2 Chronicles 7:1-22 When Solomon finished praying, fire out of heaven struck the Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices and the Glory of God filled The Temple. This Glory was so dense that the priests couldn’t get in—God so filled The Temple that there was no room for the priests! When all Israel saw the fire fall from heaven and the Glory of God fill The Temple, they fell on their knees, bowed their heads, and worshiped, thanking God:
Yes! God is good!
His love never ends!
Then the king and all Israel worshiped, offering sacrifices to God. King Solomon worshiped by sacrificing 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep at the dedication of The Temple. The priests were all on duty; the choir and orchestra of Levites that David had provided for singing and playing hymns to the praise and love of God were all there; across the courtyard the priests blew trumpets. All Israelites were on their feet.
Solomon set apart the central area of the courtyard in front of God’s Temple for sacred use and there sacrificed the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, and fat from the Peace-Offerings—the Bronze Altar was too small to handle all these offerings. This is how Solomon kept the great autumn Feast of Booths. For 7 days there were people there all the way from the far northeast (the Entrance to Hamath) to the far southwest (the Brook of Egypt)—a huge congregation. They started out celebrating for 7 days, and then did an additional seven days, a week for dedicating the Altar and another for the Feast itself—two solid weeks of celebration! On the 23 day of the 7 month Solomon dismissed his congregation. They left rejoicing, happy over all the good God had done for David and Solomon and his people Israel.
Solomon completed building The Temple of God and the royal palace—the projects he had set his heart on doing. Everything was done—successfully.
God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I accept your prayer; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’
“But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with idols by serving and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off: I’ll wipe Israel right off the map and invalidate this Temple I’ve just sanctified to honor my Name. And Israel will be nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world. And this Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; visitors will shake their heads, saying, ‘What happened here? Then they’ll be told, ‘The people who used to live here betrayed their God, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with idols, worshiping and serving them. That’s what’s behind this God-visited devastation.’”
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And at Solomon's finishing to pray, then the fire hath come down from the heavens, and consumeth the burnt-offering and the sacrifices, and the honour of Jehovah hath filled the house,
2 and the priests have not been able to go in unto the house of Jehovah, because the honour of Jehovah hath filled the house of Jehovah.
3 And all the sons of Israel are looking on the descending of the fire, and the honour of Jehovah on the house, and they bow -- faces to the earth -- on the pavement, and do obeisance, and give thanks to Jehovah, for good, for to the age [is] His kindness.
4 And the king and all the people are sacrificing a sacrifice before Jehovah,
5 and king Solomon sacrificeth the sacrifice of the herd, twenty and two thousand, and of the flock, a hundred and twenty thousand, and the king and all the people dedicate the house of God.
6 And the priests over their charges are standing, and the Levites with instruments of the song of Jehovah -- that David the king made, to give thanks to Jehovah, for to the age [is] His kindness, in David's praising by their hand -- and the priests are blowing trumpets over-against them, and all Israel are standing.
7 And Solomon sanctifieth the middle of the court that [is] before the house of Jehovah, for he hath made there the burnt-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings: for the altar of brass that Solomon made hath not been able to contain the burnt-offering, and the present, and the fat.
8 And solomon maketh the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him -- a very great assembly -- from the entering in of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt.
9 And they make on the eighth day a restraint, because the dedication of the altar they have made seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 And on the twenty and third day of the seventh month he hath sent the people to their tents, rejoicing, and glad in heart, for the goodness that Jehovah hath done to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people.
11 And Solomon finisheth the house of Jehovah, and the house of the king; and all that hath come on the heart of Solomon to do in the house of Jehovah, and in his own house, he hath caused to prosper.
12 And Jehovah appeareth unto Solomon by night, and saith to him, `I have heard thy prayer, and have fixed on this place to Me for a house of sacrifice.
13 If I restrain the heavens and there is no rain, and if I lay charge on the locust to consume the land, and if I send pestilence among My people --
14 and My people on whom My name is called be humbled, and pray, and seek My face, and turn back from their evil ways, then I -- I hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.
15 `Now, Mine eyes are open, and Mine ears attentive, to the prayer of this place;
16 and now, I have chosen and sanctified this house for My name being there unto the age; yea, Mine eyes and My heart have been there all the days.
17 `And thou, if thou dost walk before Me as David thy father walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and My statutes and My judgments dost keep --
18 then I have established the throne of thy kingdom, as I covenanted with David thy father, saying, There is not cut off a man to thee -- a ruler in Israel;
19 and if ye turn back -- ye -- and have forsaken My statutes, and My commands, that I have placed before you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them -- then I have plucked them from off My ground that I have given to them,
20 and this house that I have sanctified for My name, I cast from before My face, and make it for a proverb, and for a byword, among all the peoples.
21 `And this house that hath been high, to every one passing by it, is an astonishment, and he hath said, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus to this land, and to this house?
22 and they have said, Because that they have forsaken Jehovah, God of their fathers, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, and lay hold on other gods, and bow themselves to them, and serve them, therefore He hath brought upon them all this evil.'
Bible verse by verse
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_maklelan
- _Emeritus
- Posts: 4999
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Re: Bible verse by verse
LittleNipper wrote:Yes, well the very same goes both ways. I trust the Bible. You think it's all made up.
I don't at all believe it's all made up.
LittleNipper wrote:I believe that the Book of Mormon is all made up and you place your trust in it.
You haven't the foggiest idea whatsoever what I believe about the Book of Mormon.
LittleNipper wrote:Moses is a Hebrew name the evidence is the following: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_c ... -real-name. Tell me what the name Cohen represents.
Cohen means priest, and your link is a bunch of appeals to archaic traditions about the name and where it came from. We know from Egyptian texts, though, that Moses (Moshe in Hebrew) is a perfectly Egyptian name. We have pharaohs name Tuth-mose, Ptah-mose, Ra-mose. It's an Egyptian name, the theophoric element has just been removed.
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_ludwigm
- _Emeritus
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- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:07 am
Re: Bible verse by verse
maklelan wrote: We know from Egyptian texts, though, that Moses (Moshe in Hebrew) is a perfectly Egyptian name. We have pharaohs name Tuth-mose, Ptah-mose, Ra-mose. It's an Egyptian name, the theophoric element has just been removed.
the book I quoted above wrote:When once a man had entered the House of Death and taken service there as a corpse washer, he left the place but seldom because of the abhorrence in which his caste was held, and he lived out his life among the carcasses. For the first few days they all seemed to me to be under the curse of the gods, and their talk as they mocked and defiled the bodies outraged my ears. Later I found that among even these there were skilled craftsmen who held their trade in high honor, regarding it as the most important of all, and among the best of whom it was hereditary. Each of them specialized in some branch, as did the physicians in the House of Life, so that one dealt with the head, another the belly, a third the heart, a fourth the lungs, until each part of the body had been treated for its eternal preservation.
Among them was an elderly man named Ramose, whose task was the most difficult of all: he had to detach the brain and draw it out through the nose with pincers, and then swill out the skull with purifying oils. He noted the deftness of my hands with astonishment and began to instruct me so that by the time I had completed half my service in the House of Death he made me his assistant, and life for me became more bearable. I helped him in his work, which was the cleanest and most highly regarded of any in that place, and so great was his influence that others no longer dared frighten me or throw guts and offal upon me. I do not know how it was he had this power, for he never raised his voice.
- Whenever a poet or preacher, chief or wizard spouts gibberish, the human race spends centuries deciphering the message. - Umberto Eco
- To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin. - Cardinal Bellarmine at the trial of Galilei
- To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin. - Cardinal Bellarmine at the trial of Galilei
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_LittleNipper
- _Emeritus
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Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 8:1-18 It took Solomon 20 years to construct the Temple and his palace. He rebuilt the cities that King Hiram had given him, and sent Israelites to inhabit them. He captured the territory of Hamath and Zobah and fortified the city of Palmyra in the desert. He rebuilt the cities in Hamath that were supply storage centers. Solomon also rebuilt the following cities: Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon (fortified cities with gates that could be locked), the city of Baalath, all the cities where he stored supplies, and the cities where his horses and chariots were stationed. He carried out all his plans for building in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout the territory that he ruled over. Solomon employed at forced labor all the descendants of the people of Canaan whom the Israelites had not killed when they took over the land. These included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, whose descendants continue to be slaves down to the present time. Israelites were not impressed into forced labor, but served as soldiers, officers, chariot commanders, and cavalry troops. There were 250 officials in charge of the forced labor working on the various building projects.
Solomon moved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, from David's City to a house he built for her. He said, “She must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, because any place where the Ark has been is holy.”
Solomon offered sacrifices to the Lord on the altar which he had built in front of the Temple. He offered burnt offerings according to the requirements of the Law of Moses for each holy day: Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and the 3 annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. Following the rules laid down by his father David, he organized the schedules for the priests and of the Levites who assisted the priests in singing hymns and in doing their work. He also organized the Temple guards in sections for performing their daily duties at each gate, in accordance with the commands of David, the man of God. The instructions were carried out in detail. By this time all of Solomon's projects had been completed ---all the work had been successful. Solomon went to Eziongeber and Elath, ports on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the land of Edom. King Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers and with experienced sailors. They sailed with Solomon's officers to the land of Ophir ----- bring back to Solomon approximately sixteen tons of gold.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And it cometh to pass, at the end of twenty years, that Solomon hath built the house of Jehovah, and his own house.
2 As to the cities that Huram hath given to Solomon, Solomon hath built them, and there he causeth the sons of Israel to dwell.
3 And Solomon goeth to Hamath-Zobah, and layeth hold upon it;
4 and he buildeth Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the cities of store that he hath built in Hamath.
5 And he buildeth Beth-Horon the upper, and Beth-Horon the lower -- cities of defence, with walls, two-leaved doors, and bar --
6 and Baalath, and all the cities of store that Solomon had, and all the cities of the chariot, and the cities of the horsemen, and all the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7 All the people who are left of the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, who are not of Israel --
8 of their sons who have been left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel consumed not -- doth Solomon lift up a tribute unto this day.
9 And none of the sons of Israel hath Solomon made servants for his work, but they [are] men of war, and heads of his captains, and heads of his charioteers, and of his horsemen;
10 and these [are] heads of the officers whom king Solomon hath, two hundred and fifty who are rulers among the people.
11 And the daughter of Pharaoh hath Solomon brought up from the city of David to the house that he built for her, for he said, `My wife doth not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for they are holy unto whom hath come the ark of Jehovah.'
12 Then hath Solomon caused to ascend burnt-offerings to Jehovah on the altar of Jehovah that he built before the porch,
13 even by the matter of a day in its day, to cause to ascend according to the command of Moses, on sabbaths, and on new moons, and on appointed seasons, three times in a year -- in the feast of unleavened things, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths.
14 And he establisheth, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests over their service, and of the Levites over their charges, to praise and to minister over-against the priests, according to the matter of a day in its day, and the gatekeepers in their courses at gate and gate, for so [is] the command of David the man of God.
15 And they have not turned aside [from] the command of the king concerning the priests and the Levites, in reference to any matter, and to the treasures.
16 And all the work of Solomon is prepared till the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and till its completion; perfect is the house of Jehovah.
17 Then hath Solomon gone to Ezion-Geber, and unto Elath, on the border of the sea, in the land of Edom;
18 and Huram sendeth to him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants knowing the sea, and they go with servants of Solomon to Ophir, and take thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and bring in unto king Solomon.
Solomon moved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, from David's City to a house he built for her. He said, “She must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, because any place where the Ark has been is holy.”
Solomon offered sacrifices to the Lord on the altar which he had built in front of the Temple. He offered burnt offerings according to the requirements of the Law of Moses for each holy day: Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and the 3 annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. Following the rules laid down by his father David, he organized the schedules for the priests and of the Levites who assisted the priests in singing hymns and in doing their work. He also organized the Temple guards in sections for performing their daily duties at each gate, in accordance with the commands of David, the man of God. The instructions were carried out in detail. By this time all of Solomon's projects had been completed ---all the work had been successful. Solomon went to Eziongeber and Elath, ports on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the land of Edom. King Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers and with experienced sailors. They sailed with Solomon's officers to the land of Ophir ----- bring back to Solomon approximately sixteen tons of gold.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And it cometh to pass, at the end of twenty years, that Solomon hath built the house of Jehovah, and his own house.
2 As to the cities that Huram hath given to Solomon, Solomon hath built them, and there he causeth the sons of Israel to dwell.
3 And Solomon goeth to Hamath-Zobah, and layeth hold upon it;
4 and he buildeth Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the cities of store that he hath built in Hamath.
5 And he buildeth Beth-Horon the upper, and Beth-Horon the lower -- cities of defence, with walls, two-leaved doors, and bar --
6 and Baalath, and all the cities of store that Solomon had, and all the cities of the chariot, and the cities of the horsemen, and all the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7 All the people who are left of the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, who are not of Israel --
8 of their sons who have been left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel consumed not -- doth Solomon lift up a tribute unto this day.
9 And none of the sons of Israel hath Solomon made servants for his work, but they [are] men of war, and heads of his captains, and heads of his charioteers, and of his horsemen;
10 and these [are] heads of the officers whom king Solomon hath, two hundred and fifty who are rulers among the people.
11 And the daughter of Pharaoh hath Solomon brought up from the city of David to the house that he built for her, for he said, `My wife doth not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for they are holy unto whom hath come the ark of Jehovah.'
12 Then hath Solomon caused to ascend burnt-offerings to Jehovah on the altar of Jehovah that he built before the porch,
13 even by the matter of a day in its day, to cause to ascend according to the command of Moses, on sabbaths, and on new moons, and on appointed seasons, three times in a year -- in the feast of unleavened things, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths.
14 And he establisheth, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests over their service, and of the Levites over their charges, to praise and to minister over-against the priests, according to the matter of a day in its day, and the gatekeepers in their courses at gate and gate, for so [is] the command of David the man of God.
15 And they have not turned aside [from] the command of the king concerning the priests and the Levites, in reference to any matter, and to the treasures.
16 And all the work of Solomon is prepared till the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and till its completion; perfect is the house of Jehovah.
