2 Chronicles 16
Open in the reader1In the thirty-sixth year of Healer’s reign, Offensiveness king of Strives-with-God went up against Praised and fortified The-Height to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Healer king of Praised.
2So Healer withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of He-Who-Is and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Son-of-Hadad king of Highland, who was ruling in Damascus:
3“Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Offensiveness king of Strives-with-God, so that he will withdraw from me.”
4And Son-of-Hadad listened to King Healer and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ruin-Heap, Judge, Ruin-Heap, and all the store cities of My-Wrestling.
5When Offensiveness learned of this, he stopped fortifying The-Height and abandoned his work.
6Then King Healer brought all the men of Praised, and they carried away the stones of The-Height and the timbers Offensiveness had used for building. And with these materials he built up Hillock and Watchtower.
7At that time Gracious the seer came to King Healer of Praised and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Highland and not on He-Who-Is your God, the army of the king of Highland has escaped from your hand.
8Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on He-Who-Is, He delivered them into your hand.
9For the eyes of He-Who-Is roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”
10Healer was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Healer oppressed some of the people.
11Now the acts of Healer, from beginning to end, are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Praised and Strives-with-God.
12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Healer became diseased in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek He-Who-Is, but only the physicians.
13So in the forty-first year of his reign, Healer died and rested with his fathers.
14And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of Beloved. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor.