\NormalFont\ShortTitle{2 Chronicles}

{\MT The Second Book of Chronicles


\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Solomon the son of David was firmly established in his kingdom,
and the LORD\FTNT{†}{{\FR 1:1: }{\FT{When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name
(Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).}}} his God\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 1:1: }{\FT{The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).}}} was with him, and made
him exceedingly great.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of
hundreds, to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households.

\VS{3}Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was
at Gibeon; for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which the LORD’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness.

\VS{4}But David had brought God’s ark up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David
had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

\VS{5}Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made
was there before the LORD’s tabernacle; and Solomon and the assembly were seeking counsel there.

\VS{6}Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the
Tent of Meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}That night, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for what
you want me to give you.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Solomon said to God, “You have shown great loving kindness to David
my father, and have made me king in his place.

\VS{9}Now, LORD God, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have
made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

\VS{10}Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this
people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you
have not asked riches, wealth, honour, or the life of those who hate you, nor yet have you asked for long
life; but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I
have made you king,

\VS{12}therefore wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. I will give you riches,
wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you, and none after you will
have.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from
before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand and four
hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king
at Jerusalem.

\VS{15}The king made silver and gold to be as common as stones in Jerusalem, and
he made cedars to be as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

\VS{16}The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue. The king’s
merchants purchased them from Kue.

\VS{17}They imported from Egypt then exported a chariot for six hundred pieces of
silver and a horse for one hundred and fifty.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 1:17: }{\FT{The pieces of silver were probably shekels, so 600 pieces would be about 13.2 pounds or 6 kilograms
of silver, and 150 would be about 3.3 pounds or 1.5 kilograms of silver.}}} They also exported them
to the Hittite kings and the Syrian\FTNT{†}{{\FR 1:17: }{\FT{or, Aramean}}} kings.



\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now Solomon decided to build a house for the LORD’s name, and a
house for his kingdom.

\VS{2}Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand men
who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with
David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, so deal with me.

\VS{4}Behold,\FTNT{†}{{\FR 2:4: }{\FT{“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is
often used as an interjection.}}} I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, to
dedicate it to him, to burn before him incense of sweet spices, for the continual show bread, and for
the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts of the
LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}“The house which I am building will be great, for our God is greater
than all gods.

\VS{6}But who is able to build him a house, since heaven and the heaven of heavens
can’t contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house, except just to burn incense before
him?


\par }{\PP \VS{7}“Now therefore send me a man skilful to work in gold, in silver,
in bronze, in iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave engravings, to be with
the skilful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}“Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees, and algum trees out of
Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. Behold, my servants will be
with your servants,

\VS{9}even to prepare timber in abundance for me; for the house which I am about to
build will be great and wonderful.

\VS{10}Behold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, twenty thousand
cors\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 2:10: }{\FT{1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U. S. gallons (liquid) or 211 litres or 6 bushels,
so 20,000 cors of wheat would weigh about 545 metric tonnes}}} of beaten wheat, twenty thousand
baths\FTNT{§}{{\FR 2:10: }{\FT{1 bath is one tenth of a cor, or about 5.6 U. S. gallons or 21 litres or 2.4 pecks. 20,000 baths
of barley would weigh about 262 metric tonnes.}}} of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and
twenty thousand baths of oil.”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent
to Solomon, “Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them.”

\VS{12}Huram continued, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven
and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who
would build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Now I have sent a skilful man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi,\FTNT{†}{{\FR 2:13: }{\FT{or, Huram, my father}}}

\VS{14}the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a man of Tyre.
He is skilful to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, in timber, in purple, in blue,
in fine linen, and in crimson, also to engrave any kind of engraving and to devise any device, that there
may be a place appointed to him with your skilful men, and with the skilful men of my lord David your
father.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}“Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine
which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants;

\VS{16}and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you need. We will bring it
to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; then you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.”


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel,
after the census with which David his father had counted them; and they found one hundred and fifty-three
thousand and six hundred.

\VS{18}He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, eighty thousand who were
stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to assign the people their
work.



\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then Solomon began to build the LORD’s house at Jerusalem on Mount
Moriah, where the LORD appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed,
on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

\VS{2}He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year
of his reign.

\VS{3}Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God’s house:
the length by cubits\FTNT{†}{{\FR 3:3: }{\FT{A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about
18 inches or 46 centimetres.}}} after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.

\VS{4}The porch that was in front, its length, across the width of the house, was
twenty cubits, and the height one hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

\VS{5}He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with
fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.

\VS{6}He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty. The gold was gold from
Parvaim.

\VS{7}He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors
with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}He made the most holy place. Its length, according to the width
of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting
to six hundred talents.\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 3:8: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 600 talents is about 18 metric
tonnes}}}

\VS{9}The weight of the nails was fifty shekels\FTNT{§}{{\FR 3:9: }{\FT{A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 50 shekels was about 0.5 kilograms or
about 16 Troy ounces.}}} of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving, and they
overlaid them with gold.

\VS{11}The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one was
five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, reaching to the wing
of the other cherub.

\VS{12}The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the
house; and the other wing was five cubits, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

\VS{13}The wings of these cherubim spread themselves out twenty cubits. They stood
on their feet, and their faces were towards the house.

\VS{14}He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented
it with cherubim.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}Also he made before the house two pillars thirty-five cubits
high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

\VS{16}He made chains in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars;
and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

\VS{17}He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other
on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.



\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then he made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits\FTNT{†}{{\FR 4:1: }{\FT{A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about
18 inches or 46 centimetres.}}} long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.

\VS{2}Also he made the molten sea\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 4:2: }{\FT{or, pool, or, reservoir}}} of ten cubits from brim to brim. It was round, five cubits high,
and thirty cubits in circumference.

\VS{3}Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling
the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

\VS{4}It stood on twelve oxen, three looking towards the north, three looking towards
the west, three looking towards the south, and three looking towards the east; and the sea was set on
them above, and all their hindquarters were inward.

\VS{5}It was a handbreadth thick. Its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the
flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 4:5: }{\FT{A bath is about 5.6 U. S. gallons or 21.1 litres, so 3,000 baths is about 16,800 gallons or 63.3
kilolitres.}}}

\VS{6}He also made ten basins, and put five on the right hand and five on the left,
to wash in them. The things that belonged to the burnt offering were washed in them, but the sea was for
the priests to wash in.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}He made the ten lamp stands of gold according to the ordinance
concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left.

\VS{8}He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side
and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold.

\VS{9}Furthermore he made the court of the priests, the great court, and doors for
the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze.

\VS{10}He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, towards the south.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins.

\par }{\PP So Huram finished doing the work that he did for King Solomon in God’s house:

\VS{12}the two pillars, the bowls, the two capitals which were on the top of the
pillars, the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars,

\VS{13}and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks—two rows of pomegranates
for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars.

\VS{14}He also made the bases, and he made the basins on the bases—

\VS{15}one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

\VS{16}Huram-abi\FTNT{†}{{\FR 4:16: }{\FT{“abi” means “his father”}}} also made the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all its vessels
for King Solomon, for the LORD’s house, of bright bronze.

\VS{17}The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between
Succoth and Zeredah.

\VS{18}Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance, so that the weight
of the bronze could not be determined.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}Solomon made all the vessels that were in God’s house: the golden
altar, the tables with the show bread on them,

\VS{20}and the lamp stands with their lamps to burn according to the ordinance before
the inner sanctuary, of pure gold;

\VS{21}and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold that was purest gold;

\VS{22}and the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans of pure gold.
As for the entry of the house, its inner doors for the most holy place and the doors of the main hall
of the temple were of gold.



\par }\Chap{5}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Thus all the work that Solomon did for the LORD’s house was finished.
Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, the gold, and all
the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of God’s house.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of
the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up
the ark of the LORD’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion.

\VS{3}So all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which
was in the seventh month.

\VS{4}All the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark.

\VS{5}They brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that
were in the Tent. The Levitical priests brought these up.

\VS{6}King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled to him were
before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.

\VS{7}The priests brought in the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place, into the
inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

\VS{8}For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim
covered the ark and its poles above.

\VS{9}The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in
front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen outside; and it is there to this day.

\VS{10}There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there
at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}When the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the
priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions;

\VS{12}also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun,
and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps,
stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets);

\VS{13}when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard
in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and
instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying,

\par }{\Q “For he is good,

\par }{\QB for his loving kindness endures forever!”

\par }{\MM then the house was filled with a cloud, even the LORD’s house,

\VS{14}so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for
the LORD’s glory filled God’s house.



\par }\Chap{6}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in the
thick darkness.

\VS{2}But I have built you a house and home, a place for you to dwell in forever.”


\par }{\PP \VS{3}The king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel;
and all the assembly of Israel stood.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with
his mouth to David my father, and has with his hands fulfilled it, saying,

\VS{5}‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no
city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there, and I chose no
man to be prince over my people Israel;

\VS{6}but now I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen
David to be over my people Israel.’

\VS{7}Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of
the LORD, the God of Israel.

\VS{8}But the LORD said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build
a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart;

\VS{9}nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will come out of
your body, he shall build the house for my name.’


\par }{\PP \VS{10}“The LORD has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen
up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built
the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

\VS{11}There I have set the ark, in which is the LORD’s covenant, which he made with
the children of Israel.”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}He stood before the LORD’s altar in the presence of all the assembly
of Israel, and spread out his hands

\VS{13}(for Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits\FTNT{†}{{\FR 6:13: }{\FT{A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about
18 inches or 46 centimetres.}}} long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in
the middle of the court; and he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel,
and spread out his hands towards heaven).

\VS{14}Then he said, “LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven
or on earth—you who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants who walk before you with all
their heart;

\VS{15}who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him.
Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}“Now therefore, LORD, the God of Israel, keep with your servant
David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight
to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you
have walked before me.’

\VS{17}Now therefore, LORD, the God of Israel, let your word be verified, which you
spoke to your servant David.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven
and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house which I have built!

\VS{19}Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, LORD
my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you;

\VS{20}that your eyes may be open towards this house day and night, even towards
the place where you have said that you would put your name, to listen to the prayer which your servant
will pray towards this place.

\VS{21}Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel, when they
pray towards this place. Yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}“If a man sins against his neighbour, and an oath is laid on
him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house,

\VS{23}then hear from heaven, act, and judge your servants, bringing retribution
to the wicked, to bring his way on his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to
his righteousness.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}“If your people Israel are struck down before the enemy because
they have sinned against you, and they turn again and confess your name, and pray and make supplication
before you in this house,

\VS{25}then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring
them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}“When the sky is shut up and there is no rain because they have
sinned against you, if they pray towards this place and confess your name, and turn from their sin when
you afflict them,

\VS{27}then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel,
when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and send rain on your land, which you have
given to your people for an inheritance.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there
is blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities;
whatever plague or whatever sickness there is—

\VS{29}whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people
Israel, who will each know his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread out his hands towards this
house,

\VS{30}then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive, and give to every man
according to all his ways, whose heart you know (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children
of men),

\VS{31}that they may fear you, to walk in your ways as long as they live in the land
which you gave to our fathers.


\par }{\PP \VS{32}“Moreover, concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people
Israel, when he comes from a far country for your great name’s sake and your mighty hand and your outstretched
arm, when they come and pray towards this house,

\VS{33}then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, and do according to
all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear
you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by
your name.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever
way you send them, and they pray to you towards this city which you have chosen, and the house which I
have built for your name;

\VS{35}then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their
cause.


\par }{\PP \VS{36}“If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin),
and you are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to a land
far off or near;

\VS{37}yet if they come to their senses in the land where they are carried captive,
and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned,
we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;’

\VS{38}if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the
land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray towards their land which you gave
to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and towards the house which I have built for your
name;

\VS{39}then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their
petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.


\par }{\PP \VS{40}“Now, my God, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your
ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.


\par }{\PP \VS{41}“Now therefore arise, LORD God, into your resting place, you,
and the ark of your strength. Let your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints
rejoice in goodness.


\par }{\PP \VS{42}“LORD God, don’t turn away the face of your anointed. Remember
your loving kindnesses to David your servant.”



\par }\Chap{7}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven
and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the LORD’s glory filled the house.

\VS{2}The priests could not enter into the LORD’s house, because the LORD’s glory
filled the LORD’s house.

\VS{3}All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the LORD’s
glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshipped,
and gave thanks to the LORD, saying,

\par }{\Q “For he is good,

\par }{\QB for his loving kindness endures forever!”


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the
LORD.

\VS{5}King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a
hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house.

\VS{6}The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments
of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to give thanks to the LORD, when David praised by
their ministry, saying “For his loving kindness endures forever.” The priests sounded trumpets before
them; and all Israel stood.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Moreover Solomon made the middle of the court that was before the
LORD’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because
the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, the meal offering,
and the fat.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}So Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all
Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}On the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the
dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

\VS{10}On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their
tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, to Solomon, and to
Israel his people.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Thus Solomon finished the LORD’s house and the king’s house;
and he successfully completed all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the LORD’s house and in his
own house.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him,
“I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself for a house of sacrifice.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}“If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command
the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence amongst my people,

\VS{14}if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek
my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land.

\VS{15}Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this
place.

\VS{16}For now I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there
forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}“As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father
walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances,

\VS{18}then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted
with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.’


\par }{\PP \VS{19}But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments
which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,

\VS{20}then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them;
and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a
proverb and a byword amongst all peoples.

\VS{21}This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it will be astonished
and say, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house?’

\VS{22}They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshipped them, and served them. Therefore
he has brought all this evil on them.’ ”



\par }\Chap{8}{\PP \VerseOne{1}At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the LORD’s
house and his own house,

\VS{2}Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, and caused the children
of Israel to dwell there.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it.

\VS{4}He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built
in Hamath.

\VS{5}Also he built Beth Horon the upper and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities
with walls, gates, and bars;

\VS{6}and Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities
for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure
in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites,
the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel—

\VS{8}of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of
Israel didn’t consume—of them Solomon conscripted forced labour to this day.

\VS{9}But of the children of Israel, Solomon made no servants for his work, but they
were men of war, chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

\VS{10}These were the chief officers of King Solomon, even two-hundred and fifty,
who ruled over the people.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter out of David’s city to
the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king
of Israel, because the places where the LORD’s ark has come are holy.”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the LORD’s
altar which he had built before the porch,

\VS{13}even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment
of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast
of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of booths.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 8:13: }{\FT{or, feast of tents (Sukkot)}}}


\par }{\PP \VS{14}He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father,
the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister
before the priests, as the duty of every day required, the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every
gate, for David the man of God had so commanded.

\VS{15}They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites
concerning any matter or concerning the treasures.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}Now all the work of Solomon was accomplished from the day of
the foundation of the LORD’s house until it was finished. So the LORD’s house was completed.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore
in the land of Edom.

\VS{18}Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands
of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred and fifty
talents\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 8:18: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 450 talents is about 13.5
metric tonnes}}} of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.



\par }\Chap{9}{\PP \VerseOne{1}When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came
to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great caravan, including camels that bore
spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about
all that was in her heart.

\VS{2}Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from Solomon
which he didn’t tell her.

