Study Desk

So King Rehoboam was strong in Ierusalem and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and fourtie yere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned seuenteene yeres in Ierusalem, the citie which the Lorde had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his Name there. And his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitesse.

And he did euill: for hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lorde.

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?

And there are gathered to him vayne men and wicked, and made themselues strong against Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon: for Rehoboboam was but a childe and tender hearted, & coulde not resist them.

Now therefore ye thinke that yee be able to resist against the kingdome of the Lorde, which is in the handes of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye bee a great multitude, and the golden calues are with you which Ieroboam made you for gods.

And they burne vnto the Lorde euery morning and euery euening burnt offerings and sweete incense, and the breade is set in order vpon the pure table, and the candlesticke of golde with the lampes thereof, to burne euery euening: for we keepe the watch of the Lord our God: but ye haue forsaken him.

And behold, this God is with vs, as a captaine, and his Priests with the sounding trumpets, to crie an alarme against you. O yee children of Israel, fight not against the Lorde God of your fathers: for ye shall not prosper.

For he tooke away the altars of the strange gods and the hie places, and brake downe the images, and cut downe the groues,

He built also strong cities in Iudah, because the lande was in rest, and he had no warre in those yeeres: for the Lord had giuen him rest.

And Asa cryed vnto the Lorde his God, and saide, Lord, it is nothing with thee to helpe with many, or with no power: helpe vs, O Lorde our God: for we rest on thee, and in thy Name are we come against this multitude: O Lorde, thou art our God, let not man preuaile against thee.

And Asa and the people that was with him, pursued them vnto Gerar. And the Ethiopians hoste was ouerthrowen, so that there was no life in them: for they were destroyed before the Lorde and before his hoste: and they caryed away a mightie great spoyle.

And they smote all the cities rounde about Gerar: for the feare of the Lorde came vpon them, and they spoyled all the cities, for there was exceeding much spoyle in them.

Nowe for a long season Israel hath bene without the true God, and without Priest to teach and without Lawe.

For nation was destroyed of nation, and citie of citie: for God troubled them with all aduersitie.

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your handes be weake: for your worke shall haue a rewarde.

And he gathered all Iudah and Beniamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for there fell many to him out of Israel, when they sawe that the Lorde his God was with him.

And all Iudah reioyced at the othe: for they had sworne vnto the Lorde with all their heart, and sought him with a whole desire, and he was founde of them. And the Lorde gaue them rest rounde about.

For the eyes of the Lorde beholde all the earth to shewe him selfe strong with them that are of perfite heart towarde him: thou hast then done foolishly in this: therefore from henceforth thou shalt haue warres.

Then Asa was wroth with the Seer, and put him into a prison: for he was displeased wt him, because of this thing. And Asa oppressed certaine of the people at the same time.

And they buryed him in one of his sepulchres, which he had made for him selfe in the citie of Dauid, and layed him in the bed, which they had filled with sweete odours and diuers kindes of spices made by the arte of the apoticarie: and they burnt odours for him with an exceeding great fire.