My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. ¹  My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’” ² 

So when Rehoboam ¹  humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger and did not annihilate him; ²  Judah experienced some good things. ³ 

Don’t you realize that the Lord God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement? ¹ 

Abijah’s power grew; he had ¹  fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

These were their divisions by families: There were a thousand officers from Judah. ¹  Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors,

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?”

So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. ¹  He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow ²  the Lord God of their ancestors. ³ 

Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. ¹  They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. ²  They declared, “Long live the king!”

The men ¹  of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. ²  All the captives ³  fell to their death. ⁴ 

He followed ¹  God during the lifetime of ²  Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed ³  the Lord, God caused him to succeed. ⁴ 

Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command.

The Israelites seized from their brothers 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a huge amount of plunder and took it ¹  back to Samaria. ² 

My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices.” ¹ 

We have prepared and consecrated all the items that King Ahaz removed during his reign when he acted unfaithfully. They are in front of the altar of the Lord.”

There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel. ¹ 

Many were bringing presents ¹  to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by ²  all the nations.

he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me:

Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard: