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2 Chroniques

Chapitres 10-36

2 Chronicles, Chapter 10

¹ Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. ² When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. ³ So they sent and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, ⁴ “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵ He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had^aserved his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” ⁷ They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him^band served him. ⁹ So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” ¹⁰ The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! ¹¹ Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had^cdirected, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders. ¹⁴ He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “^dMy father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them the people answered the king, saying,“What portion do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Every man to your tents, O Israel;
Now look after your own house, David.”

So all Israel departed to their tents. ¹⁷ But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. ¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him^eto death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 11

¹ Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. ² But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ³ “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, ⁴ ‘Thus says the LORD, “You shall not go up or fight against your^arelatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam.

⁵ Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. ⁶ Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. ¹¹ He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. ¹² He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

¹³ Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him from all their districts.

¹⁴ For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. ¹⁵ He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. ¹⁶ Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel^bfollowed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. ¹⁷ They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

¹⁸ Then Rehoboam took as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, ¹⁹ and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. ²⁰ After her he took Maacah the daughter of^cAbsalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. ²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. ²³ He acted wisely and distributed^dsome of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them food in abundance. And he sought many wives for them.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 12

¹ When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD. ² And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem ³ with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. ⁴ He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. ⁵ Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you^ato Shishak.’” ⁶ So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”

⁷ When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. ⁸ But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

⁹ So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made. ¹⁰ Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the^bcare of the commanders of the^cguard who guarded the door of the king’s house. ¹¹ As often as the king entered the house of the LORD, the^dguards came and carried them and then brought them back into the^eguards’ room. ¹² And when he humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and also conditions were good in Judah.

¹³ So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. ¹⁴ He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.

¹⁵ Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the^frecords of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. ¹⁶ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 13

¹ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. ² He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ³ Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors.

⁴ Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: ⁵ Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David^aand his sons by a covenant of salt? ⁶ Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his^bmaster, ⁷ and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when^che was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

⁸ “So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD^dthrough the sons of David,^ebeing a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. ⁹ Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. ¹⁰ But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites^fattend to their work. ¹¹ Every morning and evening they^gburn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. ¹² Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

¹³ But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴ When Judah turned around, behold,^hthey were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. ¹⁵ Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that Godⁱrouted Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. ¹⁷ Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. ¹⁸ Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah^jconquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. ¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and^kEphron with its villages.

²⁰ Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died.

²¹ But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. ²² Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the^ltreatise of the prophet Iddo.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 14

¹ ^aSo Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

² ^bAsa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, ³ for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the^cAsherim, ⁴ and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. ⁵ He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. ⁶ He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and^dthere was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest. ⁷ For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still^eours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. ⁸ Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

⁹ Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. ¹⁰ So Asa went out^fto meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. ¹¹ Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” ¹² So the LORD^grouted the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. ¹³ Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that^hthey could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. ¹⁴ Theyⁱdestroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. ¹⁵ They also struck down^jthose who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 15

¹ Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, ² and he went out^ato meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. ³ For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. ⁴ But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. ⁵ In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances^bafflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. ⁶ Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But you, be strong and do not^close courage, for there is reward for your work.”

⁸ Now when Asa heard these words and the^dprophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. ⁹ He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. ¹⁰ So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. ¹¹ They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. ¹² They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; ¹³ and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. ¹⁴ Moreover, they made an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him^eearnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

¹⁶ He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image^fas an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. ¹⁷ But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. ¹⁸ He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. ¹⁹ And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 16

¹ In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and^afortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. ² Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, ³ “Let there be a treaty between^byou and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” ⁴ So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they^cconquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the^dstore cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard of it, he ceased^efortifying Ramah and stopped his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he^ffortified Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. ⁸ Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” ¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in^gprison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

¹¹ Now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. ¹³ So Asa slept with his fathers,^hhaving died in the forty-first year of his reign. ¹⁴ They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 17

¹ Jehoshaphat his son then became king in his place, and made his position over Israel firm. ² He placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had captured.

³ The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he^afollowed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, ⁴ but sought the God of his father,^bfollowed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. ⁵ So the LORD established the kingdom in his^ccontrol, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. ⁶ ^dHe took great pride in the ways of the LORD and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah.