\VS{3}When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had
built,

\VS{4}the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers,
their clothing, his cup bearers and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house,
there was no more spirit in her.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 9:4: }{\FT{or, she was breathless.}}}


\par }{\PP \VS{5}She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my
own land of your acts and of your wisdom.

\VS{6}However I didn’t believe their words until I came, and my eyes had seen it;
and behold half of the greatness of your wisdom wasn’t told me. You exceed the fame that I heard!

\VS{7}Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually
before you and hear your wisdom.

\VS{8}Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on his throne
to be king for the LORD your God, because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever. Therefore
he made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 9:9: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 120 talents is about 3.6 metric
tonnes}}} of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones. There was never before such spice
as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought
gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees\FTNT{§}{{\FR 9:10: }{\FT{possibly Indian sandalwood, which has nice grain and a pleasant scent and is good for woodworking}}}
and precious stones.

\VS{11}The king used algum tree wood to make terraces for the LORD’s house and for
the king’s house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers. There were none like these seen
before in the land of Judah.

\VS{12}King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked,
more than that which she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her
servants.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred and sixty-six talents\FTNT{†}{{\FR 9:13: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 666 talents is about 20 metric
tonnes}}} of gold,

\VS{14}in addition to that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings
of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

\VS{15}King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 9:15: }{\FT{A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 600 shekels was about 6 kilograms or
about 192 Troy ounces.}}} of beaten gold went to one large shield.

\VS{16}He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels\FTNT{§}{{\FR 9:16: }{\FT{A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 300 shekels was about 3 kilograms or
about 96 Troy ounces.}}} of gold went to one shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest
of Lebanon.

\VS{17}Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure
gold.

\VS{18}There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened
to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the
armrests.

\VS{19}Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps.
There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom.

\VS{20}All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the
House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

\VS{21}For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every
three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches
and wisdom.

\VS{23}All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom,
which God had put in his heart.

\VS{24}They each brought tribute: vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armour,
spices, horses, and mules every year.

\VS{25}Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand
horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

\VS{26}He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines,
and to the border of Egypt.

\VS{27}The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars
to be as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

\VS{28}They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, aren’t they
written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the
visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

\VS{30}Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

\VS{31}Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in his father David’s city;
and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.



\par }\Chap{10}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to
make him king.

\VS{2}When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had
fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

\VS{3}They sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke
to Rehoboam, saying,

\VS{4}“Your father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make the grievous service
of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}He said to them, “Come again to me after three days.”

\par }{\PP So the people departed.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before
Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me about how to answer these
people?”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, please
them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given
him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

\VS{9}He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may give an answer to these
people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying,
“Thus you shall tell the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it
lighter on us;’ thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

\VS{11}Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your
yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day,
as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”

\VS{13}The king answered them roughly; and King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of
the old men,

\VS{14}and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father
made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you
with scorpions.”


\par }{\PP \VS{15}So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was brought
about by God, that the LORD might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam
the son of Nebat.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the
people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the
son of Jesse! Every man to your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel departed
to their tents.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of
Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

\VS{18}Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labour;
and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to
his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

\VS{19}So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.



\par }\Chap{11}{\PP \VerseOne{1}When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of
Judah and Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel,
to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

\VS{2}But the LORD’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

\VS{3}“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in
Judah and Benjamin, saying,

\VS{4}‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers! Every
man return to his house; for this thing is of me.” ’ ” So they listened to the LORD’s words, and returned
from going against Jeroboam.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

\VS{6}He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

\VS{7}Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,

\VS{8}Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

\VS{9}Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

\VS{10}Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.

\VS{11}He fortified the strongholds and put captains in them with stores of food,
oil and wine.

\VS{12}He put shields and spears in every city, and made them exceedingly strong.
Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with
him out of all their territory.

\VS{14}For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possessions, and came
to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s
office to the LORD.

\VS{15}He himself appointed priests for the high places, for the male goat and calf
idols which he had made.

\VS{16}After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those who set their hearts to
seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

\VS{17}So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon
strong for three years, for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Rehoboam took a wife for himself, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth
the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.

\VS{19}She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

\VS{20}After her, he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him
Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

\VS{21}Rehoboam loved Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom above all his wives and
his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight
sons and sixty daughters.

\VS{22}Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the prince amongst
his brothers, for he intended to make him king.

\VS{23}He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands
of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. He gave them food in abundance; and he sought many wives
for them.



\par }\Chap{12}{\PP \VerseOne{1}When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he was strong,
he abandoned the LORD’s law, and all Israel with him.

\VS{2}In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,
because they had trespassed against the LORD,

\VS{3}with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. The people were without
number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

\VS{4}He took the fortified cities which belonged to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

\VS{5}Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who
were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “The LORD says, ‘You have forsaken
me, therefore I have also left you in the hand of Shishak.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and
they said, “The LORD is righteous.”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the LORD’s word
came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them
some deliverance, and my wrath won’t be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

\VS{8}Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and
the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away
the treasures of the LORD’s house and the treasures of the king’s house. He took it all away. He also
took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

\VS{10}King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and committed them to
the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.

\VS{11}As often as the king entered into the LORD’s house, the guard came and bore
them, then brought them back into the guard room.

\VS{12}When he humbled himself, the LORD’s wrath turned from him, so as not to destroy
him altogether. Moreover, there were good things found in Judah.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned;
for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem,
the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s
name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

\VS{14}He did that which was evil, because he didn’t set his heart to seek the LORD.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, aren’t they written
in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, in the genealogies? There were wars between
Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

\VS{16}Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in David’s city; and Abijah
his son reigned in his place.



\par }\Chap{13}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign
over Judah.

\VS{2}He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter
of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

\VS{3}Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred
thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen
men, who were mighty men of valour.

\VS{4}Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim,
and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

\VS{5}Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over
Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

\VS{6}Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose
up, and rebelled against his lord.

\VS{7}Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves
against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand
them.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}“Now you intend to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand
of the sons of David. You are a great multitude, and the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods
are with you.

\VS{9}Haven’t you driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the
Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever
comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken
him. We have priests serving the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work.

\VS{11}They burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and
sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table, and care for the gold lamp stand
with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken
him.

\VS{12}Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of
alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against the LORD, the God of your
fathers; for you will not prosper.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so
they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

\VS{14}When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and
they cried to the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

\VS{15}Then the men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck
Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

\VS{16}The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their
hand.

\VS{17}Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred
thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.

\VS{18}Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children
of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.

\VS{19}Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages,
Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}Jeroboam didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abijah.
The LORD struck him, and he died.

\VS{21}But Abijah grew mighty and took for himself fourteen wives, and became the
father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

\VS{22}The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in
the commentary of the prophet Iddo.



\par }\Chap{14}{\PP \VerseOne{1}So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s
city; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days, the land was quiet ten years.

\VS{2}Asa did that which was good and right in the LORD his God’s eyes,

\VS{3}for he took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars,
cut down the Asherah poles,

\VS{4}and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to obey
his law and command.

\VS{5}Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun
images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.

\VS{6}He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war
in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.

\VS{7}For he said to Judah, “Let’s build these cities and make walls around them,
with towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have
sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Asa had an army of three hundred thousand out of Judah who bore
bucklers and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows.
All these were mighty men of valour.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million
troops and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.

\VS{10}Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley
of Zephathah at Mareshah.

\VS{11}Asa cried to the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, there is no one besides you
to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, LORD our God; for we rely on you, and
in your name we have come against this multitude. LORD, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against
you.”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah;
and the Ethiopians fled.

\VS{13}Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So many of the
Ethiopians fell that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before the LORD and before
his army. Judah’s army carried away very much booty.

\VS{14}They struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD came on
them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.

