Beginning

21 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David; and Jehoram^[a], his son, reigned for him.

² And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, Jehiel, and Zechariah, and (another) Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

³ And their father gave to them many gifts of gold and of silver, and he gave them pensions, or rents, with full strong cities in Judah; but he gave the realm to Jehoram, for he was his first begotten son. (And their father gave them many gifts of gold and of silver, and he gave them pensions, or rents, along with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, for he was his first-born son.)

⁴ And Jehoram rose up on the realm of his father; and when he had confirmed himself in the realm, he slew all his brethren by sword, and also some of the princes of Judah. (And when Jehoram had taken his father’s kingdom, and established himself on the throne, he killed all of his brothers by the sword, and also some of the leaders of Israel.)

⁵ Jehoram was of two and thirty years, when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

⁶ And he went in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

⁷ But the Lord would not destroy the house of David, for the covenant which he had made with David, and for he had promised to give to him a lantern, and to his sons, in all time. (But the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which he had made with David, and because he had promised to give a light, or a flame, to him, and to his sons, for all time.)

⁸ In those days Edom rebelled, so that it was not subject to Judah, and it ordained a king to itself. (In those days the Edomites rebelled, so that they were not subject to Judah, and they ordained a king for themselves.)

⁹ And when Jehoram had passed forth with his princes, and all the multitude of knights, that was with him, he rose up by night, and smote Edom, that (en)compassed him, and all the dukes of his multitude of knights. (And when Jehoram had come forth with his leaders, and all the multitude of his horsemen who were with him, he rose up by night, and struck the army of Edom, who had surrounded him, and his leaders, and all his multitude of horsemen.)

¹⁰ Nevertheless Edom rebelled, (so) that it was not under the lordship of Judah unto this day. In that time also Libnah went away, that it was not under the hand of him (At that time Libnah also went away from Jehoram, so that they were not under his power); for he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.

¹¹ Furthermore he made high places in the cities of Judah, and made the dwellers of Jerusalem to do fornication, that is, idolatry, and Judah to break the law. (And furthermore he made hill shrines in the cities of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do idolatry, and the people of Judah to break God’s Law.)

¹² And letters were brought to him from Elijah, the prophet, in which it was written, The Lord God of David, thy father, saith these things, For that thou hast not gone in the ways of Jehoshaphat, thy father, and in the way(s) of Asa, king of Judah,

¹³ but thou hast gone by the way of the kings of Israel, and thou hast made Judah and the dwellers of Jerusalem to do fornication, and thou hast followed the fornication of the house of Ahab; furthermore and thou hast slain thy brethren in the house of thy father, that is, (the) princes of the house of thy father, which were better than thou; (but thou hast gone in the ways of the kings of Israel, and thou hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do idolatry, and thou hast followed the idolatry of the house of Ahab; and furthermore thou hast killed thy brothers in the house of thy father, that is, the princes of the house of thy father, who were better than thou;)

¹⁴ lo! the Lord shall smite thee with a great vengeance, and thy people, and thy sons, and thy wives, and all thy chattel; (lo! the Lord shall strike thee with a great vengeance, and also thy people, and thy sons, and thy wives, and all thy substance, or thy possessions;)

¹⁵ and thou shalt be sick with the worst sorrow of thy womb, (or thy belly,) till that thine entrails go out little and little by each day.

¹⁶ Therefore the Lord raised up against Jehoram the spirit of Philistines, and of Arabians, that march with Ethiopians; (And so the Lord raised up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabs, who march with the Ethiopians;)

¹⁷ and these went up into the land of Judah, and they wasted it, and they took away all the substance, that was found in the house of the king, furthermore and his sons, and his wives they took away (and furthermore they took away his sons, and his wives); and no son was left to him, but Jehoahaz, that was his least son, or youngest son, in birth.

¹⁸ And over all these things the Lord smote him with uncurable sorrow of the womb. (And after all these things the Lord struck him with an incurable disease in his bowels.)