17 Then hath Solomon gone to Ezion-Geber, and unto Elath, on the border of the sea, in the land of Edom;
18 and Huram sendeth to him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants knowing the sea, and they go with servants of Solomon to Ophir, and take thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and bring in unto king Solomon.
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_LittleNipper
- _Emeritus
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- Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:49 pm
Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 9:1-31 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s renown and came to Jerusalem to put his reputation to the test, asking all the tough questions. She had an impressive retinue of attendants and camels loaded with perfume and much gold and precious stones. She emptied her soul to Solomon, talking over everything she cared about. Solomon answered everything she put to him—nothing stumped him. When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon’s wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials, sharply dressed waiters, cupbearers, and then the worship and Burnt-Offerings in The Temple of God, it all took her breath away.
She told Solomon, “It’s all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself; they didn’t exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance—far more than I could ever have imagined. Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand! And blessed be your God who has taken such a liking to you, making you king. Clearly, God’s love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people.”
She presented Solomon with about four and a half tons of gold and sack after sack of spices and precious stones. There has never again been a cargo of spices like the shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems. The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of God and the royal palace, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since.
King Solomon, for his part, gave the queen of Sheba all her heart’s desire—everything she asked for. She took away more than she brought. Satisfied, she returned home with her retinue.
Solomon received 25 tons of gold yearly. This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and traders. All kings of Arabia and various and assorted governors also brought silver and gold to Solomon. King Solomon had crafted 200 body-length shields of hammered gold—about fifteen pounds of gold to each shield—and about 300 small shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
The king made a massive throne of ivory with a veneer of gold. The throne had six steps leading up to it with an attached footstool of gold. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. Twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it anywhere. King Solomon’s chalices and tankards were made of gold, and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common in the time of Solomon.
The king’s ships, manned by Hiram’s sailors, made a round trip to Tarshish every 3 years, returning with a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, apes and peacocks. King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the kings of the earth—he surpassed them all. Kings came from all over the world to be with Solomon and get in on the wisdom God had given him. Everyone who came brought gifts—artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, horses, and mules—parades of visitors, year after year.
Solomon collected horses and chariots. He had 4000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen in barracks in the chariot-cities and in Jerusalem. He ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates in the east, throughout the Philistine country, and as far west as the border of Egypt. The king made silver seem as common as rocks and cedar appear as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. He carried on a brisk horse-trading business with Egypt and other places.
The rest of Solomon’s life and rule, from start to finish, one could at that time be researched in the (general secular non-biblical) accounts of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. Solomon would rule in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. Solomon died and was buried in the City of David his father. His son Rehoboam was the next king.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And the queen of Sheba hath heard of the fame of Solomon, and cometh in to try Solomon with acute sayings, to Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels bearing spices and gold in abundance, and precious stone; and she cometh in unto Solomon, and speaketh with him all that hath been with her heart,
2 and Solomon declareth to her all her matters, and there hath not been hid a thing from Solomon that he hath not declared to her.
3 And the queen of Sheba seeth the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he hath built,
4 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his stewards, and their clothing, an his burnt-offering that he offered up in the house of Jehovah, and there hath not been any more spirit in her.
5 And she saith unto the king, `True [is] the word that I heard in my land concerning thy matters and concerning thy wisdom,
6 and I have given no credence to their words, till that I have come, and mine eyes see, and lo, there hath not been declared to me the half of the abundance of thy wisdom -- thou hast added unto the report that I heard.
7 `O the happiness of thy men, and the happiness of thy servants -- these -- who are standing before thee continually, and hearing thy wisdom.
8 Let Jehovah thy God be blessed who hath delighted in thee, to put thee on His throne for king for Jehovah thy God; in the love of thy God to Israel, to establish it to the age, He hath put thee over them for king, to do judgment and righteousness.'
9 And she giveth to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stone; and there hath not been any such spice as the queen of Sheba hath given to king Solomon.
10 And also, servants of Huram, and servants of Solomon, who brought in gold from Ophir, have brought in algum-trees and precious stone.
11 And the king maketh the algum-trees staircases for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; and there have been none seen like these before in the land of Judah.
12 And king Solomon hath given to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which she had brought unto the king, and she turneth and goeth to her land, she and her servants.
13 And the weight of the gold that is coming to Solomon in one year is six hundred and sixty and six talents of gold,
14 apart from [what] the tourists, and the merchants, are bringing in; and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land, are bringing in gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And king Solomon maketh two hundred targets of alloyed gold, six hundred [shekels] of alloyed gold he causeth to go up on the one target;
16 and three hundred shields of alloyed gold, three hundred [shekels] of gold he causeth to go up on the one shield, and the king putteth them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 And the king maketh a great throne of ivory, and overlayeth it with pure gold;
18 and six steps [are] to the throne, and a footstool of gold, to the throne they are fastened, and hands [are] on this [side] and on that on the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands,
19 and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps on this [side], and on that: it hath not been made so for any kingdom.
20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon [are] of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [are] of refined gold -- silver is not reckoned in the days of Solomon for anything;
21 for ships of the king are going to Tarshish, with servants of Huram: once in three years come do the ships of Tarshish bearing gold, and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22 And king Solomon becometh greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and wisdom;
23 and all the kings of the earth are seeking the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God hath put in his heart,
24 and they are bringing in each his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
25 And there are to Solomon four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in cities of the chariot, and with the king in Jerusalem.
26 And he is ruling over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt.
27 And the king maketh the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and the cedars he hath made as sycamores, that [are] in the low country, for abundance,
28 and they are bringing out horses from Egypt to Solomon, and from all the lands.
29 And the rest of the matters of Solomon, the first and the last, are they not written beside the matters of Nathan the prophet, and beside the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and with the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
30 And Solomon reigneth in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years,
31 and Solomon lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David his father, and reign doth Rehoboam his son in his stead.
She told Solomon, “It’s all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself; they didn’t exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance—far more than I could ever have imagined. Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand! And blessed be your God who has taken such a liking to you, making you king. Clearly, God’s love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people.”
She presented Solomon with about four and a half tons of gold and sack after sack of spices and precious stones. There has never again been a cargo of spices like the shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems. The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of God and the royal palace, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since.
King Solomon, for his part, gave the queen of Sheba all her heart’s desire—everything she asked for. She took away more than she brought. Satisfied, she returned home with her retinue.
Solomon received 25 tons of gold yearly. This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and traders. All kings of Arabia and various and assorted governors also brought silver and gold to Solomon. King Solomon had crafted 200 body-length shields of hammered gold—about fifteen pounds of gold to each shield—and about 300 small shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
The king made a massive throne of ivory with a veneer of gold. The throne had six steps leading up to it with an attached footstool of gold. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. Twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it anywhere. King Solomon’s chalices and tankards were made of gold, and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common in the time of Solomon.
The king’s ships, manned by Hiram’s sailors, made a round trip to Tarshish every 3 years, returning with a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, apes and peacocks. King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the kings of the earth—he surpassed them all. Kings came from all over the world to be with Solomon and get in on the wisdom God had given him. Everyone who came brought gifts—artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, horses, and mules—parades of visitors, year after year.
