Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.

He deported to Babylon all who escaped the sword. They served him and his sons until the Persian kingdom rose to power.

Early the next morning King Hezekiah assembled the city officials and went up to the Lord’s temple.

Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. ¹ 

Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah ¹  and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe! ²  Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.”

The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir ¹  and annihilated them. ²  When they had finished off the men ³  of Seir, they attacked and destroyed one another. ⁴ 

But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, ¹  and ridiculed his prophets. ²  Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment. ³ 

Men were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked. ¹  So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin. ²  They put the ones who couldn’t walk on donkeys. ³  They brought them back to their brothers at Jericho, ⁴  the city of the date palm trees, and then returned to Samaria.

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line ¹  of Judah. ² 

They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. ¹ 

Uzziah, who had an incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and raving ¹  at the priests, a skin disease ²  appeared on his forehead right there in front of the priests in the Lord’s temple near the incense altar.