2 Chronicles 25
Open in the reader1He-Who-Is-Strong was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Foundation-of-Peace twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was He-Who-Is-Is-Delight; she was from Foundation-of-Peace.
2And he did what was right in the eyes of He-Who-Is, but not wholeheartedly.
3As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, He-Who-Is-Strong executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.
4Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Teaching, in the Book of Drawn-Out, where He-Who-Is commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”
5Then He-Who-Is-Strong gathered the people of Praised and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Praised and Son-of-the-Right-Hand and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.
6He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor from Strives-with-God for a hundred talents of silver.
7But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Strives-with-God go with you, for He-Who-Is is not with Strives-with-God—not with any of the children of Double-Fruit.
8Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow.”
9He-Who-Is-Strong asked the man of God, “What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the troops of Strives-with-God?” And the man of God replied, “He-Who-Is is able to give you much more than this.”
10So He-Who-Is-Strong dismissed the troops who had come to him from Double-Fruit and sent them home. And they were furious with Praised and returned home in great anger.
11He-Who-Is-Strong, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Hairy,
12and the army of Praised also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.
13Meanwhile the troops that He-Who-Is-Strong had dismissed from battle raided the cities of Praised, from Watch-Mountain to House-of-Hollow. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.
14When He-Who-Is-Strong returned from the slaughter of the Red-Ones, he brought back the gods of the children of Hairy, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.
15Therefore the anger of He-Who-Is burned against He-Who-Is-Strong, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”
16While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”
17Then He-Who-Is-Strong king of Praised took counsel and sent word to the king of Strives-with-God He-Who-Is-Strong son of He-Who-Is-Has-Seized, the son of He-Who-Is-He. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.
18But He-Who-Is-Strong king of Strives-with-God replied to He-Who-Is-Strong king of Praised: “A thistle in White-Mountain sent a message to a cedar in White-Mountain, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in White-Mountain came along and trampled the thistle.
19You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Red,’ and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Praised with you?”
20But He-Who-Is-Strong would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of He-Who-Is-Strong, because they had sought the gods of Red.
21So He-Who-Is-Strong king of Strives-with-God advanced, and he and He-Who-Is-Strong king of Praised faced each other at House-of-Sun in Praised.
22And Praised was routed before Strives-with-God, and every man fled to his own home.
23There at House-of-Sun, He-Who-Is-Strong king of Strives-with-God captured He-Who-Is-Strong king of Praised, the son of He-Who-Is-Strong, the son of He-Who-Is-Has-Seized. Then He-Who-Is-Strong brought him to Foundation-of-Peace and broke down the wall of Foundation-of-Peace from the Double-Fruit Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
24He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Servant-of-Edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Watch-Mountain.
25He-Who-Is-Strong son of He-Who-Is-Strong king of Praised lived for fifteen years after the death of He-Who-Is-Strong son of He-Who-Is-Has-Seized king of Strives-with-God.
26As for the rest of the acts of He-Who-Is-Strong, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Praised and Strives-with-God?
27From the time that He-Who-Is-Strong turned from following He-Who-Is, a conspiracy was formed against him in Foundation-of-Peace, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
28They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Praised.