¹⁰ The Lord said through his servants the prophets: ¹¹ “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil^(A) than the Amorites^(B) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.^{(C) 12} Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster^(D) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.^{(E) 13} I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line^(F) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe^(G) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ I will forsake^(H) the remnant^(I) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; ¹⁵ they have done evil^(J) in my eyes and have aroused^(K) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶ Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood^(L) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah^(M) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

¹⁷ As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ¹⁸ Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,^(N) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah^(O)

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. ²⁰ He did evil^(P) in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹ He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. ²² He forsook^(Q) the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk^(R) in obedience to him.

²³ Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated^(S) the king in his palace. ²⁴ Then the people of the land killed^(T) all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah^(U) his son king in his place.

²⁵ As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁶ He was buried in his tomb in the garden^(V) of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

The Book of the Law Found^(W)

22 Josiah^(X) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.^{(Y) 2} He did what was right^(Z) in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right^(AA) or to the left.

³ In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan^(AB) son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah^(AC) the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected^(AD) from the people. ⁵ Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair^(AE) the temple of the Lord— ⁶ the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.^{(AF) 7} But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”^(AG)

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law^(AH) in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. ⁹ Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.^(AI)

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,^(AJ) he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(AK) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(AL) 13} “Go and inquire^(AM) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger^(AN) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

Psalm 77^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

8 And Saul^(A) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered^(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.^{(C) 2} Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³ But Saul^(D) began to destroy the church.^(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

⁴ Those who had been scattered^(F) preached the word wherever they went.^{(G) 5} Philip^(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ⁶ When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷ For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,^(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.^{(J) 8} So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

⁹ Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery^(K) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,^{(L) 10} and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”^{(M) 11} They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. ¹² But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God^(N) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,^(O) both men and women. ¹³ Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles^(P) he saw.