\VS{15}They also struck the tents of those who had livestock, and carried away sheep
and camels in abundance, then returned to Jerusalem.



\par }\Chap{15}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded.

\VS{2}He went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and
Benjamin! The LORD is with you while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but
if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

\VS{3}Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest,
and without law.

\VS{4}But when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and
sought him, he was found by them.

\VS{5}In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came
in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.

\VS{6}They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for
God troubled them with all adversity.

\VS{7}But you be strong! Don’t let your hands be slack, for your work will be rewarded.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}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 of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the
cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the LORD’s altar that was before
the LORD’s porch.

\VS{9}He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim,
Manasseh, and Simeon; for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the LORD his
God was with him.

\VS{10}So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in
the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.

\VS{11}They sacrificed to the LORD in that day, from the plunder which they had
brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.

\VS{12}They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers,
with all their heart and with all their soul;

\VS{13}and that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put
to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

\VS{14}They swore to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and
with cornets.

\VS{15}All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and
sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them. Then the LORD gave them rest all around.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being
queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; so Asa cut down her image, ground
it into dust, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

\VS{17}But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart
of Asa was perfect all his days.

\VS{18}He brought the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had
dedicated, silver, gold, and vessels into God’s house.

\VS{19}There was no more war to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.



\par }\Chap{16}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel
went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king
of Judah.

\VS{2}Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the LORD’s house
and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,

\VS{3}“Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and
your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel,
that he may depart from me.”


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Ben Hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies
against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

\VS{5}When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and let his work cease.

\VS{6}Then Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber
of Ramah, with which Baasha had built; and he built Geba and Mizpah with them.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said
to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore
the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of your hand.

\VS{8}Weren’t the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and exceedingly
many horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand.

\VS{9}For the LORD’s eyes run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show
himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him. You have done foolishly in this;
for from now on you will have wars.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison;
for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written
in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

\VS{12}In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa was diseased in his feet. His
disease was exceedingly great; yet in his disease he didn’t seek the LORD, but just the physicians.

\VS{13}Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

\VS{14}They buried him in his own tomb, which he had dug out for himself in David’s
city, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and various kinds of spices prepared
by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.



\par }\Chap{17}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself
against Israel.

\VS{2}He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in
the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

\VS{3}The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father
David, and didn’t seek the Baals,

\VS{4}but sought the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not in
the ways of Israel.

\VS{5}Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. All Judah brought tribute
to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honour in abundance.

\VS{6}His heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD. Furthermore, he took away
the high places and the Asherah poles out of Judah.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even
Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

\VS{8}and with them Levites, even Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth,
Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

\VS{9}They taught in Judah, having the book of the LORD’s law with them. They went
about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught amongst the people.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that
were around Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

\VS{11}Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute.
The Arabians also brought him flocks: seven thousand and seven hundred rams and seven thousand and seven
hundred male goats.

\VS{12}Jehoshaphat grew great exceedingly; and he built fortresses and store cities
in Judah.

\VS{13}He had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valour,
in Jerusalem.

\VS{14}This was the numbering of them according to their fathers’ houses: From Judah,
the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valour;

\VS{15}and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty
thousand;

\VS{16}and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself
to the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour.

\VS{17}From Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand
armed with bow and shield;

\VS{18}and next to him Jehozabad, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand ready
and prepared for war.

\VS{19}These were those who waited on the king, in addition to those whom the king
put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.



\par }\Chap{18}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and he allied
himself with Ahab.

\VS{2}After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle
for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth
Gilead.

\VS{3}Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me
to Ramoth Gilead?”

\par }{\PP He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the
war.”

\VS{4}Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please enquire first for the LORD’s
word.”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred
men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?”

\par }{\PP They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”


\par }{\PP \VS{6}But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of the LORD
besides, that we may enquire of him?”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man
by whom we may enquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always
evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.”

\par }{\PP Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah
the son of Imla quickly.”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each
sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the
gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

\VS{10}Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “The LORD
says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead,
and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying,
“Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please
be like one of theirs, and speak good.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say what my God says.”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah,
shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?”

\par }{\PP He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”


\par }{\PP \VS{15}The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that
you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?”


\par }{\PP \VS{16}He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep
that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{17}The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that
he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word: I saw the LORD
sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

\VS{19}The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and
fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

\VS{20}A spirit came out, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

\par }{\PP “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’


\par }{\PP \VS{21}“He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth
of all his prophets.’

\par }{\PP “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’


\par }{\PP \VS{22}“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the
mouth of these your prophets; and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”


\par }{\PP \VS{23}Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah
on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”


\par }{\PP \VS{24}Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go
into an inner room to hide yourself.”


\par }{\PP \VS{25}The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to
Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

\VS{26}and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with
bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.” ’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{27}Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not
spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”


\par }{\PP \VS{28}So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went
up to Ramoth Gilead.

\VS{29}The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into
the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the
battle.

\VS{30}Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying,
“Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”


\par }{\PP \VS{31}When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said,
“It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out,
and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

\VS{32}When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel,
they turned back from pursuing him.

\VS{33}A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between
the joints of the armour. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out
of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”

\VS{34}The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself
up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.



\par }\Chap{19}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to
Jerusalem.

\VS{2}Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat,
“Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath is on you from before
the LORD.

\VS{3}Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away
the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem; and he went out again amongst
the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of
their fathers.

\VS{5}He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city
by city,

\VS{6}and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man,
but for the LORD; and he is with you in the judgement.

\VS{7}Now therefore let the fear of the LORD be on you. Take heed and do it; for
there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites, priests,
and heads of the fathers’ households of Israel to give judgement for the LORD and for controversies. They
returned to Jerusalem.

\VS{9}He commanded them, saying, “You shall do this in the fear of the LORD, faithfully,
and with a perfect heart.

\VS{10}Whenever any controversy comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their
cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you must warn them,
that they not be guilty towards the LORD, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and
you will not be guilty.

\VS{11}Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD;
and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters. Also the
Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may the LORD be with the good.”



\par }\Chap{20}{\PP \VerseOne{1}After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with
them some of the Meunites\FTNT{†}{{\FR 20:1: }{\FT{The LXX reads
}}{\FQA{Meunites}}{\FT{. Heb. reads
}}{\FQA{Ammonites}}{\FT{.
}}}, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

\VS{2}Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against
you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).

\VS{3}Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a
fast throughout all Judah.

\VS{4}Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from the LORD. They came out
of all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the
LORD’s house, before the new court;

\VS{6}and he said, “LORD, the God of our fathers, aren’t you God in heaven? Aren’t
you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able
to withstand you.

\VS{7}Didn’t you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people
Israel, and give it to the offspring\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 20:7: }{\FT{or, seed}}} of Abraham your friend forever?

\VS{8}They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,

\VS{9}‘If evil comes on us—the sword, judgement, pestilence, or famine—we will stand
before this house, and before you (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction,
and you will hear and save.’

\VS{10}Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would
not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned away from them, and didn’t
destroy them;

\VS{11}behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which
you have given us to inherit.

\VS{12}Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great
company that comes against us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}All Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their
wives, and their children.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Then the LORD’s Spirit came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah,
the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, in the middle
of the assembly;

\VS{15}and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you,
King Jehoshaphat. The LORD says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great
multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

\VS{16}Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent
of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

\VS{17}You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and
see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out
against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and
all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

\VS{19}The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the
Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness
of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem!
Believe in the LORD your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”


\par }{\PP \VS{21}When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those
who were to sing to the LORD and give praise in holy array as they go out before the army, and say, “Give
thanks to the LORD, for his loving kindness endures forever.”

\VS{22}When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushers against the
children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck.

\VS{23}For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount
Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped
to destroy each other.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}When Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness, they
looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who
escaped.