Solomon collected horses and chariots. He had 4000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen in barracks in the chariot-cities and in Jerusalem. He ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates in the east, throughout the Philistine country, and as far west as the border of Egypt. The king made silver seem as common as rocks and cedar appear as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. He carried on a brisk horse-trading business with Egypt and other places.
The rest of Solomon’s life and rule, from start to finish, one could at that time be researched in the (general secular non-biblical) accounts of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. Solomon would rule in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. Solomon died and was buried in the City of David his father. His son Rehoboam was the next king.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And the queen of Sheba hath heard of the fame of Solomon, and cometh in to try Solomon with acute sayings, to Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels bearing spices and gold in abundance, and precious stone; and she cometh in unto Solomon, and speaketh with him all that hath been with her heart,
2 and Solomon declareth to her all her matters, and there hath not been hid a thing from Solomon that he hath not declared to her.
3 And the queen of Sheba seeth the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he hath built,
4 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his stewards, and their clothing, an his burnt-offering that he offered up in the house of Jehovah, and there hath not been any more spirit in her.
5 And she saith unto the king, `True [is] the word that I heard in my land concerning thy matters and concerning thy wisdom,
6 and I have given no credence to their words, till that I have come, and mine eyes see, and lo, there hath not been declared to me the half of the abundance of thy wisdom -- thou hast added unto the report that I heard.
7 `O the happiness of thy men, and the happiness of thy servants -- these -- who are standing before thee continually, and hearing thy wisdom.
8 Let Jehovah thy God be blessed who hath delighted in thee, to put thee on His throne for king for Jehovah thy God; in the love of thy God to Israel, to establish it to the age, He hath put thee over them for king, to do judgment and righteousness.'
9 And she giveth to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stone; and there hath not been any such spice as the queen of Sheba hath given to king Solomon.
10 And also, servants of Huram, and servants of Solomon, who brought in gold from Ophir, have brought in algum-trees and precious stone.
11 And the king maketh the algum-trees staircases for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; and there have been none seen like these before in the land of Judah.
12 And king Solomon hath given to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which she had brought unto the king, and she turneth and goeth to her land, she and her servants.
13 And the weight of the gold that is coming to Solomon in one year is six hundred and sixty and six talents of gold,
14 apart from [what] the tourists, and the merchants, are bringing in; and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land, are bringing in gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And king Solomon maketh two hundred targets of alloyed gold, six hundred [shekels] of alloyed gold he causeth to go up on the one target;
16 and three hundred shields of alloyed gold, three hundred [shekels] of gold he causeth to go up on the one shield, and the king putteth them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 And the king maketh a great throne of ivory, and overlayeth it with pure gold;
18 and six steps [are] to the throne, and a footstool of gold, to the throne they are fastened, and hands [are] on this [side] and on that on the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands,
19 and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps on this [side], and on that: it hath not been made so for any kingdom.
20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon [are] of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [are] of refined gold -- silver is not reckoned in the days of Solomon for anything;
21 for ships of the king are going to Tarshish, with servants of Huram: once in three years come do the ships of Tarshish bearing gold, and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22 And king Solomon becometh greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and wisdom;
23 and all the kings of the earth are seeking the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God hath put in his heart,
24 and they are bringing in each his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
25 And there are to Solomon four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in cities of the chariot, and with the king in Jerusalem.
26 And he is ruling over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt.
27 And the king maketh the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and the cedars he hath made as sycamores, that [are] in the low country, for abundance,
28 and they are bringing out horses from Egypt to Solomon, and from all the lands.
29 And the rest of the matters of Solomon, the first and the last, are they not written beside the matters of Nathan the prophet, and beside the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and with the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
30 And Solomon reigneth in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years,
31 and Solomon lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David his father, and reign doth Rehoboam his son in his stead.
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_LittleNipper
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Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 10:1-19 Rehoboam journeyed to Shechem where the Israelites gathered to inaugurate him as king. Jeroboam was in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon’s death, he came back.
Summoned by Israel, Jeroboam and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said, “Your father made life hard for us—worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and we’ll willingly serve you.” “Give me,” said Rehoboam, “three days to think it over; then come back.” So the people left.
King Rehoboam talked it over with those who has advised Solomon. He wanted to know how to deal with this. They said, “If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they’ll end up doing anything for you.”
King Rehoboam rejected this advise and asked the young men he’d grown up with who were now currying his favor, “What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, ‘Give us a break from your father’s harsh ways—lighten up on us’?”
The young men said, “Tell these people, 'If you think life under my father was hard, you haven’t seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I’ll beat you bloody with chains!’” 3 days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed earlier. Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. God was behind all this, confirming the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of Shiloh. When the Israelites understood that Rehoboam hadn’t listened to anything they said, they stood up to him and said,
"What do we care concerning the inheritance through a son of Jesse. Return to your tents, O Israel. If David could only witness such." And with that they left. Rehoboam continued to rule only those who lived in the towns of Judah. When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the Israelites attacked him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem as fast as he could. Israel has been in opposition to the Davidic dynasty ever since.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for [to] Shechem have all Israel come to cause him to reign.
2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's -- who [is] in Egypt because he hath fled from the face of Solomon the king -- hearing, that Jeroboam turneth back out of Egypt;
3 and they send and call for him, and Jeroboam cometh in, and all Israel, and speak unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 `Thy father made our yoke sharp, and now, make light [somewhat] of the sharp service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.'
5 And he saith unto them, `Yet three days -- then return ye unto me;' and the people go.
6 And king Rehoboam consulteth with the aged men who have been standing before Solomon his father in his being alive, saying, `How are ye counselling to answer this people?'
7 And they speak unto him, saying, `If thou dost become good to this people, and hast been pleased with them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.'
8 And he forsaketh the counsel of the aged men that they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, those standing before him,
9 and he saith unto them, `What are ye counselling, and we answer this people that have spoken unto me, saying, Make light [somewhat] of the yoke that thy father put upon us?'
10 And the lads who have grown up with him, speak with him, saying, `Thus dost thou say to the people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make light [somewhat] of our yoke; thus dost thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father;
11 and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I -- I add unto your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- with scorpions.'
12 And Jeroboam cometh in, and all the people, unto Rehoboam on the third day, as the king spake, saying, `Return unto me on the third day.'
13 And the king answereth them sharply, and king Rehoboam forsaketh the counsel of the aged men,
14 and speaketh unto them according to the counsel of the lads, saying, `My father made your yoke heavy, and I -- I add unto it; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- with scorpions.'
15 And the king hath not hearkened unto the people, for the revolution hath been from God, for the sake of Jehovah's establishing His word that He spake by the hand of Abijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 And all Israel have seen that the king hath not hearkened to them, and the people send back [to] the king, saying, `What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in a son of Jesse; each to thy tents, O Israel; now, see thy house -- David,' and all Israel go to their tents.
17 As to the sons of Israel who are dwelling in the cities of Judah -- Rehoboam reigneth over them.
18 And king Rehoboam sendeth Hadoram, who [is] over the tribute, and the sons of Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem;
19 and Israel transgress against the house of David unto this day.
