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2 Chronicles 31-33
New English Translation

31 When all this was over, the Israelites[a] who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished[b] all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.[c] Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities.[d]

The People Contribute to the Temple

2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks[e]—to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary.[f]

3 The king contributed[g] some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed times prescribed[h] in the law of the Lord. 4 He ordered[i] the people living in Jerusalem to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient[j] to the law of the Lord. 5 When the edict was issued,[k] the Israelites freely contributed[l] the initial portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a huge amount. 6 The Israelites and people of Judah[m] who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps.[n] 7 In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps[o] and finished in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel.[p]

9 When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, 10 Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions began arriving in the Lord’s temple, we have had plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has blessed his people, and this large amount remains.” 11 Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord’s temple. When this was done,[q] 12 they brought in the contributions, tithes,[r] and consecrated items that had been offered.[s] Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all this, assisted by his brother Shimei. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God’s temple.

14 Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. 15 In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests[t] according to their divisions, regardless of age.[u] 16 They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were listed in the genealogical records—to all who would enter the Lord’s temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to their divisions.[v] 17 They made disbursements to the priests listed in the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their divisions, 18 and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves. 19 As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities,[w] men were assigned[x] to disburse portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord his God considered good and right and faithful. 21 He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God.[y]

Sennacherib Invades Judah

32 After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them.[z] 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,[aa] 3 he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springs[ab] outside the city, and they supported him. 4 A large number of people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the district.[ac] They reasoned,[ad] “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” 5 Hezekiah[ae] energetically rebuilt[af] every broken wall. He erected towers and an outer wall[ag] and fortified the terrace of the City of David.[ah] He made many weapons and shields.

6 He appointed military officers over the army[ai] and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them,[aj] saying, 7 “Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic[ak] because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him. We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.[al] 8 He has with him mere human strength,[am] but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!” The army[an] was encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

9 Afterward King Sennacherib of Assyria, while attacking Lachish with all his military might, sent his messengers[ao] to Jerusalem. The message was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of[ap] Judah who were in Jerusalem. It read: 10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘Why are you so confident that you remain in Jerusalem while it is under siege?[aq] 11 Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will rescue us from the power[ar] of the king of Assyria.” But he is misleading you, and you will die of hunger and thirst![as] 12 Hezekiah is the one who eliminated[at] the Lord’s[au] high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem, “At one altar you must worship and offer sacrifices.” 13 Are you not aware of what I and my predecessors[av] have done to all the nations of the surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been able to rescue their lands from my power?[aw] 14 Who among all the gods of these nations whom my predecessors annihilated was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God would be able to rescue you from my power?[ax] 15 Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how[ay] can your gods rescue[az] you from my power?’”

16 Sennacherib’s[ba] servants further insulted[bb] the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 17 He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words:[bc] “The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah’s god rescue his people from my power.”[bd] 18 They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city. 19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods of the nations of the earth.

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven. 21 The Lord sent a messenger[be] and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib[bf] returned home humiliated.[bg] When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons[bh] struck him down with the sword. 22 The Lord delivered Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the other nations.[bi] He made them secure on every side.[bj] 23 Many were bringing presents[bk] to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by[bl] all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Shortcomings and Accomplishments

24 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness.[bm] He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed.[bn] 25 But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem.[bo] 26 But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah’s reign.[bp]

27 Hezekiah was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made storehouses for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all his other valuable possessions. 28 He made storerooms for the harvest of grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of livestock and his flocks.[bq] 29 He built royal cities[br] and owned a large number of sheep and cattle, for God gave him a huge amount of possessions.

30 Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the City of David.[bs] Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did. 31 So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land,[bt] God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.[bu]

32 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign, including his faithful deeds, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, included in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.[bv] 33 Hezekiah passed away[bw] and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried him with great honor.[bx] His son Manasseh replaced him as king.

