The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 14: 2 Paralipomenon

U >> Unknown >> The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 14: 2 Paralipomenon

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

14:10. And Asa went out to meet him, and set his army in array for
battle in the vale of Sephata, which is near Maresa:

14:11. And he called upon the Lord God, and said: Lord, there is no
difference with thee, whether thou help with few, or with many: help us,
O Lord our God: for with confidence in thee, and in thy name we are come
against this multitude. O Lord thou art our God, let not man prevail
against thee.

14:12. And the Lord terrified the Ethiopians before Asa and Juda: and
the Ethiopians fled.

14:13. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them to Gerara:
and the Ethiopians fell even to utter destruction, for the Lord slew
them, and his army fought against them, and they were destroyed. And
they took abundance of spoils,

14:14. And they took all the cities round about Gerara: for a great fear
was come upon all men: and they pillaged the cities, and carried off
much booty.

14:15. And they destroyed the sheepcotes, and took an infinite number of
cattle, and of camels: and returned to Jerusalem.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 15

The prophecy of Azarias. Asa's covenant with God. He deposeth his
mother.

15:1. And the spirit of God came upon Azarias the son of Oded,

15:2. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: Hear ye me, Asa, and
all Juda and Benjamin: The Lord is with you, because you have been with
him. If you seek him, you shall find: but if you forsake him, he will
forsake you.

15:3. And many days shall pass in Israel, without the true God, and
without a priest a teacher, and without the law.

15:4. And when in their distress they shall return to the Lord the God
of Israel, and shall seek him, they shall find him.

15:5. At that time there shall be no peace to him that goeth out and
cometh in, but terrors on every side among all the inhabitants of the
earth.

15:6. For nation shall fight against nation, and city against city, for
the Lord will trouble them with all distress.

15:7. Do you therefore take courage, and let not your hands be weakened:
for there shall be a reward for your work.

15:8. And when Asa had heard the words, and the prophecy of Azarias the
son of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and took away the idols out of
all the land of Juda, and out of Benjamin, and out of the cities of
mount Ephraim, which he had taken, and he dedicated the altar of the
Lord, which was before the porch of the Lord.

15:9. And he gathered together all Juda and Benjamin, and the strangers
with them of Ephraim, and Manasses, and Simeon: for many were come over
to him out of Israel, seeing that the Lord his God was with him.

15:10. And when they were come to Jerusalem in the third month, in the
fifteenth year of the reign of Asa,

15:11. They sacrificed to the Lord in that day of the spoils, and of the
prey, that they had brought, seven hundred oxen, and seven thousand
rams.

15:12. And he went in to confirm as usual the covenant, that they should
seek the Lord the God of their fathers with all their heart, and with
all their soul.

15:13. And if any one, said he, seek not the Lord the God of Israel, let
him die, whether little or great, man or woman.

15:14. And they swore to the Lord with a loud voice with joyful
shouting, and with sound of trumpet, and sound of cornets,

15:15. All that were in Juda with a curse: for with all their heart they
swore, and with all their will they sought him, and they found him, and
the Lord gave them rest round about.

15:16. Moreover Maacha the mother of king Asa he deposed from the royal
authority, because she had made in a grove an idol of Priapus: and he
entirely destroyed it, and breaking it into pieces, burnt it at the
torrent Cedron.

15:17. But high places were left in Israel: nevertheless the heart of
Asa was perfect all his days.

15:18. And the things which his father had vowed, and he himself had
vowed, he brought into the house of the Lord, gold and silver, and
vessels of divers uses.

15:19. And there was no war unto the five and thirtieth year of the
kingdom of Asa.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 16

Asa is reproved for seeking help from the Syrians: his last acts and
death.

16:1. And in the six and thirtieth year of his kingdom, Baasa the king
of Israel came up against Juda, and built a wall about Rama, that no one
might safely go out or come in of the kingdom of Asa.

Six and thirtieth year of his kingdom... That is, of the kingdom of
Juda, taking the date of it from the beginning of the reign of Reboam.

16:2. Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the
house of the Lord, and of the king's treasures, and sent to Benadad king
of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:

16:3. There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my
father and thy father, wherefore I have sent thee silver and gold, that
thou mayst break thy league with Baasa king of Israel, and make him
depart from me.

16:4. And when Benadad heard this, he sent the captains of his armies
against the cities of Israel: and they took Ahion, and Dan, and
Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Nephtali.

