2 Chronicles 13:5

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

Hebrew Names Version
Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, gave the kingdom over Yisra'el to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

King James Version
Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

English Standard Version
Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

New Century Version
You should know that the Lord , the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to rule Israel forever by an agreement of salt.

New English Translation
Don't you realize that the Lord God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement?

Amplified Bible
"Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel, gave rule over Israel forever to David and to his sons by a covenant of salt [a permanent pact, extending to each generation of Israel]?

New American Standard Bible
"Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

World English Bible
Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel hath giuen the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes by a couenant of salt?

Legacy Standard Bible
Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Berean Standard Bible
Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

Contemporary English Version
The Lord God of Israel has made a solemn promise that every king of Israel will be from David's family.

Complete Jewish Bible
Don't you know that Adonai , the God of Isra'el, gave rulership over Isra'el to David forever, to him and his descendants, by a covenant of salt [which is unbreakable]?

Darby Translation
Ought ye not to know that Jehovah the God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, to him and to his sons [by] a covenant of salt?

Easy-to-Read Version
You should know that the Lord , the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to be king over Israel forever. God gave this right to David with an agreement of salt.

George Lamsa Translation
Perhaps you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant pertaining to the kingship.

Good News Translation
"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?

Lexham English Bible
Do you not all know that Yahweh the God of Israel gave the kingdom to David over Israel forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Literal Translation
Do you not know that Jehovah the God of Israel has given the kingdom to David over Israel forever, to him and to his sons, a covenant of salt?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Knowe ye not that the LORDE God of Israel hath geuen Dauid ye kyngdome of Israel for euer, vnto him and his sonnes with a Salt couenaunt?

American Standard Version
Ought ye not to know that Jehovah, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Bible in Basic English
Is it not clear to you that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel to David and to his sons for ever, by an agreement made with salt?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Do not you knowe how that the Lord God of Israel gaue the kingdome ouer them of Israel to Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes, with a salted couenaunt?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
ought ye not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

King James Version (1611)
Ought you not to know, that the Lord God of Israel gaue the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes by a couenant of salt?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Is it not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel for ever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

English Revised Version
Ought ye not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
whether ye knowen not, that the Lord God of Israel yaf to Dauid the rewme on Israel with outen ende, to hym and to hise sones in to the couenaunt of salt, `that is, stidefast and stable?

Update Bible Version
Don't you know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Webster's Bible Translation
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

New King James Version
Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?

New Living Translation
Don't you realize that the Lord , the God of Israel, made a lasting covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever?

New Life Bible
Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by an agreement of salt?

New Revised Standard
Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Is it not yours to know, that, Yahweh God of Israel gave the kingdom to David, over Israel, unto times age-abiding, - to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave to David the kingdom over Israel for ever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Revised Standard Version
Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel for ever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Young's Literal Translation
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?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Contextual Overview