\VS{25}When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found amongst
them in abundance both riches and dead bodies with precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves,
more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it was so much.

\VS{26}On the fourth day, they assembled themselves in Beracah\FTNT{§}{{\FR 20:26: }{\FT{“Beracah” means “blessing”.}}} Valley, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name
of that place was called “Beracah Valley” to this day.

\VS{27}Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in
front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

\VS{28}They came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments, harps, and trumpets to
the LORD’s house.

\VS{29}The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard
that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

\VS{30}So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years
old when he began to reign. He reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the
daughter of Shilhi.

\VS{32}He walked in the way of Asa his father, and didn’t turn away from it, doing
that which was right in the LORD’s eyes.

\VS{33}However the high places were not taken away, and the people had still not
set their hearts on the God of their fathers.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold,
they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is included in the book of the kings
of Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{35}After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah
king of Israel. The same did very wickedly.

\VS{36}He joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. They made the
ships in Ezion Geber.

\VS{37}Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat,
saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” The ships
were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.



\par }\Chap{21}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers
in David’s city; and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

\VS{2}He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah,
Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

\VS{3}Their father gave them great gifts of silver, of gold, and of precious things,
with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

\VS{4}Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened
himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.

\VS{5}Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight
years in Jerusalem.

\VS{6}He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he had
Ahab’s daughter as his wife. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.

\VS{7}However the LORD would not destroy David’s house, because of the covenant that
he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children always.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made
a king over themselves.

\VS{9}Then Jehoram went there with his captains and all his chariots with him. He
rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of the chariots.

\VS{10}So Edom has been in revolt from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then
Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his
fathers.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and
made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute, and led Judah astray.

\VS{12}A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “the LORD, the God
of David your father, says, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in
the ways of Asa king of Judah,

\VS{13}but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the prostitute like Ahab’s house did, and also have slain your brothers
of your father’s house, who were better than yourself,

\VS{14}behold, the LORD will strike your people with a great plague, including your
children, your wives, and all your possessions;

\VS{15}and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your
bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{16}The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines
and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians;

\VS{17}and they came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried away all the possessions
that were found in the king’s house, including his sons and his wives, so that there was no son left to
him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}After all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable
disease.

\VS{19}In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason
of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning
of his fathers.

\VS{20}He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem
eight years. He departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in David’s city, but not in the tombs of
the kings.



\par }\Chap{22}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king
in his place, because the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the oldest.
So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

\VS{2}Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one
year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

\VS{3}He also walked in the ways of Ahab’s house, because his mother was his counsellor
in acting wickedly.

\VS{4}He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as did Ahab’s house, for they
were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

\VS{5}He also followed their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king
of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

\VS{6}He returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him
at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went
down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went to
Joram; for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had
anointed to cut off Ahab’s house.

\VS{8}When Jehu was executing judgement on Ahab’s house, he found the princes of
Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah serving Ahaziah, and killed them.

\VS{9}He sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and
they brought him to Jehu and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat,
who sought the LORD with all his heart.” The house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was
dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah.

\VS{11}But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and
stealthily rescued him from amongst the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom.
So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister
of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she didn’t kill him.

\VS{12}He was with them hidden in God’s house six years while Athaliah reigned over
the land.



\par }\Chap{23}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the
captains of hundreds—Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed,
Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri—into a covenant with him.

\VS{2}They went around in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of
Judah, and the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

\VS{3}All the assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s house. Jehoiada\FTNT{†}{{\FR 23:3: }{\FT{Hebrew
}}{\FQ{He}}} said to them, “Behold, the king’s son must reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning
the sons of David.

\VS{4}This is the thing that you must do: a third part of you, who come in on the
Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers of the thresholds.

\VS{5}A third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of
the foundation. All the people will be in the courts of the LORD’s house.

\VS{6}But let no one come into the LORD’s house except the priests and those who
minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow the LORD’s
instructions.

\VS{7}The Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand.
Whoever comes into the house, let him be slain. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada
the priest commanded. They each took his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who
were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest didn’t dismiss the shift.

\VS{9}Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, bucklers,
and shields that had been king David’s, which were in God’s house.

\VS{10}He set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right
side of the house to the left side of the house, near the altar and the house, around the king.

\VS{11}Then they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the
covenant, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, “Long live the king!”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising
the king, she came to the people into the LORD’s house.

\VS{13}Then she looked, and behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance,
with the captains and the trumpeters by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets.
The singers also played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes,
and said, “Treason! treason!”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who
were set over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, let
him be slain with the sword.” For the priest said, “Don’t kill her in the LORD’s house.”

\VS{15}So they made way for her. She went to the entrance of the horse gate to the
king’s house; and they killed her there.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and
the king, that they should be the LORD’s people.

\VS{17}All the people went to the house of Baal, broke it down, broke his altars
and his images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

\VS{18}Jehoiada appointed the officers of the LORD’s house under the hand of the
Levitical priests, whom David had distributed in the LORD’s house, to offer the burnt offerings of the
LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as David had ordered.

\VS{19}He set the gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD’s house, that no one who
was unclean in anything should enter in.

\VS{20}He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people,
and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the LORD’s house. They came through the
upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.

\VS{21}So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had
slain Athaliah with the sword.



\par }\Chap{24}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beersheba.

\VS{2}Joash did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes all the days of Jehoiada
the priest.

\VS{3}Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he became the father of sons and daughters.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}After this, Joash intended to restore the LORD’s house.

\VS{5}He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out
to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to
year. See that you expedite this matter.” However the Levites didn’t do it right away.

\VS{6}The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, “Why haven’t you required
of the Levites to bring in the tax of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the assembly of Israel, out
of Judah and out of Jerusalem, for the Tent of the Testimony?”

\VS{7}For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up God’s house; and
they also gave all the dedicated things of the LORD’s house to the Baals.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside
at the gate of the LORD’s house.

\VS{9}They made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the LORD
the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.

\VS{10}All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into
the chest, until they had filled it.

\VS{11}Whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the
Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer
came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day,
and gathered money in abundance.

\VS{12}The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of
the LORD’s house. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the LORD’s house, and also those who worked
iron and bronze to repair the LORD’s house.

\VS{13}So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands.
They set up God’s house as it was designed, and strengthened it.

\VS{14}When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king
and Jehoiada, from which were made vessels for the LORD’s house, even vessels with which to minister and
to offer, including spoons and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the LORD’s
house continually all the days of Jehoiada.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died. He
was one hundred and thirty years old when he died.

\VS{16}They buried him in David’s city amongst the kings, because he had done good
in Israel, and towards God and his house.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and
bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them.

\VS{18}They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served
the Asherah poles and the idols, so wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.

\VS{19}Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again to the LORD, and they testified
against them; but they would not listen.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the
priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “God says, ‘Why do you disobey the LORD’s commandments,
so that you can’t prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{21}They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the
commandment of the king in the court of the LORD’s house.

\VS{22}Thus Joash the king didn’t remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father
had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, “May the LORD look at it, and repay it.”


\par }{\PP \VS{23}At the end of the year, the army of the Syrians came up against
him. They came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from amongst the people,
and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus.

\VS{24}For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and the LORD
delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
So they executed judgement on Joash.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}When they had departed from him (for they left him seriously
wounded), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and
killed him on his bed, and he died. They buried him in David’s city, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs
of the kings.

\VS{26}These are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the
Ammonitess and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

\VS{27}Now concerning his sons, the greatness of the burdens laid on him, and the
rebuilding of God’s house, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. Amaziah
his son reigned in his place.



\par }\Chap{25}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem.

\VS{2}He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, but not with a perfect heart.