Manasseh’s Reign

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did evil in the sight of[by] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations[bz] whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky[ca] and worshiped[cb] them. 4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my permanent home.”[cc] 5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. 6 He passed his sons through the fire[cd] in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and sorcery. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it.[ce] He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered him.[cf] 7 He put an idolatrous image he had made in God’s temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.[cg] 8 I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,[ch] provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations given through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh misled the people of[ci] Judah and the residents of Jerusalem so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.

10 The Lord confronted[cj] Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose,[ck] bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 12 In his pain[cl] Manasseh[cm] asked the Lord his God for mercy[cn] and truly[co] humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.[cp] 13 When he prayed to the Lord,[cq] the Lord[cr] responded to him[cs] and answered favorably[ct] his cry for mercy. The Lord[cu] brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.

14 After this Manasseh[cv] built up the outer wall of the City of David[cw] on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.

15 He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city. 16 He erected the altar of the Lord and offered on it peace offerings and thank offerings. He told the people of[cx] Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 However, the people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

18 The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the prophets[cy] spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are recorded[cz] in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 19 The Annals of the Prophets include his prayer, give an account of how the Lord responded to it, record all his sins and unfaithful acts, and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself.[da] 20 Manasseh passed away[db] and was buried in his palace. His son Amon replaced him as king.

