2 Chronicles

Overall

Area	Total	Changed	%
Verses	822	644	78.35%
Words	21114	1933	9.16%

Verses

1:2	And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands, and of hundreds, and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households.
1:3	Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon, forbecause God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses, the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.
1:5	Now the bronze altar, which Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out.
1:6	And Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
1:8	And Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindnessfaithfulness, and have made me king in his place.
1:9	Now, O Lord God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
1:10	GiveNow give me now wisdom and knowledge, so that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?”
1:11	Then God said to Solomon, “Because youthis hadwas this in mindyour heart, and you did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor havedid you even askedask for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge so that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king,
1:12	wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will also give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor will those who will come after you.”
1:14	Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king atin Jerusalem.
1:16	Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders procuredacquired them from Kue for a price.
1:17	They imported chariots from Egypt for 600six hundred shekels of silver apiece, and horses for 150 apiece, and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
2:1	Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself.
2:2	So Solomon assigned 70,000seventy thousand men to carry loads, andeighty 80,000thousand men to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise them.
2:3	Then Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father David and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwelllive in, so do it for me.
2:4	Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbathsSabbaths, and on new moons, and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God,. thisThis beingis requiredto foreverbe done in Israel forever.
2:5	The house which I am about to build will be great, for greaterour God is ourgreater God than all the gods.
2:6	But who is able to build a house for Him, forsince the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? SoAnd who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?
2:7	Now send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet fabrics, andone who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled menworkers whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father David provided.
2:8	Send me also cedar, cypressjuniper, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed my servants will work with your servants,
2:10	Now behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20,000twenty thousand kors of crushed wheat, andtwenty 20,000thousand kors of barley, andtwenty 20,000thousand baths of wine, and 20,000twenty thousand baths of oil.”
2:12	Then Huram continued, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.
2:13	“Now then, I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding,
2:14	the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, violet, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which mayis be assigned to him, to work with your skilled menworkers and with those of my lord, David your father David.
2:15	Now then, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken.
2:16	We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you onas rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”
2:17	Solomon numberedcounted all the aliensforeigners who were in the land of Israel, following the census which his father David had taken; and 153,600 were found.
2:18	He appointed 70,000seventy thousand of them to carry loads and 80,000eighty thousand to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.
3:3	Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for building the house of God. The length in cubits, according to the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits.
3:4	The porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height 120twenty; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold.
3:5	He overlaid the main room with cypressjuniper wood and overlaid it with fine gold,; and he ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
3:6	Further, he adornedoverlaid the house with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim.
3:7	He also overlaid the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds, and its walls and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls.
3:8	NowThen he made the room of the holyMost ofHoly holiesPlace: its length across the width of the house was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to 600six hundred talents.
3:10	Then he made two sculptured cherubim in the room of the holyMost ofHoly holiesPlace and overlaid them with gold.
3:12	The wing of the other cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and its other wing, of five cubits, was attached to the wing of the first cherub.
3:14	He made the veil of violet, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and he worked cherubim oninto it.
3:16	He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars; and he made onea hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains.
4:1	Then he made a bronze altar, twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and ten cubits in height.
4:2	AlsoHe healso made the Sea of cast metal sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits and its circumference thirty cubits.
4:3	Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the seaSea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.
4:4	It stoodwas standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the seaSea was set on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inwardsinward.
4:5	It was a handbreadthhand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold 3,000three thousand baths.
4:6	He also made ten basins in which to wash, and he set five on the right side and five on the left to rinse things for the burnt offering; but the seaSea was for the priests to wash in.
4:7	Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them, and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left.
4:8	He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made onea hundred golden bowls.
4:9	Then he made the courtcourtyard of the priests and the great courtcourtyard, and doors for the courtcourtyard, and overlaid their doors with bronze.
4:10	He setput the seaSea on the right side of the house toward the southeast.
4:11	Huram also made the pails, the shovels, and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work whichthat he performeddid for King Solomon in the house of God:
4:12	the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two networkslatticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars,
4:13	and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networkslatticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each networklatticework to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars.
4:15	and the one seaSea with the twelve oxen under it.
4:16	The pails, the shovels, the forks, and all its utensils, Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon, for the house of the Lord.
4:18	ThusSo Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze could not be found outdetermined.
4:19	Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God: even the golden altar, the tables with the bread of the Presence on them,
4:21	the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, that is, of purest gold;
4:22	and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons, and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the holyMost ofHoly holiesPlace and the doors of the house, that is, of the navemain room, of gold.
5:1	ThusSo all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father David had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.
5:2	Then Solomon assembled toat Jerusalem the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord outup offrom the city of David, which is Zion.
5:3	All the men of Israel assembled themselves tobefore the king at the feast, that is in the seventh month.
5:4	Then all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites tookpicked up the ark.
5:5	They brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils whichthat were in the tent;. theThe Levitical priests brought them up.
5:6	And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who werehad assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.
5:7	Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holyMost ofHoly holiesPlace, under the wings of the cherubim.
5:11	When the priests came forthout from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions),
5:12	and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one120 hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets
5:13	in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they liftedraised up their voicevoices accompanied by trumpets, and cymbals, and instrumentsother ofmusical musicinstruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindnesskindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,
5:14	so that the priests could not standrise to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
6:1	Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick clouddarkness.
6:3	Then the king facedturned aboutaround and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.
6:4	He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and has fulfilled it with His hands, saying,
6:5	‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, so that My name might be there, nor did I choose anya man forto abe the leader over My people Israel;
6:6	but I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
6:10	Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in the place of my father David 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.
6:11	There I have setplaced the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.”
6:13	NowFor Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtcourtyard; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.