⁷ Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; ⁸ and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. ⁹ They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the LORD with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

¹⁰ Now the dread of the LORD was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat; the Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. ¹² So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah. ¹³ He had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant men, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ This was their muster according to their fathers’ households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him 300,000 valiant warriors; ¹⁵ and next to him was Johanan the commander, and with him 280,000; ¹⁶ and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who volunteered for the LORD, and with him 200,000 valiant warriors; ¹⁷ and of Benjamin, Eliada a valiant warrior, and with him 200,000 armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸ and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 equipped for war. ¹⁹ These are they who served the king, apart from those whom the king put in the fortified cities through all Judah.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 18

¹ Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. ² Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. ³ Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

⁴ Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire^afirst for the word of the LORD.” ⁵ Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” ⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” ⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

⁸ Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “^bBring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.” ⁹ Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” ¹¹ All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹² Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.” ¹³ But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

¹⁴ When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.” ¹⁵ Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” ¹⁶ So he said,“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd;
And the LORD said,
‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

¹⁷ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

¹⁸ Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. ¹⁹ The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. ²⁰ Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ ²¹ He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ ²² Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “^cHow did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” ²⁴ Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.” ²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; ²⁶ and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him^dsparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” ²⁷ Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. ³⁰ Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” ³¹ So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. ³² When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. ³³ A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel^ein a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn^faround and take me out of the^gfight, for I am severely wounded.” ³⁴ The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 19

¹ Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. ² Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD and^aso bring wrath on yourself from the LORD? ³ But^bthere is some good in you, for you have removed the^cAsheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.”

⁴ So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

⁵ He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. ⁶ He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you^dwhen you render judgment. ⁷ Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you;^ebe very careful what you do, for^fthe LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

⁸ In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD and to judge^gdisputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ⁹ Then he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly. ¹⁰ Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the LORD, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty. ¹¹ Behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in^hall that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, inⁱall that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you.^jAct resolutely, and the LORD be with the upright.”

2 Chronicles, Chapter 20

¹ Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the^aMeunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. ² Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of^bAram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” ³ Jehoshaphat was afraid and^cturned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, ⁶ and he said, “O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. ⁷ Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ⁸ They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, ⁹ ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’ ¹⁰ Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and^dMount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), ¹¹ see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

¹³ All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.

¹⁴ Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; ¹⁵ and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. ¹⁹ The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

²⁰ They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” ²¹ When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” ²² When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were^erouted. ²³ For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. ²⁵ When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods,^fgarments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

²⁶ Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore they have named that place “The Valley of^gBeracah” until today. ²⁷ Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres and trumpets to the house of the LORD. ²⁹ And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.

³¹ Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. ³² He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. ³³ The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

³⁴ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first^hto last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which isⁱrecorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

³⁵ After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly^jin so doing. ³⁶ So he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. ³⁷ Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 21

¹ Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. ² He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah,^aAzaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. ³ Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

⁴ Now when Jehoram had^btaken over the kingdom of his father and made himself^csecure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. ⁵ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. ⁶ He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. ⁷ Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

⁸ In his days Edom revolted^dagainst the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. ⁹ Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. ¹⁰ So Edom revolted^eagainst Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time^fagainst his rule, 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 play the harlot and led Judah astray.

¹² Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the LORD God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, ¹³ but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers,^gyour own family, who were better than you, ¹⁴ behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great^hcalamity; ¹⁵ and you will sufferⁱsevere sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”

¹⁶ Then the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who^jbordered the Ethiopians; ¹⁷ and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except^kJehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

¹⁸ So after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness. ¹⁹ Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers. ²⁰ He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed^lwith no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 22

¹ Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made^aAhaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. ² Ahaziah was^btwenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the^cgranddaughter of Omri. ³ He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. ⁴ He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

⁵ He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the^dArameans^ewounded^fJoram. ⁶ So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds^gwhich they had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And^hAhaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

⁷ Now the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in thatⁱhe went to Joram. For when he came, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

⁸ It came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them. ⁹ He also sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.

¹⁰ Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal^joffspring of the house of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she would not put him to death. ¹² He was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 23

¹ Now in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they entered into a covenant with him. ² They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. ³ Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And^aJehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning the sons of David. ⁴ This is the thing which you shall do: one third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbath, shall be gatekeepers, ⁵ and one third shall be at the king’s house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. ⁶ But let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of the LORD. ⁷ The Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house, let him be killed. Thus be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions. ⁹ Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had been King David’s, which were in the house of God. ¹⁰ He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right^bside of the house to the left^cside of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. ¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the LORD to the people. ¹³ She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the^dtrumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments^eleading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!” ¹⁴ Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, “Bring her out^fbetween the ranks; and whoever follows her, put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” ¹⁵ So they^gseized her, and when she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house, they put her to death there.