16:5. And when Baasa heard of it, he left off the building of Rama, and
interrupted his work.

16:6. Then king Asa took all Juda, and they carried away from Rama the
stones, and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building: and he
built with them Gabaa, and Maspha.

16:7. At that time Hanani the prophet came to Asa king of Juda, and said
to him: Because thou hast had confidence in the king of Syria, and not
in the Lord thy God, therefore hath the army of the king of Syria
escaped out of thy hand.

16:8. Were not the Ethiopians, and the Libyans much more numerous in
chariots, and horsemen, and an exceeding great multitude: yet because
thou trustedst in the Lord, he delivered them into thy hand?

16:9. For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth, and give strength
to those who with a perfect heart trust in him. Wherefore thou hast
done foolishly, and for this cause from this time wars shall arise
against thee.

16:10. And Asa was angry with the seer, and commanded him to be put in
prison: for he was greatly enraged because of this thing: and he put to
death many of the people at that time.

16:11. But the works of Asa the first and last are written in the book
of the kings of Juda and Israel.

16:12. And Asa fell sick in the nine and thirtieth year of his reign, of
a most violent pain in his feet, and yet in his illness he did not seek
the Lord, but rather trusted in the skill of physicians.

16:13. And he slept with his fathers: and he died in the one and
fortieth year of his reign.

16:14. And they buried him in his own sepulchre, which he had made for
himself in the city of David: and they laid him on his bed full of
spices and odoriferous ointments, which were made by the art of the
perfumers, and they burnt them over him with very great pomp.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 17

Josaphat's reign: his care for the instruction of his people: his
numerous forces.

17:1. And Josaphat his son reigned in his stead, and grew strong against
Israel.

17:2. And he placed numbers of soldiers in all the fortified cities of
Juda. And he put garrisons in the land of Juda, and in the cities of
Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

17:3. And the Lord was with Josaphat, because he walked in the first
ways of David his father: and trusted not in Baalim,

17:4. But in the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and
not according to the sins of Israel.

17:5. And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand, and all Juda
brought presents to Josaphat: and he acquired immense riches, and much
glory.

17:6. And when his heart had taken courage for the ways of the Lord, he
took away also the high places and the groves out of Juda.

17:7. And in the third year of his reign, he sent of his princes
Benhail, and Abdias, and Zacharias, and Nathanael, and Micheas, to teach
in the cites of Juda:

17:8. And with them the Levites, Semeias, and Nathanias, and Zabadias,
and Asael, and Semiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonias, and Tobias, and
Thobadonias Levites, and with them Elisama, and Joram priests.

17:9. And they taught the people in Juda, having with them the book of
the law of the Lord: and they went about all the cities of Juda, and
instructed the people.

17:10. And the fear of the Lord came upon all the kingdoms of the lands
that were round about Juda, and they durst not make war against
Josaphat.

17:11. The Philistines also brought presents to Josaphat, and tribute in
silver, and the Arabians brought him cattle, seven thousand seven
hundred rams, and as many he goats.

17:12. And Josaphat grew, and became exceeding great: and he built in
Juda houses like towers, and walled cities.

17:13. And he prepared many works in the cities of Juda: and he had
warriors, and valiant men in Jerusalem.

17:14. Of whom this is the number of the houses and families of every
one: in Juda captains of the army, Ednas the chief, and with him three
hundred thousand most valiant men.

17:15. After him Johanan the captain, and with him two hundred and
eighty thousand.

17:16. And after him was Amasias the son of Zechri, consecrated to the
Lord, and with him were two hundred thousand valiant men.

17:17. After him was Eliada valiant in battle, and with him two hundred
thousand armed with bow and shield.

17:18. After him also was Jozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty
thousand ready for war.

17:19. All these were at the hand of the king, beside others, whom he
had put in the walled cities, in all Juda.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 18

Josaphat accompanies Achab in his expedition against Ramoth; where Achab
is slain, as Micheas had foretold.

18:1. Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by
affinity to Achab.

18:2. And he went down to him after some years to Samaria: and Achab at
his coming killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people
that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad.

18:3. And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with
me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my
people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.

18:4. And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee,
at present the word of the Lord.

18:5. So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four
hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight,
or shall we forbear? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver into the
king's hand.

18:6. And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that
we may inquire also of him?