6:14	He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping Your covenant and showingYour lovingkindnessfaithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart;
6:15	You who hashave kept with Your servant David, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
6:16	Now thereforethen, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep withto Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons takepay heedattention to their way, to walk in My lawLaw as you have walked before Me.’
6:17	Now thereforethen, O Lord, the God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.
6:18	“But will God indeedreally dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.!
6:19	YetNevertheless, haveturn regardYour attention to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplicationplea, O Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You;
6:20	that Your eye maywill be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place.
6:21	Listen to the supplicationspleadings of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive.
6:22	“If asomeone man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,
6:23	then hear from heaven and acttake action and judge Your servants, punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by givingrepaying him according to his righteousness.
6:24	“If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confesspraise Your name, and pray and makeplead supplication before You in this house,
6:26	“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confesspraise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them;,
6:27	then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel,; indeed, teach them the good way in which they shouldare to walk. And sendprovide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people foras an inheritance.
6:28	“If there is a famine in the land, if there is pestilencea plague, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is,
6:29	whatever prayer or supplicationplea is made by anyanyone man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house,
6:30	then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know —for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men,mankind—
6:31	so that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.
6:32	“Also concerning the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country foron account of Your great name’s sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house,
6:33	then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, inso order 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.
6:34	“When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name,
6:35	then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplicationpleading, and maintain their cause.
6:36	“When they sin against You (for there is no manone who does not sin), and You are angry with them and deliverturn them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near,
6:37	if they take thoughtit to heart in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and makeplead supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committeddone iniquitywrong and have acted wickedly’;
6:39	then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplicationspleadings, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.
6:40	“Now, O my God, I prayplease, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.
6:41	“Now thereforethen arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.
6:42	“O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember Your lovingkindnessfaithfulness to Your servant David.”
7:2	TheAnd the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house.
7:3	All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “TrulyCertainly He is good, trulycertainly His lovingkindnessfaithfulness is everlasting.”
7:5	King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. ThusSo the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
7:6	The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with the musical instruments offor music to the Lord, which King David had made for giving praise to the Lord—“for His lovingkindnessfaithfulness is everlasting”—whenever heDavid gave praise bythrough their means,ministry; while the priests on the other side blew trumpets; and all Israel was standing.
7:7	Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtcourtyard that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.
7:8	So Solomon observedheld the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly whothat came from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.
7:9	OnAnd on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, forbecause they held the dedication of the altar theyfor observed seven days, and the feast for seven days.
7:10	Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy ofin heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to His people Israel.
7:11	ThusSo Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s palace, and successfully completed alleverything that he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace.
7:13	If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilencea plague among My people,
7:14	and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
7:16	For now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetuallyalways.
7:17	As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to alleverything that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances,
7:19	“But if you turn away and forsakeabandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
7:20	then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it a proverb and aan bywordobject of scorn among all peoples.
7:21	As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thusthese things to this land and to this house?’
7:22	And they will say, ‘Because they forsookabandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’ ”
8:1	Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,
8:2	that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there.
8:5	He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, which were fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars;
8:6	and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and alleverything that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.
8:7	All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
8:8	namelythat is, from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon raised them as forced laborers to this day.
8:9	But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel for his work; for they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.
8:10	These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two250 hundred and fifty who ruled over the people.
8:11	Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwelllive in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”
8:12	Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built beforein front of the porch;
8:13	and he did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbathsSabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
8:14	Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for this is what David, the man of God, had so commanded.
8:15	And they did not departdeviate from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any mannermatter or concerningregarding the storehouses.
8:16	ThusSo all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.
8:18	And Huram by his servants Huram sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and took from there four450 hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought themit to King Solomon.
9:1	Now when the queen of Sheba heard ofabout the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questionsriddles. She had a very large retinueentourage, with camels carrying spicesbalsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about alleverything that was on her heart.
9:5	Then she said to the king, “It was a true reportstory whichthat I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.
9:6	NeverthelessBut I did not believe their reportsstories until I came and my own eyes hadsaw seenit itall. And behold, thenot even half of the greatness of your wisdom was notreported toldto me. You surpasshave surpassed the report that I heard.
9:7	How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants of yours, who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.!
9:8	Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to docarry out justice and righteousness.”
9:9	Then she gave the king one120 hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great amount of spicesbalsam oil and precious stones; there had never been spicebalsam oil like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
9:11	From the algum trees the king made steps forto the house of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and nonenothing like thatthem was seen before in the land of Judah.
9:12	King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her every desire, whichwhatever she requested, besides agifts returnequal forto what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.
9:13	Now the weight of gold whichthat came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
9:14	besides thatwhat which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
9:15	King Solomon made 200two hundred large shields of beaten gold, using 600six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield.
9:16	He made 300three hundred shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield,; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
9:17	Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
9:21	For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
9:22	So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in richeswealth and wisdom.
9:24	They broughtwere everybringing, maneach of them his gift,: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spicesbalsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
9:25	Now Solomon had 4,000four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
9:26	He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt.
9:27	TheAnd the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
9:29	Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records 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?
9:30	Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
9:31	And Solomon sleptlay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
10:1	Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, forbecause all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
10:2	When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard ofabout it (for he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
10:3	So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
10:4	“Your father made our yoke hard; but now, therefore lighten the hard servicelabor ofimposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
10:6	ThenAnd then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counseladvise me to answer this people?”
10:7	They spoke to him, saying, “If you willare be kind to this people and please them and speak goodpleasant words to them, then they will be your servants foreveralways.”
10:8	But he forsookignored the counseladvice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grewhad grown up with him and served him.
10:9	SoHe he said to them, “What counseladvice do you give, so that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10:10	The young men who grewhad grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “ThusThis is what you shallshould say to the people who spoke to you, saying,: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’!’ ThusYou youshould shallspeak saythis way to them,: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loinswaist!
