Then the angerof the LORDburnedagainst Amaziah,and He senthim a prophetwho saidto him, "Whyhave you soughtthe godsof the peoplewhohave not deliveredtheir own peoplefrom your hand?"
Jehuthe sonof Hananithe seerwentout to meethim and saidto KingJehoshaphat,"Should you helpthe wickedand lovethose who hatethe LORDand so[bring] wrathon yourself from the LORD?
Then Eliezerthe sonof Dodavahuof MareshahprophesiedagainstJehoshaphatsaying,"Because you have alliedyourself with Ahaziah,the LORDhas destroyedyour works."So the shipswere brokenand couldnot goto Tarshish.
They abandonedthe houseof the LORD,the Godof their fathers,and servedthe Asherimand the idols;so wrathcameupon Judahand Jerusalemfor thistheir guilt.
Then the Spiritof Godcameon Zechariahthe sonof Jehoiadathe priest;and he stoodabovethe peopleand saidto them, "ThusGodhas said,Whydo you transgressthe commandmentsof the LORDand do not prosper?Becauseyou have forsakenthe LORD,He has also forsakenyou.'"
As he was talkingwith him, the king saidto him, "Have we appointedyou a royalcounselor?Stop!Whyshould you be struckdown?"Then the prophetstoppedand said,"I knowthat Godhas plannedto destroyyou, becauseyou have donethisand have not listenedto my counsel."
But a manof Godcameto him saying,"O king,do not let the armyof Israelgowith you, for the LORDis not with Israel[nor with] anyof the sonsof Ephraim.
But a prophetof the LORDwas there,whose name[was] Oded;and he wentout to meetthe armywhich cameto Samariaand saidto them, "Behold,because the LORD,the Godof your fathers,was angrywith Judah,He has deliveredthem into your hand,and you have slainthem in a rage[which] has evenreachedheaven.
For allthe godsof the peoplesare idols,But the LORDmadethe heavens.
"Gatheryourselves and come;Drawneartogether,you fugitivesof the nations;They havenoknowledge,Who carryabout their woodenidolAnd prayto a godwho cannotsave.
"Like a scarecrowin a cucumberfieldare they, And they cannotspeak;They mustbe carried,Becausethey cannotwalk!Do not fearthem, For they can donoharm,Norcan they doanygood."
Whowould not fearYou, O Kingof the nations?Indeedit is Your due!For among allthe wisemenof the nationsAnd in alltheir kingdoms,Thereis nonelikeYou.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whatinjusticedid your fathersfindin Me, That they wentfarfrom Me And walkedafteremptinessand becameempty?
"And Moabwill be ashamedof Chemosh,as the houseof Israelwas ashamedof Bethel,their confidence.
[No], but [I say] that the things whichthe Gentilessacrifice,they sacrificeto demonsand not to God;and I do not wantyou to becomesharersin demons.
Thereforeconcerningthe eatingof things sacrificed to idols,we knowthat there is nosuch thingas an idolin the world,and that there is noGodbut one.
He said,"You have takenaway my godswhichI made,and the priest,and have goneaway, and whatdo I have besides?So howcan you sayto me, 'Whatis [the matter] with you?'"
and as for you, you shall makenocovenantwith the inhabitantsof thisland;you shall teardowntheir altars.'But you have not obeyedMe; whatis thisyou have done?
