And the Lord struck [down Jeroboam] & he died. But Abijah [grew] mighty & married 14 wives & [fathered] 22 sons & 16 daughters. The rest of [Abijah’s actions & what he did & said,] are written in the [account] of the prophet, Iddo.

2 Chronicles 12:1-16 The King of Egypt Fights Against King Rehoboam

The King of Egypt Fights Against King Rehoboam

2 Chronicles 12:1-16                       2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

And it [happened,] when [king] Rehoboam had strengthened himself & established the kingdom, he & all Israel with him [abandoned[ the Law of the Lord. And it [happened,] in the 5th year king Rehoboam [ruled, that] Shishak, [Egypt’s] king, [fought] against Jerusalem, because they had [sinned] against the Lord.

[1 Kings 14:28 [Therefore] king [Jeroboam] took counsel & made 2 calves of gold & said to [the people,] It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem [to sacrifice.] [See] your gods, O Israel, [that] brought you up out of the land of Egypt. [Jeroboam put] 1 in BethEl & 1 in Dan.]

With 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen & people without number, [Shishak] came out of Egypt with: the Lubims, Sukkims & the Ethiopians. And [Shishak] [captured] the fenced cities [of] Judah & came to Jerusalem.

Then, Shemaiah, the prophet, came to [king] Rehoboam & to the princes of Judah, [who] were gathered together [in] Jerusalem, because of Shishak. And [Shemaiah, the prophet] said to them,The Lord [says this,] You have [abandoned] Me & I have also left you in the hand of Shishak, [Egypt’s] king.]

[For this reason,] the king & the princes of Israel humbled themselves & said, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves.

Therefore, I won’t destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance & My [anger] shall not be poured out on Jerusalem [at] the hand of Shishak, [Egypt’s king.] [Still,] they shall be his servants, [so] that they may know the difference [between] serving] Me & [serving] the kingdoms of [other] countries.

So, Shishak, [Egypt’s] king, [fought] against Jerusalem & took away the treasures [from] the [Lord’s] house & [from] the treasures of the king’s house & he took all & he carried [them] away, [including] the gold shields Solomon had made.

Instead, king Rehoboam made brass shields & [put] them [into] the hands of the [leaders] of the guard, [in charge of] the entrance of the king’s house. And when king [Rehoboam] entered into the [Lord’s] house, the guard came & [got] him & brought him into the [guard’s room.]

And when [Rehoboam] humbled himself, the [Lord’s anger] turned [away] from [Rehoboam.] [The Lord] wouldn’t [totally] destroy [Rehoboam.]

[1 Chronicles 22:9-10 [Look] a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of [peace] & I will give him rest from his enemies [around him:] For his name shall be Solomon & I will give peace & quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My Name & he shall be My son & I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.]

Also, things went well in Judah. So, king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem & [ruled.] For Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to [rule] & [he ruled] 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen to put His Name there, out of all the tribes of Israel.

And [Rehoboam’s] mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. And [Rehoboam] did evil, because he [didn’t] prepare his heart to seek the Lord. Now [aren’t Rehoboam’s actions] 1st & last, written in the book of Shemaiah, the prophet, & Iddo, the seer, [related to] genealogies?

And [before Rehoboam died, there were wars between [king] Rehoboam & Jeroboam continually. Rehoboam [died] & slept with his [forefathers] & was buried in the city of David. And Abijah, his son, [ruled] in his [place.]

2 Chronicles 11:1-23 The Fenced Cities King Rehoboam Built

 

The Fenced Cities King Rehoboam Built

2 Chronicles 11:1-23                       2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

When [king] Rehoboam [came] to Jerusalem, he gathered 180,000 chosen men [from] the [families] of Judah & Benjamin, [who] were warriors to fight against Israel, [so] the kingdom might [return] to [king] Rehoboam again.

But the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam, [Solomon’s] son, [Judah’s] king & to all srael in Judah & Benjamin, saying, The Lord [says this,] You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren. Every man return to his house: for this is done [by] Me.

And they obeyed the words of the Lord & they returned [instead of] going against Jeroboam. And [king] Rehoboam [lived] in Jerusalem & built cities [of] defense in Judah.

[Rehoboam] even built: Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, BethZur, Shoco, [a.k.a. Sochoh,] Abdullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, Hebron, which are fenced cities in Judah & Benjamin.

And he fortified the strongholds & put captains in them & [stored food,] oil & wine [in them.] And in several [cities, Rehoboam] put shields & spears & made them [exceedingly] strong, having Judah & Benjamin on his side.