10:11	WhereasNow then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke,; yet I will add to your yoke;. myMy father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’!’ ”
10:12	So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”
10:13	The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsookignored the counseladvice of the elders.
10:15	So the king did not listen to the people, forbecause it was a turn of events from God so that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
10:16	When all Israel saw that the king didhad not listenlistened to them, the people answeredreplied to the king, saying, “What portionshare do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. EveryEveryone man to your tents, O Israel;! Now look after your own house, David.”!” So all Israel departedwent away to their tents.
10:18	Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was overin charge of the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam madehurried haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
11:1	Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
11:3	“SpeakTell to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
11:4	‘ThusThis saysis what the Lord, says: “You shall not go up ornor fight against your relatives; return, every man, to his house, for this thingevent is from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the words of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.
11:6	ThusHe he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
11:10	Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.
11:11	He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and storessupplies of food, oil, and wine.
11:13	Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel also stood with him from all their districts.
11:14	For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and camewent to Judah and Jerusalem, forbecause Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the Lord.
11:15	He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made.
11:18	Then Rehoboam tookmarried as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,
11:19	and she bore to him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
11:20	After her he tookmarried Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
11:21	Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
11:23	He acted wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them foodplenty inof abundanceprovisions. And he sought many wives for them.
12:1	When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsookabandoned the lawLaw of the Lord.
12:3	with 1,200 chariots and 60,000sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without numberinnumerable: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.
12:4	HeAnd he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
12:5	Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “ThusThis saysis what the Lord, says: ‘You have forsakenabandoned Me, so I also have forsakenabandoned you to Shishak.’ ”
12:7	When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them,; butand I will grant them somea measurelittle of deliverance, and My wrath shallwill not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.
12:8	But they will become his slaves, so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
12:9	So Shishak king of Egypt camewent up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; he even took the goldengold shields which Solomon had made.
12:10	Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guardguards who guarded the doorentrance of the king’s house.
12:12	And when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and also conditions were also good in Judah.
12:13	So King Rehoboam strengthenedbecame himselfpowerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. NowFor Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
12:14	HeBut he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
12:15	Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
12:16	And Rehoboam sleptlay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place.
13:2	He reigned in Jerusalem for three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
13:3	Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000four hundred thousand chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000eight hundred thousand chosen men who were valiant warriors.
13:7	and worthless men gathered aboutto him, scoundrelswicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.
13:8	“So now you intend to resistassert yourselves against the kingdom of the Lord through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for godsyou foras yougods.
13:9	Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of whatthings that are nonot gods.
13:10	But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsakenabandoned Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests, and the Levites attend to their work.
13:11	Every morning and evening they burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keepperform theour chargeduty ofto the Lord our God, but you have forsakenabandoned Him.
13:12	Now behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarmwar cry against you. OSons sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
13:13	But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rearbehind, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them.
13:14	When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both from front and rear; so they cried out to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets.
13:15	Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routeddefeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
13:16	When the sons of Israel fled beforefrom Judah, God gavehanded them intoover theirto handthem.
13:17	Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain.
13:18	ThusThe the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers.
13:19	Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.
13:21	But Abijah became powerful;, and he took fourteen wives tofor himself, and becamefathered the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
13:22	Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of Iddo the prophet Iddo.
14:1	So Abijah sleptlay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.
14:2	And Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God,
14:3	for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacredmemorial pillarsstones, cut down the Asherim,
14:4	and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observecomply with the lawLaw and the commandment.
14:7	For he said to Judah, “Let’s us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours 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.
14:8	Now Asa had an army of 300,000three hundred thousand from Judah, bearingcarrying large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearingcarrying shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.
14:9	Now Zerah the Ethiopian camewent out against them with an army of a million men and 300three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.
14:10	So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valleyValley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
14:11	Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; letdo not let man prevail against You.”
14:13	Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the Lord and before His army. And they carried away a very muchlarge amount of plunder.
14:14	They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the Lord had fallen on them; and they despoiledpillaged all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.
14:15	They also fatally struck down those who owned livestock, and they carriedled away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
15:2	and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsakeabandon Him, He will forsakeabandon you.
15:3	For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without lawthe Law.
15:5	In those times there was no peace tofor him who went out or to him who came in, forbecause many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.
15:7	But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is a reward for your work.”
15:8	Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord.
15:9	HeAnd he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
15:11	They sacrificed to the Lord on that day 700seven hundred oxen and 7,000seven thousand sheep from the spoilspoils they had brought.
15:13	and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel shouldwas to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.
15:14	Moreover, they made an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with horns.
15:15	All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with all their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.
15:16	He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made aan horridabominable image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horridabominable image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
15:18	He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver, and gold, and utensils.
16:1	In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
16:2	Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and sent themit to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,
16:3	“LetA theretreaty must be amade treaty between you and me, 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 so that he will withdraw from me.”
16:4	SoAnd Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the storestorage cities of Naphtali.
16:5	When Baasha heard ofabout it, he ceasedstopped fortifying Ramah and stoppedput an end to his work.
16:6	Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with themit he fortified Geba and Mizpah.
16:7	At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, thereforefor that reason the army of the king of Aram has escaped outfrom of your hand.
16:8	Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He deliveredhanded them intoover yourto handyou.
16:9	For the eyes of the Lord moveroam to and fro throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”
16:10	Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressedmistreated some of the people at the same time.
16:11	Now, the acts of Asa from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
16:13	So Asa sleptlay down with his fathers, havingand died in the forty-first year of his reign.
17:1	JehoshaphatHis his son Jehoshaphat then became king in his place, and madehe hisproved positionhimself strong over Israel firm.
17:2	He placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and setplaced garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father Asa had captured.
17:3	TheAnd the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals,
17:5	So the Lord established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah broughtgave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.