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the LORD’S people. ¹⁷ And all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down, and they broke in pieces his altars and his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. ¹⁸ Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices of the house of the LORD under the^hauthority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses—with rejoicing and singing according to theⁱorder of David. ¹⁹ He stationed the gatekeepers of the house of the LORD, so that no one would enter who was in any way unclean. ²⁰ He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and came through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they placed the king upon the royal throne. ²¹ So all of the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 24

¹ Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. ² Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. ³ Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

⁴ Now it came about after this that Joash^adecided to restore the house of the LORD. ⁵ He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to^brepair the house of your God^cannually, and you shall do the matter quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. ⁶ So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the levy fixed by Moses the servant of the LORD on the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?” ⁷ For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even^dused the holy things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

⁸ So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the LORD. ⁹ They made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰ All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and^edropped them into the chest until they had finished. ¹¹ It came about whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, empty the chest, take it, and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money. ¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to^frepair the house of the LORD. ¹³ So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they^grestored the house of God^haccording to its specifications and strengthened it. ¹⁴ When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the LORD, utensils for the service and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ Now when Jehoiadaⁱreached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. ¹⁶ They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and^jto God and His house.

¹⁷ But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. ¹⁸ They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the^kAsherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. ¹⁹ Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of God^lcame on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.’” ²¹ So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him^mto death in the court of the house of the LORD. ²² Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May the LORD see andⁿavenge!”

²³ Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the LORD delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

²⁵ When they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the^oson of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. ²⁶ Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. ²⁷ As to his sons and the many^poracles against him and the^qrebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the^rtreatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 25

¹ Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. ² He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart. ³ Now it came about as soon as the kingdom was^afirmly in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had slain his father the king. ⁴ However, he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which the LORD commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

⁵ Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he^btook a census of those from twenty years old and upward and found them to be 300,000 choice men, able to go to war and handle spear and shield. ⁶ He hired also 100,000 valiant warriors out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver. ⁷ But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. ⁸ But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will^cbring you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to^dbring down.” ⁹ Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” ¹⁰ Then Amaziah^edismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned^fhome in fierce anger.

¹¹ Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the sons of Seir. ¹² The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all dashed to pieces. ¹³ But the^gtroops whom Amaziah sent back from going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 of them and plundered much spoil.

¹⁴ Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them. ¹⁵ Then the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” ¹⁶ As he was talking with him,^hthe king said to him, “Have we appointed you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.” ¹⁸ Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trampled the thorn bush. ¹⁹ You said, ‘Behold, you haveⁱdefeated Edom.’ And your heart has^jbecome proud in boasting. Now stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall and Judah with you?”

²⁰ But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might deliver them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. ²¹ So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. ²² Judah was defeated^kby Israel, and they fled each to his tent. ²³ Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400^lcubits. ²⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

²⁵ And Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? ²⁷ From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁸ Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 26

¹ And all the people of Judah took^aUzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. ² He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. ³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was^bJechiliah of Jerusalem. ⁴ He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding^cthrough the vision of God; and^das long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.

⁶ Now he went out and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. ⁸ The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his^efame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. ⁹ Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. ¹⁰ He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the^flowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. ¹¹ Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which^gentered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster,^hprepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. ¹² The total number of the heads of theⁱhouseholds, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. ¹³ Under their direction was an^jelite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. ¹⁴ Moreover, Uzziah prepared^kfor all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his^lfame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

¹⁶ But when he became strong, his heart was so^mproud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. ¹⁸ They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God.” ¹⁹ But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. ²⁰ Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him. ²¹ King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.

²² Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. ²³ So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 27

¹ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. ² He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people continued acting corruptly. ³ He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel. ⁴ Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. ⁵ He fought also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that the Ammonites gave him during that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand^akors of wheat and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second and in the third year. ⁶ So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. ⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his acts, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 28

¹ Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right in the sight of the LORD as David his father had done. ² But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. ³ Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel. ⁴ He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.

⁵ Wherefore, the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they^adefeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who^binflicted him with heavy casualties. ⁶ For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. ⁷ And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son and Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah the second to the king.

⁸ The sons of Israel carried away captive of their brethren 200,000 women, sons and daughters; and they^ctook also a great deal of spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. ⁹ But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has even reached heaven. ¹⁰ Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have transgressions of your own against the LORD your God? ¹¹ Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives whom you captured from your brothers, for the burning anger of the LORD is against you.” ¹² Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—arose against those who were coming from the battle, ¹³ and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring upon us guilt against the LORD adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.” ¹⁴ So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. ¹⁵ Then the men who were designated by name arose, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the^dkings of Assyria for help. ¹⁷ For again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. ¹⁸ The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the^elowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there. ¹⁹ For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD. ²⁰ So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. ²¹ Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

²² Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the LORD. ²³ For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had^fdefeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the^gdownfall of him and all Israel. ²⁴ Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the LORD and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger. ²⁶ Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 29

¹ Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. ² He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.

³ In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. ⁴ He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east.

⁵ Then he said to them, “Listen to me, O Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out from the holy place. ⁶ For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and have^aturned their backs. ⁷ They have also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. ⁸ Therefore the wrath of the LORD was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. ⁹ For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. ¹⁰ Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”

¹² Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathites; and from the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah; ¹³ and from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and^bJeiel; and from the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; ¹⁴ and from the sons of Heman,^cJehiel and Shimei; and from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. ¹⁵ They assembled their brothers, consecrated themselves, and went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the commandment of the king by the words of the LORD. ¹⁶ So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the court of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron^dvalley. ¹⁷ Now they began^ethe consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the LORD. Then they consecrated the house of the LORD in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month. ¹⁸ Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils. ¹⁹ Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”

²⁰ Then King Hezekiah arose early and assembled the princes of the city and went up to the house of the LORD. ²¹ They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. ²² So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They also slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar; they slaughtered the lambs also and sprinkled the blood on the altar. ²³ Then they brought the male goats of the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. ²⁴ The priests slaughtered them and purged the altar with their blood to atone for all Israel, for the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

²⁵ He then stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the LORD through His prophets. ²⁶ The Levites stood with the musical instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. ²⁷ Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began with the trumpets,^faccompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel. ²⁸ While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

²⁹ Now at the completion of the burnt offerings, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped. ³⁰ Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.

³¹ Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have^gconsecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were^hwilling brought burnt offerings. ³² The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. ³³ The consecrated things were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. ³⁴ But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was completed and until the other priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites were moreⁱconscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests. ³⁵ There were also^jmany burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the libations for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the LORD was established again. ³⁶ Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 30

¹ Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to^acelebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. ² For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month, ³ since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. ⁴ Thus the thing was right in the sight of the king and^ball the assembly. ⁵ So they established a decree to circulate a^cproclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was^dprescribed. ⁶ The^ecouriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from the^fhand of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD God of their fathers, so that He made them a horror, as you see. ⁸ Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but^gyield to the LORD and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you. ⁹ For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

¹⁰ So the^hcouriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. ¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

¹³ Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly. ¹⁴ They arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron. ¹⁵ Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD. ¹⁶ They stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. ¹⁷ For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the LORD. ¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise thanⁱprescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon ¹⁹ everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” ²⁰ So the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. ²¹ The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day after day with loud instruments to the LORD. ²² Then Hezekiah spoke^jencouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the LORD. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD God of their fathers.

²³ Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. ²⁴ For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵ All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. ²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. ²⁷ Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 31

¹ Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the^aAsherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh,^buntil they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

² And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.

³ He also appointed the king’s portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixed festivals, as it is written in the law of the LORD. ⁴ Also he^ccommanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of the LORD. ⁵ As soon as the^dorder spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all. ⁶ The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of^esacred gifts which were consecrated to the LORD their God, and placed them in heaps. ⁷ In the third month they began to^fmake the heaps, and finished them by the seventh month. ⁸ When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. ⁹ Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. ¹⁰ Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok said to^ghim, “Since the contributions began to be brought into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the LORD has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.”

¹¹ Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them. ¹² They faithfully brought in the contributions and the tithes and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them and his brother Shimei was second. ¹³ Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath and Benaiah were overseers^hunder the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God. ¹⁴ Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to apportion the contributions for the LORD and the most holy things. ¹⁵ ⁱUnder his authority were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, ¹⁶ without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from^jthirty years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of the LORD for his daily obligations—for their work in their duties according to their divisions; ¹⁷ as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards, by their duties and their divisions. ¹⁸ The genealogical enrollment included^kall their little children, their wives, their sons and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves^lfaithfully in holiness. ¹⁹ Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites.

²⁰ Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right and true before the LORD his God. ²¹ Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 32

¹ After these^aacts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and^bthought to break into them for himself. ² Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that^che intended to make war on Jerusalem, ³ he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴ So many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed^dthrough the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” ⁵ And he took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and^eerected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. ⁶ He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke^fencouragingly to them, saying, ⁷ “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. ⁸ With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

⁹ After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was^gbesieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, ¹⁰ “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege? ¹¹ Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “The LORD our God will deliver us from the^hhand of the king of Assyria”? ¹² Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah andⁱJerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall^jburn incense”? ¹³ Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand? ¹⁴ Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? ¹⁵ Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’”

¹⁶ His servants spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands^khave not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.” ¹⁸ They called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city. ¹⁹ They spoke^lof the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men’s hands.