18:7. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom
we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never
prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas the son of
Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king.

18:8. And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him:
Call quickly Micheas the son of Jemla.

18:9. Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on
their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by
the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

18:10. And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made him horns of iron, and
said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou
destroy it.

18:11. And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up
to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them
into the king's hand.

18:12. And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold
the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I
beseech thee therefore let not thy word disagree with them, and speak
thou also good success.

18:13. And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God
shall say to me, that will I speak.

18:14. So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall
we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or forbear? And he answered him: Go up,
for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered
into your hands.

18:15. And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing
but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord.

18:16. Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like
sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no masters: let
every man return to his own house in peace.

18:17. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that
this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil?

18:18. Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the
Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him
on the right hand and on the left,

18:19. And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that
he may go up and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke in this
manner, and another otherwise:

Who shall deceive, etc... See the annotations, 3 Kings 22.

18:20. There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I
will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou
deceive him?

18:21. And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and
shalt prevail: go out, and do so.

18:22. Now therefore behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the
mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.

18:23. And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the
cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak
to thee?

18:24. And Micheas said: Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou
shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself.

18:25. And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry
him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joas the son of Amelech,

18:26. And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give
him bread and water in a small quantity till I return in peace.

18:27. And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not
spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.

18:28. So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth
Galaad.

18:29. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress,
and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments. And
the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to the battle.

18:30. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry,
saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel
only.

18:31. So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This
is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he
cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.

18:32. For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the
king of Israel, they left him.

18:33. And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a
venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the
shoulders, and he said to his chariot man: Turn thy hand, and carry me
out of the battle, for I am wounded.

18:34. And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in
his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the
sunset.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 19

Josaphat's charge to the judges and to the Levites.

19:1. And Josaphat king of Juda returned to his house in peace to
Jerusalem.

19:2. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer met him, and said to him: Thou
helpest the ungodly, and thou art joined in friendship with them that
hate the Lord, and therefore thou didst deserve indeed the wrath of the
Lord:

19:3. But good works are found in thee, because thou hast taken away the
groves out of the land of Juda, and hast prepared thy heart to seek the
Lord the God of thy fathers.

19:4. And Josaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again to the
people from Bersabee to mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord
the God of their fathers.

19:5. And he set judges of the land in all the fenced cities of Juda, in
every place.

19:6. And charging the judges, he said: Take heed what you do: for you
exercise not the judgment of man, but of the Lord: and whatsoever you
judge, it shall redound to you.

19:7. Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and do all things with
diligence: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect
of persons, nor desire of gifts.

19:8. In Jerusalem also Josaphat appointed Levites, and priests and
chiefs of the families of Israel, to judge the judgment and the cause of
the Lord for the inhabitants thereof.

19:9. And he charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in the fear of the
Lord faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

19:10. Every cause that shall come to you of your brethren, that dwell
in their cities, between kindred and kindred, wheresoever there is
question concerning the law, the commandment, the ceremonies, the
justifications: shew it them, that they may not sin against the Lord,
and that wrath may not come upon you and your brethren: and so doing you
shall not sin.

19:11. And Amarias the priest your high priest shall be chief in the
things which regard God: and Zabadias the son of Ismahel, who is ruler
in the house of Juda, shall be over those matters which belong to the
king's office: and you have before you the Levites for masters, take
courage and do diligently, and the Lord will be with you in good things.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 20

The Ammonites, Moabites, and Syrians combine against Josaphat: he
seeketh God's help by public prayer and fasting. A prophet foretelleth
that God will fight for his people: the enemies destroy one another.
Josaphat with his men gathereth the spoils. He reigneth in peace, but
his navy perisheth, for his society with wicked Ochozias.

20:1. After this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and
with them of the Ammonites, were gathered together to fight against
Josaphat.

20:2. And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh
a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, and out of Syria,
and behold they are in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.

20:3. And Josaphat being seized with fear betook himself wholly to pray
to the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Juda.

20:4. And Juda gathered themselves together to pray to the Lord: and all
came out of their cities to make supplication to him.

20:5. And Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and
Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court,

20:6. And said: O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and
rulest over all the kingdoms and nations, in thy hand is strength and
power, and no one can resist thee.

20:7. Didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land
before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy
friend for ever?

