Most other religions are based on their teachings. Christianity is based on the death of Christ and the Resurrection that attests its efficacy. The idea of the Resurrection was scorned by most people, as the response of the philosophical Athenians to Paul indicates: “When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered” (Acts 17:32). But Christianity has stood the test of time. This is significant because Christianity is the only religion that stands or falls on the truthfulness of an event. Its survival is evidence that its unique basis, the Resurrection, is indeed valid.
Ajith Fernando

The Second Book of the Chronicles

The Second Book of the Chronicles

{1:1} And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom,and Jehovah his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. {1:2}And Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and ofhundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, theheads of the fathers’ [houses]. {1:3} So Solomon, and all the assemblywith him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was thetent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Jehovah had made inthe wilderness. {1:4} But the ark of God had David brought up fromKiriath-jearim to [the place] that David had prepared for it; for hehad pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. {1:5} Moreover the brazenaltar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was therebefore the tabernacle of Jehovah: and Solomon and the assembly soughtunto it. {1:6} And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar beforeJehovah, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousandburnt-offerings upon it.

{1:7} In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him,Ask what I shall give thee. {1:8} And Solomon said unto God, Thou hastshowed great lovingkindness unto David my father, and hast made me kingin his stead. {1:9} Now, O Jehovah God, let thy promise unto David myfather be established; for thou hast made me king over a people likethe dust of the earth in multitude. {1:10} Give me now wisdom andknowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for whocan judge this thy people, that is so great? {1:11} And God said toSolomon, Because this was in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches,wealth, or honor, nor the life of them that hate thee, neither yet hastasked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, thatthou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: {1:12}wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches,and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that havebeen before thee; neither shall there any after thee have the like.{1:13} So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, frombefore the tent of meeting, unto Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.{1:14} And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had athousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, thathe placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. {1:15}And the king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, andcedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, forabundance. {1:16} And the horses which Solomon had were brought out ofEgypt; the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at aprice. {1:17} And they fetched up and brought out of Egypt a chariotfor six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred andfifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings ofSyria, did they bring them out by their means.

{2:1} Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Jehovah,and a house for his kingdom. {2:2} And Solomon counted out threescoreand ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand men thatwere hewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred tooversee them. {2:3} And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying,As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars tobuild him a house to dwell therein, [even so deal with me]. {2:4}Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Jehovah my God, todedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, andfor the continual showbread, and for the burnt-offerings morning andevening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feastsof Jehovah our God. This is [an ordinance] for ever to Israel. {2:5}And the house which I build is great; for great is our God above allgods. {2:6} But who is able to build him a house, seeing heaven and theheaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I shouldbuild him a house, save only to burn incense before him? {2:7} Nowtherefore send me a man skilful to work in gold, and in silver, and inbrass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and thatknoweth how to grave [all manner of] gravings, [to be] with the skilfulmen that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my fatherdid provide. {2:8} Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, andalgum-trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants know how tocut timber in Lebanon: and, behold, my servants shall be with thyservants, {2:9} even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the housewhich I am about to build shall be great and wonderful. {2:10} And,behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twentythousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures ofbarley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths ofoil. {2:11} Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which hesent to Solomon, Because Jehovah loveth his people, he hath made theeking over them. {2:12} Huram said moreover, Blessed be Jehovah, the Godof Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the kinga wise son, endued with discretion and understanding, that should builda house for Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom. {2:13} And now I havesent a skilful man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s,{2:14} the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was aman of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron,in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and incrimson, also to grave any manner of graving, and to devise any device;that there may be [a place] appointed unto him with thy skilful men,and with the skilful men of my lord David thy father. {2:15} Nowtherefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lordhath spoken of, let him send unto his servants: {2:16} and we will cutwood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring itto thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up toJerusalem. {2:17} And Solomon numbered all the sojourners that were inthe land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father hadnumbered them; and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand andthree thousand and six hundred. {2:18} And he set threescore and tenthousand of them to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand that werehewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred overseersto set the people at work.

{3:1} Then Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalemon mount Moriah, where [Jehovah] appeared unto David his father, whichhe made ready in the place that David had appointed, in thethreshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. {3:2} And he began to build inthe second [day] of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.{3:3} Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the buildingof the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure wasthreescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. {3:4} And the porchthat was before [the house], the length of it, according to the breadthof the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty;and he overlaid it within with pure gold. {3:5} And the greater househe ceiled with fir-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and wroughtthereon palm-trees and chains. {3:6} And he garnished the house withprecious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. {3:7} Heoverlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and the wallsthereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim on thewalls. {3:8} And he made the most holy house: the length thereof,according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and thebreadth thereof twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold,amounting to six hundred talents. {3:9} And the weight of the nails wasfifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.{3:10} And in the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work;and they overlaid them with gold. {3:11} And the wings of the cherubimwere twenty cubits long: the wing of the one [cherub] was five cubits,reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was [likewise]five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. {3:12} And thewing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of thehouse; and the other wing was five cubits [also], joining to the wingof the other cherub. {3:13} The wings of these cherubim spreadthemselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and theirfaces were toward the house. {3:14} And he made the veil of blue, andpurple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon.{3:15} Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and fivecubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them wasfive cubits. {3:16} And he made chains in the oracle, and put [them] onthe tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and putthem on the chains. {3:17} And he set up the pillars before the temple,one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the nameof that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

{4:1} Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the lengththereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits theheight thereof. {4:2} Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits frombrim to brim, round in compass; and the height thereof was five cubits;and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about. {4:3} And underit was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for tencubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, castwhen it was cast. {4:4} It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking towardthe north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking towardthe south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set uponthem above, and all their hinder parts were inward. {4:5} And it was ahandbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of acup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousandbaths. {4:6} He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand,and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to theburnt-offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests towash in. {4:7} And he made the ten candlesticks of gold according tothe ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five onthe right hand, and five on the left. {4:8} He made also ten tables,and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on theleft. And he made a hundred basins of gold. {4:9} Furthermore he madethe court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court,and overlaid the doors of them with brass. {4:10} And he set the sea onthe right side [of the house] eastward, toward the south. {4:11} AndHuram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. So Huram made anend of doing the work that he wrought for king Solomon in the house ofGod: {4:12} the two pillars, and the bowls, and the two capitals whichwere on the top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the twobowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars, {4:13} andthe four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows ofpomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitalsthat were upon the pillars. {4:14} He made also the bases, and thelavers made he upon the bases; {4:15} one sea, and the twelve oxenunder it. {4:16} The pots also, and the shovels, and the flesh-hooks,and all the vessels thereof, did Huram his father make for king Solomonfor the house of Jehovah of bright brass. {4:17} In the plain of theJordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth andZeredah. {4:18} Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance:for the weight of the brass could not be found out. {4:19} And Solomonmade all the vessels that were in the house of God, the golden altaralso, and the tables whereon was the showbread; {4:20} and thecandlesticks with their lamps, to burn according to the ordinancebefore the oracle, of pure gold; {4:21} and the flowers, and the lamps,and the tongs, of gold, and that perfect gold; {4:22} and the snuffers,and the basins, and the spoons, and the firepans, of pure gold: and asfor the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holyplace, and the doors of the house, [to wit], of the temple, were ofgold.

{5:1} Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house ofJehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David hisfather had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all thevessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God. {5:2} ThenSolomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of thetribes, the princes of the fathers’ [houses] of the children of Israel,unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out ofthe city of David, which is Zion. {5:3} nd all the men of Israelassembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which was [in] theseventh month. {5:4} And all the elders of Israel came: and the Levitestook up the ark; {5:5} and they brought up the ark, and the tent ofmeeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did thepriests the Levites bring up. {5:6} And king Solomon and all thecongregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were before theark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numberedfor multitude. {5:7} And the priests brought in the ark of the covenantof Jehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the mostholy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. {5:8} For thecherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and thecherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. {5:9} And thestaves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the arkbefore the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there it is untothis day. {5:10} There was nothing in the ark save the two tables whichMoses put [there] at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with thechildren of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. {5:11} And it came topass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, (for all thepriests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keeptheir courses; {5:12} also the Levites who were the singers, all ofthem, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren,arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood atthe east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priestssounding with trumpets;) {5:13} it came to pass, when the trumpetersand singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising andthanking Jehovah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpetsand cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Jehovah, [saying],For he is good; for his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever; that thenthe house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Jehovah, {5:14} sothat the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud:for the glory of Jehovah filled the house of God.

{6:1} Then spake Solomon, Jehovah hath said that he would dwell inthe thick darkness. {6:2} But I have built thee a house of habitation,and a place for thee to dwell in for ever. {6:3} And the king turnedhis face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assemblyof Israel stood. {6:4} And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God ofIsrael, who spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath withhis hands fulfilled it, saying, {6:5} Since the day that I broughtforth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of allthe tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there;neither chose I any man to be prince over my people Israel: {6:6} but Ihave chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosenDavid to be over my people Israel. {6:7} Now it was in the heart ofDavid my father to build a house for the name of Jehovah, the God ofIsrael. {6:8} But Jehovah said unto David my father, Whereas it was inthy heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well that it was inthy heart: {6:9} nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thyson that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the housefor my name. {6:10} And Jehovah hath performed his word that he spake;for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throneof Israel, as Jehovah promised, and have built the house for the nameof Jehovah, the God of Israel. {6:11} And there have I set the ark,wherein is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with the children ofIsrael. {6:12} And he stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presenceof all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands {6:13} (forSolomon had made a brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubitsbroad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court;and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all theassembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;) {6:14}and he said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee,in heaven, or on earth; who keepest covenant and lovingkindness withthy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart; {6:15} whohast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didstpromise him: yea, thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled itwith thy hand, as it is this day. {6:16} Now therefore, O Jehovah, theGod of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thouhast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sightto sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy children take heed to theirway, to walk in my law as thou hast walked before me. {6:17} Nowtherefore, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, let thy word be verified,which thou spakest unto thy servant David. {6:18} But will God in verydeed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven ofheavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I havebuilded! {6:19} Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant,and to his supplication, O Jehovah my God, to hearken unto the cry andto the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee; {6:20} that thineeyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the placewhereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; tohearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place.{6:21} And hearken thou to the supplications of thy servant, and of thypeople Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yea, hear thoufrom thy dwelling-place, even from heaven; and when thou hearestforgive. {6:22} If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laidupon him to cause him to swear, and he come [and] swear before thinealtar in this house; {6:23} then hear thou from heaven, and do, andjudge thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his ownhead; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to hisrighteousness. {6:24} And if thy people Israel be smitten down beforethe enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn againand confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee inthis house; {6:25} then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin ofthy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavestto them and to their fathers. {6:26} When the heavens are shut up, andthere is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they praytoward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, whenthou dost afflict them: {6:27} then hear thou in heaven, and forgivethe sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachestthem the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thyland, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. {6:28} Ifthere be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there beblasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiegethem in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague or whatsoeversickness there be; {6:29} what prayer and supplication soever be madeby any man, or by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man hisown plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands towardthis house: {6:30} then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling-place andforgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whoseheart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts ofthe children of men;) {6:31} that they may fear thee, to walk in thyways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto ourfathers. {6:32} Moreover concerning the foreigner, that is not of thypeople Israel, when he shall come from a far country for thy greatname’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thine outstretched arm; when theyshall come and pray toward this house: {6:33} then hear thou fromheaven, even from thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that theforeigner calleth to thee for; that all the peoples of the earth mayknow thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and that theymay know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.{6:34} If thy people go out to battle against their enemies, bywhatsoever way thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee towardthis city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built forthy name; {6:35} then hear thou from heaven their prayer and theirsupplication, and maintain their cause. {6:36} If they sin against thee(for there is no man that sinneth not), and thou be angry with them,and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captiveunto a land far off or near; {6:37} yet if they shall bethinkthemselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turnagain, and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captivity,saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealtwickedly; {6:38} if they return unto thee with all their heart and withall their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they havecarried them captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavestunto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen, and toward thehouse which I have built for thy name: {6:39} then hear thou fromheaven, even from thy dwelling-place, their prayer and theirsupplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people whohave sinned against thee. {6:40} Now, O my God, let, I beseech thee,thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent, unto the prayer thatis made in this place. {6:41} Now therefore arise, O Jehovah God, intothy resting-place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests,O Jehovah God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice ingoodness. {6:42} O Jehovah God, turn not away the face of thineanointed: remember [thy] lovingkindnesses to David thy servant.

{7:1} Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire camedown from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices;and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. {7:2} And the priests couldnot enter into the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovahfilled Jehovah’s house. {7:3} And all the children of Israel looked on,when the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah was upon the house;and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon thepavement, and worshipped, and gave thanks unto Jehovah, [saying], Forhe is good; for his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever. {7:4} Then theking and all the people offered sacrifice before Jehovah. {7:5} Andking Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and ahundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the peoplededicated the house of God. {7:6} And the priests stood, according totheir offices; the Levites also with instruments of music of Jehovah,which David the king had made to give thanks unto Jehovah, (for hislovingkindness [endureth] for ever,) when David praised by theirministry: and the priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israelstood. {7:7} Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that wasbefore the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings,and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar whichSolomon had made was not able to receive the burnt-offering, and themeal-offering, and the fat. {7:8} So Solomon held the feast at thattime seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, fromthe entrance of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt. {7:9} And on the eighthday they held a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of thealtar seven days, and the feast seven days. {7:10} And on the three andtwentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away unto theirtents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Jehovah hadshowed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people. {7:11}Thus Solomon finished the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house: andall that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of Jehovah, andin his own house, he prosperously effected. {7:12} And Jehovah appearedto Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, andhave chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. {7:13} If Ishut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command thelocust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;{7:14} if my people, who are called by my name, shall humblethemselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wickedways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, andwill heal their land. {7:15} Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine earsattent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. {7:16} For now haveI chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there for ever;and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. {7:17} And asfor thee, if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked, anddo according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep mystatutes and mine ordinances; {7:18} then I will establish the throneof thy kingdom, according as I covenanted with David thy father,saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. {7:19}But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments whichI have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worshipthem; {7:20} then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my landwhich I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for myname, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and abyword among all peoples. {7:21} And this house, which is so high,every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall say, Whyhath Jehovah done thus unto this land, and to this house? {7:22} Andthey shall answer, Because they forsook Jehovah, the God of theirfathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid holdon other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath hebrought all this evil upon them.

{8:1} And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, whereinSolomon had built the house of Jehovah, and his own house, {8:2} thatthe cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, andcaused the children of Israel to dwell there. {8:3} And Solomon went toHamath-zobah, and prevailed against it. {8:4} And he built Tadmor inthe wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.{8:5} Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether,fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars; {8:6} and Baalath, andall the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for hischariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desiredto build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all theland of his dominion. {8:7} As for all the people that were left of theHittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, andthe Jebusites, that were not of Israel; {8:8} of their children thatwere left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumednot, of them did Solomon raise a levy [of bondservants] unto this day.{8:9} But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants forhis work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, andrulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. {8:10} And these were thechief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that barerule over the people. {8:11} And Solomon brought up the daughter ofPharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built forher; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king ofIsrael, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of Jehovah hathcome. {8:12} Then Solomon offered burnt-offerings unto Jehovah on thealtar of Jehovah, which he had built before the porch, {8:13} even asthe duty of every day required, offering according to the commandmentof Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts,three times in the year, [even] in the feast of unleavened bread, andin the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. {8:14} And heappointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the coursesof the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, topraise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every dayrequired; the doorkeepers also by their courses at every gate: for sohad David the man of God commanded. {8:15} And they departed not fromthe commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning anymatter, or concerning the treasures. {8:16} Now all the work of Solomonwas prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah,and until it was finished. [So] the house of Jehovah was completed.{8:17} Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, on the seashorein the land of Edom. {8:18} And Huram sent him by the hands of hisservants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and theycame with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched from thencefour hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to kingSolomon.

{9:1} And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, shecame to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a verygreat train, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, andprecious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed withhim of all that was in her heart. {9:2} And Solomon told her all herquestions; and there was not anything hid from Solomon which he toldher not. {9:3} And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom ofSolomon, and the house that he had built, {9:4} and the food of histable, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of hisministers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their apparel,and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of Jehovah; there wasno more spirit in her. {9:5} And she said to the king, It was a truereport that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.{9:6} Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyeshad seen it; and, behold, the half of the greatness of thy wisdom wasnot told me: thou exceedest the fame that I heard. {9:7} Happy are thymen, and happy are these thy servants, that stand continually beforethee, and hear thy wisdom. {9:8} Blessed be Jehovah thy God, whodelighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for Jehovahthy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever,therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness.{9:9} And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, andspices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there anysuch spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. {9:10} And theservants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, that brought goldfrom Ophir, brought algum-trees and precious stones. {9:11} And theking made of the algum-trees terraces for the house of Jehovah, and forthe king’s house, and harps and psalteries for the singers: and therewere none such seen before in the land of Judah. {9:12} And kingSolomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever sheasked, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned,and went to her own land, she and her servants. {9:13} Now the weightof gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescoreand six talents of gold, {9:14} besides that which the traders andmerchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of thecountry brought gold and silver to Solomon. {9:15} And king Solomonmade two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred [shekels] ofbeaten gold went to one buckler. {9:16} And [he made] three hundredshields of beaten gold; three hundred [shekels] of gold went to oneshield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.{9:17} Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid itwith pure gold. {9:18} nd there were six steps to the throne, with afootstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays oneither side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside thestays. {9:19} And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on theother upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.{9:20} And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and allthe vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold:silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. {9:21} For theking had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; onceevery three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, andsilver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. {9:22} So king Solomon exceededall the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. {9:23} And all thekings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom,which God had put in his heart. {9:24} And they brought every man histribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armor,and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. {9:25} And Solomonhad four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousandhorsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king atJerusalem. {9:26} And he ruled over all the kings from the River evenunto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. {9:27}And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars madehe to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.{9:28} And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and out of alllands. {9:29} Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, arethey not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in theprophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seerconcerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? {9:30} And Solomon reigned inJerusalem over all Israel forty years. {9:31} And Solomon slept withhis fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: andRehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