\VS{3}Now when the kingdom was established to him, he killed his servants who had
killed his father the king.

\VS{4}But he didn’t put their children to death, but did according to that which
is written in the law in the book of Moses, as the LORD commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die
for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own
sin.”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and ordered them according
to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin.
He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found that there were three hundred thousand chosen
men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield.

\VS{6}He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for one
hundred talents\FTNT{†}{{\FR 25:6: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds}}} of silver.

\VS{7}A man of God came to him, saying, “O king, don’t let the army of Israel go
with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim.

\VS{8}But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. God will overthrow
you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow.”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the
hundred talents\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 25:9: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds}}} which I have given to the army of Israel?”

\par }{\PP The man of God answered, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Then Amaziah separated them, the army that had come to him out
of Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned
home in fierce anger.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Amaziah took courage, and led his people out and went to the
Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir.

\VS{12}The children of Judah carried away ten thousand alive, and brought them to
the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces.

\VS{13}But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with
him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah from Samaria even to Beth Horon, and struck of them three thousand,
and took much plunder.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites,
he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before
them and burnt incense to them.

\VS{15}Therefore the LORD’s anger burnt against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet
who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own
people out of your hand?”


\par }{\PP \VS{16}As he talked with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you
one of the king’s counsellors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”

\par }{\PP Then the prophet stopped, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because
you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, and sent
to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come! Let’s look one another
in the face.”


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying,
“The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to
my son as his wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.

\VS{19}You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up
to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you and Judah
with you?’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{20}But Amaziah would not listen; for it was of God, that he might
deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought after the gods of Edom.

\VS{21}So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked
one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.

\VS{22}Judah was defeated by Israel; so every man fled to his tent.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of
Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem
from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 25:23: }{\FT{A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about
18 inches or 46 centimetres, so 400 cubits is about 200 yards or 184 metres.}}}

\VS{24}He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in God’s
house with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years
after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

\VS{26}Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, aren’t they
written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

\VS{27}Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they
made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and
killed him there.

\VS{28}They brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of
Judah.



\par }\Chap{26}{\PP \VerseOne{1}All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old,
and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.

\VS{2}He built Eloth and restored it to Judah. After that the king slept with his
fathers.

\VS{3}Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two
years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem.

\VS{4}He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that his father
Amaziah had done.

\VS{5}He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding
in the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down
the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod,
and amongst the Philistines.

\VS{7}God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived
in Gur Baal, and the Meunim.

\VS{8}The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah. His name spread abroad even to the entrance
of Egypt, for he grew exceedingly strong.

\VS{9}Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley
gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

\VS{10}He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had
much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains. He had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains
and in the fruitful fields, for he loved farming.

\VS{11}Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by bands,
according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the
hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.

\VS{12}The whole number of the heads of fathers’ households, even the mighty men
of valour, was two thousand and six hundred.

\VS{13}Under their hand was an army, three hundred and seven thousand and five hundred,
who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

\VS{14}Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, spears, helmets,
coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging.

\VS{15}In Jerusalem, he made devices, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers
and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad, because
he was marvellously helped until he was strong.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he
did corruptly and he trespassed against the LORD his God, for he went into the LORD’s temple to burn incense
on the altar of incense.

\VS{17}Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the
LORD, who were valiant men.

\VS{18}They resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uzziah,
to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense.
Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed. It will not be for your honour from the LORD God.”


\par }{\PP \VS{19}Then Uzziah was angry. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense,
and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the
LORD’s house, beside the altar of incense.

\VS{20}Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he
was leprous in his forehead; and they thrust him out quickly from there. Indeed, he himself also hurried
to go out, because the LORD had struck him.

\VS{21}Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate
house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the LORD’s house. Jotham his son was over the king’s house,
judging the people of the land.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the
prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.

\VS{23}So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in
the field of burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” Jotham his son reigned
in his place.



\par }\Chap{27}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.

\VS{2}He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that his father
Uzziah had done. However he didn’t enter into the LORD’s temple. The people still acted corruptly.

\VS{3}He built the upper gate of the LORD’s house, and he built much on the wall
of Ophel.

\VS{4}Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he
built fortresses and towers.

\VS{5}He also fought with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against
them. The children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents\FTNT{†}{{\FR 27:5: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds}}} of silver, ten thousand cors\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 27:5: }{\FT{1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U. S. gallons (liquid) or 211 litres or 6 bushels.
10,000 cors of wheat would weigh about 1,640 metric tonnes.}}} of wheat, and ten thousand cors of
barley.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 27:5: }{\FT{10,000 cors of barley would weigh about 1,310 metric tonnes.}}} The children of Ammon also
gave that much to him in the second year, and in the third.

\VS{6}So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

\VS{7}Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold,
they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

\VS{8}He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years
in Jerusalem.

\VS{9}Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Ahaz
his son reigned in his place.



\par }\Chap{28}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, like David his father,

\VS{2}but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also made molten images
for the Baals.

\VS{3}Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his
children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children
of Israel.

\VS{4}He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under
every green tree.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the
king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of captives, and brought them
to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.

\VS{6}For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand
in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.

\VS{7}Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the
ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.

\VS{8}The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand
women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.

\VS{9}But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to
meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers,
was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has
reached up to heaven.

\VS{10}Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and
female slaves for yourselves. Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against the LORD your
God?

\VS{11}Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives that you have taken captive
from your brothers, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is on you.”

\VS{12}Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan,
Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up
against those who came from the war,

\VS{13}and said to them, “You must not bring in the captives here, for you intend
that which will bring on us a trespass against the LORD, to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our
guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the
princes and all the assembly.

\VS{15}The men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and
with the plunder clothed all who were naked amongst them, dressed them, gave them sandals, gave them something
to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho,
the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help
him.

\VS{17}For again the Edomites had come and struck Judah, and carried away captives.

\VS{18}The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South
of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages,
and also Gimzo and its villages; and they lived there.

\VS{19}For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, because he
acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against the LORD.

\VS{20}Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him and gave him trouble, but didn’t
strengthen him.

\VS{21}For Ahaz took away a portion out of the LORD’s house, and out of the house
of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria; but it didn’t help him.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}In the time of his distress, he trespassed yet more against
the LORD, this same King Ahaz.

\VS{23}For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him. He said,
“Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.”
But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

\VS{24}Ahaz gathered together the vessels of God’s house, cut the vessels of God’s
house in pieces, and shut up the doors of the LORD’s house; and he made himself altars in every corner
of Jerusalem.

\VS{25}In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods,
and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last,
behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

\VS{27}Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem,
because they didn’t bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his
place.



\par }\Chap{29}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and
he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

\VS{2}He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David
his father had done.

\VS{3}In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of
the LORD’s house and repaired them.

\VS{4}He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the
wide place on the east,

\VS{5}and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and
sanctify the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.

\VS{6}For our fathers were unfaithful, and have done that which was evil in the LORD
our God’s sight, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD,
and turned their backs.

\VS{7}Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have
not burnt incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

\VS{8}Therefore the LORD’s wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered
them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.

\VS{9}For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters
and our wives are in captivity for this.

\VS{10}Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel,
that his fierce anger may turn away from us.

\VS{11}My sons, don’t be negligent now; for the LORD has chosen you to stand before
him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers and burn incense.”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Then the Levites 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 son of Abdi, and
Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah;

\VS{13}and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph,
Zechariah and Mattaniah;

\VS{14}and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun,
Shemaiah and Uzziel.

\VS{15}They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in, according
to the commandment of the king by the LORD’s words, to cleanse the LORD’s house.

\VS{16}The priests went into the inner part of the LORD’s house to cleanse it, and
brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the LORD’s temple into the court of the LORD’s house.
The Levites took it from there to carry it out to the brook Kidron.