Amon’s Reign

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. 22 He did evil in the sight of[dc] the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon offered sacrifices to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped[dd] them. 23 He did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done.[de] Amon was guilty of great sin.[df] 24 His servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace. 25 The people of the land executed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they[dg] made his son Josiah king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “all Israel.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Or “tore down.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and in Manasseh until finished.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession to their cities.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 31:2 tn Heb “and Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each in accordance with his service for the priests and for the Levites.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 31:2 tn Heb “in the gates of the encampments of the Lord.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 31:3 tn Heb “the portion of the king [was].”
  8. 2 Chronicles 31:3 tn Heb “festivals, as written.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 31:4 tn Heb “said to.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 31:4 tn Heb “might hold firmly.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 31:5 tn Heb “and when the word spread out.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 31:5 tn Heb “the sons of Israel multiplied.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 31:6 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel and Judah.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 31:6 tn Heb “heaps, heaps.” Repetition of the noun draws attention to the large number of heaps.
  15. 2 Chronicles 31:7 tn Heb “they began the heaps to establish.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 31:8 tn Heb “they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 31:11 tn Heb “and they prepared.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 31:12 tn Heb “tenth.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 31:12 tn Heb “and holy things in faithfulness.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 31:15 tn Heb “to their brothers.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 31:15 tn Heb “like great, like small” (i.e., old and young alike).
  22. 2 Chronicles 31:16 tn Heb “in addition enrolling them by males from a son of three years and upwards, to everyone who enters the house of the Lord for a matter of a day in its day, for their service by their duties according to their divisions.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 31:19 tn Heb “the priests in the fields of the pastureland of their cities in every city and city.”
  24. 2 Chronicles 31:19 tn Heb “designated by names.”
  25. 2 Chronicles 31:21 tn Heb “and in all the work which he began with regard to the service of the house of God and with respect to the law and with respect to the commandment, to seek his God; with all his heart he acted and he succeeded.”
  26. 2 Chronicles 32:1 tn Heb “and he said to break into them for himself.”
  27. 2 Chronicles 32:2 tn Heb “and his face was for war against Jerusalem.”
  28. 2 Chronicles 32:3 tn Heb “the waters of the springs.”
  29. 2 Chronicles 32:4 tn Heb “and they closed up all the springs and the stream that flows in the midst of the land.” Here אָרֶץ (ʾarets, “land”) does not refer to the entire land, but to a smaller region like a district.
  30. 2 Chronicles 32:4 tn Heb “land, saying.”
  31. 2 Chronicles 32:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  32. 2 Chronicles 32:5 tn Heb “strengthened himself and built.”
  33. 2 Chronicles 32:5 tn Heb “and outside the wall another one.”
  34. 2 Chronicles 32:5 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  35. 2 Chronicles 32:6 tn Heb “and he placed officers of war over the people.”
  36. 2 Chronicles 32:6 tn Heb “he spoke to their heart[s].”
  37. 2 Chronicles 32:7 tn Or perhaps, “and don’t be discouraged.”
  38. 2 Chronicles 32:7 tn Heb “for with us [is] a greater [one] than with him.”
  39. 2 Chronicles 32:8 tn Heb “With him is an arm of flesh.”
  40. 2 Chronicles 32:8 tn Or “people.”
  41. 2 Chronicles 32:9 tn Heb “servants.”
  42. 2 Chronicles 32:9 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
  43. 2 Chronicles 32:10 tn Heb “On what are you trusting that [you] are living during the siege in Jerusalem.”
  44. 2 Chronicles 32:11 tn Heb “hand.”
  45. 2 Chronicles 32:11 tn Heb “Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to die by hunger and thirst, saying, ‘The Lord our God will rescue us from the hand of the king of Assyria’?’
  46. 2 Chronicles 32:12 tn Heb “Did not he, Hezekiah, eliminate…?” This rhetorical question presupposes a positive reply (“yes, he did”) and so has been translated here as a positive statement.
  47. 2 Chronicles 32:12 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  48. 2 Chronicles 32:13 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 14, 15), but in this context the term does not necessarily refer to Sennacherib’s ancestors, but to his predecessors on the Assyrian throne.
  49. 2 Chronicles 32:13 tn Heb “hand.”
  50. 2 Chronicles 32:14 tn Heb “hand.”
  51. 2 Chronicles 32:15 tn Heb “how much less.”
  52. 2 Chronicles 32:15 tn The verb is plural, suggesting that the preceding אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (ʾelohekhem) be translated “your gods,” rather than “your God.”
  53. 2 Chronicles 32:16 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  54. 2 Chronicles 32:16 tn Heb “spoke against.”
  55. 2 Chronicles 32:17 tn Heb “and speaking against him, saying.”
  56. 2 Chronicles 32:17 tn Heb “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”
  57. 2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Or “an angel.”