{10:1} And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel were come toShechem to make him king. {10:2} And it came to pass, when Jeroboam theson of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, whither he had fledfrom the presence of king Solomon,) that Jeroboam returned out ofEgypt. {10:3} And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israelcame, and they spake to Rehoboam, saying, {10:4} Thy father made ouryoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thyfather, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we willserve thee. {10:5} And he said unto them, Come again unto me afterthree days. And the people departed. {10:6} And king Rehoboam tookcounsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his fatherwhile he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer tothis people? {10:7} And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind tothis people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then theywill be thy servants for ever. {10:8} But he forsook the counsel of theold men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young menthat were grown up with him, that stood before him. {10:9} And he saidunto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to thispeople, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy fatherdid put upon us lighter? {10:10} And the young men that were grown upwith him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the peoplethat spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but makethou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My littlefinger is thicker than my father’s loins. {10:11} And now whereas myfather did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: myfather chastised you with whips, but I [will chastise you] withscorpions. {10:12} So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam thethird day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.{10:13} And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsookthe counsel of the old men, {10:14} and spake to them after the counselof the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I willadd thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I [will chastiseyou] with scorpions. {10:15} So the king hearkened not unto the people;for it was brought about of God, that Jehovah might establish his word,which he spake by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.{10:16} And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them,the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David?neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to yourtents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So all Israeldeparted unto their tents. {10:17} But as for the children of Israelthat dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. {10:18}Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject totaskwork; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones.And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee toJerusalem. {10:19} So Israel rebelled against the house of David untothis day.

{11:1} And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled thehouse of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosenmen, that were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdomagain to Rehoboam. {11:2} But the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah theman of God, saying, {11:3} Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, kingof Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, {11:4} Thussaith Jehovah, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren:return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So theyhearkened unto the words of Jehovah, and returned from going againstJeroboam. {11:5} And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities fordefence in Judah. {11:6} He built Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,{11:7} And Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, {11:8} and Gath, andMareshah, and Ziph, {11:9} and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,{11:10} and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and inBenjamin, fortified cities. {11:11} And he fortified the strongholds,and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and oil and wine.{11:12} And in every city [he put] shields and spears, and made themexceeding strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. {11:13} Andthe priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him outof all their border. {11:14} For the Levites left their suburbs andtheir possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and hissons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s officeunto Jehovah; {11:15} and he appointed him priests for the high places,and for the he-goats, and for the calves which he had made. {11:16} Andafter them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heartsto seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice untoJehovah, the God of their fathers. {11:17} So they strengthened thekingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, threeyears; for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.{11:18} And Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoththe son of David, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son ofJesse; {11:19} and she bare him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.{11:20} And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and shebare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. {11:21} AndRehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives andhis concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines,and begat twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters.) {11:22} AndRehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, [even] theprince among his brethren; for [he was minded] to make him king.{11:23} And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughoutall the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city: and hegave them victuals in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives.

{12:1} And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam wasestablished, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of Jehovah, andall Israel with him. {12:2} And it came to pass in the fifth year ofking Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,because they had trespassed against Jehovah, {12:3} with twelve hundredchariots, and threescore thousand horsemen. And the people were withoutnumber that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and theEthiopians. {12:4} And he took the fortified cities which pertained toJudah, and came unto Jerusalem. {12:5} Now Shemaiah the prophet came toRehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together toJerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah,Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand ofShishak. {12:6} Then the princes of Israel and the king humbledthemselves; and they said, Jehovah is righteous. {12:7} And whenJehovah saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Jehovah came toShemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves: I will not destroythem; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not bepoured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. {12:8} Neverthelessthey shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and theservice of the kingdoms of the countries. {12:9} So Shishak king ofEgypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of thehouse of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king’s house: he took allaway: he took away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.{12:10} And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, andcommitted them to the hands of the captains of the guard, that kept thedoor of the king’s house. {12:11} And it was so, that, as oft as theking entered into the house of Jehovah, the guard came and bare them,and brought them back into the guard-chamber. {12:12} And when hehumbled himself, the wrath of Jehovah turned from him, so as not todestroy him altogether: and moreover in Judah there were good things[found]. {12:13} So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem,and reigned: for Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began toreign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city whichJehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his namethere: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. {12:14} And hedid that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.{12:15} Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not writtenin the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, afterthe manner of genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam andJeroboam continually. {12:16} And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, andwas buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in hisstead.

{13:1} In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reignover Judah. {13:2} Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and hismother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And therewas war between Abijah and Jeroboam. {13:3} And Abijah joined battlewith an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosenmen: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eighthundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor. {13:4} AndAbijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country ofEphraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel: {13:5} Ought yenot to know that Jehovah, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom overIsrael to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant ofsalt? {13:6} Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon theson of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. {13:7} And therewere gathered unto him worthless men, base fellows, that strengthenedthemselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was youngand tender-hearted, and could not withstand them. {13:8} And now yethink to withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons ofDavid; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the goldencalves which Jeroboam made you for gods. {13:9} Have ye not driven outthe priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and madeyou priests after the manner of the peoples of [other] lands? so thatwhosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and sevenrams, the same may be a priest of [them that are] no gods. {13:10} Butas for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and [wehave] priests ministering unto Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and theLevites in their work: {13:11} and they burn unto Jehovah every morningand every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense: the showbread also[set they] in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of goldwith the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the chargeof Jehovah our God; but ye have forsaken him. {13:12} And, behold, Godis with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm tosound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not againstJehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. {13:13} ButJeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they werebefore Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. {13:14} And whenJudah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; andthey cried unto Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.{13:15} Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judahshouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel beforeAbijah and Judah. {13:16} And the children of Israel fled before Judah;and God delivered them into their hand. {13:17} And Abijah and hispeople slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain ofIsrael five hundred thousand chosen men. {13:18} Thus the children ofIsrael were brought under at that time, and the children of Judahprevailed, because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers.{13:19} And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him,Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof,and Ephron with the towns thereof. {13:20} Neither did Jeroboam recoverstrength again in the days of Abijah: and Jehovah smote him, and hedied. {13:21} But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteenwives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. {13:22}And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, arewritten in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

{14:1} So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in thecity of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days theland was quiet ten years. {14:2} And Asa did that which was good andright in the eyes of Jehovah his God: {14:3} for he took away theforeign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, andhewed down the Asherim, {14:4} and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah, theGod of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. {14:5}Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places andthe sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. {14:6} And hebuilt fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had nowar in those years, because Jehovah had given him rest. {14:7} For hesaid unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls,and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we havesought Jehovah our God; we have sought him, and he hath given us reston every side. So they built and prospered. {14:8} And Asa had an armythat bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; andout of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred andfourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valor. {14:9} Andthere came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of athousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came untoMareshah. {14:10} Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set thebattle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. {14:11} And Asacried unto Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, there is none besidesthee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: helpus, O Jehovah our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we comeagainst this multitude. O Jehovah, thou art our God; let not manprevail against thee. {14:12} So Jehovah smote the Ethiopians beforeAsa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. {14:13} And Asa and thepeople that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and there fell ofthe Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for theywere destroyed before Jehovah, and before his host; and they carriedaway very much booty. {14:14} And they smote all the cities round aboutGerar; for the fear of Jehovah came upon them: and they despoiled allthe cities; for there was much spoil in them. {14:15} They smote alsothe tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels,and returned to Jerusalem.

{15:1} And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:{15:2} and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa,and all Judah and Benjamin: Jehovah is with you, while ye are with him;and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, hewill forsake you. {15:3} Now for a long season Israel was without thetrue God, and without a teaching priest, and without law: {15:4} Butwhen in their distress they turned unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, andsought him, he was found of them. {15:5} And in those times there wasno peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in; but greatvexations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands. {15:6} And theywere broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city;for God did vex them with all adversity. {15:7} But be ye strong, andlet not your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded. {15:8}And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet,he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land ofJudah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from thehill-country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of Jehovah, that wasbefore the porch of Jehovah. {15:9} And he gathered all Judah andBenjamin, and them that sojourned with them out of Ephraim andManasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel inabundance, when they saw that Jehovah his God was with him. {15:10} Sothey gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, inthe fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. {15:11} And they sacrificedunto Jehovah in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, sevenhundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. {15:12} And they entered intothe covenant to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, with all theirheart and with all their soul; {15:13} and that whosoever would notseek Jehovah, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether smallor great, whether man or woman. {15:14} And they sware unto Jehovahwith a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and withcornets. {15:15} And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had swornwith all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and hewas found of them: and Jehovah gave them rest round about. {15:16} Andalso Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen,because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cutdown her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.{15:17} But the high places were not taken away out of Israel:nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. {15:18} And hebrought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated,and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.{15:19} And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year ofthe reign of Asa.

