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SECOND CHRONICLES XXI-JEHORAM'S EVIL REIGN

35 ¶ And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-gaber.

37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

Chapter 21

1 Jehoram, succeeding Jehoshaphat, slayeth his brethren. 5 His wicked reign. 8 Edom and Libnah revolt. 12 The prophecy of Elijah against him in writing. 16 The Philistines and Arabians oppress him. 18 His incurable disease, infamous death and burial.

OW Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

2 And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.1

3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

5¶ Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

7 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

8 In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.

9 Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.

10 So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.

'Many manuscripts read here more correctly "king of Judah."

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Solomon's Cities

BY J. BARCLAY, AFTER A RECENT PHOTOGRAPH.

"And Solomon built

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Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land, and all the cities of store that Solomon had."-I. Kings, 9, 17.

́HEN a monarch of unrestricted power is once

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seized by the passion for building, he seldom ceases from it. After finishing the Temple, Solomon continued to draw on King Hiram, his ally, for timber and for workmen. He built a splendid palace for himself; he built walls and aqueducts and other structures for Jerusalem. Then extending his work yet further, he built walled cities in various parts of his domains, border cities mainly, as fortresses of defense. Chief of these was the city of Tadmor, the ruins of which are still the wonder of the Arabian desert. He is also reputed to have built Baalbec, which may be the same as Baalath, and which is here depicted in its present state.

These gigantic and beautiful ruins of Baalbec stand among the mountains to the north of Palestine, and are reached by railroad from Damascus and Beirut. Their actual time of origin, as well as of destruction, has been forgotten. They are monuments without a history. But if Solomon's cities did indeed resemble these marvellous structures of Baalbec, then the Bible is all too modest, too reticent, in speaking of them; and as for the Temple, concerning which the Scriptures do rise to enthusiasm, it must have been earth's masterpiece indeed.

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