  58. 2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  59. 2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Heb “and he returned with shame of face to his land.”
  60. 2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Heb “and some from those who went out from him, from his inward parts.”
  61. 2 Chronicles 32:22 tn Heb “and from the hand of all.”
  62. 2 Chronicles 32:22 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he led him from all around.” However, the present translation prefers the Septuagint and Vulgate reading, which suggests an original text of וַיָּנַח לָהֶם מִסָּבִיב (vayyanakh lahem missaviv, “and he gave rest to them from all around”). See 2 Chr 15:15 and 20:30.
  63. 2 Chronicles 32:23 tn Or perhaps, “offerings.”
  64. 2 Chronicles 32:23 tn Heb “lifted up in the eyes of.”
  65. 2 Chronicles 32:24 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying.”
  66. 2 Chronicles 32:24 tn Heb “and he spoke to him and a sign he gave to him.”
  67. 2 Chronicles 32:25 tn Heb “but not according to the benefit [given] to him did Hezekiah repay, for his heart was high, and there was anger against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”
  68. 2 Chronicles 32:26 tn Heb “and Hezekiah humbled himself in the height of his heart, he and the residents of Jerusalem, and the anger of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”
  69. 2 Chronicles 32:28 tn Heb “and stalls for all beasts and beasts, and flocks for the stalls.” The repetition of בְּהֵמָה (behemah, “beast”) here indicates various kinds of livestock.
  70. 2 Chronicles 32:29 tn Heb “and cities he made for himself.”
  71. 2 Chronicles 32:30 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  72. 2 Chronicles 32:31 tn Heb “and when the envoys of the officials of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire concerning the sign which was in the land, [arrived].”
  73. 2 Chronicles 32:31 tn Heb “to know all [that was] in his heart.”
  74. 2 Chronicles 32:32 tn Heb “and the rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and his faithful acts, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet upon the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
  75. 2 Chronicles 32:33 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  76. 2 Chronicles 32:33 tn Heb “and honor they did to him in his death, all Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.”
  77. 2 Chronicles 33:2 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  78. 2 Chronicles 33:2 tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
  79. 2 Chronicles 33:3 tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הֲַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsevaʾ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.
  80. 2 Chronicles 33:3 tn Or “served.”
  81. 2 Chronicles 33:4 tn Heb “In Jerusalem my name will be permanently.”
  82. 2 Chronicles 33:6 tn Or “he sacrificed his sons in the fire.” This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB, NASB “made his sons pass through the fire”; NIV “sacrificed his sons in the fire”; NRSV “made his sons pass through fire”). For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
  83. 2 Chronicles 33:6 tn Heb “and he set up a ritual pit, along with a conjurer.” Hebrew אוֹב (ʾov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a בַּעֲלַת אוֹב (baʿalat ʾov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ʾÔḆ,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
  84. 2 Chronicles 33:6 tn Heb “and he multiplied doing what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, angering him.”
  85. 2 Chronicles 33:7 tn Heb “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I chose from all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name permanently” (or perhaps “forever”).
  86. 2 Chronicles 33:8 tn Heb “I will not again make the feet of Israel wander from the land which I established for their fathers.”
  87. 2 Chronicles 33:9 tn Heb “misled Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
  88. 2 Chronicles 33:10 tn Heb “spoke to.”
  89. 2 Chronicles 33:11 tn Heb “and they seized him with hooks.”
  90. 2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Or “distress.”
  91. 2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  92. 2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Heb “appeased the face of the Lord his God.”
  93. 2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Or “greatly.”
  94. 2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Heb “fathers.”
  95. 2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  96. 2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  97. 2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “was entreated by him,” or “allowed himself to be entreated by him.”
  98. 2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “heard.”
  99. 2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  100. 2 Chronicles 33:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  101. 2 Chronicles 33:14 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  102. 2 Chronicles 33:16 tn Heb “told Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
  103. 2 Chronicles 33:18 tn Or “seers.”
  104. 2 Chronicles 33:18 tn Heb “look, they are.”
  105. 2 Chronicles 33:19 tn Heb “and his prayer and being entreated by him, and all his sin and his unfaithfulness and the places where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—behold, they are written on the words of his seers.”
  106. 2 Chronicles 33:20 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  107. 2 Chronicles 33:22 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  108. 2 Chronicles 33:22 tn Or “served.”
  109. 2 Chronicles 33:23 tn Heb “as Manasseh his father had humbled himself.”
  110. 2 Chronicles 33:23 tn Heb “for he, Amon, multiplied guilt.”
  111. 2 Chronicles 33:25 tn Heb “and the people of the land.”
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2 Chronicles 34
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Acts 8:26-9:19
New English Translation

