World English Bible · The divided kingdom
2 Chronicles 25
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was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in . His mother's name was Jehoaddan, of . He did that which was right in eyes, but not with a perfect . Now when was established to him, he killed his servants who had killed his the king. But he didn't put their children to , but did according to that which is written in in the book of , as commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not for the children, neither shall the children for the fathers; but every man shall for his own ." Moreover gathered Judah together and ordered them according to their fathers' houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and . He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found that there were three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6He also hired one hundred thousand of valor out of Israel for one hundred of silver. A came to him, saying, "O king, don't let the army of Israel go with you, for is not with Israel, with all the children of . But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. will overthrow you before ; for has to help, and to overthrow." said to the , "But what shall we do for the hundred which I have given to the army of Israel?" The answered, " is able to give you much more than this." Then separated them, the army that had come to him out of , to go home again. Therefore their was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in . took courage, and led his people out and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of . The children of Judah ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of , and threw them down from the top of , so that they all were broken in pieces. But the men of the army whom sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah from even to , and struck of them three thousand, and took much plunder. Now after had come from the slaughter of the , he brought the gods of the children of , and set them up to be his gods, and himself before them and to them. Therefore burned against , and he sent to him a who said to him, "Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not their own people out of your hand?" As he talked with him, the king said to him, "Have we made you one of the king's ? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" Then the stopped, and said, "I know that has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my ." Then king of Judah consulted his advisers, and sent to , the son of Jehoahaz, the son of , king of Israel, saying, "Come! Let's look one another in the ." king of Israel sent to king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in sent to the cedar that was in , saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as his wife. Then a wild animal that was in passed by and trampled down the thistle. You say to yourself that you have struck ; and lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you and Judah with you?'" But would not listen; for it was of , that he might them into the hand of their , because they had sought after the gods of . So king of Israel went up, and he and king of Judah looked one another in the at , which belongs to Judah. Judah was defeated by Israel; so every man fled to his tent. king of Israel took king of Judah, the son of the son of Jehoahaz, at and brought him to , and broke down the wall of from the of to the corner , four hundred . He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in house with , and the of the king's house, and the hostages, and returned to . the son of , king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the of , son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of , first and last, behold, aren't they written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? Now from the time that turned away from following , they made a conspiracy against him in . He fled to , but they sent after him to and killed him there. They brought him on horses and with his fathers in the City of Judah.
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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.