And the priests & the Levites, [who] were in all Israel & out of all their coasts, [took a stand with Jeroboam.] For the Levites left their possession & suburbs & came to Judah & Jerusalem.

[Since] Jeroboam & his sons had [kept the Levites] from [performing] the priest’s office to the Lord. And [Jeroboam appointed his own] priests for the high places & for the [demons] & calves [that Jeroboam] had made.

[1 Kings 12:28-31 [Upon which,] king [Jeroboam] took counsel & made 2 gold calves & said to [the Israelites,] It is too much for yo to go up to Jerusalem [to sacrifice.] [See,] your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And he set [up] one in BethEl & he put the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan. And he made a house of high places & made the [lowest] of the people, priests, which were not of the sons of Levi.]

[Any of those left] of all the tribes of Israel, [whose] hearts [were] set to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their [forefathers.]

So, they strengthened the kingdom of Judah & made Rehoboam, [Solomon’s] son, strong [for] 3 years. For 3 years they walked in the [paths] of David & Solomon. And [king] Rehoboam [married] Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, [David’s] son.

And [he married] Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, [Jesse’s] son; [who bore] him children: Jeush, Shamariah & Zaham. After her, [Rehoboam married] Maachah, [Absalom’s] daughter, [who bore] him: Abijah, Attai, Ziza & Shelomith.

And Rehoboam loved Maachah, [Absalom’s] daughter [more than] all his wives & [mistresses.] (For [Rehoboam married] 18 wives & [had] 30 [mistresses] & [fathered] 28 sons & 30 daughters.)

And Rehoboam made Abijah, [Maachah’s] son, the [1st born,] to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

And [Rehoboam] dealt wisely & [distributed] all his children throughout all the countries of Judah & Benjamin, [into] every fenced city. He gave them [an] abundance of [food.] And [Rehoboam] desired many wives.

2 Chronicles 10:1-19 The Israelites Make a Request to King Rehoboam

The Israelites Make a Request to King Rehoboam

2 Chronicles 10:1-19                     2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

Rehoboam, [Solomon’s son,] went to Shechem, [because] all Israel [had] come to Shechem, to make him king. And it [happened,] when Jeroboam, [Nebat’s] son, was in Egypt, [where] he had fled from the presence of king Solomon.

[1 Kings 11:40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose & fled to Egypt, to Shishak, [Egypt’s] king, & was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.]

[When Jeroboam] heard [of king Solomon’s dear,] Jeroboam returned [from] Egypt. And [the Israelites] sent & called [for] him. So, Jeroboam & all Israel came & [spoke] to Rehoboam, saying, Your father, [Solomon,] made our [work load] grievous.

Therefore, now somewhat ease [our harsh labor] of your father & the heavy [burden] he put upon us & we will serve you. [Rehoboam] said to them, Come [back] to me again after 3 days & the people [left.]

And king Rehoboam [got advice from] the old men [who] stood before his father, Solomon, while he [was still alive.] [Rehoboam said,] What [advice do] you give me, to answer [these] people? And they [said,] If [you’re] kind to [these] people, please them & speak [nicely] to them, they will be your servants forever.

But [Rehoboam abandoned] the [advice that] the old men gave him & [got advice from] the young men [who] were brought up with him & [who] stood before him.

And [Rehoboam asked] them, What advice [do] you give, [so] we may answer [these] people, [who spoke] to me, saying, Somewhat ease the [grievous work] your father [had] put upon us?

And the young men [who] were brought up with him [said,] You shall answer the people [this, who spoke] to you, saying, Your father made our [workload] heavy, but [will] you make it somewhat lighter for us? You shall say [this] to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s [waist.]

[Since,] my father put a heavy [burden] on you, I will [add] more to your [workload.] My father [punished] you with whips, but I will [punish] you with scorpions. So, Jeroboam & all the people came to king Rehoboam on the 3rd day [like he requested.]

And king [Rehoboam] answered them roughly & [abandoned] the [advice] of the old men & answered them [like] the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your [workload] heavy, but I will add [to it.] My father [punished] you with whips, but I will [punish] you with scorpions.

So, king [Rehoboam didn’t pay attention] to the people; for [this] was of God, [so] that the Lord [could accomplish] His Word, [that] He spoke by Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, [Nebat’s] son.

And when all Israel saw that the king [wouldn’t listen] to them, [they] answered the king, saying, What portion [of an inheritance] do we have left in David? We have [no] inheritance in [Jesse’s] son. Every man to your tents, O Israel. Now, David [take care] of your own house.

