but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the <sc>Lordsc>, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel.<n id="1" /> You also killed your brothers, members of your father&#8217;s family,<n id="2" /> who were better than you.

He followed their advice and joined Ahab&#8217;s son King Joram<n id="1" /> of Israel in a battle against King Hazael of Syria<n id="2" /> at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram.

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>

<p class="bodytext">So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest,<n id="1" /> and said to him, &#8220;Why have you not made<n id="2" /> the Levites collect<n id="3" /> from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?&#8221;<n id="4" />

Amaziah asked the prophet:<n id="1" /> &#8220;But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?&#8221; The prophet<n id="2" /> replied, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> is capable of giving you more than that.&#8221;

King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate &#8211; a distance of about six hundred feet.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians<n id="1" /> defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus.<n id="2" /> He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him.<n id="3" />

They said to them, &#8220;Don&#8217;t bring those captives here! Are you planning on making us even more sinful and guilty before the <sc>Lordsc>?<n id="1" /> Our guilt is already great and the <sc>Lordsc> is very angry at Israel.&#8221;<n id="2" />

He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him.<n id="1" /> He reasoned,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.&#8221; But they caused him and all Israel to stumble.

<p class="bodytext">The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the <sc>Lordsc> every day with all their might.<n id="1" />

The Israelites and people of Judah<n id="1" /> who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the <sc>Lordsc> their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps.<n id="2" />

He wrote letters mocking the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel and insulting him with these words:<n id="1" /> &#8220;The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah&#8217;s god rescue his people from my power.&#8221;<n id="2" />

He put an idolatrous image he had made in God&#8217;s temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, &#8220;This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.<n id="1" />

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;

They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God&#8217;s temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the people of<n id="1" /> Manasseh and Ephraim and from all who were left in Israel, as well as from all the people of<n id="2" /> Judah and Benjamin and the residents of<n id="3" /> Jerusalem.

Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.p>

<p class="bodytext">The rest of the events of Jehoiakim&#8217;s reign, including the horrible sins he committed and his shortcomings, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.<n id="1" /> His son Jehoiachin replaced him as king.p>

Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners.<n id="1" /> Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation,<n id="2" /> obey<n id="3" /> you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.<n id="4" />p>

King Rehoboam solidified his rule in Jerusalem;<n id="1" /> he<n id="2" /> was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the <sc>Lordsc> chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home.<n id="3" /> Rehoboam&#8217;s<n id="4" /> mother was an Ammonite named Naamah.

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, &#8220;There is still one man through whom we can seek the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s will.<n id="1" /> But I despise<n id="2" /> him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always<n id="3" /> disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.<n id="4" /> Jehoshaphat said, &#8220;The king should not say such things!&#8221;