Study Desk

Then Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.

And he said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.

Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables-more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.

Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled against his rule at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.

This continued day after day until two full years passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain. And his people did not make a fire in his honor as they had done for his fathers.

But Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah's sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him.

No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword.

And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, "This is what God says: 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.'

Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

While he was still speaking, the king asked, "Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but he said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice."

But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him.

So Jotham grew powerful because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.

But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. "Look," he said to them, "because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hands. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.