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Then an angel of the Lord[a] said to Philip,[b] “Get up and go south[c] on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert[d] road.)[e] 27 So[f] he got up[g] and went. There[h] he met[i] an Ethiopian eunuch,[j] a court official of Candace,[k] queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He[l] had come to Jerusalem to worship,[m] 28 and was returning home, sitting[n] in his chariot, reading[o] the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran up[p] to it[q] and heard the man[r] reading the prophet Isaiah. He[s] asked him,[t] “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 31 The man[u] replied, “How in the world can I,[v] unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of scripture the man[w] was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did[x] not open his mouth.
33 In humiliation[y] justice was taken from him.[z]
Who can describe his posterity?[aa]
For his life was taken away[ab] from the earth.”[ac]

34 Then the eunuch said[ad] to Philip, “Please tell me,[ae] who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?”[af] 35 So Philip started speaking,[ag] and beginning with this scripture[ah] proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me[ai] from being baptized?”[aj] 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water,[ak] and Philip baptized[al] him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but[am] went on his way rejoicing.[an] 40 Philip, however, found himself[ao] at Azotus,[ap] and as he passed through the area,[aq] he proclaimed the good news[ar] to all the towns[as] until he came to Caesarea.[at]

The Conversion of Saul

9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats[au] to murder[av] the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues[aw] in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way,[ax] either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners[ay] to Jerusalem.[az] 3 As he was going along, approaching[ba] Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed[bb] around him. 4 He[bc] fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul,[bd] why are you persecuting me?”[be] 5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 6 But stand up[bf] and enter the city and you will be told[bg] what you must do.” 7 (Now the men[bh] who were traveling with him stood there speechless,[bi] because they heard the voice but saw no one.)[bj] 8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open,[bk] he could see nothing.[bl] Leading him by the hand, his companions[bm] brought him into Damascus. 9 For[bn] three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything.[bo]

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The[bp] Lord[bq] said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am,[br] Lord.” 11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’[bs] and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision[bt] a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 13 But Ananias replied,[bu] “Lord, I have heard from many people[bv] about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison[bw] all who call on your name!”[bx] 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument[by] to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.[bz] 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”[ca] 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed[cb] his hands on Saul[cc] and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here,[cd] has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”[ce] 18 Immediately[cf] something like scales[cg] fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He[ch] got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.