{16:1} In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baashaking of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he mightnot suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. {16:2}Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the houseof Jehovah and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king ofSyria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, {16:3} [There is] a leaguebetween me and thee, as [there was] between my father and thy father:behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league withBaasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. {16:4} And Ben-hadadhearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies againstthe cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, andall the store-cities of Naphtali. {16:5} And it came to pass, whenBaasha heard thereof, that he left off building Ramah, and let his workcease. {16:6} Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried awaythe stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha hadbuilded; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah. {16:7} And at thattime Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him,Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied onJehovah thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped outof thy hand. {16:8} Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host,with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because thou didst relyon Jehovah, he delivered them into thy hand. {16:9} For the eyes ofJehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himselfstrong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Hereinthou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars.{16:10} Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in theprison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. AndAsa oppressed some of the people at the same time. {16:11} And, behold,the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book ofthe kings of Judah and Israel. {16:12} And in the thirty and ninth yearof his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceedinggreat: yet in his disease he sought not to Jehovah, but to thephysicians. {16:13} And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the oneand fortieth year of his reign. {16:14} And they buried him in his ownsepulchres, which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David, andlaid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and divers kinds[of spices] prepared by the perfumers’ art: and they made a very greatburning for him.

{17:1} And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, andstrengthened himself against Israel. {17:2} And he placed forces in allthe fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah,and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. {17:3}And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first waysof his father David, and sought not unto the Baalim, {17:4} but soughtto the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not afterthe doings of Israel. {17:5} Therefore Jehovah established the kingdomin his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat tribute; and he hadriches and honor in abundance. {17:6} And his heart was lifted up inthe ways of Jehovah: and furthermore he took away the high places andthe Asherim out of Judah. {17:7} Also in the third year of his reign hesent his princes, even Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, andNethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; {17:8} and withthem the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, andAsahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, andTob-adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, thepriests. {17:9} And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law ofJehovah with them; and they went about throughout all the cities ofJudah, and taught among the people. {17:10} And the fear of Jehovahfell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, sothat they made no war against Jehoshaphat. {17:11} And some of thePhilistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute; theArabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundredrams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats. {17:12} AndJehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles andcities of store. {17:13} And he had many works in the cities of Judah;and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. {17:14} And this wasthe numbering of them according to their fathers’ houses: Of Judah, thecaptains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men ofvalor three hundred thousand; {17:15} and next to him Jehohanan thecaptain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand; {17:16} andnext to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himselfunto Jehovah; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.{17:17} And of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him twohundred thousand armed with bow and shield; {17:18} and next to himJehozabad and with him a hundred and fourscore thousand ready preparedfor war. {17:19} These were they that waited on the king, besides thosewhom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

{18:1} Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and hejoined affinity with Ahab. {18:2} And after certain years he went downto Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him inabundance, and for the people that were with him, and moved him to goup [with him] to Ramoth-gilead. {18:3} And Ahab king of Israel saidunto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead?And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and[we will be] with thee in the war. {18:4} And Jehoshaphat said unto theking of Israel, Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of Jehovah.{18:5} Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, fourhundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead tobattle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliverit into the hand of the king. {18:6} But Jehoshaphat said, Is there nothere a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we may inquire of him? {18:7}And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man bywhom we may inquire of Jehovah: but I hate him; for he neverprophesieth good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiahthe son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. {18:8}Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quicklyMicaiah the son of Imla. {18:9} Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphatthe king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, andthey were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate ofSamaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. {18:10} AndZedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, Thussaith Jehovah, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until they beconsumed. {18:11} And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up toRamoth-gilead, and prosper; for Jehovah will deliver it into the handof the king. {18:12} And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spaketo him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [declare] good to theking with one mouth: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like oneof theirs, and speak thou good. {18:13} And Micaiah said, As Jehovahliveth, what my God saith, that will I speak. {18:14} And when he wascome to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go toRamoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, andprosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand. {18:15} And theking said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speakunto me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah? {18:16} And hesaid, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that haveno shepherd: and Jehovah said, These have no master; let them returnevery man to his house in peace. {18:17} And the king of Israel said toJehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy goodconcerning me, but evil? {18:18} And [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear yethe word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting upon his throne, and all thehost of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. {18:19} AndJehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go upand fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, andanother saying after that manner. {18:20} And there came forth aspirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. AndJehovah said unto him, Wherewith? {18:21} And he said, I will go forth,and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And hesaid, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and doso. {18:22} Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit inthe mouth of these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evilconcerning thee. {18:23} Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near,and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spiritof Jehovah from me to speak unto thee? {18:24} And Micaiah said,Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an innerchamber to hide thyself. {18:25} And the king of Israel said, Take yeMicaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and toJoash the king’s son; {18:26} and say, Thus saith the king, Put thisfellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and withwater of affliction, until I return in peace. {18:27} And Micaiah said,If thou return at all in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me. And hesaid, Hear, ye peoples, all of you. {18:28} So the king of Israel andJehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. {18:29} And theking of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and gointo the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israeldisguised himself; and they went into the battle. {18:30} Now the kingof Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, Fightneither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.{18:31} And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots sawJehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore theyturned about to fight against him: but Jehoshaphat cried out, andJehovah helped him; and God moved them [to depart] from him. {18:32}And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it wasnot the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.{18:33} And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the kingof Israel between the joints of the armor: wherefore he said to thedriver of the chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; forI am sore wounded. {18:34} And the battle increased that day: howbeitthe king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syriansuntil the even; and about the time of the going down of the sun he died.

{19:1} And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house inpeace to Jerusalem. {19:2} And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went outto meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help thewicked, and love them that hate Jehovah? for this thing wrath is uponthee from before Jehovah. {19:3} Nevertheless there are good thingsfound in thee, in that thou hast put away the Asheroth out of the land,and hast set thy heart to seek God. {19:4} And Jehoshaphat dwelt atJerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba tothe hill-country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto Jehovah, theGod of their fathers. {19:5} And he set judges in the land throughoutall the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, {19:6} and said to thejudges, Consider what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah;and [he is] with you in the judgment. {19:7} Now therefore let the fearof Jehovah be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquitywith Jehovah our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.{19:8} Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and thepriests, and of the heads of the fathers’ [houses] of Israel, for thejudgment of Jehovah, and for controversies. And they returned toJerusalem. {19:9} And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in thefear of Jehovah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. {19:10} Andwhensoever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren thatdwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law andcommandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall warn them, that they benot guilty towards Jehovah, and so wrath come upon you and upon yourbrethren: this do, and ye shall not be guilty. {19:11} And, behold,Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Jehovah; andZebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in allthe king’s matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Dealcourageously, and Jehovah be with the good.

{20:1} And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab,and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, cameagainst Jehoshaphat to battle. {20:2} Then there came some that toldJehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee frombeyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (thesame is En-gedi). {20:3} And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself toseek unto Jehovah; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.{20:4} And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek [help] ofJehovah: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.{20:5} And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, inthe house of Jehovah, before the new court; {20:6} and he said, OJehovah, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and artnot thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand ispower and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. {20:7} Didstnot thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thypeople Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?{20:8} And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary thereinfor thy name, saying, {20:9} If evil come upon us, the sword, judgment,or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and beforethee, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in ouraffliction, and thou wilt hear and save. {20:10} And now, behold, thechildren of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not letIsrael invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turnedaside from them, and destroyed them not; {20:11} behold, how theyreward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hastgiven us to inherit. {20:12} O our God, wilt thou not judge them? forwe have no might against this great company that cometh against us;neither know we what to do: but out eyes are upon thee. {20:13} And allJudah stood before Jehovah, with their little ones, their wives, andtheir children. {20:14} Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, theson of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, ofthe sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of Jehovah in the midst of theassembly; {20:15} and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and yeinhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: Thus saith Jehovahunto you, Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this greatmultitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. {20:16} To-morrow goye down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and yeshall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness ofJeruel. {20:17} Ye shall not need to fight in this [battle]: setyourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you,O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed: to-morrow go outagainst them: for Jehovah is with you. {20:18} And Jehoshaphat bowedhis head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitantsof Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah, worshipping Jehovah. {20:19} Andthe Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children ofthe Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, with anexceeding loud voice. {20:20} And they rose early in the morning, andwent forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth,Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants ofJerusalem: believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established;believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. {20:21} And when he hadtaken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing untoJehovah, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before thearmy, and say, Give thanks unto Jehovah; for his lovingkindness[endureth] for ever. {20:22} And when they began to sing and to praise,Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, andmount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten.{20:23} For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against theinhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and whenthey had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped todestroy another. {20:24} And when Judah came to the watch-tower of thewilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, behold, they were deadbodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped. {20:25}And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them,they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, andprecious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than theycould carry away: and they were three days in taking the spoil, it wasso much. {20:26} And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in thevalley of Beracah; for there they blessed Jehovah: therefore the nameof that place was called The valley of Beracah unto this day. {20:27}Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphatin the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; forJehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies. {20:28} And theycame to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the houseof Jehovah. {20:29} And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of thecountries, when they heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies ofIsrael. {20:30} So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gavehim rest round about. {20:31} And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: hewas thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reignedtwenty and five years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Azubahthe daughter of Shilhi. {20:32} And he walked in the way of Asa hisfather, and turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in theeyes of Jehovah. {20:33} Howbeit the high places were not taken away;neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the God of theirfathers. {20:34} Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first andlast, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son ofHanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings of Israel. {20:35}And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziahking of Israel; the same did very wickedly: {20:36} and he joinedhimself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made theships in Ezion-geber. {20:37} Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu ofMareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hastjoined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath destroyed thy works. And theships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

{21:1} And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried withhis fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in hisstead. {21:2} And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah,and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah;all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. {21:3} And theirfather gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of preciousthings, with fortified cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he toJehoram, because he was the first-born. {21:4} Now when Jehoram wasrisen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself,he slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princesof Israel. {21:5} Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began toreign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. {21:6} And he walked inthe way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he hadthe daughter of Ahab to wife: and he did that which was evil in thesight of Jehovah. {21:7} Howbeit Jehovah would not destroy the house ofDavid, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as hepromised to give a lamp to him and to his children alway. {21:8} In hisdays Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king overthemselves. {21:9} Then Jehoram passed over with his captains, and allhis chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomitesthat compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots. {21:10} SoEdom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day: then didLibnah revolt at the same time from under his hand, because he hadforsaken Jehovah, the God of his fathers. {21:11} Moreover he made highplaces in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalemto play the harlot, and led Judah astray. {21:12} And there came awriting to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, theGod of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways ofJehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, {21:13}but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judahand the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like as the houseof Ahab did, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house,who were better than thyself: {21:14} behold, Jehovah will smite with agreat plague thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thysubstance; {21:15} and thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thybowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day byday. {21:16} And Jehovah stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of thePhilistines, and of the Arabians that are beside the Ethiopians:{21:17} and they came up against Judah, and brake into it, and carriedaway all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sonsalso, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, saveJehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. {21:18} And after all this Jehovahsmote him in his bowels with an incurable disease. {21:19} And it cameto pass, in process of time, at the end of two years, that his bowelsfell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of sore diseases. Andhis people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.{21:20} Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and hereigned in Jerusalem eight years: and he departed without beingdesired; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in thesepulchres of the kings.

{22:1} And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngestson king in his stead; for the band of men that came with the Arabiansto the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoramking of Judah reigned. {22:2} Forty and two years old was Ahaziah whenhe began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and hismother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. {22:3} He also walkedin the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counsellor todo wickedly. {22:4} And he did that which was evil in the sight ofJehovah, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors afterthe death of his father, to his destruction. {22:5} He walked alsoafter their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king ofIsrael to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and theSyrians wounded Joram. {22:6} And he returned to be healed in Jezreelof the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought againstHazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah wentdown to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.{22:7} Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went untoJoram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu theson of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.{22:8} And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon thehouse of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of thebrethren of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them. {22:9} Andhe sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria),and they brought him to Jehu, and slew him; and they buried him, forthey said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Jehovah with allhis heart. And the house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.{22:10} Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son wasdead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.{22:11} But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the sonof Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons that wereslain, and put him and his nurse in the bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath,the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for shewas the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew himnot. {22:12} And he was with them hid in the house of God six years:and Athaliah reigned over the land.

{23:1} And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, andtook the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmaelthe son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the sonof Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.{23:2} And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out ofall the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ [houses] of Israel,and they came to Jerusalem. {23:3} And all the assembly made a covenantwith the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, theking’s son shall reign, as Jehovah hath spoken concerning the sons ofDavid. {23:4} This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you,that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shallbe porters of the thresholds; {23:5} and a third part shall be at theking’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and allthe people shall be in the courts of the house of Jehovah. {23:6} Butlet none come into the house of Jehovah, save the priests, and theythat minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy:but all the people shall keep the charge of Jehovah. {23:7} And theLevites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weaponsin his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: andbe ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out. {23:8} Sothe Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priestcommanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come inon the sabbath; with those that were to go out on the sabbath; forJehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses. {23:9} And Jehoiada thepriest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers,and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in the house ofGod. {23:10} And he set all the people, every man with his weapon inhis hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of thehouse, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.{23:11} Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown uponhim, and [gave him] the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada andhis sons anointed him; and they said, [Long] live the king. {23:12} Andwhen Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising theking, she came to the people into the house of Jehovah: {23:13} and shelooked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, andthe captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of theland rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also [played] oninstruments of music, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah renther clothes, and said, Treason! treason! {23:14} And Jehoiada thepriest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over thehost, and said unto them, Have her forth between the ranks; and whosofolloweth her, let him be slain with the sword: for the priest said,Slay her not in the house of Jehovah. {23:15} So they made way for her;and she went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house: andthey slew her there. {23:16} And Jehoiada made a covenant betweenhimself, and all the people, and the king, that they should beJehovah’s people. {23:17} And all the people went to the house of Baal,and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, andslew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. {23:18} And Jehoiadaappointed the officers of the house of Jehovah under the hand of thepriests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house ofJehovah, to offer the burnt-offerings of Jehovah, as it is written inthe law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to theorder of David. {23:19} And he set the porters at the gates of thehouse of Jehovah, that none that was unclean in anything should enterin. {23:20} And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, andthe governors of the people, and all the people of the land, andbrought down the king from the house of Jehovah: and they came throughthe upper gate unto the king’s house, and set the king upon the throneof the kingdom. {23:21} So all the people of the land rejoiced, and thecity was quiet. And Athaliah they had slain with the sword.

{24:1} Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and hereigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah, ofBeer-sheba. {24:2} And Joash did that which was right in the eyes ofJehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest. {24:3} And Jehoiada tookfor him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. {24:4} And it cameto pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house ofJehovah. {24:5} And he gathered together the priests and the Levites,and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of allIsrael money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and seethat ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. {24:6}And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hastthou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out ofJerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Jehovah, and of the assemblyof Israel, for the tent of the testimony? {24:7} For the sons ofAthaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and alsoall the dedicated things of the house of Jehovah did they bestow uponthe Baalim. {24:8} So the king commanded, and they made a chest, andset it without at the gate of the house of Jehovah. {24:9} And theymade a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in forJehovah the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in thewilderness. {24:10} And all the princes and all the people rejoiced,and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.{24:11} And it was so, that, at what time the chest was brought untothe king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw thatthere was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officercame and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its placeagain. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.{24:12} And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work ofthe service of the house of Jehovah; and they hired masons andcarpenters to restore the house of Jehovah, and also such as wroughtiron and brass to repair the house of Jehovah. {24:13} So the workmenwrought, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, andthey set up the house of God in its state, and strengthened it. {24:14}And when they had made an end, they brought the rest of the moneybefore the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the houseof Jehovah, even vessels wherewith to minister and to offer, andspoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offeredburnt-offerings in the house of Jehovah continually all the days ofJehoiada. {24:15} But Jehoiada waxed old and was full of days, and hedied; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. {24:16} Andthey buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he haddone good in Israel, and toward God and his house. {24:17} Now afterthe death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance tothe king. Then the king hearkened unto them. {24:18} And they forsookthe house of Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherimand the idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this theirguiltiness. {24:19} Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them againunto Jehovah; and they testified against them: but they would not giveear. {24:20} And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son ofJehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them,Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, so thatye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he hath alsoforsaken you. {24:21} And they conspired against him, and stoned himwith stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house ofJehovah. {24:22} Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness whichJehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when hedied, he said, Jehovah look upon it, and require it. {24:23} And itcame to pass at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians cameup against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed allthe princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoilof them unto the king of Damascus. {24:24} For the army of the Syrianscame with a small company of men; and Jehovah delivered a very greathost into their hand, because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God oftheir fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash. {24:25} And whenthey were departed for him (for they left him very sick), his ownservants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiadathe priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died; and they buried himin the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of thekings. {24:26} And these are they that conspired against him: Zabad theson of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith theMoabitess. {24:27} Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of theburdens [laid] upon him, and the rebuilding of the house of God,behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings.And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

{25:1} Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign;and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’sname was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. {25:2} And he did that which wasright in the eyes of Jehovah, but not with a perfect heart. {25:3} Nowit came to pass, when the kingdom was established unto him, that heslew his servants that had killed the king his father. {25:4} But heput not their children to death, but did according to that which iswritten in the law in the book of Moses, as Jehovah commanded, saying,The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the childrendie for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin. {25:5}Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according totheir fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains ofhundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twentyyears old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men,able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. {25:6} Hehired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for ahundred talents of silver. {25:7} But there came a man of God to him,saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for Jehovah isnot with Israel, [to wit], with all the children of Ephraim. {25:8} Butif thou wilt go, do [valiantly], be strong for the battle: God willcast thee down before the enemy; for God hath power to help, and tocast down. {25:9} And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall wedo for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?And the man of God answered, Jehovah is able to give thee much morethan this. {25:10} Then Amaziah separated them, [to wit], the army thatwas come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their angerwas greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierceanger. {25:11} And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people, andwent to the Valley of Salt, and smote of the children of Seir tenthousand. {25:12} And [other] ten thousand did the children of Judahcarry away alive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and castthem down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken inpieces. {25:13} But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, thatthey should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah,from Samaria even unto Beth-horon, and smote of them three thousand,and took much spoil. {25:14} Now it came to pass, after that Amaziahwas come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the godsof the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed downhimself before them, and burned incense unto them. {25:15} Whereforethe anger of Jehovah was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto hima prophet, who said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods ofthe people, which have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?{25:16} And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that [the king]said unto him, Have we made thee of the king’s counsel? forbear; whyshouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I knowthat God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this,and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. {25:17} Then Amaziah king ofJudah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz the son ofJehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in theface. {25:18} And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah,saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was inLebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passedby a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle. {25:19}Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten Edom; and thy heart lifteth thee upto boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to [thy] hurt,that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? {25:20} ButAmaziah would not hear; for it was of God, that he might deliver theminto the hand [of their enemies], because they had sought after thegods of Edom. {25:21} So Joash king of Israel went up; and he andAmaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh,which belongeth to Judah. {25:22} And Judah was put to the worse beforeIsrael; and they fled every man to his tent. {25:23} And Joash king ofIsrael took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son ofJehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake downthe wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate,four hundred cubits. {25:24} And [he took] all the gold and silver, andall the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, andthe treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned toSamaria. {25:25} And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived afterthe death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.{25:26} Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold,are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?{25:27} Now from the time that Amaziah did turn away from followingJehovah they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled toLachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.{25:28} And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with hisfathers in the city of Judah.

{26:1} And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteenyears old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. {26:2}He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king sleptwith his fathers. {26:3} Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began toreign; and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem: and hismother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem. {26:4} And he did that whichwas right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his fatherAmaziah had done. {26:5} And he set himself to seek God in the days ofZechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long ashe sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper. {26:6} And he went forthand warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath,and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in[the country of] Ashdod, and among the Philistines. {26:7} And Godhelped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dweltin Gur-baal, and the Meunim. {26:8} And the Ammonites gave tribute toUzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; forhe waxed exceeding strong. {26:9} Moreover Uzziah built towers inJerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at theturning [of the wall], and fortified them. {26:10} And he built towersin the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle;in the lowland also, and in the plain: [and he had] husbandmen andvinedressers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields; for he lovedhusbandry. {26:11} Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men, thatwent out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoningmade by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand ofHananiah, one of the king’s captains. {26:12} The whole number of theheads of fathers’ [houses], even the mighty men of valor, was twothousand and six hundred. {26:13} And under their hand was an army,three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that madewar with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. {26:14} AndUzziah prepared for them, even for all the host, shields, and spears,and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging.{26:15} And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men, tobe on the towers and upon the battlements, wherewith to shoot arrowsand great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he wasmarvellously helped, till he was strong. {26:16} But when he wasstrong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and hetrespassed against Jehovah his God; for he went into the temple ofJehovah to burn incense upon the altar of incense. {26:17} And Azariahthe priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests ofJehovah, that were valiant men: {26:18} and they withstood Uzziah theking, and said unto him, It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burnincense unto Jehovah, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that areconsecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hasttrespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from Jehovah God.{26:19} Then Uzziah was wroth; and he had a censer in his hand to burnincense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy brakeforth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah,beside the altar of incense. {26:20} And Azariah the chief priest, andall the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in hisforehead, and they thrust him out quickly from thence; yea, himselfhasted also to go out, because Jehovah had smitten him. {26:21} AndUzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in aseparate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house ofJehovah: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging thepeople of the land. {26:22} Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, firstand last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. {26:23} SoUzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers inthe field of burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is aleper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

{27:1} Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign;and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name wasJerushah the daughter of Zadok. {27:2} And he did that which was rightin the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Uzziah haddone: howbeit he entered not into the temple of Jehovah. And the peopledid yet corruptly. {27:3} He built the upper gate of the house ofJehovah, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. {27:4} Moreover hebuilt cities in the hill-country of Judah, and in the forests he builtcastles and towers. {27:5} He fought also with the king of the childrenof Ammon, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gavehim the same year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousandmeasures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the childrenof Ammon render unto him, in the second year also, and in the third.{27:6} So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways beforeJehovah his God. {27:7} Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all hiswars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kingsof Israel and Judah. {27:8} He was five and twenty years old when hebegan to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. {27:9} AndJotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city ofDavid: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

{28:1} Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and hereigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was rightin the eyes of Jehovah, like David his father; {28:2} but he walked inthe ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for theBaalim. {28:3} Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son ofHinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to theabominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the childrenof Israel. {28:4} And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the highplaces, and on the hills, and under every green tree. {28:5} WhereforeJehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; andthey smote him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives,and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the handof the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. {28:6} ForPekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousandin one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Jehovah,the God of their fathers. {28:7} And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim,slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, andElkanah that was next to the king. {28:8} And the children of Israelcarried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women,sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, andbrought the spoil to Samaria. {28:9} But a prophet of Jehovah wasthere, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the host that cameto Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because Jehovah, the God ofyour fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into yourhand, and ye have slain them in a rage which hath reached up to heaven.{28:10} And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah andJerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: [but] are there not evenwith you trespasses of your own against Jehovah your God? {28:11} Nowhear me therefore, and send back the captives, that ye have takencaptive of your brethren; for the fierce wrath of Jehovah is upon you.{28:12} Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariahthe son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiahthe son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against themthat came from the war, {28:13} and said unto them, Ye shall not bringin the captives hither: for ye purpose that which will bring upon us atrespass against Jehovah, to add unto our sins and to our trespass; forour trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.{28:14} So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before theprinces and all the assembly. {28:15} And the men that have beenmentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoilclothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shodthem, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carriedall the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, thecity of palm-trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.{28:16} At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria tohelp him. {28:17} For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah,and carried away captives. {28:18} The Philistines also had invaded thecities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had takenBeth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the townsthereof, and Timnah with the towns thereof, Gimzo also and the townsthereof: and they dwelt there. {28:19} For Jehovah brought Judah lowbecause of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, andtrespassed sore against Jehovah. {28:20} And Tilgath-pilneser king ofAssyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.{28:21} For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Jehovah, andout of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it unto theking of Assyria: but it helped him not. {28:22} And in the time of hisdistress did he trespass yet more against Jehovah, this same king Ahaz.{28:23} For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him;and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them,[therefore] will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But theywere the ruin of him, and of all Israel. {28:24} And Ahaz gatheredtogether the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vesselsof the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Jehovah; andhe made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. {28:25} And in everycity of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, andprovoked to anger Jehovah, the God of his fathers. {28:26} Now the restof his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are writtenin the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. {28:27} And Ahaz sleptwith his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem;for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel:and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

{29:1} Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty yearsold; and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and hismother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. {29:2} And he didthat which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all thatDavid his father had done. {29:3} He in the first year of his reign, inthe first month, opened the doors of the house of Jehovah, and repairedthem. {29:4} And he brought in the priests and the Levites, andgathered them together into the broad place on the east, {29:5} andsaid unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; now sanctify yourselves, andsanctify the house of Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and carry forththe filthiness out of the holy place. {29:6} For our fathers havetrespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah ourGod, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from thehabitation of Jehovah, and turned their backs. {29:7} Also they haveshut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have notburned incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place unto theGod of Israel. {29:8} Wherefore the wrath of Jehovah was upon Judah andJerusalem, and he hath delivered them to be tossed to and fro, to be anastonishment, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes. {29:9} For, lo,our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughtersand our wives are in captivity for this. {29:10} Now it is in my heartto make a covenant with Jehovah, the God of Israel, that his fierceanger may turn away from us. {29:11} My sons, be not now negligent; forJehovah hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, andthat ye should be his ministers, and burn incense. {29:12} Then theLevites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah,of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the sonof Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites,Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; {29:13} and of thesons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph,Zechariah and Mattaniah; {29:14} and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel andShimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. {29:15} Andthey gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in,according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, tocleanse the house of Jehovah. {29:16} And the priests went in unto theinner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out allthe uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the courtof the house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it outabroad to the brook Kidron. {29:17} Now they began on the first [day]of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month camethey to the porch of Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovahin eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made anend. {29:18} Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within [thepalace], and said, We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and thealtar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table ofshowbread, with all the vessels thereof. {29:19} Moreover all thevessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed,have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altarof Jehovah. {29:20} Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gatheredthe princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah. {29:21}And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, andseven he-goats, for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for thesanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaronto offer them on the altar of Jehovah. {29:22} So they killed thebullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on thealtar: and they killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon thealtar: they killed also the lambs, and sprinkled the blood upon thealtar. {29:23} And they brought near the he-goats for the sin-offeringbefore the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands upon them:{29:24} and the priests killed them, and they made a sin-offering withtheir blood upon the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for theking commanded [that] the burnt-offering and the sin-offering [shouldbe made] for all Israel. {29:25} And he set the Levites in the house ofJehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to thecommandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan theprophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets. {29:26}And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priestswith the trumpets. {29:27} And Hezekiah commanded to offer theburnt-offering upon the altar. And when the burnt-offering began, thesong of Jehovah began also, and the trumpets, together with theinstruments of David king of Israel. {29:28} And all the assemblyworshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this[continued] until the burnt-offering was finished. {29:29} And whenthey had made an end of offering, the king and all that were presentwith him bowed themselves and worshipped. {29:30} Moreover Hezekiah theking and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto Jehovahwith the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praiseswith gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. {29:31} ThenHezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves untoJehovah; come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into thehouse of Jehovah. And the assembly brought in sacrifices andthank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart [brought]burnt-offerings. {29:32} And the number of the burnt-offerings whichthe assembly brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams,and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to Jehovah.{29:33} And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and threethousand sheep. {29:34} But the priests were too few, so that theycould not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their brethren theLevites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priestshad sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heartto sanctify themselves than the priests. {29:35} And also theburnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings,and with the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the serviceof the house of Jehovah was set in order. {29:36} And Hezekiahrejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had preparedfor the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