So, all Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam [still ruled] over the children [people] of Israel [who lived] in the cities of Judah. Then, king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, [who] was over the tribute, [a.k.a. forced labor] & the [people] of Israel stoned him [to death.] But king Rehoboam [speedily got] to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 9:1-31 The Queen of Sheba Visits King Solomon

The Queen of Sheba Visits King Solomon

2 Chronicles 9:1-31                     2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

When the Queen of Sheba heard of [Solomon’s] fame, she came to Jerusalem [to test] Solomon with hard questions. [She came] with a very [large] company & camels that [carried:] spices & gold in abundance & precious stones.

And when she [came] to Solomon, she [discussed] with him all that was on her heart. And Solomon [answered] all her questions & there wasn’t [anything he was unable to answer.]

And when the Queen of Sheba had seen [Solomon’s] wisdom, the [palace] he built, the [food on] his table, the [seating] of his servants, the attendance of his ministers & their [clothing,] his cup bearers & their [clothing] & the [path used when] he went [up] to the [Lord’s] house, there was no more spirit [left] in her.

And she said to king [Solomon,] The report I heard in [my] own land was true [about your actions] & your wisdom. [But] I [didn’t] believe their words, until I [saw] it with my [own] eyes. And [saw] ½ of the greatness of your wisdom wasn’t told [to] me. For you exceeded [your] fame that I heard.

Your men & your servants are happy, [who] continually stand before you & hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord your God, [Who delights] in you, to [put] you on His throne, to be king for the Lord your God: because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever.

Therefore, He made you [the] king over them, to [provide] judgment & justice. And she gave king [Solomon] 120 talents of gold & an abundance of [rare] spices & precious stones. Neither [had] there [been] such [spices, like those] the Queen of Sheba gave [to] king Solomon.

The servants of Huram, [a.k.a. Hiram,] & [Solomon’s] servants brought [him] gold from Ophir & algum, [a.k.a. almug,] trees & precious stones. And king [Solomon] made terraces [for] the house of the Lord [with] the algum trees & [for] the king’s palace & harps & [lyres] for singers.

And there [was nothing like this] seen before in the land of Judah. [Besides what] she had brought to the king, Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba all she desired] & [whatever] she asked [for.] So she & her servants [returned] to her own land.

Now, the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in 1 year was 666 talents of gold. [Besides what] the [traders] & merchants brought. And all [Arabia’s] kings & governors of the country brought gold & silver to Solomon.

And king Solomon made 200 [large shields] of beaten gold & 600 shekels of [hammered] gold went [into each shield.] And king [Solomon] put them in the house [at] the Forest of Lebanon. [Also,] the king made a [large] throne of ivory & overlaid it with pure gold.

There were 6 steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne. There were [armrests] on each side [of where he sat] & 2 lions standing by the [armrests.] And there [were] 12 lions, [6 on each side] upon the 6 steps to the throne. There wasn’t [anything like this] made in any kingdom.

And all of [Solomon’s] drinking [goblets] were gold. All the vessels of the house [in] the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold & none were of silver. [There was nothing like this during all] the days of Solomon.

For [Solomon’s] ships went to Tarshish every 3 years with [Huram’s] servants [& returned with] gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks. And king Solomon [surpassed] all kings of the earth in riches & wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought to [come to] Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

[Each] man brought [Solomon a present:] vessels of silver & of gold, [clothing, harnesses,] spices, horses, mules [year] by [year.] And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses & chariots. And 12,000 horsemen; whom [Solomon had presented, for them to stay] in the chariot cities & with the king [in] Jerusalem.

And Solomon [ruled] over all the kings from the river, even to the land of the Philistines & to the border of Egypt. And king [Solomon] made silver in Jerusalem [as plentiful] as stones & he made cedar trees [abundant like] the sycamore trees in the low plains, [a.k.a. foothills.]

And they brought horses out of Egypt & all [the] lands to Solomon. [Aren’t] the rest of [Solomon’s actions] 1st & last, written in the book of Nathan, the prophet, & in the prophecy of Ahijah, the Shilonite & in the visions of Iddo, the seer, against Jeroboam, [Nebat’s] son?

And Solomon [ruled] over all [of] Israel for 40 years in Jerusalem. And Solomon [died] & slept with his [forefathers] & he was buried in the city of David, his father. And Rehoboam, his son, [ruled] in his [place.]