\VS{17}Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the
eighth day of the month they came to the LORD’s porch. They sanctified the LORD’s house in eight days,
and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

\VS{18}Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace and said, “We have
cleansed all the LORD’s house, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table
of show bread with all its vessels.

\VS{19}Moreover, we have prepared and sanctified all the vessels which King Ahaz
threw away in his reign when he was unfaithful. Behold, they are before the LORD’s altar.”


\par }{\PP \VS{20}Then Hezekiah the king arose early, gathered the princes of
the city, and went up to the LORD’s house.

\VS{21}They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats,
for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. He commanded the priests the sons
of Aaron to offer them on the LORD’s altar.

\VS{22}So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled
it on the altar. They killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs
and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

\VS{23}They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and
the assembly; and they laid their hands on them.

\VS{24}Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood
on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the
sin offering should be made for all Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}He set the Levites in the LORD’s house with cymbals, with stringed
instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan
the prophet; for the commandment was from the LORD by his prophets.

\VS{26}The Levites stood with David’s instruments, and the priests with the trumpets.

\VS{27}Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the
burnt offering began, the LORD’s song also began, along with the trumpets and instruments of David king
of Israel.

\VS{28}All the assembly worshipped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded.
All this continued until the burnt offering was finished.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}When they had finished offering, the king and all who were present
with him bowed themselves and worshipped.

\VS{30}Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing
praises to the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and
they bowed their heads and worshipped.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}Then Hezekiah answered, “Now you have consecrated yourselves
to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the LORD’s house.” The assembly brought
in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

\VS{32}The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy
bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.

\VS{33}The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand
sheep.

\VS{34}But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings.
Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified
themselves, for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

\VS{35}Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings
and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the LORD’s house was set in order.

\VS{36}Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of that which God had prepared
for the people; for the thing was done suddenly.



\par }\Chap{30}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also
to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover
to the LORD, the God of Israel.

\VS{2}For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem
to keep the Passover in the second month.

\VS{3}For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified
themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

\VS{4}The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.

\VS{5}So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from
Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem,
for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes
throughout all Israel and Judah, according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Israel,
turn again to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant of you
that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

\VS{7}Don’t be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against the
LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.

\VS{8}Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the
LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that
his fierce anger may turn away from you.

\VS{9}For if you turn again to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find
compassion with those who led them captive, and will come again into this land, because the LORD your
God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you if you return to him.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}So the couriers passed from city to city through the country
of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them.

\VS{11}Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves
and came to Jerusalem.

\VS{12}Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment
of the king and of the princes by the LORD’s word.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened
bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

\VS{14}They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took
away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron.

\VS{15}Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month.
The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into
the LORD’s house.

\VS{16}They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses
the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites.

\VS{17}For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore
the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to
the LORD.

\VS{18}For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar,
and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written.
For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone

\VS{19}who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if
they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”


\par }{\PP \VS{20}The LORD listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

\VS{21}The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened
bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing
with loud instruments to the LORD.

\VS{22}Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding
in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of
peace offerings and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days,
and they kept another seven days with gladness.

\VS{24}For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand
bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand
sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

\VS{25}All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the
assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel and who lived in
Judah, rejoiced.

\VS{26}So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son
of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.

\VS{27}Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was
heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.



\par }\Chap{31}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went
out to the cities of Judah and broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down
the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they
had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their
own cities.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites
after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt
offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the LORD’s
camp.

\VS{3}He also appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings:
for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new moons,
and for the set feasts, as it is written in the LORD’s law.

\VS{4}Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion
of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the LORD’s law.

\VS{5}As soon as the commandment went out, the children of Israel gave in abundance
the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought
in the tithe of all things abundantly.

\VS{6}The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought
in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to the LORD
their God, and laid them in heaps.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}In the third month, they began to lay the foundation of the heaps,
and finished them in the seventh month.

\VS{8}When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD
and his people Israel.

\VS{9}Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps.

\VS{10}Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since
people began to bring the offerings into the LORD’s house, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty
left over, for the LORD has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the LORD’s
house, and they prepared them.

\VS{12}They brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully.
Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second.

\VS{13}Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath,
and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah
the king and Azariah the ruler of God’s house.

\VS{14}Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over
the free will offerings of God, to distribute the LORD’s offerings and the most holy things.

\VS{15}Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah,
in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, to the
great as well as to the small;

\VS{16}in addition to those who were listed by genealogy of males, from three years
old and upward, even everyone who entered into the LORD’s house, as the duty of every day required, for
their service in their offices according to their divisions;

\VS{17}and those who were listed by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses,
and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions;

\VS{18}and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives,
their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation; for in their office of trust they sanctified
themselves in holiness.

\VS{19}Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the pasture
lands of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name to give portions to all
the males amongst the priests and to all who were listed by genealogy amongst the Levites.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah; and he did that which
was good, right, and faithful before the LORD his God.

\VS{21}In every work that he began in the service of God’s house, in the law, and
in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart and prospered.



\par }\Chap{32}{\PP \VerseOne{1}After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of
Assyria came, entered into Judah, encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to win them for
himself.

\VS{2}When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was planning to fight
against Jerusalem,

\VS{3}he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the
springs which were outside of the city, and they helped him.

\VS{4}Then many people gathered together and they stopped all the springs and the
brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find
abundant water?”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}He took courage, built up all the wall that was broken down, and
raised it up to the towers, with the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in David’s city, and made
weapons and shields in abundance.

\VS{6}He set captains of war over the people, gathered them together to him in the
wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,

\VS{7}“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or dismayed because of the king
of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater one with us than with him.

\VS{8}An arm of flesh is with him, but the LORD our God is with us to help us and
to fight our battles.” The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem,
(now he was attacking Lachish, and all his forces were with him), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all
Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,

\VS{10}Sennacherib king of Assyria says, “In whom do you trust, that you remain
under siege in Jerusalem?

\VS{11}Doesn’t Hezekiah persuade you to give you over to die by famine and by thirst,
saying, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria’?

\VS{12}Hasn’t the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded
Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall worship before one altar, and you shall burn incense on it’?

\VS{13}Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the
lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their land out of my hand?

\VS{14}Who was there amongst all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly
destroyed that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out
of my hand?

\VS{15}Now therefore don’t let Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you in this way.
Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand,
and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand?”


\par }{\PP \VS{16}His servants spoke yet more against the LORD God and against
his servant Hezekiah.

\VS{17}He also wrote letters insulting the LORD, the God of Israel, and speaking
against him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out
of my hand, so shall the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.”

\VS{18}They called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of
Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, that they might take the city.

\VS{19}They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth,
which are the work of men’s hands.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed
because of this, and cried to heaven.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}The LORD sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valour,
the leaders, and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his
own land. When he had come into the house of his god, those who came out of his own body\FTNT{†}{{\FR 32:21: }{\FT{i.e., his own sons}}} killed him there with the sword.

\VS{22}Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand
of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

\VS{23}Many brought gifts to the LORD to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah
king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from then on.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to
the LORD; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.

\VS{25}But Hezekiah didn’t reciprocate appropriate to the benefit done for him,
because his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.

\VS{26}However, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the LORD’s wrath didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiah.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}Hezekiah had exceedingly great riches and honour. He provided
himself with treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all
kinds of valuable vessels;

\VS{28}also storehouses for the increase of grain, new wine, and oil; and stalls
for all kinds of animals, and flocks in folds.

\VS{29}Moreover he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds
in abundance; for God had given him abundant possessions.

\VS{30}This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon,
and brought them straight down on the west side of David’s city. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}However, concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon,
who sent to him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to test him, that he
might know all that was in his heart.