{30:1} And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote lettersalso to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house ofJehovah at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto Jehovah, the God ofIsrael. {30:2} For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and allthe assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.{30:3} For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests hadnot sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the peoplegathered themselves together to Jerusalem. {30:4} And the thing wasright in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. {30:5} So theyestablished a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, fromBeer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover untoJehovah, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it ingreat numbers in such sort as it is written. {30:6} So the posts wentwith the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israeland Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Yechildren of Israel, turn again unto Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac,and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that are escaped of youout of the hand of the kings of Assyria. {30:7} And be not ye like yourfathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against Jehovah, theGod of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as ye see.{30:8} Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were; but yieldyourselves unto Jehovah, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hathsanctified for ever, and serve Jehovah your God, that his fierce angermay turn away from you. {30:9} For if ye turn again unto Jehovah, yourbrethren and your children shall find compassion before them that ledthem captive, and shall come again into this land: for Jehovah your Godis gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, ifye return unto him. {30:10} So the posts passed from city to citythrough the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun: butthey laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. {30:11} Neverthelesscertain men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves,and came to Jerusalem. {30:12} Also upon Judah came the hand of God togive them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of theprinces by the word of Jehovah. {30:13} And there assembled atJerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in thesecond month, a very great assembly. {30:14} And they arose and tookaway the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incensetook they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron. {30:15} Then theykilled the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the second month: andthe priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves,and brought burnt-offerings into the house of Jehovah. {30:16} And theystood in their place after their order, according to the law of Mosesthe man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received]of the hand of the Levites. {30:17} For there were many in the assemblythat had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had thecharge of killing the passovers for every one that was not clean, tosanctify them unto Jehovah. {30:18} For a multitude of the people, evenmany of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansedthemselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it is written.For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good Jehovah pardon everyone {30:19} that setteth his heart to seek God, Jehovah, the God of hisfathers, though [he be] not [cleansed] according to the purification ofthe sanctuary. {30:20} And Jehovah hearkened to Hezekiah, and healedthe people. {30:21} And the children of Israel that were present atJerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with greatgladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Jehovah day by day,[singing] with loud instruments unto Jehovah. {30:22} And Hezekiahspake comfortably unto all the Levites that had good understanding [inthe service] of Jehovah. So they did eat throughout the feast for theseven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and makingconfession to Jehovah, the God of their fathers. {30:23} And the wholeassembly took counsel to keep other seven days; and they kept [other]seven days with gladness. {30:24} For Hezekiah king of Judah did giveto the assembly for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousandsheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bullocks and tenthousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.{30:25} And all the assembly of Judah, with the priests and theLevites, and all the assembly that came out of Israel, and thesojourners that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt inJudah, rejoiced. {30:26} So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for sincethe time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not thelike in Jerusalem. {30:27} Then the priests the Levites arose andblessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came upto his holy habitation, even unto heaven.

{31:1} Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were presentwent out to the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars, andhewed down the Asherim, and brake down the high places and the altarsout of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until theyhad destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, everyman to his possession, into their own cities. {31:2} And Hezekiahappointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after theircourses, every man according to his service, both the priests and theLevites, for burnt-offerings and for peace-offerings, to minister, andto give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of Jehovah.{31:3} [He appointed] also the king’s portion of his substance for theburnt-offerings, [to wit], for the morning and evening burnt-offerings,and the burnt-offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, andfor the set feasts, as it is written in the law of Jehovah. {31:4}Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give theportion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselvesto the law of Jehovah. {31:5} And as soon as the commandment cameabroad, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first-fruits ofgrain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of thefield; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. {31:6}And the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities ofJudah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the titheof dedicated things which were consecrated unto Jehovah their God, andlaid them by heaps. {31:7} In the third month they began to lay thefoundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. {31:8}And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessedJehovah, and his people Israel. {31:9} Then Hezekiah questioned thepriests and the Levites concerning the heaps. {31:10} And Azariah thechief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since [thepeople] began to bring the oblations into the house of Jehovah, we haveeaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Jehovah hath blessedhis people; and that which is left is this great store. {31:11} ThenHezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of Jehovah; andthey prepared them. {31:12} And they brought in the oblations and thetithes and the dedicated things faithfully: and over them Conaniah theLevite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was second. {31:13} AndJehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad,and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers underthe hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment ofHezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. {31:14}And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east [gate],was over the freewill-offerings of God, to distribute the oblations ofJehovah, and the most holy things. {31:15} And under him were Eden, andMiniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in thecities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to theirbrethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small: {31:16}besides them that were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three yearsold and upward, even every one that entered into the house of Jehovah,as the duty of every day required, for their service in their officesaccording to their courses; {31:17} and them that were reckoned bygenealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites fromtwenty years old and upward, in their offices by their courses; {31:18}and them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones,their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all thecongregation: for in their office of trust they sanctified themselvesin holiness. {31:19} Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, that werein the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there weremen that were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the malesamong the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogy among theLevites. {31:20} And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and hewrought that which was good and right and faithful before Jehovah hisGod. {31:21} And in every work that he began in the service of thehouse of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God,he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

{32:1} After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib kingof Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against thefortified cities, and thought to win them for himself. {32:2} And whenHezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed tofight against Jerusalem, {32:3} he took counsel with his princes andhis mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were withoutthe city; and they helped him. {32:4} So there was gathered much peopletogether, and they stopped all the fountains, and the brook that flowedthrough the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyriacome, and find much water? {32:5} And he took courage, and built up allthe wall that was broken down, and raised [it] up to the towers, andthe other wall without, and strengthened Millo [in] the city of David,and made weapons and shields in abundance. {32:6} And he set captainsof war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broadplace at the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,{32:7} Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed forthe king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; forthere is a greater with us than with him: {32:8} with him is an arm offlesh; but with us is Jehovah our God to help us, and to fight ourbattles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiahking of Judah. {32:9} After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria sendhis servants to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all hispower with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah thatwere at Jerusalem, saying, {32:10} Thus saith Sennacherib king ofAssyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide the siege in Jerusalem?{32:11} Doth not Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die byfamine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God will deliver us out ofthe hand of the king of Assyria? {32:12} Hath not the same Hezekiahtaken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah andJerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shallye burn incense? {32:13} Know ye not what I and my fathers have doneunto all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of thelands in any wise able to deliver their land out of my hand? {32:14}Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathersutterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, thatyour God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? {32:15} Nowtherefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you after thismanner, neither believe ye him; for no god of any nation or kingdom wasable to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of myfathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?{32:16} And his servants spake yet more against Jehovah God, andagainst his servant Hezekiah. {32:17} He wrote also letters, to rail onJehovah, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As thegods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their peopleout of my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people outof my hand. {32:18} And they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’language unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, toaffright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.{32:19} And they spake of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of thepeoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands. {32:20} AndHezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayedbecause of this, and cried to heaven. {32:21} And Jehovah sent anangel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders andcaptains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shameof face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of hisgod, they that came forth from his own bowels slew him there with thesword. {32:22} Thus Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants ofJerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and fromthe hand of all [others], and guided them on every side. {32:23} Andmany brought gifts unto Jehovah to Jerusalem, and precious things toHezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of allnations from thenceforth. {32:24} In those days Hezekiah was sick evenunto death: and he prayed unto Jehovah; and he spake unto him, and gavehim a sign. {32:25} But Hezekiah rendered not again according to thebenefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there waswrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. {32:26} NotwithstandingHezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and theinhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Jehovah came not uponthem in the days of Hezekiah. {32:27} And Hezekiah had exceeding muchriches and honor: and he provided him treasuries for silver, and forgold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and forall manner of goodly vessels; {32:28} store-houses also for theincrease of grain and new wine and oil; and stalls for all manner ofbeasts, and flocks in folds. {32:29} Moreover he provided him cities,and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given himvery much substance. {32:30} This same Hezekiah also stopped the upperspring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on thewest side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all hisworks. {32:31} Howbeit in [the business of] the ambassadors of theprinces of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that wasdone in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all thatwas in his heart. {32:32} Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and hisgood deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah theprophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.{32:33} And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in theascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and theinhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh hisson reigned in his stead.