20:8. And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name,
saying:

20:9. If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or
famine, we will stand in thy presence before this house, in which thy
name is called upon: and we will cry to thee in our afflictions, and
thou wilt hear, and save us.

20:10. Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and
mount Seir, through whose lands thou didst not allow Israel to pass,
when they came out of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and slew
them not,

20:11. Do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession
which thou hast delivered to us.

20:12. O our God, wilt thou not then judge them? as for us we have not
strength enough, to be able to resist this multitude, which cometh
violently upon us. But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our
eyes to thee.

20:13. And all Juda stood before the Lord with their little ones, and
their wives, and their children.

20:14. And Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of
Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, was there,
upon whom the spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the multitude,

20:15. And he said: Attend ye, all Juda, and you that dwell in
Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you: Fear ye
not, and be not dismayed at this multitude: for the battle is not yours,
but God's.

20:16. To morrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up
by the ascent named Sis, and you shall find them at the head of the
torrent, which is over against the wilderness of Jeruel.

20:17. It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with
confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you, O Juda, and
Jerusalem: fear ye not, nor be you dismayed: to morrow you shall go out
against them, and the Lord will be with you.

20:18. Then Josaphat, and Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
fell flat on the ground before the Lord, and adored him.

20:19. And the Levites of the sons of Caath, and of the sons of Core
praised the Lord the God of Israel with a loud voice, on high.

20:20. And they rose early in the morning, and went out through the
desert of Thecua: and as they were marching, Josaphat standing in the
midst of them, said: Hear me, ye men of Juda, and all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be secure:
believe his prophets, and all things shall succeed well.

20:21. And he gave counsel to the people, and appointed the singing men
of the Lord, to praise him by their companies, and to go before the
army, and with one voice to say: Give glory to the Lord, for his mercy
endureth for ever.

20:22. And when they began to sing praises, the Lord turned their
ambushments upon themselves, that is to say, of the children of Ammon,
and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who were come out to fight against Juda,
and they were slain.

20:23. For the children of Ammon, and of Moab, rose up against the
inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill and destroy them: and when they had
made an end of them, they turned also against one another, and destroyed
one another.

20:24. And when Juda came to the watch tower, that looketh toward the
desert, they saw afar off all the country, for a great space, full of
dead bodies, and that no one was left that could escape death.

20:25. Then Josaphat came, and all the people with him to take away the
spoils of the dead, and they found among the dead bodies, stuff of
various kinds, and garments, and most precious vessels: and they took
them for themselves, insomuch that they could not carry all, nor in
three days take away the spoils, the booty was so great.

20:26. And on the fourth day they were assembled in the valley of
Blessing: for there they blessed the Lord, and therefore they called
that place the valley of Blessing until this day.

20:27. And every man of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem returned,
and Josaphat at their head, into Jerusalem with great joy, because the
Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.

20:28. And they came into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and
trumpets into the house of the Lord.

20:29. And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands
when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

20:30. And the kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace
round about.

20:31. And Josaphat reigned over Juda, and he was five and thirty years
old, when he began to reign: and he reigned five and twenty years in
Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Selahi.

20:32. And he walked in the way of his father Asa and departed not from
it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.

20:33. But yet he took not away the high places, and the people had not
yet turned their heart to the Lord the God of their fathers.

20:34. But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, first and last, are written
in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books
of the kings of Israel.

20:35. After these things Josaphat king of Juda made friendship with
Ochozias king of Israel, whose works were very wicked.

20:36. And he was partner with him in making ships, to go to Tharsis:
and they made the ships in Asiongaber.

20:37. And Eliezer the son of Dodau of Maresa prophesied to Josaphat,
saying: Because thou hast made a league with Ochozias, the Lord hath
destroyed thy works, and the ships are broken, and they could not go to
Tharsis.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 21

Joram's wicked reign: his punishment and death.

21:1. And Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in
the city of David: and Joram his son reigned in his stead.

21:2. And he had brethren the sons of Josaphat, Azarias, and Jahiel, and
Zacharias, and Azaria, and Michael, and Saphatias, all these were the
sons of Josaphat king of Juda.

21:3. And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and
pensions, with strong cities in Juda: but the kingdom he gave to Joram,
because he was the eldest.

21:4. So Joram rose up over the kingdom of his father: and when he had
established himself, he slew all his brethren with the sword, and some
of the princes of Israel.

21:5. Joram was two and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he
reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6