For several days[ci] he was with the disciples in Damascus,

Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:26 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
  2. Acts 8:26 tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legōn) has not been translated.
  3. Acts 8:26 tn Or “Get up and go about noon.” The phrase κατὰ μεσημβρίαν (kata mesēmbrian) can be translated either “about noon” (L&N 67.74) or “toward the south” (L&N 82.4). Since the angel’s command appears to call for immediate action (“Get up”) and would not therefore need a time indicator, a directional reference (“toward the south”) is more likely here.
  4. Acts 8:26 tn Or “wilderness.”
  5. Acts 8:26 tn The words “This is a desert road” are probably best understood as a comment by the author of Acts, but it is possible they form part of the angel’s speech to Philip, in which case the verse would read: “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza—the desert road.”sn The concluding note about the road appears to be a parenthetical note by the author.
  6. Acts 8:27 tn Grk “And,” but καί (kai) carries something of a resultative force in this context because what follows describes Philip’s response to the angel’s command.
  7. Acts 8:27 tn Grk “So getting up he went.” The aorist participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  8. Acts 8:27 tn Grk “And there.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  9. Acts 8:27 tn Grk “and behold.” This expression is used to portray Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian in a vivid way. In the English translation this vividness is difficult to convey; it is necessary to supply the words “he met.”
  10. Acts 8:27 sn The term eunuch normally referred to a man who had been castrated, but this was not always the case (see Gen 39:1 LXX, where Potiphar is called a eunuch). Such castrated individuals were preferred as court officials in the East, although Judaism opposed the practice. The Mosaic law excluded eunuchs from Israel (Deut 23:1), although God certainly accepted them (Isa 56:3-5; Wis 3:14). This individual was a high official, since he was said to be in charge of all her treasury. He may or may not have been a eunuch physically. He appears to be the first fully Gentile convert to Christianity, since the Samaritans mentioned previously (Acts 8:4-25) were regarded as half-breeds.
  11. Acts 8:27 tn Or “the Candace” (the title of the queen of the Ethiopians). The term Κανδάκης (Kandakēs) is much more likely a title rather than a proper name (like Pharaoh, which is a title); see L&N 37.77. A few, however, still take the word to be the name of the queen (L&N 93.209). BDAG 507 s.v. Κανδάκη, treats the term as a title and lists classical usage by Strabo (Geography 17.1.54) and others.sn Candace was the title of the queen of the Ethiopians. Ethiopia refers to the kingdom of Nubia in the northern Sudan, whose capital was Meroe (not to be confused with Abyssinia, which was later called Ethiopia and converted to Christianity in the 4th century a.d.). Classical writers refer to several queens of Meroe in the 1st century b.c. and 1st century a.d. who had the title Candace (Kandake). The Candace referred to here was probably Amantitere, who ruled a.d. 25-41.
  12. Acts 8:27 tn Grk “who was over all her treasury, who.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “he” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
  13. Acts 8:27 sn Since this man had come to Jerusalem to worship, he may have been a proselyte to Judaism. This event is a precursor to Acts 10.
  14. Acts 8:28 tn Grk “and was sitting.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  15. Acts 8:28 tn Grk “and was reading.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.sn The fact that this man was reading from a scroll (an expensive item in the first century) indicates his connection to a wealthy house.
  16. Acts 8:30 tn The participle προσδραμών (prosdramōn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.
  17. Acts 8:30 tn The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  18. Acts 8:30 tn Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. Acts 8:30 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
  20. Acts 8:30 tn Grk “he said,” but since what follows is a question, it is better English style to translate the introduction to the question “he asked him.”
  21. Acts 8:31 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Acts 8:31 tn Grk “How am I able, unless…” The translation is based on the force of the conjunction γάρ (gar) in this context. The translation “How in the world can I?” is given in BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 1.f.
  23. Acts 8:32 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. Acts 8:32 tn Grk “does.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the first line of the quotation (“he was led like a sheep to slaughter”), which has an aorist passive verb normally translated as a past tense in English.
  25. Acts 8:33 tc ‡ Most later mss (C E Ψ 33vid M sy) read “In his humiliation,” adding αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after ταπεινώσει (tapeinōsei, “humiliation”), while the earlier and better witnesses lack the pronoun (so P74 א A B 1739 lat). However, the LXX of Isa 53:8 also lacks the pronoun, supplying motivation for scribes to omit it here. At the same time, scribes would also be motivated to add the pronoun both for clarity’s sake (note the similar impulse that led to the addition of δέ [de] by many of the same mss at the beginning of the next line) and to give balance to the lines (the pronoun is indisputably used five other times in vv. 32-33 in quoting Isa 53). On balance, the shorter reading is preferred.
  26. Acts 8:33 tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”
  27. Acts 8:33 tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.” sn The rhetorical question suggests the insensitivity of this generation for its act against God’s servant, who was slain unjustly as he was silent.
  28. Acts 8:33 tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.
  29. Acts 8:33 sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.
  30. Acts 8:34 tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) has not been translated.
  31. Acts 8:34 tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”
  32. Acts 8:34 sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.
  33. Acts 8:35 tn Grk “opening his mouth” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  34. Acts 8:35 sn Beginning with this scripture. The discussion likely included many of the scriptures Acts has already noted for the reader in earlier speeches. At the least, readers of Acts would know what other scriptures might be meant.
  35. Acts 8:36 tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”
  36. Acts 8:36 tc A few later mss (E 36 323 453 945 1739 1891) add, with minimal differences in wording, 8:37 “He said to him, ‘If you believe with your whole heart, you may.’ He replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” Verse 37 is lacking in P45,74 א A B C 33 614 vg syp,h co. It is clearly not a part of the original text of Acts. The variant is significant in showing how some in the early church viewed the necessity of a confession of faith. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