¹⁹ And when day came after day, and the spaces of time were turned about, the course of two years was fulfilled; and so he was wasted by long rot, so that he casted out also his own entrails, and so he wanted sorrow and life together, and he was dead in the worst sickness. And the people did not to him [the] service of dead men by the custom of burning, as it had done to his greaters, either ancestors. (And when day came after day, and the space of time was turned about, the course of two years was fulfilled; and he was wasted by long rot, so that he cast out his own bowels, and he wanted to live and to die at the same time, and finally he died of the worst sickness. And the people did not do for him the service of the dead by the custom of honouring him with a bonfire, as they had done with his greaters, or his ancestors.)

²⁰ He was of two and thirty years when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem, and he went not rightfully; and they buried him in the city of David, nevertheless not in the sepulchre(s) of kings. (He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem, and at his death he was not mourned; and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.)

22 Forsooth the dwellers of Jerusalem ordained Ahaziah, the youngest son of Jehoram^[b], to be king for him; for the thieves of Arabia, that felled into the castles of Judah, had slain all his greater, or elder brethren, which were begotten before him. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned. (And the inhabitants of Jerusalem ordained Ahaziah, the youngest son of Jehoram, to be king for him; for the Arab thieves, who fell upon the tents, or the camps, of Judah, had killed all his elder brothers, who were born before him. And so Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, reigned.)

² Ahaziah was of two and forty years (Ahaziah was twenty-two years old), when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri.

³ But he entered by the way of the house of Ahab (But he went in the ways of the house of Ahab); for his mother compelled him to do evil.

⁴ Therefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab; for they were counsellors to him into his perishing, after the death of his father; (And so he did evil before the Lord, like the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors after his father’s death, yea, unto his perishing;)

⁵ and he went in the counsel of them. And he went with Joram^[c], the son of Ahab, king of Israel, into battle against Hazael, king of Syria, into Ramoth of Gilead (at Ramoth of Gilead). And men of Syria wounded Joram;

⁶ which turned again for to be healed in Jezreel; for he had taken many wounds in the foresaid battle. Therefore Ahaziah^[d], king of Judah, the son of Jehoram, went down to visit Joram, the son of Ahab, that was sick in Jezreel; (who returned home to Jezreel to recover; for he had received many wounds in the foresaid battle. And so Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, went down to visit Joram, the son of Ahab, the king of Israel, who was sick in Jezreel;)

⁷ for it was God’s will against Ahaziah, that he came to Joram. And when he was come, he went out with him against Jehu, the son of Nimshi, whom God (had) anointed, that he should do away the house of Ahab.

⁸ Therefore when Jehu destroyed the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to him; and he killed them. (And so when Jehu destroyed the house of Ahab, he found the leaders of Judah, and the sons of the kinsmen of Ahaziah, who served him; and he killed them.)

⁹ And he sought that Ahaziah, and caught him hid in Samaria, and after that he was brought to Jehu, Jehu killed him; and they buried him, for he was the son of Jehoshaphat, that had sought God in all his heart. And none hope was more, that any of the generation of Ahaziah should reign. (And he sought out Ahaziah, and they caught him hiding in Samaria, and after that he was brought to Jehu, Jehu killed him; and they buried him, for he was the son of Jehoshaphat, who had sought God with all his heart. And then there was no more hope, that any of Ahaziah’s family would ever reign again.)

¹⁰ And Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, and she rose up, and killed all the king’s generation of the house of Jehoram. (And Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, and she rose up, and killed all the king’s family of the house of Judah.)

¹¹ Forsooth Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from the midst of the sons of the king, when they were slain; and she hid him with his nurse in a closet of beds. For Jehoshabeath, that hid him, was the daughter of king Jehoram, and (the) wife of Jehoiada, the bishop, and the sister of Ahaziah; and therefore Athaliah killed not her. (But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son, and stole him away from the midst of the king’s sons, when they were being killed; and she hid him with his nurse in a bed-closet. For Jehoshabeath, who hid him, was King Jehoram’s daughter, and the wife of the High Priest Jehoiada, and Ahaziah’s sister; and so Athaliah did not kill Joash.)

¹² Therefore he was hid with them in the house of God (for) six years, in which Athaliah reigned on the land.