²⁰ But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. ²¹ And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned^min shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword. ²² So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, andⁿguided them on every side. ²³ And many were bringing gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became^omortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and^pthe LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. ²⁵ But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit^qhe received, because his heart was^rproud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ However, Hezekiah^shumbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷ Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles, ²⁸ storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and^tsheepfolds for the flocks. ²⁹ He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great^uwealth. ³⁰ It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. ³¹ Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

³² Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the^vupper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 33

¹ Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ² He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. ³ For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made^aAsherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. ⁴ He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. ⁶ He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. ⁷ Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; ⁸ and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses.” ⁹ Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.

¹⁰ The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with^bhooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. ¹² When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³ When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

¹⁴ Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. ¹⁵ He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. ¹⁶ He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. ¹⁷ Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, although only to the LORD their God.

¹⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh even his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel. ¹⁹ His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of the^cHozai. ²⁰ So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son became king in his place.

²¹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. ²² He did evil in the sight of the LORD as Manasseh his father had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. ²³ Moreover, he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had^ddone, but Amon multiplied guilt. ²⁴ Finally his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. ²⁵ But the people of the land^ekilled all the conspirators against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 34

¹ Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ² He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. ³ For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images. ⁴ They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶ In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins, ⁷ he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

⁸ Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. ⁹ They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the^adoorkeepers, had collected^bfrom Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD^cused it to restore and repair the house. ¹¹ They in turn gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. ¹² The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. ¹³ They were also over the burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

¹⁴ When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. ¹⁵ Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. ¹⁶ Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and^dreported further word to the king, saying, “Everything that was^eentrusted to your servants they are doing. ¹⁷ They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen.” ¹⁸ Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

¹⁹ When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. ²⁰ Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan,^fAbdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, ²¹ “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

²² So Hilkiah and those whom the king^ghad told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of^hTokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. ²³ She said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, ²⁴ thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. ²⁵ Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched.”’ ²⁶ But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, ²⁷ Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD. ²⁸ Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” And they brought back word to the king.

²⁹ Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

³¹ Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. ³² Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. ³³ Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout hisⁱlifetime they did not turn from following the LORD God of their fathers.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 35

¹ Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover animals on the fourteenth day of the first month. ² He set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. ³ He also said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. ⁴ Prepare yourselves by your fathers’ households in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon. ⁵ Moreover, stand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your brethren the^alay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father’s household. ⁶ Now slaughter the Passover animals, sanctify yourselves and prepare for your brethren to do according to the word of the LORD by Moses.”

⁷ Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering 30,000 plus 3,000 bulls; these were from the king’s possessions. ⁸ His officers also contributed a freewill offering to the people, the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 from the flocks and 300 bulls. ⁹ Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officers of the Levites, contributed to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 from the flocks and 500 bulls.

¹⁰ So the service was prepared, and the priests stood at their stations and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s command. ¹¹ ^bThey slaughtered the Passover animals, and while the priests sprinkled^cthe blood received from their hand, the Levites skinned them. ¹² Then they removed the burnt offerings that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to present to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this also with the bulls. ¹³ So they roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the ordinance, and they boiled the holy things in pots, in kettles, in pans, and carried them speedily to all the lay people. ¹⁴ Afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. ¹⁵ The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to depart from their service, because the Levites their brethren prepared for them.

¹⁶ So all the service of the LORD was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD according to the command of King Josiah. ¹⁷ Thus the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. ¹⁸ There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign this Passover was celebrated.

²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had set the^dtemple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. ²¹ But^eNeco sent messengers to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.” ²² However, Josiah would not turn^faway from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. ²³ The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” ²⁴ So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem^gwhere he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. ²⁵ Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are also written in the Lamentations. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion as written in the law of the LORD, ²⁷ and his acts, first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

2 Chronicles, Chapter 36

¹ Then the people of the land took^aJoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. ² Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. ³ Then the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. ⁴ The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Joahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt.

⁵ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. ⁶ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. ⁷ Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. ⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and^bthe abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son became king in his place.

⁹ Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹⁰ At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the LORD, and he made his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹² He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet^cwho spoke for the LORD. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the LORD which He had sanctified in Jerusalem.

¹⁵ The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; ¹⁶ but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy. ¹⁷ Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. ¹⁸ All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon. ¹⁹ Then they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. ²⁰ Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, ²¹ to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath^duntil seventy years were complete.

²² Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah—the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ²³ “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!’”


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