  37. Acts 8:38 tn Grk “and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch.” Since this is somewhat redundant in English, it was simplified to “and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.”
  38. Acts 8:38 sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.
  39. Acts 8:39 tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).
  40. Acts 8:39 sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).
  41. Acts 8:40 tn Or “appeared.”
  42. Acts 8:40 sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.
  43. Acts 8:40 tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  44. Acts 8:40 tn Or “he preached the gospel.”
  45. Acts 8:40 tn Or “cities.”
  46. Acts 8:40 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.
  47. Acts 9:1 tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”
  48. Acts 9:1 tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.
  49. Acts 9:2 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
  50. Acts 9:2 sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).
  51. Acts 9:2 tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.
  52. Acts 9:2 sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.
  53. Acts 9:3 tn Grk “As he was going along, it happened that when he was approaching.” The phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  54. Acts 9:3 tn Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13.
  55. Acts 9:4 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
  56. Acts 9:4 tn The double vocative suggests emotion.
  57. Acts 9:4 sn Persecuting me. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.
  58. Acts 9:6 tn Or “But arise.”
  59. Acts 9:6 tn Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.
  60. Acts 9:7 tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which is used only rarely in a generic sense of both men and women. In the historical setting here, Paul’s traveling companions were almost certainly all males.
  61. Acts 9:7 tn That is, unable to speak because of fear or amazement. See BDAG 335 s.v. ἐνεός.
  62. Acts 9:7 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Acts 22:9 appears to indicate that they saw the light but did not hear a voice. They were “witnesses” that something happened.
  63. Acts 9:8 tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
  64. Acts 9:8 sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of muteness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.
  65. Acts 9:8 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  66. Acts 9:9 tn Grk “And for.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  67. Acts 9:9 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader. The fasting might indicate an initial realization of Luke 5:33-39. Fasting was usually accompanied by reflective thought.
  68. Acts 9:10 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  69. Acts 9:10 sn The Lord is directing all the events leading to the expansion of the gospel as he works on both sides of the meeting between Paul and Ananias. “The Lord” here refers to Jesus (see v. 17).
  70. Acts 9:10 tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).
  71. Acts 9:11 sn The noting of the detail of the locale, ironically called ‘Straight’ Street, shows how directive and specific the Lord was.
  72. Acts 9:12 tc ‡ The words ἐν ὀράματι (en oramati, “in a vision”) are not found in some of the earliest and best mss (P74 א A 81 lat sa bo), but are implied from the context. The phrase is included, although sometimes in a different order with ἄνδρα (andra, “man”) or omitting ἄνδρα altogether, by B C E Ψ 33 1175 1739 M. The order of words in NA28, ἄνδρα ἐν ὁράματι, is supported only by B C 1175. Generally speaking, when there are three or more variants, with one an omission and the others involving rearrangements, the longer readings are later scribal additions. Further, the reading looks like a clarifying note, for an earlier vision is explicitly mentioned in v. 10. On the other hand, it is possible that some scribes deleted the words because of perceived repetition, though this is unlikely since it is a different vision two verses back. It is also possible that some scribes could have confused ὁράματι with ὀνόματι (onomati, “name”); TCGNT 319 notes that several mss place ονόματι before ᾿Ανανίαν (Ananian, “Ananias”) while a few others drop ὀνόματι altogether. The Sahidic mss are among those that drop the word, however, and they also lack ἐν ὁράματι; all that is left is one version and father that drops ὀνόματι. Perhaps the best argument for the authenticity of the phrase is that B C 1175 preserve a rare, distinctively Lukan word order, but this is not nearly as harsh or unusual as what Luke does elsewhere. A decision is difficult in this case, but on balance the omission of the phrase seems to be authentic. The words are nevertheless added in the translation because of contextual considerations. NA28 places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity. sn Apparently while in Damascus Paul had a subsequent vision in the midst of his blindness, fulfilling the prediction in 9:6.
  73. Acts 9:13 sn Ananias replied. Past events might have suggested to Ananias that this was not good counsel, but like Peter in Acts 10, Ananias’ intuitions were wrong.
  74. Acts 9:13 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  75. Acts 9:14 tn Grk “to bind.”
  76. Acts 9:14 sn The expression “those who call on your name” is a frequent description of believers (Acts 2:21; 1 Cor 1:2; Rom 10:13).
  77. Acts 9:15 tn Or “tool.”
  78. Acts 9:15 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).
  79. Acts 9:16 tn Or “because of my name.” BDAG 1031 s.v. ὑπέρ 2 lists Acts 9:16 as an example of ὑπέρ (huper) used to indicate “the moving cause or reason, because of, for the sake of, for.”
  80. Acts 9:17 tn Grk “and placing his hands on Saul, he said.” The participle ἐπιθείς (epitheis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the same reason καί (kai) has not been translated before the participle.
  81. Acts 9:17 tn Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  82. Acts 9:17 tn Grk “on the road in which you came,” but the relative clause makes for awkward English style, so it was translated as a temporal clause (“as you came here”).
  83. Acts 9:17 sn Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here someone who is not an apostle (Ananias) commissions another person with the Spirit.
  84. Acts 9:18 tn Grk “And immediately.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  85. Acts 9:18 tn The comparison to “scales” suggests a crusty covering which peeled away (cf. BDAG 592 s.v. λεπίς 2).
  86. Acts 9:18 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence was started, with “and” placed before the final element of the previous clause as required by English style.
  87. Acts 9:19 tn Grk “It happened that for several days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
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