2Chronicles - Revised Standard Version (1966)

The Second Book of Chronicles takes up the history of the monarchy where the First Book breaks off. It begins with the account of the reign of Solomon from the special viewpoint of the Chronicler. The portrait of Solomon is an idealized one; he appears as second only to David. The great achievement of the building of the temple and the magnificence of Solomon's court are described in detail while the serious defects of his reign are passed over without comment. All this is in keeping with the Chronicler's purpose of stressing the supreme importance of the temple and its worship. He wishes to impress on his readers the splendor of God's dwelling and the magnificence of the liturgy of sacrifice, prayer and praise offered there. Judah's kings are judged by their attitude toward the temple and its cult. To this ideal of one people, united in the worship of the one true God at the temple of Jerusalem founded by David and Solomon, the restored community would have to conform. In treating the period of divided monarchy, the Chronicler gives practically all his attention to the kingdom of Judah. His omission of the northern Israelite kings is significant. In his view, the northern tribes of Israel were in religious schism as long as they worshiped Yahweh in a place other than the temple of Jerusalem. The Chronicler makes no mention of the important sanctuaries of Yahweh at Dan and Bethel-as though they had never existed. Nevertheless he retains the ancient ideal of "all Israel" (a phrase occuring forty-one times in Chronicles) as the people of God. The condition he places for a united people is that "the whole congregation of Israel" worship the Lord only in his temple at Jerusalem. This explains his praise of Kings Hezekiah and Josiah for striving, after the fall of Samaria, to unite the remnants of the northern tribes of Israel into the kingdom of Judah. At the end of the fifth century B.C., during the Chronicler's own time, "the people of the land" were the descendants of the people of all the tribes (including Judah) who had not gone into exile. These had become intermingled with aliens and had evolved a religion of Yahweh very different from the Judaism that developed during the Babylonian exile. Thus, religious and political cooperation between the returned exiles and these "people of the land" was out of the question for the Chronicler. This he clearly shows in the last part of his work, the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. - The Second Book of Chronicles is divided as follows: I. The Reign of Solomon (2 Chron 1:1-9:31) II. The Monarchy before Hezekiah (2 Chron 10:1-27:9) III. Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah (2 Chron 28:1-36:1) IV. End of the Kingdom (2 Chron 36:2-23) - (NAB)

Headings

SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES 1 Solomon Requests Wisdom Solomon's Military and Commercial Activity 2 Preparations for Building the Temple Alliance with Huram of Tyre 3 Solomon Builds the Temple 4 Furnishings of the Temple 5 The Ark Brought into the Temple 6 Dedication of the Temple Solomon's Prayer of Dedication 7 Solomon Dedicates the Temple God's Second Appearance to Solomon 8 Various Activities of Solomon 9 Visit of the Queen of Sheba Solomon's Great Wealth Death of Solomon 10 The Revolt against Rehoboam 11 Judah and Benjamin Fortified Priests and Levites Support Rehoboam Rehoboam's Marriages 12 Egypt Attacks Judah Death of Rehoboam 13 Abijah Reigns over Judah 14 Asa Reigns Ethiopian Invasion Repulsed 16 Alliance with Aram Condemned Asa's Disease and Death 17 Jehoshaphat's Reign 18 Micaiah Predicts Failure Defeat and Death of Ahab 19 The Reforms of Jehoshaphat 20 Invasion from the East Jehoshaphat's Prayer and Victory The End of Jehoshaphat's Reign 21 Jehoram's Reign Revolt of Edom Elijah's Letter Disease and Death of Jehoram 22 Ahaziah's Reign Athaliah Seizes the Throne 23 Joash Crowned King Athaliah Murdered 24 Joash Repairs the Temple Apostasy of Joash Death of Joash 25 Reign of Amaziah Slaughter of the Edomites Israel Defeats Judah Death of Amaziah 26 Reign of Uzziah Pride and Apostasy 27 Reign of Jotham 28 Reign of Ahaz Aram and Israel Defeat Judah Intervention of Oded Assyria Refuses to Help Judah Apostasy and Death of Ahaz 29 Reign of Hezekiah The Temple Cleansed Temple Worship Restored 30 The Great Passover 31 Pagan Shrines Destroyed Reorganization of Priests and Levites 32 Sennacherib's Invasion Sennacherib's Defeat and Death Hezekiah's Sickness Hezekiah's Prosperity and Achievements 33 Reign of Manasseh Manasseh Restored after Repentance Death of Manasseh Amon's Reign and Death 34 Reign of Josiah Discovery of the Book of the Law The Prophet Huldah Consulted The Covenant Renewed 35 Celebration of the Passover Defeat by Pharaoh Neco and Death of Josiah 36 Reign of Jehoahaz Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin Reign of Zedekiah The Fall of Jerusalem Cyrus Proclaims Liberty for the Exiles

Version

Nova Vulgata - Latin Biblia del Pueblo di Dio (BPD) - Spanish Vulgata - Stuttgart 1969 - Latin Bíblia Sagrada Ave-Maria (1957) - Portuguese La Sainte Bible (Crampon 1904) - French CEI (1974) - Italian EinheitsÜbersetzung der Heiligen Sc - German