17:6	He took great pride in the ways of the Lord, and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah.
17:7	Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;
17:8	and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.
17:9	They taught in Judah, having the bookBook of the lawLaw of the Lord with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
17:12	So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and storestorage cities in Judah.
17:13	He had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant mighty men, in Jerusalem.
17:14	This was their muster according to their fathers’ households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him 300,000three hundred thousand valiant warriors;
17:16	and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who volunteered for the Lord, and with him 200,000two hundred thousand valiant warriors;
17:17	and of Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and with him 200,000two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;
17:19	These are theythe ones who served the king, apart from those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughthroughout all Judah.
18:1	Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage withto Ahab.
18:2	Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria., Andand Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him,. andAnd inducedhe incited him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
18:4	MoreoverHowever, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquirerequest first for the word of the Lord first.”
18:5	ThenSo the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “ShallShould we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shallshould I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will givehand it intoover theto hand of the king.”
18:6	But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there notno yetlonger a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?”
18:7	TheAnd the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yetstill one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good concerningregarding me, but always evilbad. He is Micaiah, the son of ImlaImlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “LetMay not the king not say so.”
18:8	Then the king of Israel calledsummoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’sson sonof Imlah quickly.”
18:9	Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, arrayeddressed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
18:10	Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “ThusThis saysis what the Lord, says: ‘With these you shallwill gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’destroyed!’ ”
18:11	All the prophets were prophesying thusthis as well, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeedbe successful, for the Lord will givehand it intoover theto hand of the king.”
18:12	Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformlyunanimously favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably.”
18:13	But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatwhatever my God says, that I will speak it.”
18:14	When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shallshould we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shallshould I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be givenhanded intoover yourto hand.”you!”
18:15	Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjuremake you toswear speakthat toyou will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
18:16	So he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep whichthat have no shepherd;. And the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. LetEach each of them is to return to his house in peace.’ ”
18:17	Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good concerningregarding me, but evilonly bad?”
18:18	And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hostangels of heaven standing on His right and on His left.
18:19	TheAnd the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that.
18:21	He said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouthmouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You areshall to entice him, and prevailyou will also prevail. Go out and do so.’
18:22	Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouthmouths of these yourprophets prophetsof yours, for the Lord has proclaimeddeclared disaster against you.”
18:23	Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah cameapproached near and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”
18:24	And Micaiah said, “Behold, you willare going to see how on that day when you entergo anfrom one inner room to another trying to hide yourself.”
18:25	Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
18:26	and say, ‘ThusThis saysis what the king, says: “Put this man in prison, and feed him sparinglyenough with bread and water to survive until I return safely.” ’ ”
18:27	But Micaiah said, “If you indeedactually return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”!”
18:29	TheAnd the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
18:30	Now the king of Aram had commanded the captainscommanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with the small or great, but only with the king of Israel alone.”
18:31	So when the captainscommanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “ItHe is the king of Israel,”!” andAnd they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him.
18:32	When the captainscommanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
18:33	ANow certainone man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of thehis chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fightbattle, for I am severely wounded.”
18:34	The battle raged on that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.
19:2	And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord, and by doing so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?
19:4	So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
19:6	He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for manmankind but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment.
19:7	Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful about what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousnessinjustice or partiality, or in the taking of a bribe.”
19:8	In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19:9	Then he chargedcommanded them, saying, “ThusThis is what you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly.
19:10	Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethrencountrymen who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they maywill not be guilty before the Lord, and wrath maywill not come on you and your brethrencountrymen. ThusThis you shall do and you will not be guilty.
19:11	Behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in allevery matter that pertains to the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Act resolutely, and may the Lord be with the upright.”
20:1	Now it came about after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.
20:2	Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, outfrom of Aram; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).”
20:3	Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord,; and he proclaimed a fastperiod of fasting throughout all Judah.
20:5	Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord beforein front of the new court,courtyard;
20:6	and he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.
20:7	Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land beforefrom Your people Israel, and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend Abraham forever?
20:8	They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary therein it for Your name, saying,
20:9	‘ShouldIf evildisaster comecomes upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilenceplague, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house), and cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliversave us.’
20:10	Now behold, the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not letallow Israel to invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (for they turned aside from them and did not destroy them),
20:12	OOur our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude whothat areis coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
20:13	All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children.
20:15	and he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: thusThis saysis what the Lord says to you,: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.
20:16	Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.
20:17	You need not fight in this battle; stationtake yourselvesyour position, stand and seewatch the salvation of the Lord onin your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
20:19	The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and offrom the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20:20	They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,: putPut your trust in the Lord your God and you will be establishedendure. Put your trust in His prophets, and succeed.”
20:21	When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindnessfaithfulness is everlasting.”
20:22	When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routedstruck down.
20:23	For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, completely destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
20:24	When Judah came to the lookoutwatchtower of the wilderness, they lookedturned toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and nothere onewas hadno escapedsurvivor.
20:25	When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoilspoils, they found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoilspoils for three days because there was so much.
20:26	Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valleyValley of Beracah, for there they blessed the Lord there. Therefore they have named that place “The Valley of Beracah” until today.
20:27	Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had madehelped them to rejoice over their enemies.
20:28	They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.
20:31	Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
20:32	He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not departdeviate from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord.
20:37	Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” So the ships were brokenwrecked and could not go to Tarshish.
21:1	Then Jehoshaphat sleptlay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son Jehoram became king in his place.
21:2	He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
21:3	Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah,; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
21:4	Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and madegathered himself securecourage, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulersleaders of Israel alsoas well.
21:5	Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.
21:6	He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab didhad (done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife),; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
21:7	Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and sincebecause He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
21:8	In his days Edom revoltedbroke againstaway from the rule of Judah, and setappointed up a king over themselves.