Summoned by Israel, Jeroboam and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said, “Your father made life hard for us—worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and we’ll willingly serve you.” “Give me,” said Rehoboam, “three days to think it over; then come back.” So the people left.
King Rehoboam talked it over with those who has advised Solomon. He wanted to know how to deal with this. They said, “If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they’ll end up doing anything for you.”
King Rehoboam rejected this advise and asked the young men he’d grown up with who were now currying his favor, “What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, ‘Give us a break from your father’s harsh ways—lighten up on us’?”
The young men said, “Tell these people, 'If you think life under my father was hard, you haven’t seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I’ll beat you bloody with chains!’” 3 days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed earlier. Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. God was behind all this, confirming the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of Shiloh. When the Israelites understood that Rehoboam hadn’t listened to anything they said, they stood up to him and said,
"What do we care concerning the inheritance through a son of Jesse. Return to your tents, O Israel. If David could only witness such." And with that they left. Rehoboam continued to rule only those who lived in the towns of Judah. When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the Israelites attacked him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem as fast as he could. Israel has been in opposition to the Davidic dynasty ever since.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for [to] Shechem have all Israel come to cause him to reign.
2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's -- who [is] in Egypt because he hath fled from the face of Solomon the king -- hearing, that Jeroboam turneth back out of Egypt;
3 and they send and call for him, and Jeroboam cometh in, and all Israel, and speak unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 `Thy father made our yoke sharp, and now, make light [somewhat] of the sharp service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.'
5 And he saith unto them, `Yet three days -- then return ye unto me;' and the people go.
6 And king Rehoboam consulteth with the aged men who have been standing before Solomon his father in his being alive, saying, `How are ye counselling to answer this people?'
7 And they speak unto him, saying, `If thou dost become good to this people, and hast been pleased with them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.'
8 And he forsaketh the counsel of the aged men that they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, those standing before him,
9 and he saith unto them, `What are ye counselling, and we answer this people that have spoken unto me, saying, Make light [somewhat] of the yoke that thy father put upon us?'
10 And the lads who have grown up with him, speak with him, saying, `Thus dost thou say to the people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make light [somewhat] of our yoke; thus dost thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father;
11 and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I -- I add unto your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- with scorpions.'
12 And Jeroboam cometh in, and all the people, unto Rehoboam on the third day, as the king spake, saying, `Return unto me on the third day.'
13 And the king answereth them sharply, and king Rehoboam forsaketh the counsel of the aged men,
14 and speaketh unto them according to the counsel of the lads, saying, `My father made your yoke heavy, and I -- I add unto it; my father chastised you with whips, and I -- with scorpions.'
15 And the king hath not hearkened unto the people, for the revolution hath been from God, for the sake of Jehovah's establishing His word that He spake by the hand of Abijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 And all Israel have seen that the king hath not hearkened to them, and the people send back [to] the king, saying, `What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in a son of Jesse; each to thy tents, O Israel; now, see thy house -- David,' and all Israel go to their tents.
17 As to the sons of Israel who are dwelling in the cities of Judah -- Rehoboam reigneth over them.
18 And king Rehoboam sendeth Hadoram, who [is] over the tribute, and the sons of Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem;
19 and Israel transgress against the house of David unto this day.
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_LittleNipper
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Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 11:1-23 2 Chronicles 11:1-23 Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem and gathered an army of 180,000 men from the families of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. Rehoboam wanted to go fight against the Israelites and take back his kingdom. But the Lord spoke to a man of God named Shemaiah saying, “Speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to men of Judah and Benjamin. Tell them, ‘The Lord says that you must not go to war against your brothers. Everyone, go home! Through me this happen.’” So all the men of Rehoboam’s army obeyed the Lord and went home --- not attacking Jeroboam.
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified cities in Judah to defend against attacks. He repaired the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These cities in Judah and Benjamin were made secure. Rehoboam made these cities strong, and put commanders in them. He also put supplies of food, oil, and wine in them. Also, he put weapons in every city. He kept the peoples and cities of Judah and Benjamin under his control.
The priests and the Levites from all over Israel agreed with Rehoboam and participated. The Levites left their grasslands and their own fields and came to Judah and Jerusalem. The Levites did this because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests to the Lord. Jeroboam chose his own priests to serve in the high places, where he set up goat and calf idols he had designed. When the Levites left Israel, the people in all the tribes of Israel who were faithful to the Lord of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord of their fathers. These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and they supported Solomon’s son Rehoboam for 3 years. They did this because during that time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.
Rehoboam married Mahalath. Her father was Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son. Abihail was Eliab’s daughter, and Eliab was Jesse’s son. Mahalath gave Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. Then Rehoboam married Maacah. Maacah was Absalom’s granddaughter. And Maacah gave Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Maacah more that he loved all his other wives and slave women. Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 slave women. He was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters.
Rehoboam chose Abijah to be the leader among his children ---- planning to make Abijah king. Rehoboam acted wisely and spread all his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city. Rehoboam gave plenty of provisions to his sons and also selected wives for them.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Rehoboam cometh in to Jerusalem, and assembleth the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 And a word of Jehovah is unto Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,
3 `Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4 Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren, turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the words of Jehovah, and turn back from going against Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelleth in Jerusalem, and buildeth cities for a bulwark in Judah,
6 yea, he buildeth Beth-Lehem and Etam, and Tekoa,
7 and Beth-Zur, and Shocho, and Adullam,
8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10 and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, that [are] in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of bulwarks.
11 And he strengtheneth the bulwarks, and putteth in them leaders, and treasures of food, and oil, and wine,
12 and in every city and city targets and spears, and strengtheneth them very greatly; and he hath Judah and Benjamin.
13 And the priests, and the Levites, that [are] in all Israel, have stationed themselves by him, out of all their border,
14 for the Levites have left their suburbs and their possession, and they come to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons have cast them off from acting as priests to Jehovah,
15 and he establisheth to him priests for high places, and for goats, and for calves, that he made --
16 and after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those giving their heart to seek Jehovah, God of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Jehovah, God of their father.
17 And they strengthen the kingdom of Judah, and strengthen Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 And Rehoboam taketh to him a wife, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, [and] Abigail daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
19 And she beareth to him sons, Jeush, and Shamaria, and Zaham.
20 And after her he hath taken Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she beareth to him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 And Rehoboam loveth Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines -- for eighteen wives he hath taken, and sixty concubines -- and he begetteth twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.
22 And Rehoboam appointeth for head Abijah son of Maachah, for leader among his brethren, for to cause him to reign.
23 And he hath understanding, and spreadeth out of all his sons to all lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all cities of the bulwarks, and giveth to them provision in abundance; and he asketh a multitude of wives.
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified cities in Judah to defend against attacks. He repaired the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These cities in Judah and Benjamin were made secure. Rehoboam made these cities strong, and put commanders in them. He also put supplies of food, oil, and wine in them. Also, he put weapons in every city. He kept the peoples and cities of Judah and Benjamin under his control.
The priests and the Levites from all over Israel agreed with Rehoboam and participated. The Levites left their grasslands and their own fields and came to Judah and Jerusalem. The Levites did this because Jeroboam and his sons refused to let them serve as priests to the Lord. Jeroboam chose his own priests to serve in the high places, where he set up goat and calf idols he had designed. When the Levites left Israel, the people in all the tribes of Israel who were faithful to the Lord of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord of their fathers. These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and they supported Solomon’s son Rehoboam for 3 years. They did this because during that time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.
Rehoboam married Mahalath. Her father was Jerimoth. Her mother was Abihail. Jerimoth was David’s son. Abihail was Eliab’s daughter, and Eliab was Jesse’s son. Mahalath gave Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. Then Rehoboam married Maacah. Maacah was Absalom’s granddaughter. And Maacah gave Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Maacah more that he loved all his other wives and slave women. Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 slave women. He was the father of 28 sons and 60 daughters.
Rehoboam chose Abijah to be the leader among his children ---- planning to make Abijah king. Rehoboam acted wisely and spread all his sons through all the areas of Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city. Rehoboam gave plenty of provisions to his sons and also selected wives for them.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Rehoboam cometh in to Jerusalem, and assembleth the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 And a word of Jehovah is unto Shemaiah, a man of God, saying,
3 `Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, and unto all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4 Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren, turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the words of Jehovah, and turn back from going against Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelleth in Jerusalem, and buildeth cities for a bulwark in Judah,
6 yea, he buildeth Beth-Lehem and Etam, and Tekoa,
7 and Beth-Zur, and Shocho, and Adullam,
8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
10 and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, that [are] in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of bulwarks.
11 And he strengtheneth the bulwarks, and putteth in them leaders, and treasures of food, and oil, and wine,
12 and in every city and city targets and spears, and strengtheneth them very greatly; and he hath Judah and Benjamin.
13 And the priests, and the Levites, that [are] in all Israel, have stationed themselves by him, out of all their border,
14 for the Levites have left their suburbs and their possession, and they come to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons have cast them off from acting as priests to Jehovah,
15 and he establisheth to him priests for high places, and for goats, and for calves, that he made --
16 and after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those giving their heart to seek Jehovah, God of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Jehovah, God of their father.
17 And they strengthen the kingdom of Judah, and strengthen Rehoboam son of Solomon, for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 And Rehoboam taketh to him a wife, Mahalath, child of Jerimoth son of David, [and] Abigail daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
19 And she beareth to him sons, Jeush, and Shamaria, and Zaham.
20 And after her he hath taken Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she beareth to him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 And Rehoboam loveth Maachah daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines -- for eighteen wives he hath taken, and sixty concubines -- and he begetteth twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.
22 And Rehoboam appointeth for head Abijah son of Maachah, for leader among his brethren, for to cause him to reign.
23 And he hath understanding, and spreadeth out of all his sons to all lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all cities of the bulwarks, and giveth to them provision in abundance; and he asketh a multitude of wives.
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_LittleNipper
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Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 12:1-16 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and he set the example Israel would follow in this sin. Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the 5th year of King Rehoboam’s reign. He arrived with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians. Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.
The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”
Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!” When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”
So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take those shields and later return them to the guardroom. Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger subsided, and God did not allow complete destruction. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.
King Rehoboam firmly established himself in Jerusalem and continued to rule. He was 41 years old when he became king, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, a woman from Ammon. But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the Lord with all his heart.
The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from start to finish, at that time could be researched in the accounts of Iddo the seer (secular non-biblical genealogical record). Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually fighting with each other. When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And it cometh to pass, at the establishing of the kingdom of Rehoboam, and at his strengthening himself, he hath forsaken the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him.
2 And it cometh to pass, in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, come up hath Shishak king of Egypt against Jerusalem -- because they trespassed against Jehovah --
3 with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen, and there is no number to the people who have come with him out of Egypt -- Lubim, Sukkiim, and Cushim --
4 and he captureth the cities of the bulwarks that [are] to Judah, and cometh in unto Jerusalem.
5 And Shemaiah the prophet hath come in unto Rehoboam and the heads of Judah who have been gathered unto Jerusalem from the presence of Shishak, and saith to them, `Thus said Jehovah, Ye have forsaken Me, and also, I have left you in the hand of Shishak;'
6 and the heads of Israel are humbled, and the king, and they say, `Righteous [is] Jehovah.'
7 And when Jehovah seeth that they have been humbled, a word of Jehovah hath been unto Shemaiah, saying, `They have been humbled; I do not destroy them, and I have given to them as a little thing for an escape, and I pour not out My fury in Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak;
8 but they become servants to him, and they know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.'
9 And Shishak king of Egypt cometh up against Jerusalem, and taketh the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the house of the king -- the whole he hath taken -- and he taketh the shields of gold that Solomon had made;
10 and king Rehoboam maketh in their stead shields of brass, and hath given [them] a charge on the hand of the heads of the runners who are keeping the opening of the house of the king;
11 and it cometh to pass, from the time of the going in of the king to the house of Jehovah, the runners have come in and lifted them up, and brought them back unto the chamber of the runners.
12 And in his being humbled, turned back from him hath the wrath of Jehovah, so as not to destroy to completion; and also, in Judah there have been good things.
13 And king Rehoboam strengtheneth himself in Jerusalem, and reigneth; for a son of forty and two years [is] Rehoboam in his reigning, and seventeen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, the city that Jehovah hath chosen to put His name there, out of all the tribes of Israel, and the name of his mother [is] Naamah the Ammonitess,
14 and he doth the evil thing, for he hath not prepared his heart to seek Jehovah.
15 And the matters of Rehoboam, the first and the last, are they not written among the matters of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer, concerning genealogy? And the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam [are] all the days;
16 and Rehoboam lieth with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David, and reign doth Abijah his son in his stead.
The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”
Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!” When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”
So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take those shields and later return them to the guardroom. Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger subsided, and God did not allow complete destruction. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.
King Rehoboam firmly established himself in Jerusalem and continued to rule. He was 41 years old when he became king, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, a woman from Ammon. But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the Lord with all his heart.
The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from start to finish, at that time could be researched in the accounts of Iddo the seer (secular non-biblical genealogical record). Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually fighting with each other. When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And it cometh to pass, at the establishing of the kingdom of Rehoboam, and at his strengthening himself, he hath forsaken the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him.
2 And it cometh to pass, in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, come up hath Shishak king of Egypt against Jerusalem -- because they trespassed against Jehovah --
3 with a thousand and two hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen, and there is no number to the people who have come with him out of Egypt -- Lubim, Sukkiim, and Cushim --
4 and he captureth the cities of the bulwarks that [are] to Judah, and cometh in unto Jerusalem.
5 And Shemaiah the prophet hath come in unto Rehoboam and the heads of Judah who have been gathered unto Jerusalem from the presence of Shishak, and saith to them, `Thus said Jehovah, Ye have forsaken Me, and also, I have left you in the hand of Shishak;'
6 and the heads of Israel are humbled, and the king, and they say, `Righteous [is] Jehovah.'
7 And when Jehovah seeth that they have been humbled, a word of Jehovah hath been unto Shemaiah, saying, `They have been humbled; I do not destroy them, and I have given to them as a little thing for an escape, and I pour not out My fury in Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak;
8 but they become servants to him, and they know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.'
