Discovery Box2 Chronicles 13:5-12 
Context13:5 Don’t you realize that the Lord God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement? 1 13:6 Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. 13:7 Lawless good-for-nothing men 2 gathered around him and conspired 3 against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man 4 and could not resist them. 13:8 Now you are declaring that you will resist the Lord’s rule through the Davidic dynasty. 5 You have a huge army, 6 and bring with you the gold calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. 13:9 But you banished 7 the Lord’s priests, Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods! 8 13:10 But as for us, the Lord is our God and we have not rejected him. Aaron’s descendants serve as the Lord’s priests and the Levites assist them with the work. 9 13:11 They offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord every morning and every evening, along with fragrant incense. They arrange the Bread of the Presence on a ritually clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly 10 we are observing the Lord our God’s regulations, but you have rejected him. 13:12 Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. 11 You Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, 12 for you will not win!”
1 tn Heb “Do you not know that the
sn For other references to a “covenant of salt,” see Lev 2:13 and Num 18:19.
2 tn Heb “empty men, sons of wickedness.”
3 tn Heb “strengthened themselves.”
4 tn Heb “a young man and tender of heart.”
5 tn Heb “the kingdom of the
6 tn Or “horde”; or “multitude.”
7 tn In the Hebrew text this is phrased as a rhetorical question, “Did you not banish?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you did,” the force of which is reflected in the translation “But you banished.”
8 tn Heb “whoever comes to fill his hand with a bull of a son of cattle, and seven rams, and he is a priest to no-gods.”
9 tn Heb “and priests serving the
10 tn Or “for.”
11 tn Heb “and his priests and the trumpets of the war alarm [are ready] to sound out against you.”