{33:1} Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and hereigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. {33:2} And he did that whichwas evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nationswhom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. {33:3} For hebuilt again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down;and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, andworshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. {33:4} And he builtaltars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalemshall my name be for ever. {33:5} And he built altars for all the hostof heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. {33:6} He alsomade his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son ofHinnom; and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practisedsorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and withwizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke himto anger. {33:7} And he set the graven image of the idol, which he hadmade, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomonhis son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out ofall the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: {33:8} neitherwill I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which Ihave appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do allthat I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and theordinances [given] by Moses. {33:9} And Manasseh seduced Judah and theinhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did thenations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel. {33:10}And Jehovah spake to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave noheed. {33:11} Wherefore Jehovah brought upon them the captains of thehost of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound himwith fetters, and carried him to Babylon. {33:12} And when he was indistress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatlybefore the God of his fathers. {33:13} And he prayed unto him; and hewas entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him againto Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he wasGod. {33:14} Now after this he built an outer wall to the city ofDavid, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entranceat the fish gate; and he compassed Ophel about [with it], and raised itup to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all thefortified cities of Judah. {33:15} And he took away the foreign gods,and the idol out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that hehad built in the mount of the house of Jehovah, and in Jerusalem, andcast them out of the city. {33:16} And he built up the altar ofJehovah, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace-offerings and ofthanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Jehovah, the God of Israel.{33:17} Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places,but only unto Jehovah their God. {33:18} Now the rest of the acts ofManasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers thatspake to him in the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, behold, theyare written among the acts of the kings of Israel. {33:19} His prayeralso, and how [God] was entreated of him, and all his sin and histrespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up theAsherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself: behold, theyare written in the history of Hozai. {33:20} So Manasseh slept with hisfathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reignedin his stead. {33:21} Amon was twenty and two years old when he beganto reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. {33:22} And he didthat which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh hisfather; and Amon sacrificed unto all the graven images which Manassehhis father had made, and served them. {33:23} And he humbled nothimself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; butthis same Amon trespassed more and more. {33:24} And his servantsconspired against him, and put him to death in his own house. {33:25}But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired againstking Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in hisstead.

{34:1} Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and hereigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. {34:2} And he did that whichwas right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David hisfather, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. {34:3}For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he beganto seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year hebegan to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and theAsherim, and the graven images, and the molten images. {34:4} And theybrake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-imagesthat were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and thegraven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dustof them, and strewed it upon the graves [of them] that had sacrificedunto them. {34:5} And he burnt the bones of the priests upon theiraltars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. {34:6} And [so did he] in thecities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in theirruins round about. {34:7} And he brake down the altars, and beat theAsherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all thesun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned toJerusalem. {34:8} Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he hadpurged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, andMaaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz therecorder, to repair the house of Jehovah his God. {34:9} And they cameto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was broughtinto the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold,had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all theremnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of theinhabitants of Jerusalem. {34:10} And they delivered it into the handof the workmen that had the oversight of the house of Jehovah; and theworkmen that wrought in the house of Jehovah gave it to mend and repairthe house; {34:11} even to the carpenters and to the builders gave theyit, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams forthe houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. {34:12} And the mendid the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath andObadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah andMeshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and[others of] the Levites, all that were skilful with instruments ofmusic. {34:13} Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and setforward all that did the work in every manner of service: and of theLevites there were scribes, and officers, and porters. {34:14} And whenthey brought out the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah,Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Jehovah [given] byMoses. {34:15} And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, Ihave found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkiahdelivered the book to Shaphan. {34:16} And Shaphan carried the book tothe king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, All thatwas committed to thy servants, they are doing. {34:17} And they haveemptied out the money that was found in the house of Jehovah, and havedelivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of theworkmen. {34:18} And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiahthe priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read therein beforethe king. {34:19} And it came to pass, when the king had heard thewords of the law, that he rent his clothes. {34:20} And the kingcommanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son ofMicah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,{34:21} Go ye, inquire of Jehovah for me, and for them that are left inIsrael and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found;for great is the wrath of Jehovah that is poured out upon us, becauseour fathers have not kept the word of Jehovah, to do according unto allthat is written in this book. {34:22} So Hilkiah, and they whom theking [had commanded], went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife ofShallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe;(now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter;) and they spake toher to that effect. {34:23} And she said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah,the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you unto me, {34:24} Thussaith Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon theinhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the bookwhich they have read before the king of Judah. {34:25} Because theyhave forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that theymight provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; thereforeis my wrath poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.{34:26} But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah,thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Astouching the words which thou hast heard, {34:27} because thy heart wastender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardesthis words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, andhast humbled thyself before me, and hast rent thy clothes, and weptbefore me; I also have heard thee, saith Jehovah. {34:28} Behold, Iwill gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thygrave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I willbring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof. And theybrought back word to the king. {34:29} Then the king sent and gatheredtogether all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. {34:30} And the kingwent up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and theinhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all thepeople, both great and small: and he read in their ears all the wordsof the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah.{34:31} And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant beforeJehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and histestimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all hissoul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in thisbook. {34:32} And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem andBenjamin to stand [to it]. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem didaccording to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. {34:33} AndJosiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries thatpertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were found inIsrael to serve, even to serve Jehovah their God. All his days theydeparted not from following Jehovah, the God of their fathers.

{35:1} And Josiah kept a passover unto Jehovah in Jerusalem: andthey killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month.{35:2} And he set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them tothe service of the house of Jehovah. {35:3} And he said unto theLevites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto Jehovah, Put theholy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel didbuild; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders: now serveJehovah your God, and his people Israel. {35:4} And prepare yourselvesafter your fathers’ houses by your courses, according to the writing ofDavid king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.{35:5} And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of thefathers’ houses of your brethren the children of the people, and [letthere be for each] a portion of a fathers’ house of the Levites. {35:6}And kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for yourbrethren, to do according to the word of Jehovah by Moses. {35:7} AndJosiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs andkids, all of them for the passover-offerings, unto all that werepresent, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks:these were of the king’s substance. {35:8} And his princes gave for afreewill-offering unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites.Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the rulers of the house of God, gaveunto the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand and sixhundred [small cattle], and three hundred oxen. {35:9} Conaniah also,and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel andJozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for thepassover-offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen.{35:10} So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in theirplace, and the Levites by their courses, according to the king’scommandment. {35:11} And they killed the passover, and the priestssprinkled [the blood which they received] of their hand, and theLevites flayed them. {35:12} And they removed the burnt-offerings, thatthey might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ housesof the children of the people, to offer unto Jehovah, as it is writtenin the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. {35:13} And theyroasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: and the holyofferings boiled they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, andcarried them quickly to all the children of the people. {35:14} Andafterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests, becausethe priests the sons of Aaron [were busied] in offering theburnt-offerings and the fat until night: therefore the Levites preparedfor themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. {35:15} And thesingers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to thecommandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’sseer; and the porters were at every gate: they needed not to departfrom their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.{35:16} So all the service of Jehovah was prepared the same day, tokeep the passover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar ofJehovah, according to the commandment of king Josiah. {35:17} And thechildren of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time,and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. {35:18} And there was nopassover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel theprophet; neither did any of the kings of Israel keep such a passover asJosiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israelthat were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. {35:19} In theeighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept. {35:20}After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egyptwent up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates: and Josiah wentout against him. {35:21} But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, Whathave I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? [I come] not against theethis day, but against the house wherewith I have war; and God hathcommanded me to make haste: forbear thee from [meddling with] God, whois with me, that he destroy thee not. {35:22} Nevertheless Josiah wouldnot turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fightwith him, and hearkened not unto the words of Neco from the mouth ofGod, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. {35:23} And thearchers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have meaway; for I am sore wounded. {35:24} So his servants took him out ofthe chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and broughthim to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchres of hisfathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. {35:25} AndJeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and singing womenspake of Josiah in their lamentations unto this day; and they made theman ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in thelamentations. {35:26} Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his gooddeeds, according to that which is written in the law of Jehovah,{35:27} and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in thebook of the kings of Israel and Judah.

{36:1} Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah,and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem. {36:2} Joahaz wastwenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned threemonths in Jerusalem. {36:3} And the king of Egypt deposed him atJerusalem, and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talentof gold. {36:4} And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother kingover Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necotook Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. {36:5} Jehoiakim wastwenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned elevenyears in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight ofJehovah his God. {36:6} Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king ofBabylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. {36:7}Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of Jehovah toBabylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. {36:8} Now the rest ofthe acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and thatwhich was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of thekings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.{36:9} Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; and hereigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that whichwas evil in the sight of Jehovah. {36:10} And at the return of the yearking Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodlyvessels of the house of Jehovah, and made Zedekiah his brother kingover Judah and Jerusalem. {36:11} Zedekiah was twenty and one years oldwhen he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem:{36:12} and he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah his God;he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet [speaking] from themouth of Jehovah. {36:13} And he also rebelled against kingNebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened hisneck, and hardened his heart against turning unto Jehovah, the God ofIsrael. {36:14} Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people,trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; andthey polluted the house of Jehovah which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.{36:15} And Jehovah, the God of their fathers, sent to them by hismessengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion onhis people, and on his dwelling-place: {36:16} but they mocked themessengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets,until the wrath of Jehovah arose against his people, till there was noremedy. {36:17} Therefore he brought upon them the king of theChaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house oftheir sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, oldman or hoary-headed: he gave them all into his hand. {36:18} And allthe vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures ofthe house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king, and of hisprinces, all these he brought to Babylon. {36:19} And they burnt thehouse of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all thepalaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vesselsthereof. {36:20} And them that had escaped from the sword carried heaway to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until thereign of the kingdom of Persia: {36:21} to fulfil the word of Jehovahby the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths:[for] as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfil threescoreand ten years. {36:22} Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might beaccomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, sothat he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it]also in writing, saying, {36:23} Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, Allthe kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me;and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is inJudah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his Godbe with him, and let him go up.

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