Lawless good-for-nothing men<n id="1" /> gathered around him and conspired<n id="2" /> against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man<n id="3" /> and could not resist them.

<p class="bodytext">At that time Hanani the prophet<n id="1" /> visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: &#8220;Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the <sc>Lordsc> your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.

Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming!<n id="1" /> When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands.<n id="2" /> They bypassed them and did not destroy them.

Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, &#8220;Because<n id="1" /> you made an alliance with Ahaziah, the <sc>Lordsc> will shatter what you have made.&#8221; The ships were wrecked and unable to go to sea.<n id="2" />p>

But the <sc>Lordsc> was unwilling to destroy David&#8217;s dynasty<n id="1" /> because of the promise<n id="2" /> he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty.<n id="3" />p>

They attacked Judah and swept through it.<n id="1" /> They carried off everything they found in the royal palace,<n id="2" /> including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah.

After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death.<n id="1" /> His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors.<n id="2" />p>

He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, &#8220;Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!&#8221; But the Levites delayed.p>

God&#8217;s Spirit energized<n id="1" /> Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, &#8220;This is what God says: &#8216;Why are you violating the commands of the <sc>Lordsc>? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the <sc>Lordsc>, he has rejected you!&#8217;&#8221;

When they withdrew, they left Joash<n id="1" /> badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to<n id="2" /> the son<n id="3" /> of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus<n id="4" /> he died and was buried in the City of David,<n id="5" /> but not in the tombs of the kings.

While he was speaking, Amaziah<n id="1" /> said to him, &#8220;Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!&#8221;<n id="2" /> So the prophet stopped, but added, &#8220;I know that the <sc>Lordsc> has decided<n id="3" /> to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.&#8221;p>

They confronted<n id="1" /> King Uzziah and said to him, &#8220;It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the <sc>Lordsc>. That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyed<n id="2" /> and the <sc>Lordsc> God will not honor you!&#8221;

But there were not enough priests to skin all the animals,<n id="1" /> so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.)<n id="2" />

For if you return to the <sc>Lordsc>, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The <sc>Lordsc> your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you<n id="1" /> if you return to him.&#8221;p>

I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,<n id="1" /> provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations given to Moses.&#8221;

&#8216;Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.<n id="1" /> You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.&#8217;&#8221;&#8217;&#8221; Then they reported back to the king.p>

A Passover like this had not been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, and the residents of Jerusalem.

He brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughtered<n id="1" /> their young men in their temple.<n id="2" /> He did not spare<n id="3" /> young men or women, or even the old and aging. God<n id="4" /> handed everyone over to him.

<p class="bodytext">God said to Solomon, &#8220;Because you desire this,<n id="1" /> and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies,<n id="2" /> and because you did not ask for long life,<n id="3" /> but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king,

<p class="bodytext">When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, &#8220;We have no portion in David &#8211; no share in the son of Jesse!<n id="1" /> Return to your homes, O Israel!<n id="2" /> Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!&#8221;<n id="3" /> So all Israel returned to their homes.<n id="4" />