World English Bible · The divided kingdom
2 Chronicles 18
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Now had riches and in abundance; and he allied himself with . After some years, he went down to to . killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to . king of Israel said to king of Judah, "Will you go with me to ?" He answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war." said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for word." Then the king of Israel gathered together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to to battle, or shall I forbear?" They said, "Go up, for will it into the hand of the king." But said, "Isn't there here a of besides, that we may inquire of him?" The king of Israel said to , "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of ; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is the son of Imla." said, "Don't let the king say so." Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Get the son of Imla quickly." Now the king of Israel and the king of Judah each sat on his , arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the of ; and all were prophesying before them. made himself of iron and said, " says, 'With these you shall push , until they are consumed.'" All prophesied so, saying, "Go up to , and prosper; for will it into the hand of the king." who went to call spoke to him, saying, "Behold, the words of declare good to the king with one . Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good." said, "As lives, I will say what my says." When he had come to the king, the king said to him, ", shall we go to to battle, or shall I forbear?" He said, "Go up, and prosper. They shall be into your hand." The king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in name?" He said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no . said, 'These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.'" The king of Israel said to , "Didn't I tell you that he would not good concerning me, but evil?" said, "Therefore hear word: I saw sitting on his , and of standing hand and on his left. said, 'Who will entice king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at ?' One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way. A came out, stood before , and said, 'I will entice him.' " said to him, 'How?' "He said, 'I will go, and will be a lying in the of all his .' "He said, 'You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.' "Now therefore, behold, has put a lying in the of these your ; and has spoken evil concerning you." Then came near, and struck on the cheek, and said, "Which way did go from me to speak to you?" said, "Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself." The king of Israel said, "Take , and carry him back to the governor of the city, and to the king's son; and say, 'The king says, "Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace."'" said, "If you return at all in peace, has not spoken by me." He said, "Listen, you people, all of you!" So the king of Israel and the king of Judah went up to . The king of Israel said to , "I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle. Now the king of had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Don't fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel." When the captains of the chariots saw , they said, "It is the king of Israel!" Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But cried out, and helped him; and moved them to depart from him. When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, "Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded." The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against ; and at about sunset, he .
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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.