9 And Shishak king of Egypt cometh up against Jerusalem, and taketh the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the house of the king -- the whole he hath taken -- and he taketh the shields of gold that Solomon had made;
10 and king Rehoboam maketh in their stead shields of brass, and hath given [them] a charge on the hand of the heads of the runners who are keeping the opening of the house of the king;
11 and it cometh to pass, from the time of the going in of the king to the house of Jehovah, the runners have come in and lifted them up, and brought them back unto the chamber of the runners.
12 And in his being humbled, turned back from him hath the wrath of Jehovah, so as not to destroy to completion; and also, in Judah there have been good things.
13 And king Rehoboam strengtheneth himself in Jerusalem, and reigneth; for a son of forty and two years [is] Rehoboam in his reigning, and seventeen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, the city that Jehovah hath chosen to put His name there, out of all the tribes of Israel, and the name of his mother [is] Naamah the Ammonitess,
14 and he doth the evil thing, for he hath not prepared his heart to seek Jehovah.
15 And the matters of Rehoboam, the first and the last, are they not written among the matters of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer, concerning genealogy? And the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam [are] all the days;
16 and Rehoboam lieth with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David, and reign doth Abijah his son in his stead.
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_LittleNipper
- _Emeritus
- Posts: 4518
- Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:49 pm
Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 13:1-22 In the 18th year of the reign of King Jeroboam of Israel, Abijah became king of Judah. He ruled 3 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Micaiah daughter of Uriel, from the city of Gibeah.
War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah raised an army of 400,000 soldiers, and Jeroboam opposed him with an army of 800,000.
The armies met in the hill country of Ephraim. King Abijah went up Mount Zemaraim and called out to Jeroboam and the Israelites: “Listen to me!” he said. “Don't you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, made an unbreakable covenant with David, giving him and his descendants kingship over Israel forever? Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against Solomon, his king. Later he gathered together a group of selfish men, and they forced their will on Rehoboam son of Solomon, who was too weak to resist them. You propose to fight against the royal authority that the Lord gave to David's descendants. You have a huge army and have with you the gold bull-calves that Jeroboam made to be gods. You drove out the Lord's priests, the descendants of Aaron, and you drove out the Levites. In their place you appointed priests in the same way that other nations do. Anybody who comes along with a bull or seven sheep can get himself consecrated as a priest of those so-called gods of yours. But we still serve the Lord our God and have not abandoned him. Priests descended from Aaron perform their duties, and Levites assist them. Every morning and every evening they offer him incense and animal sacrifices. They present the offerings of bread on a table that is ritually clean, and every evening they light the lamps on the gold lampstand. We do what the Lord has commanded, but you have abandoned him. God himself is our leader and his priests are here with trumpets, ready to blow them and call us to battle against you. People of Israel, don't fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors! You can't win!”
Jeroboam had sent some of his troops to ambush the Judean army from the rear, while the rest faced them from the front. The Judeans looked around and saw that they were surrounded. They called to God for help, and the priests blew the trumpets. The Judeans shouted, and led by Abijah, they attacked; God defeated Jeroboam and the Israelite army. The Israelites fled from the Judeans, and God let the Judeans overpower them. Abijah and his army dealt the Israelites a crushing defeat— 500,000 of Israel's best soldiers were killed. So the people of Judah were victorious over Israel, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
Abijah pursued Jeroboam's army and occupied some of his cities: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the villages near each of these cities. Jeroboam never regained his power during Abijah's reign. Finally the Lord struck him down, and he died. Abijah, grew more powerful. He had 14 wives and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. The rest of the history of Abijah, what he said and what he did, was written in the secular record of Iddo the Prophet.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam -- Abijah reigneth over Judah;
2 three years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, (and the name of his mother [is] Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah,) and war hath been between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 And Abijah directeth the war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and Jeroboam hath set in array with him battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty of valour.
4 And Abijah riseth up on the hill of Zemaraim that [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, and saith, `Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
5 Is it not for you to know that Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the age, to him and to his sons -- a covenant of salt?
6 and rise up doth Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord!
7 `And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and hath not strengthened himself against them.
8 `And now, ye are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David, and ye [are] a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that Jeroboam hath made to you for gods.
9 `Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to No-gods!
10 `As for us, Jehovah [is] our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,
11 and are making perfume to Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread [is] on the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye -- ye have forsaken Him.
12 `And lo, with us -- at [our] head -- [is] God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah, God of your fathers, for ye do not prosper.'
13 And Jeroboam hath brought round the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush [is] behind them.
14 And Judah turneth, and lo, against them [is] the battle, before and behind, and they cry to Jehovah, and the priests are blowing with trumpets,
15 and the men of Judah shout -- and it cometh to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God hath smitten Jeroboam, and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah.
16 And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God giveth them into their hand,
17 and Abijah and his people smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leant on Jehovah, God of their fathers.
19 And Abijah pursueth after Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.
20 And Jeroboam hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.
21 And Abijah strengtheneth himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters,
22 and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the `Inquiry' of the prophet Iddo.
War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah raised an army of 400,000 soldiers, and Jeroboam opposed him with an army of 800,000.
The armies met in the hill country of Ephraim. King Abijah went up Mount Zemaraim and called out to Jeroboam and the Israelites: “Listen to me!” he said. “Don't you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, made an unbreakable covenant with David, giving him and his descendants kingship over Israel forever? Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against Solomon, his king. Later he gathered together a group of selfish men, and they forced their will on Rehoboam son of Solomon, who was too weak to resist them. You propose to fight against the royal authority that the Lord gave to David's descendants. You have a huge army and have with you the gold bull-calves that Jeroboam made to be gods. You drove out the Lord's priests, the descendants of Aaron, and you drove out the Levites. In their place you appointed priests in the same way that other nations do. Anybody who comes along with a bull or seven sheep can get himself consecrated as a priest of those so-called gods of yours. But we still serve the Lord our God and have not abandoned him. Priests descended from Aaron perform their duties, and Levites assist them. Every morning and every evening they offer him incense and animal sacrifices. They present the offerings of bread on a table that is ritually clean, and every evening they light the lamps on the gold lampstand. We do what the Lord has commanded, but you have abandoned him. God himself is our leader and his priests are here with trumpets, ready to blow them and call us to battle against you. People of Israel, don't fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors! You can't win!”
Jeroboam had sent some of his troops to ambush the Judean army from the rear, while the rest faced them from the front. The Judeans looked around and saw that they were surrounded. They called to God for help, and the priests blew the trumpets. The Judeans shouted, and led by Abijah, they attacked; God defeated Jeroboam and the Israelite army. The Israelites fled from the Judeans, and God let the Judeans overpower them. Abijah and his army dealt the Israelites a crushing defeat— 500,000 of Israel's best soldiers were killed. So the people of Judah were victorious over Israel, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
Abijah pursued Jeroboam's army and occupied some of his cities: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the villages near each of these cities. Jeroboam never regained his power during Abijah's reign. Finally the Lord struck him down, and he died. Abijah, grew more powerful. He had 14 wives and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. The rest of the history of Abijah, what he said and what he did, was written in the secular record of Iddo the Prophet.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam -- Abijah reigneth over Judah;
2 three years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, (and the name of his mother [is] Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah,) and war hath been between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 And Abijah directeth the war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and Jeroboam hath set in array with him battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty of valour.