21:9	Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arosegot byup at night and struck downand killed the Edomites who were surrounding him, and the commanders of the chariots.
21:10	So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time against his rule, because he had forsakenabandoned the Lord God of his fathers.
21:11	MoreoverFurthermore, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to playbe theunfaithful, harlot and led Judah astray.
21:12	Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “ThusThis saysis what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father Jehoshaphat and the ways of Asa king of Judah,
21:13	but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to playbe theunfaithful harlot as the house of Ahab playedwas the harlotunfaithful, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you,
21:14	behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great calamityplague;
21:18	So after all this the Lord smotestruck him in his bowelsintestines with an incurable sickness.
21:19	Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness, and he died in great pain. And his people madedid nonot make a funeral fire for him like the fire for his fathers.
21:20	He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years; and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
22:1	Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had slainkilled all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.
22:2	Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.
22:3	He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to doact wickedly.
22:4	HeSo he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his own destruction.
22:5	He also walked accordingby to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram.
22:7	Now the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. For when he camearrived, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cuteliminate off the house of Ahab.
22:8	ItAnd it came about, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers ministeringattending to Ahaziah, and slewkilled them.
22:9	He also soughtsearched for Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death, and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.
22:10	Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyedeliminated all the royal offspringchildren of the house of Judah.
22:12	He waskept himself hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
23:1	Now in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthenedgathered himselfhis courage, and took captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they entered into a covenant with him.
23:2	TheyAnd they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
23:4	This is the thing which you shall do: onea third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbathSabbath, shall be gatekeepers,
23:5	and onea third shall be at the king’s house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courtscourtyards of the house of the Lord.
23:6	But let no one is to enter the house of the Lord except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people are to keep the chargecommand of the Lord.
23:7	The Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house, letis himto be killedput to death. ThusTherefore be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
23:8	SoThe the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbathSabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbathSabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions.
23:9	Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the largeshields and smallquivers shields which had been King David’s, which were in the house of God.
23:12	When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she camewent into the house of the Lord to the people.
23:13	She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “TreasonConspiracy! TreasonConspiracy!”
23:14	And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks;, and whoever follows her, is to be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “LetYou hershall not be put her to death in the house of the Lord.”
23:18	Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices of the house of the Lord under the authority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the lawLaw of Moses—with rejoicing and singing according to the order of David.
23:20	He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and camewent through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they placedseated the king upon the royal throne.
23:21	So all of the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quietat rest. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.
24:1	Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba.
24:3	Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he becamefathered the father of sons and daughters.
24:5	He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matterwork quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly.
24:6	So the king summoned Jehoiada, the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the levycontribution fixedof by Moses, the servant of the Lord, onand the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?”
24:7	For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God, and even used the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.
24:9	TheyAnd they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the levycontribution fixedcommanded by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.
24:10	All the officers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought in their leviescontribution and dropped themit into the chest until they had finished.
24:11	It camehappened aboutthat whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the Levites, and when they saw that therethe money was much moneysubstantial, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, and empty the chest, takeand pick it, up and return it to its place. ThusThey they did this daily and collected mucha large amount of money.
24:14	When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and the burnt offeringofferings, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually, all the days of Jehoiada.
24:15	Now when Jehoiada reached a ripegood old age and he died; he was one130 hundred and thirty years old at his death.
24:16	TheyAnd they buried him in the city of David amongwith the kings, because he had done well in Israel and tofor God and His house.
24:18	TheyAnd they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this theirguilt guiltof theirs.
24:19	Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; thoughand they testified against them, but they would not listen.
24:20	Then the Spirit of God camecovered on Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, “ThusThis is what God has said, ‘Why do you transgressbreak the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have forsakenabandoned the Lord, He has also forsakenabandoned you.’ ”
24:21	So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the courtcourtyard of the house of the Lord.
24:22	ThusSo Joash the king did not remember the kindness which hisZechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as heZechariah died he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”
24:23	Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against himJoash; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoilspoils to the king of Damascus.
24:24	Indeed, the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the Lord deliveredhanded a very great army intoover theirto handsthem, because theyJudah and Joash had forsakenabandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers. ThusSo they executed judgment on Joash.
24:25	When they hadleft departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.
24:26	Now these are thosethe men who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
24:27	As to his sons and the many oraclespronouncements against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son Amaziah became king in his place.
25:1	Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
25:2	He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yetonly not with a whole heartwholeheartedly.
25:3	Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had slainkilled his father the king.
25:4	However, he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the lawLaw in the bookBook of Moses, which the Lord commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers,; but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”
25:5	Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he took a census of those from twenty years old and upward and found them to be 300,000three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war and handle spear and shield.
25:6	He also hired alsoa 100,000hundred thousand valiant warriors outfrom of Israel for onea hundred talents of silver.
25:7	But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel gocome with you, for the Lord is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.
25:8	But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has the power to help and to bring down.”
25:9	Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shallare we to do forabout the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The Lord has much more to give you than this.”
25:10	Then Amaziah dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.
25:11	Now Amaziah strengthenedgathered himselfhis courage and led his people forthout, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck downand 10,000killed ten thousand of the sons of Seir.
25:12	The sons of Judah also captured 10,000ten thousand alive and brought them to the top of the cliff, and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all dashed to pieces.
25:13	But the troops whom Amaziah sent back, fromthose not going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck downand 3,000killed three thousand of them, and plundered mucha spoillarge amount of spoils.
25:14	Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up as his gods,. Then he bowed down before them and burned incense to them.
25:15	ThenSo the anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not deliveredsaved their own people from your hand?”
25:16	As he was talking with him, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struckput downto death?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
25:17	Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let’s us face each other.”
25:18	But Joash the king of Israel sent a reply to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush whichthat was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar whichthat was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush.