\par }{\PP \VS{32}Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold,
they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah
and Israel.

\VS{33}Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent to the
tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honoured him at his death. Manasseh
his son reigned in his place.



\par }\Chap{33}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

\VS{2}He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, after the abominations of the
nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

\VS{3}For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down;
and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshipped all the army of the sky, and served
them.

\VS{4}He built altars in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD said, “My name shall
be in Jerusalem forever.”

\VS{5}He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the LORD’s
house.

\VS{6}He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son
of Hinnom. He practised sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits
and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.

\VS{7}He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s house, of
which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen
out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.

\VS{8}I will not any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have
appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the
law, the statutes, and the ordinances given by Moses.”

\VS{9}Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more
evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they didn’t
listen.

\VS{11}Therefore the LORD brought on them the captains of the army of the king of
Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

\VS{13}He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication,
and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Now after this, he built an outer wall to David’s city on the
west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate. He encircled Ophel with it,
and raised it up to a very great height; and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

\VS{15}He took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the LORD’s house, and all
the altars that he had built in the mountain of the LORD’s house and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of
the city.

\VS{16}He built up the LORD’s altar, and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and
of thanksgiving on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

\VS{17}Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to
the LORD their God.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his
God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they
are written amongst the acts of the kings of Israel.

\VS{19}His prayer also, and how God listened to his request, and all his sin and
his trespass, and the places in which he built high places and set up the Asherah poles and the engraved
images before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 33:19: }{\FT{or, the seers}}}

\VS{20}So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house;
and Amon his son reigned in his place.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned two years in Jerusalem.

\VS{22}He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as did Manasseh his father;
and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them.

\VS{23}He didn’t humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled
himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.

\VS{24}His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.

\VS{25}But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King
Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.



\par }\Chap{34}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

\VS{2}He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, and walked in the ways of David
his father, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left.

\VS{3}For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek
after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from
the high places, the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images.

\VS{4}They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the
incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the
molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed
to them.

\VS{5}He burnt the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.

\VS{6}He did this in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali,
around in their ruins.

\VS{7}He broke down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into
powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the
land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the
son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the house of the LORD his God.

\VS{9}They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought
into God’s house, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered from the hands of Manasseh,
Ephraim, of all the remnant of Israel, of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

\VS{10}They delivered it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of
the LORD’s house; and the workmen who laboured in the LORD’s house gave it to mend and repair the house.

\VS{11}They gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy cut stone and timber
for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

\VS{12}The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah
the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to give
direction; and others of the Levites, who were all skilful with musical instruments.

\VS{13}Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and directed all who did the
work in every kind of service. Of the Levites, there were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}When they brought out the money that was brought into the LORD’s
house, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the LORD’s law given by Moses.

\VS{15}Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in
the LORD’s house.” So Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back
word to the king, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.

\VS{17}They have emptied out the money that was found in the LORD’s house, and have
delivered it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of the workmen.”

\VS{18}Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered
me a book.” Shaphan read from it to the king.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.

\VS{20}The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah,
Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

\VS{21}“Go enquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and
in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the LORD’s wrath that is poured
out on us, because our fathers have not kept the LORD’s word, to do according to all that is written in
this book.”


\par }{\PP \VS{22}So Hilkiah and those whom the king had commanded went to Huldah
the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now
she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spoke to her to that effect.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}She said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the
man who sent you to me,

\VS{24}“The LORD says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants,
even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah.

\VS{25}Because they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense to other gods, that
they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath is poured out on
this place, and it will not be quenched.’ ” ’

\VS{26}But to the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, you shall
tell him this, ‘The LORD, the God of Israel says: “About the words which you have heard,

\VS{27}because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you
heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and
have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you,” says the LORD.

\VS{28}“Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your
grave in peace. Your eyes won’t see all the evil that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.” ’ ”

\par }{\PP They brought back this message to the king.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah
and Jerusalem.

\VS{30}The king went up to the LORD’s house with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem—the priests, the Levites, and all the people, both great and small—and he read in their hearing
all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the LORD’s house.

\VS{31}The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk
after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and
with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

\VS{32}He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The inhabitants
of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

\VS{33}Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged
to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their
God. All his days they didn’t depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.



\par }\Chap{35}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. They killed the
Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

\VS{2}He set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of the
LORD’s house.

\VS{3}He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD, “Put
the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a
burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel.

\VS{4}Prepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by your divisions, according
to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

\VS{5}Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of
your brothers the children of the people, and let there be for each a portion of a fathers’ house of the
Levites.

\VS{6}Kill the Passover lamb, sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers,
to do according to the LORD’s word by Moses.”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs
and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty
thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were of the king’s substance.

\VS{8}His princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to
the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover
offerings two thousand and six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle.

\VS{9}Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel,
and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand small
livestock and five hundred head of cattle.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their
place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king’s commandment.

\VS{11}They killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood which
they received from their hands, and the Levites skinned them.

\VS{12}They removed the burnt offerings, that they might give them according to
the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written
in the book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.

\VS{13}They roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. They boiled
the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of
the people.

\VS{14}Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests
the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites
prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

\VS{15}The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment
of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t
need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to
keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the LORD’s altar, according to the commandment of King
Josiah.

\VS{17}The children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and
the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

\VS{18}There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the
prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept—with the priests, the
Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

\VS{19}This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king
of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.

\VS{21}But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you
king of Judah? I come not against you today, but against the house with which I have war. God has commanded
me to make haste. Beware that it is God who is with me, that he not destroy you.”


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised
himself, that he might fight with him, and didn’t listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and
came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

\VS{23}The archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take
me away, because I am seriously wounded!”


\par }{\PP \VS{24}So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in
the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs
of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

\VS{25}Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke
of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are
written in the lamentations.

\VS{26}Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his good deeds, according to that
which is written in the LORD’s law,

\VS{27}and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the
kings of Israel and Judah.



\par }\Chap{36}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and
made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem.

\VS{2}Joahaz\FTNT{}{{\FR 36:2: }{\FQA{Joahaz
}}{\FT{is a variant of
}}{\FQA{Jehoahaz}}{\FT{.}}} was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned
three months in Jerusalem.

\VS{3}The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem, and fined the land
one hundred talents of silver and a talent\FTNT{†}{{\FR 36:3: }{\FT{A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces}}} of gold.

\VS{4}The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and
changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz\FTNT{}{{\FR 36:4: }{\FQA{Joahaz
}}{\FT{is a variant of
}}{\FQA{Jehoahaz}}{\FT{.}}} his brother, and carried him to Egypt.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the LORD his God’s sight.

\VS{6}Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters
to carry him to Babylon.

\VS{7}Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the LORD’s house to Babylon,
and put them in his temple at Babylon.

\VS{8}Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and
that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and
Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.

\VS{10}At the return of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon,
with the valuable vessels of the LORD’s house, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

\VS{12}He did that which was evil in the LORD his God’s sight. He didn’t humble
himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the LORD’s mouth.

\VS{13}He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God;
but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

\VS{14}Moreover all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed very greatly
after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the LORD’s house which he had made holy in
Jerusalem.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers,
rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place;

\VS{16}but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at
his prophets, until the LORD’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who
killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young
man or virgin, old man or infirm. He gave them all into his hand.

\VS{18}All the vessels of God’s house, great and small, and the treasures of the
LORD’s house, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.

\VS{19}They burnt God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burnt all its palaces
with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels.

\VS{20}He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon, and they
were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,

\VS{21}to fulfil the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth, until the land had enjoyed
its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfil seventy years.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s
word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia,
so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

\VS{23}“Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given all the
kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Whoever there is amongst you of all his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.’ ”


\par }