2 Chronicles 28
Open in the reader1He-Has-Grasped was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Foundation-of-Peace sixteen years. And unlike Beloved his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of He-Who-Is.
2Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Strives-with-God and even made cast images of The-Ruler.
3Moreover, He-Has-Grasped burned incense in the Valley of Son-of-Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that He-Who-Is had driven out before the children of Strives-with-God.
4And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5So He-Who-Is his God delivered He-Has-Grasped into the hand of the king of Highland, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. He-Has-Grasped was also delivered into the hand of the king of Strives-with-God, who struck him with great force.
6For in one day Watch son of He-Who-Is-Has-Adorned killed 120,000 valiant men in Praised. This happened because they had forsaken He-Who-Is, the God of their fathers.
7My-Remembrance, a mighty man of Double-Fruit, killed Work-of-He-Who-Is the son of the king, My-Help-Has-Risen the governor of the palace, and God-Has-Acquired the second to the king.
8Then the children of Strives-with-God took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen—women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Watch-Mountain.
9But a prophet of He-Who-Is named Restorer was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Watch-Mountain. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Praised, He-Who-Is, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.
10And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Praised and Foundation-of-Peace. But are you not also guilty before He-Who-Is your God?
11Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of He-Who-Is is upon you.”
12Then some of the leaders of the children of Double-Fruit —He-Who-Is-Helps son of He-Who-Is-Has-Been-Gracious, He-Who-Is-Has-Blessed son of Recompenses, He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened son of Requital, and Burden son of Hadlai—stood in opposition to those arriving from the war.
13“You must not bring the captives here,” they said, “for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us from He-Who-Is and to add to our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is great, and fierce anger is upon Strives-with-God.”
14So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the leaders and all the assembly.
15Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Moon, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Watch-Mountain.
16At that time King He-Has-Grasped sent for help from the king of Successful.
17The Red-Ones had again come and attacked Praised and carried away captives.
18The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills and South-Country of Praised, capturing and occupying House-of-Sun, Place-of-Deer, and Sheep-Walls, as well as Thicket, Allotted-Portion, and Gimzo with their villages.
19For He-Who-Is humbled Praised because He-Has-Grasped king of Strives-with-God had thrown off restraint in Praised and had been most unfaithful to He-Who-Is.
20Then Tiglath-Pileser king of Successful came to He-Has-Grasped but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.
21Although He-Has-Grasped had taken a portion from the house of He-Who-Is, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Successful, it did not help him.
22In the time of his distress, King He-Has-Grasped became even more unfaithful to He-Who-Is.
23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, and he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Highland have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of He-Has-Grasped and of all Strives-with-God.
24Then He-Has-Grasped gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of He-Who-Is, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Foundation-of-Peace.
25In every city of Praised he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked He-Who-Is, the God of his fathers.
26As for the rest of the acts of He-Has-Grasped and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Praised and Strives-with-God.
27And He-Has-Grasped rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Foundation-of-Peace, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Strives-with-God. And his son He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened reigned in his place.