25:19	You said, ‘Behold, you have defeated Edom.’ And your heart has becomelifted proudyou up in boasting. Now stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, evenwould youfall, wouldyou fall and Judah with you?”
25:20	But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that He might deliverhand them intoover theto hand of Joash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.
25:22	And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled, eachevery man to his tent.
25:23	Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400four hundred cubits.
25:24	He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages alsotoo, and returned to Samaria.
25:26	Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from the first to the last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?
25:27	From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
26:1	AndNow all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.
26:2	He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king sleptlay down with his fathers.
26:3	Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.
26:4	He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, accordingin toaccordance allwith everything that his father Amaziah had done.
26:5	He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prosperedmade him successful.
26:6	Now he went out and warredfought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines.
26:8	The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.
26:9	Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, and at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress, and he fortified them.
26:10	He also built towers in the wilderness and hewedcarved out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.
26:11	Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, preparedrecorded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers.
26:13	Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy.
26:14	Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and sling stonesslingstones.
26:15	In Jerusalem he made enginesmachines of war invented by skillful menworkmen to be on the towers and on the corners, for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. HenceSo his fame spread afarfar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
26:16	But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithfuluntrue to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
26:17	Then Azariah the priest entered after him, and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men.
26:18	They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who arehave been consecrated to burn incense. GetLeave out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithfuluntrue and will have no honor from the Lord God.”
26:19	But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead beforein the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense.
26:20	Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurriedquickly removed him outfrom of there, and he himself also hastenedhurried to get out because the Lord had smittenstricken him.
26:21	King Uzziah washad aleprosy leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, beingafflicted aas leperhe was with leprosy, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son Jotham was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
26:22	Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, the first to the last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written.
26:23	So Uzziah sleptlay down with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He ishad a leperleprosy.” And Jotham his son Jotham became king in his place.
27:1	Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.
27:2	He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people continued acting corruptly.
27:3	He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel extensively.
27:5	He fought also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that during that year the Ammonites gave him duringa that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second year and in the third year.
27:6	So Jotham became mightypowerful because he ordereddirected his ways before the Lord his God.
27:7	Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his actsways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
27:8	He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years in Jerusalem.
27:9	And Jotham sleptlay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son Ahaz became king in his place.
28:1	Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; andfor hesixteen years. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord as David his father David had done.
28:2	But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made moltencast metal images for the Baals.
28:3	MoreoverFurthermore, he burned incense in the valleyValley of Ben-hinnom, and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out beforefrom the sons of Israel.
28:4	He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
28:5	Wherefore,Therefore the Lord his God deliveredhanded him intoover theto hand of the king of Aram; and they defeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also deliveredhanded intoover theto hand of the king of Israel, who inflictedstruck him with heavy casualties.
28:6	For Pekah the son of Remaliah slewkilled in Judah 120,000 in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsakenabandoned the Lord God of their fathers.
28:7	And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slewkilled Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah the second to the king.
28:8	The sons of Israel carriedled away captive two hundred thousand of their brethren 200relatives,000 women, sons, and daughters; and they also took also a great deal of spoilspoils from them, and brought the spoilspoils to Samaria.
28:9	But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has deliveredhanded them intoover yourto handyou, and you have slainkilled them in a rage which has even reached heaven.
28:10	Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem foras male and female slaves for yourselves. Surely,Are do you not, havehowever transgressionsguilty yourselves of youroffenses own against the Lord your God?
28:11	Now thereforethen, listen to me and return the captives whom you captured from your brothers, for the burning anger of the Lord is against you.”
28:12	Then some of the headsleading men of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—aroserose up against those who were coming from the battle,
28:13	and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us guiltbefore against the Lord, adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great, soand that His burning anger is against Israel.”
28:14	So the armed men left the captives and the spoilspoils before the officers and all the assembly.
28:15	Then the men who were designated by name arosegot up, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked onespeople from the spoilspoils; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.
28:16	At that time King Ahaz sent word to the kings of Assyria for help.
28:17	For again the Edomites had come again and attacked Judah, and carriedled away captives.
28:18	The Philistines had also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages,; and they had settled there.
28:19	For the Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the Lord.
28:22	Now induring the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz became yeteven more unfaithful to the Lord.
28:23	For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus whichwho had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel.
28:24	Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the Lord, and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.
28:26	Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
28:27	So Ahaz sleptlay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him intoto the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.
29:1	Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old; and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
29:2	He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, accordingin toaccordance allwith everything that his father David had done.
29:4	He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the public square on the east.
29:5	Then he said to them, “Listen to me, Oyou Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out fromof the holy place.
29:6	For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and they have forsakenabandoned Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and have turned their backs.
29:7	They have also shut the doors of the porch and putextinguished out the lamps, and have not burned incense ornor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
29:9	For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, and our daughters, and our wives are in captivity forbecause of this.
29:10	Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that His burning anger may turn away from us.
29:11	My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to ministerserve to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”
29:12	Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathites; and from the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;
29:16	So the priests went ininto to the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the Lord they brought out to the courtcourtyard of the house of the Lord. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valleyValley.
29:18	Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all of its utensils.
29:20	Then King Hezekiah arosegot up early and assembled the princes of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.
29:21	They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats foras a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.
29:22	So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They also slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar; they slaughtered the lambs alsoas well, and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
29:24	The priests slaughtered them and purgedpurified the altar with their blood to atone for all Israel, forbecause the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
29:25	He then stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with harps, and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad, the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the Lord through His prophets.
29:31	Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come nearforward and bring sacrifices and thankthanksgiving offerings to the house of the Lord.” AndSo the assembly brought sacrifices and thankthanksgiving offerings, and alleveryone those who werewas willing brought burnt offerings.
