World English Bible · The divided kingdom
2 Chronicles 17
Touch any underlined name to see who or where it is. Tap a verse number to see where it is taken up elsewhere.
his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of , which his had taken. was with , because he walked in the first ways of his , and didn't seek , but sought the of his , and walked in his , and not in the ways of Israel. Therefore established in his hand. All Judah brought tribute to , and he had riches and in abundance. was lifted up in the ways of . Furthermore, he took away the and the out of Judah. Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, , , Nethanel, and , to teach in the cities of Judah; and with them , even , , , , , Jehonathan, , Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the ; and with them and , the priests. They taught in Judah, having the book of law with them. They went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. The fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they made no war against . Some of the brought presents and silver for tribute. The also brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats. grew great exceedingly; and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah. He had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, of valor, in . This was the numbering of them according to their fathers' houses: From Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand of valor; 15and next to him the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand; and next to him Amasiah the son of , who willingly offered himself to , and with him two hundred thousand of valor. From : Eliada, a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; 18and next to him , and with him one hundred eighty thousand ready and prepared for war. These were those who waited on the king, in addition to those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · The divided kingdom, 931 BC to 745 BC ›
Israel in the north and Judah in the south, often at odds, with Aram of Damascus as the immediate threat and Assyria growing in the distance.
- Aram of Damascus
- The immediate enemy for most of two centuries, close enough to raid every campaigning season and strong enough to take territory. Most of the wars in Kings that read like national emergencies are border wars with Damascus.
- Assyria
- Growing steadily in the distance. Shalmaneser III fights a coalition at Qarqar in 853 BC and his own inscription lists King Ahab of Israel among his opponents with two thousand chariots, the earliest Assyrian mention of an Israelite king. A later monument shows Jehu bowing and paying tribute. Assyria is not yet the destroyer, but it is already taking notes.
- Egypt
- Divided and unreliable, capable of the occasional raid, such as Shishak stripping the temple in Rehoboam's fifth year, but no longer an empire that governs the Levant.
- Further afield
- The Greeks adopt the alphabet, hold the first Olympiad by tradition in 776 BC, and begin to compose the Homeric poems. Rome is founded by tradition in 753 BC, a village of huts at this point. This is the century in which the classical world begins.