4 And Abijah riseth up on the hill of Zemaraim that [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, and saith, `Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
5 Is it not for you to know that Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the age, to him and to his sons -- a covenant of salt?
6 and rise up doth Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord!
7 `And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and hath not strengthened himself against them.
8 `And now, ye are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David, and ye [are] a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that Jeroboam hath made to you for gods.
9 `Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to No-gods!
10 `As for us, Jehovah [is] our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,
11 and are making perfume to Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread [is] on the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye -- ye have forsaken Him.
12 `And lo, with us -- at [our] head -- [is] God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah, God of your fathers, for ye do not prosper.'
13 And Jeroboam hath brought round the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush [is] behind them.
14 And Judah turneth, and lo, against them [is] the battle, before and behind, and they cry to Jehovah, and the priests are blowing with trumpets,
15 and the men of Judah shout -- and it cometh to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God hath smitten Jeroboam, and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah.
16 And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God giveth them into their hand,
17 and Abijah and his people smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leant on Jehovah, God of their fathers.
19 And Abijah pursueth after Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.
20 And Jeroboam hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.
21 And Abijah strengtheneth himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters,
22 and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the `Inquiry' of the prophet Iddo.
-
_LittleNipper
- _Emeritus
- Posts: 4518
- Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:49 pm
Re: Bible verse by verse
2 Chronicles 14:1-15 Abijah died and was buried with his forefathers in Jerusalem. His son Asa became the next king.
For the 1st 10 years of Asa’s reign the country was at peace. Asa was a righteous king --- doing things right in God’s eyes. He got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed sacred pillars, and chopped down the sex groves. He told the citizens to center their lives in God, the God of their fathers, to do as the law said, and to follow the commandments. The direct result of getting rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace. Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah. God kept the peace.
Asa said to his people, “While we have the chance and the land is quiet, let’s build a solid defense system, fortifying our cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars. We have this peaceful land because we sought God; he has given us rest from all troubles.” So they built and enjoyed prosperity.
Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 Benjaminites who were shield bearers and archers. They were all valiant warriors.
Zerah the Ethiopian went to war against Asa with an army of a 1,000,300 chariots and got as far as Mareshah. Asa met him there and prepared to fight from the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Asa prayed, “O God, you are not intimidated/impressed by numbers or mortal power: Please Help us, O God; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in you and who you are!”
God defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah. the Ethiopians running for their lives. Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar; so many of the Ethiopians were killed that there was no fight left in them—a massacre before God and his troops; Judah carted off loads of plunder. They devastated all the towns around Gerar whose people were helpless, paralyzed by the fear of God, and looted the country. They also attacked herdsmen and brought back a lot of sheep and camels to Jerusalem.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Abijah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Asa his son in his stead: in his days was the land quiet ten years.
2 And Asa doth that which is good, and that which is right, in the eyes of Jehovah his God,
3 and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines,
4 and saith to Judah to seek Jehovah, God of their fathers, and to do the law and the command;
5 and he turneth aside out of all cities of Judah the high places and the images, and the kingdom is quiet before him.
6 And he buildeth cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land hath quiet, and there is no war with him in these years, because Jehovah hath given rest to him.
7 And he saith to Judah, `Let us build these cities, and compass [them] with wall, and towers, two-leaved doors, and bars, while the land [is] before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God, we have sought, and He giveth rest to us round about;' and they build and prosper.
8 And there is to Asa a force bearing target and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, bearing shield and treading bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these [are] mighty of valour.
9 And come out unto them doth Zerah the Cushite with a force of a thousand thousand, and chariots three hundred, and he cometh in unto Mareshah,
10 and Asa goeth out before him, and they set battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa calleth unto Jehovah his God, and saith, `Jehovah! it is nothing with Thee to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O Jehovah, our God, for on Thee we have leant, and in Thy name we have come against this multitude; O Jehovah, our God thou [art]; let him not prevail with Thee -- mortal man!
12 And Jehovah smiteth the Cushim before Asa, and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,
13 and Asa and the people who [are] with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there fall of the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before Jehovah, and before His camp; and they bear away very much spoil,
14 and smite all the cities round about Gerar, for a fear of Jehovah hath been upon them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil hath been in them;
15 and also tents of cattle they have smitten, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and turn back to Jerusalem.
For the 1st 10 years of Asa’s reign the country was at peace. Asa was a righteous king --- doing things right in God’s eyes. He got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed sacred pillars, and chopped down the sex groves. He told the citizens to center their lives in God, the God of their fathers, to do as the law said, and to follow the commandments. The direct result of getting rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace. Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah. God kept the peace.
Asa said to his people, “While we have the chance and the land is quiet, let’s build a solid defense system, fortifying our cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars. We have this peaceful land because we sought God; he has given us rest from all troubles.” So they built and enjoyed prosperity.
Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 Benjaminites who were shield bearers and archers. They were all valiant warriors.
Zerah the Ethiopian went to war against Asa with an army of a 1,000,300 chariots and got as far as Mareshah. Asa met him there and prepared to fight from the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Asa prayed, “O God, you are not intimidated/impressed by numbers or mortal power: Please Help us, O God; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in you and who you are!”
God defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah. the Ethiopians running for their lives. Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar; so many of the Ethiopians were killed that there was no fight left in them—a massacre before God and his troops; Judah carted off loads of plunder. They devastated all the towns around Gerar whose people were helpless, paralyzed by the fear of God, and looted the country. They also attacked herdsmen and brought back a lot of sheep and camels to Jerusalem.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 And Abijah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Asa his son in his stead: in his days was the land quiet ten years.
2 And Asa doth that which is good, and that which is right, in the eyes of Jehovah his God,
3 and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines,
4 and saith to Judah to seek Jehovah, God of their fathers, and to do the law and the command;
5 and he turneth aside out of all cities of Judah the high places and the images, and the kingdom is quiet before him.
6 And he buildeth cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land hath quiet, and there is no war with him in these years, because Jehovah hath given rest to him.
7 And he saith to Judah, `Let us build these cities, and compass [them] with wall, and towers, two-leaved doors, and bars, while the land [is] before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God, we have sought, and He giveth rest to us round about;' and they build and prosper.
8 And there is to Asa a force bearing target and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, bearing shield and treading bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these [are] mighty of valour.
9 And come out unto them doth Zerah the Cushite with a force of a thousand thousand, and chariots three hundred, and he cometh in unto Mareshah,
10 and Asa goeth out before him, and they set battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa calleth unto Jehovah his God, and saith, `Jehovah! it is nothing with Thee to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O Jehovah, our God, for on Thee we have leant, and in Thy name we have come against this multitude; O Jehovah, our God thou [art]; let him not prevail with Thee -- mortal man!
12 And Jehovah smiteth the Cushim before Asa, and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,
13 and Asa and the people who [are] with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there fall of the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before Jehovah, and before His camp; and they bear away very much spoil,
14 and smite all the cities round about Gerar, for a fear of Jehovah hath been upon them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil hath been in them;
15 and also tents of cattle they have smitten, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and turn back to Jerusalem.