29:32	The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70seventy bulls, 100a hundred rams, and 200two hundred lambs; all of these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.
29:33	The consecrated thingsofferings were 600six hundred bulls and 3,000three thousand sheep.
29:34	But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was completedfinished and until the other priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests.
29:35	There were also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the libationsdrink offerings for the burnt offerings. ThusSo the service of the house of the Lord was established again.
30:1	Now Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord atin Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.
30:4	ThusSo the thingdecision was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly.
30:5	So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they shouldare to come to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel atin Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was prescribedwritten.
30:6	The couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, “OSons sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
30:7	Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithfuluntrue to the Lord God of their fathers, so that He made them aan object of horror, just as you see.
30:9	For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion beforein the presence of those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
30:10	So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed at them towith scorn and mocked them.
30:11	Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
30:14	They arosegot up and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and castthrew them into the brook Kidron.
30:16	They stood at their stations afterfollowing their custom, according to the lawLaw of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.
30:17	For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were overin charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the Lord.
30:18	For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, and Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwisecontrary thanto prescribedwhat was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon
30:21	The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praisedwere praising the Lord day after day with loud instruments to the Lord.
30:24	For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000a thousand bulls and 7,000seven thousand sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000a thousand bulls and 10,000ten thousand sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves.
30:25	All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojournersstrangers who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah.
30:27	Then the Levitical priests arosestood and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.
31:1	Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillarsmemorial stones in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.
31:2	And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to ministerserve and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.
31:3	He also appointed the king’s portion of his goodsproperty for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbathsSabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixedappointed festivals, as it is written in the lawLaw of the Lord.
31:4	Also he commandedtold the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, so that they might devote themselves to the lawLaw of the Lord.
31:5	As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel abundantly provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of alleverything.
31:7	In the third month they began to make the heaps, and they finished them by the seventh month.
31:10	Azariah, the chief priest of the house of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions beganstarted tocoming be brought into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.”
31:12	They faithfully brought in the contributions, and the tithes, and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.
31:13	Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother Shimei by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God.
31:14	Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was overin charge of the freewillvoluntary offerings offor God, to apportiondistribute the contributions for the Lord and the most holy things.
31:15	Under his authority were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions faithfully to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small,
31:17	as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwardsupward, by their duties and their divisions.
31:18	The genealogical enrollment included all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves faithfully in holiness.
31:19	Also for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites.
31:20	Thus Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right, and true before the Lord his God.
31:21	Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in lawthe Law and in the commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.
32:1	After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and thoughtintended to break into them for himself.
32:2	Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to makewage war onagainst Jerusalem,
32:5	And he tookresolutely courageset to work and rebuilt all of the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great numbernumbers.
32:6	He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the public square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
32:7	“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the oneOne with us is greater than the one with him.
32:9	After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all of Judah who were atin Jerusalem, saying,
32:10	“ThusThis saysis what Sennacherib king of Assyria, says: ‘On what are you trusting that you are remainingstaying in Jerusalem under siege?
32:11	Is Hezekiah not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “The Lord our God will deliversave us from the hand of the king of Assyria”?
32:12	HasIs it not the same Hezekiah takenwho awayremoved His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense”?
32:13	Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of thethose lands able at all able to deliversave their land from my hand?
32:14	Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliversave his people outfrom of my hand, that your God shouldwould be able to deliversave you from my hand?
32:15	Now thereforethen, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliversave his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliversave you from my hand?’ ”
32:17	He also wrote letters to insult the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands have not deliveredsaved their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliversave His people from my hand.”
32:19	They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as ofthey did against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men’shuman hands.
32:20	But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and criedcalled out to heaven for help.
32:21	And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own childrensons killed him there with the sword.
32:23	And many were bringing gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem and choicevaluable presents to Hezekiah king of Judah,; so thatthereafter he wasrose exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
32:25	But Hezekiah gavedid nonothing in return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came onupon him and onupon Judah and Jerusalem.
32:27	Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles,
32:28	also storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine, and oil,; pensstalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds for the flocks.
32:29	He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, forbecause God had given him very great wealth.
32:30	It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prosperedwas successful in alleverything that he did.
32:31	Even in the matter of the envoysmessengers of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire ofabout the wonder that had happened in the land,; God left him alone only to test him, so that He might know alleverything that was in his heart.
32:33	So Hezekiah sleptlay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.
33:1	Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
33:3	For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father Hezekiah had brokentorn down; he also erectedset up altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and he worshiped all the hostheavenly oflights heaven and served them.
33:5	ForHe he built altars for all the hostheavenly oflights heaven in the two courtscourtyards of the house of the Lord.
33:6	He also made his sons pass through the fire in the valleyValley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
33:7	Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;
33:8	and I will not again remove the foot of Israel again from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observetake care to do alleverything that I have commanded them according to all the lawLaw, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.”
33:9	ThusSo Manasseh misledencouraged Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.
33:10	TheSo the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
33:11	Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains, and tookled him to Babylon.
33:12	When he was in distress, he entreatedappeased the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
33:13	When he prayed to Him, He was moved by hishim entreaty and heard his supplicationpleading, and brought him againback to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord wasalone is God.
33:14	Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, evenup to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities ofin Judah.
33:16	He set up the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thankthanksgiving offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.
33:17	NeverthelessHowever, the people still sacrificed inon the high places, although only to the Lord their God.
33:18	Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh evenand his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel.
33:19	His prayer also and how God was entreatedmoved by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of the Hozai.
33:20	So Manasseh sleptlay down with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son Amon became king in his place.
33:21	Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem.
33:22	He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Manasseh his father Manasseh had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them.
33:23	MoreoverFurthermore, he did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied his guilt.
33:24	Finally, his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house.