¹In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Jeroboam, Abijah took over the throne of Judah. He ruled in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah started out with 400,000 of his best soldiers; Jeroboam countered with 800,000 of his best. Abijah took a prominent position on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and gave this speech: "Listen, Jeroboam and all Israel! Don't you realize that God , the one and only God of Israel, established David and his sons as the permanent rulers of Israel, ratified by a ‘covenant of salt'— God 's kingdom ruled by God 's king? And what happened? Jeroboam, the son of Solomon's slave Nebat, rebelled against his master. All the riffraff joined his cause and were too much for Rehoboam, Solomon's true heir. Rehoboam didn't know his way around—besides he was a real wimp; he couldn't stand up against them. "Taking advantage of that weakness, you are asserting yourself against the very rule of God that is delegated to David's descendants—you think you are so big with your huge army backed up by the golden-calf idols that Jeroboam made for you as gods! But just look at what you've done—you threw out the priests of God , the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests to suit yourselves, priests just like the pagans have. Anyone who shows up with enough money to pay for it can be a priest! A priest of No-God! "But for the rest of us in Judah, we're sticking with God . We have not traded him in for the latest model—we're keeping the tried-and-true priests of Aaron to lead us to God and the Levites to lead us in worship by sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and aromatic incense to God at the daily morning and evening prayers, setting out fresh holy bread on a clean table, and lighting the lamps on the golden Lampstand every night. We continue doing what God told us to in the way he told us to do it; but you have rid yourselves of him. "Can't you see the obvious? God is on our side; he's our leader. And his priests with trumpets are all ready to blow the signal to battle. O Israel—don't fight against God , the God of your ancestors. You will not win this battle." While Abijah was speaking, Jeroboam had sent men around to take them by surprise from the rear: Jeroboam in front of Judah and the ambush behind. When Judah looked back, they saw they were attacked front and back. They prayed desperately to God , the priests blew their trumpets, and the soldiers of Judah shouted their battle cry. At the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The army of Israel scattered before Judah; God gave them the victory. Abijah and his troops slaughtered them—500,000 of Israel's best fighters were killed that day. The army of Israel fell flat on its face—a humiliating defeat. The army of Judah won hands down because they trusted God , the God of their ancestors. Abijah followed up his victory by pursuing Jeroboam, taking the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron with their surrounding villages. Jeroboam never did recover from his defeat while Abijah lived. Later on God struck him down and he died. Meanwhile Abijah flourished; he married fourteen wives and ended up with a family of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. The rest of the history of Abijah, what he did and said, is written in the study written by Iddo the prophet. ³King Abijah In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Jeroboam, Abijah took over the throne of Judah. He ruled in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah started out with 400,000 of his best soldiers; Jeroboam countered with 800,000 of his best. ⁴Abijah took a prominent position on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and gave this speech: "Listen, Jeroboam and all Israel! Don't you realize that God , the one and only God of Israel, established David and his sons as the permanent rulers of Israel, ratified by a ‘covenant of salt'— God 's kingdom ruled by God 's king? And what happened? Jeroboam, the son of Solomon's slave Nebat, rebelled against his master. All the riffraff joined his cause and were too much for Rehoboam, Solomon's true heir. Rehoboam didn't know his way around—besides he was a real wimp; he couldn't stand up against them. ⁸"Taking advantage of that weakness, you are asserting yourself against the very rule of God that is delegated to David's descendants—you think you are so big with your huge army backed up by the golden-calf idols that Jeroboam made for you as gods! But just look at what you've done—you threw out the priests of God , the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests to suit yourselves, priests just like the pagans have. Anyone who shows up with enough money to pay for it can be a priest! A priest of No-God! ¹⁰"But for the rest of us in Judah, we're sticking with God . We have not traded him in for the latest model—we're keeping the tried-and-true priests of Aaron to lead us to God and the Levites to lead us in worship by sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and aromatic incense to God at the daily morning and evening prayers, setting out fresh holy bread on a clean table, and lighting the lamps on the golden Lampstand every night. We continue doing what God told us to in the way he told us to do it; but you have rid yourselves of him. ¹² "Can't you see the obvious? God is on our side; he's our leader. And his priests with trumpets are all ready to blow the signal to battle. O Israel—don't fight against God , the God of your ancestors. You will not win this battle."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ought ye not: Nehemiah 5:9, Proverbs 1:29, 2 Peter 3:5

the Lord: Judges 11:21-24, Jeremiah 27:5-7, Daniel 4:25-32, Daniel 5:18

to David: 1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:12, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, 1 Kings 8:20, 1 Chronicles 17:11, 1 Chronicles 17:14, 1 Chronicles 28:4, 1 Chronicles 28:5, Psalms 89:19-37, Jeremiah 33:21, Jeremiah 33:22, Jeremiah 33:26, Luke 1:31-33

a covenant of salt: Leviticus 2:13, Numbers 18:19, Ezekiel 43:24, Mark 9:49, Mark 9:50

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 10:13 - they fled 1 Kings 12:19 - Israel 1 Chronicles 19:14 - they fled 2 Chronicles 10:19 - Israel

Cross-References

Genesis 25:27
The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ought you not to know,.... They did know what he afterwards says, but he would have them consider and acknowledge it:

that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever; to him and his seed, particularly to the Messiah, that should spring from him; but whether Abijah had this in view is a question, see 2 Samuel 7:13

even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? that is, a perpetual one, which was inviolable, and never to be made void; called so, because salt preserves from corruption and putrefaction, and because made use of in sacrifices offered when covenants were made; the Targum is,

"as salt waters, which never lose their saltness.''

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 13:5. By a covenant of salt? — For ever. "For as the waters of the sea never grow sweet, neither shall the dominion depart from the house of David." - Targum. Numbers 18:19.