33:25	But the people of the land killed all the conspirators against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son Josiah king in his place.
34:1	Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
34:2	He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
34:3	For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images, and the moltencast metal images.
34:4	They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he chopped down the incense altars that were high above them; also he choppedbroke down;in alsopieces the Asherim, the carved images, and the moltencast metal images, he broke in pieces and ground them to powder, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
34:6	In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, evenand as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruinsspaces,
34:7	he also tore down the altars and beatcrushed the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
34:8	Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recordersecretary, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
34:9	They came to Hilkiah the high priest and deliveredgave him the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the doorkeepers, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
34:10	Then they gavehanded it intoover theto hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord used it to restore and repair the house.
34:11	They in turn gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin.
34:13	They were also overin charge of the burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and some of the Levites were scribes, and officials, and gatekeepers.
34:14	When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the bookBook of the lawLaw of the Lord given by Moses.
34:15	Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the bookBook of the lawLaw in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
34:16	Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported further word to the king, saying, “Everything that was entrusted to your servants, they are doing.
34:17	They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the Lord, and have deliveredhanded it intoover theto hands of the supervisors and the workmen.”
34:18	Moreover, Shaphan the scribe toldinformed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
34:19	When the king heard the words of the lawLaw, he tore his clothes.
34:21	“Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord which ishas poured out on us is great, because our fathers have not observedkept the word of the Lord, to doact accordingin toaccordance allwith everything that is written in this book.”
34:22	So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this.
34:23	SheThen she said to them, “ThusThis saysis what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me,
34:24	thusthis saysis what the Lord, says: “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.
34:25	BecauseSince they have forsakenabandoned Me and have burned incense to other gods, so that they mightmay provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands;, therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shallwill not be quenched.” ’
34:26	But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thusthis is what you willshall say to him,: ‘ThusThis saysis what the Lord, the God of Israel regardingsays: In regard to the words which you have heard,
34:27	“Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes, and wept before Me, I truly have indeed heard you,” declares the Lord.
34:28	“Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shallwill be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I willam bringbringing on this place and on its inhabitants.” ’ ” And they brought back word to the king.
34:29	Then the king sent word and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
34:30	The king went up to the house of the Lord andwith all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearingpresence all the words of the bookBook of the covenantCovenant which was found in the house of the Lord.
34:31	Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book.
34:32	MoreoverFurthermore, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem didacted accordingin toaccordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
34:33	Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers.
35:2	He setappointed the priests into their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord.
35:3	He also said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will not be a burden on your shoulders no longer. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel.
35:5	MoreoverFurthermore, stand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your brethrencountrymen, the lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father’s household.
35:6	Now slaughter the Passover animals, sanctifykeep yourselvesone another consecrated, and prepare for your brethrencountrymen to doact accordingin toaccordance with the word of the Lord by Moses.”
35:7	Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering 30thirty thousand,000 plus 3,000three thousand bulls; these were from the king’s possessionsproperty.
35:8	His officers also contributed a freewillvoluntary offering to the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, the officials of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 from the flocks and 300three hundred bulls, for the Passover offerings.
35:9	Conaniah also, and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officers of the Levites, contributed tofive thousand from the Levitesflocks forand thefive Passoverhundred offeringsbulls 5,000to from the flocksLevites andfor 500the bullsPassover offerings.
35:10	So the service was prepared, and the priests stood at their stationspositions and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s command.
35:11	They slaughtered the Passover animals, and while the priests sprinkled the blood received from their hand, the Levites skinned themthe animals.
35:12	Then they removed the burnt offerings so that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to present to the Lord, as it is written in the bookBook of Moses. They did this also with the bulls as well.
35:13	So they roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the ordinance, and they boiled the holy things in pots, in kettles, and in pans, and carried them speedilyquickly to all the lay people.
35:14	AfterwardsAfterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; thereforeso the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
35:15	The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their stationspositions according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to departleave from their service, because their kinsmen the Levites their brethren prepared for them.
35:17	ThusAnd the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
35:18	There had not been celebrated a Passover celebrated like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
35:20	After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to makewage war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him.
35:21	But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What havebusiness wedo toyou dohave with each otherme, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, and God has orderedtold me to hurry. StopFor for your own sake, fromstop interfering with God who is with me, so that He willdoes not destroy you.”
35:22	However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to makefight waragainst with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but he came to makewage war on the plain of Megiddo.
35:24	So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him inon the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
35:25	Then Jeremiah chanted a lamentsong of mourning for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentationssongs of mourning to this day. And they made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are also written in the Lamentations.
35:26	Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion as written in the lawLaw of the Lord,
35:27	and his acts, the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
36:1	Then the people of the land took Joahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem.
36:2	Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem.
36:3	Then the king of Egypt deposed him atin Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land a fine of onea hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.
36:4	The king of Egypt made EliakimJoahaz’s his brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Joahaz his brother Joahaz and brought him to Egypt.
36:5	Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God.
36:7	Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and he put them in his temple atin Babylon.
36:8	Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he didcommitted, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.
36:9	Jehoiachin was eighteighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem,. andHe he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
36:10	At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent men and broughthad him brought to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the Lord,; and he made his kinsmanrelative Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
36:11	Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem.
36:13	He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.
36:14	Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the Lord which He had sanctified in Jerusalem.
36:15	TheYet the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place;
36:16	but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord aroserose against His people, until there was no remedy.
36:17	ThereforeSo He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slewkilled their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirmfrail; He gavehanded them all intoover histo handhim.
36:18	AllHe brought all the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon.
36:20	ThoseHe took into exile those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
36:21	to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbathsSabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbaththe Sabbath until seventy years were complete.
36:22	Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah—the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
36:23	“ThusThis saysis what Cyrus king of Persia, says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him,; and let him go up then!’ ”