23 Forsooth in the seventh year Jehoiada was comforted, and took [the] centurions, that is, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah, the son of Obed, and Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri; and he made with them a counsel and a bond of peace. (But in the seventh year Jehoiada was strengthened, and called for the centurions, that is, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah, the son of Obed, and Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri; and he made a covenant with all of them.)

² The which compassed Judah, and gathered together deacons (out) of all the cities of Judah, and the princes of the families of Israel, and they came into Jerusalem. (And then they went around Judah, and gathered together the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the leaders of the families of Israel, and they came into Jerusalem.)

³ And all the multitude made (a) covenant in the house of the Lord with the king. And Jehoiada said to them, Lo! Joash the son of the king shall reign, as the Lord spake on the sons of David. (And all the multitude made a covenant with the king in the House of the Lord. And Jehoiada said to them, Lo! Joash, the king’s son, shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David.)

⁴ Therefore this is the word, that ye shall do. The third part of you that be come to the sabbath, of priests, and of deacons, and of porters, shall be in the gates; (And so this is the thing that ye shall do. A third of the priests and the Levites, who come to the sabbath, shall guard the gates;)

⁵ and a third part shall be at the house of the king; and the other third part shall be at the gate, which is called of the foundament. And all the other common people be in the large places of the house of the Lord; (and a third shall be at the house of the king; and the other third shall be at the Foundation Gate. And all the other common people shall be in the courtyards of the House of the Lord;)

⁶ and none other man enter into the house of the Lord, no but [the] priests, and they that minister of the deacons; only enter they, that be hallowed, and all the other common people keep they the keepings of the Lord. (and no other person shall enter into the House of the Lord, but the priests, and those of the Levites who serve there; only they shall enter, for they be consecrated, or purified, but all the other common people shall keep the Lord’s watch.)

⁷ Forsooth the deacons (en)compass the king, and each man have his armours; and if any other man entereth into the temple, be he slain; and be they with the king entering and going out. (And the Levites shall stand about the king, and each man shall be armed/and each man shall have his weapon; and if any other man cometh into the Temple, let him he killed; and be they with the king coming in and going out.)

⁸ Therefore the deacons and all Judah did by all things which Jehoiada, the bishop, had commanded; and (they) all took the men, that were with them, and came by the order of [the] sabbath with them, that had [ful]filled now the sabbath, and should go out. For Jehoiada, the bishop, suffered not the companies to go away, that were wont to come one after the tother by each week. (And so the Levites, and all the men of Judah, did all that the High Priest Jehoiada had commanded; and they took the men who were with them, and had come in by the order of the sabbath, with them who had fulfilled the sabbath, and should now go out. For the High Priest Jehoiada, did not allow any of the companies, who were wont to come one after the other by each week, to go away.)

⁹ And Jehoiada, the priest, gave to the centurions spears, and shields, and bucklers, of king David, which he had hallowed in the house of the Lord. (And the High Priest Jehoiada gave the centurions the spears, and shields, and bucklers, of King David, which he had kept in the House of the Lord.)

¹⁰ And he ordained all the people, of them that held swords, at the right side of the temple unto the left side of the temple, before the altar and the temple, by compass of the king (all around the king).

¹¹ And they led out Joash the son of the king, and they set a diadem upon his head; and they gave to him in his hand the law to be holden, and they made him king. And Jehoiada, the bishop, and his sons, anointed him; and they prayed heartily, and said, The king live! (And the High Priest Jehoiada, and his sons, anointed him; and they prayed, and heartily said, Long live the king!)

¹² And when Athaliah had heard this thing, that is, the voice of men running and praising the king (that is, the sound of men running and praising the king), she entered in to the people, into the temple of the Lord.

¹³ And when she had seen the king, standing on the degrees in the entering (of the temple), and the princes and the companies of knights about him, and all the people of the land joying, and sounding with trumps, and singing together with organs of diverse kind, and the voice of men praising, she rent her clothes, and said, Treasons! treasons! (And when she had seen the king standing on the steps at the entrance to the Temple, and the leaders and the companies of horsemen all about him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding with trumpets, and singers, and musicians with diverse kinds of instruments, and people praising him, she tore her clothes, and said, Treasons! treasons!)

¹⁴ And Jehoiada, the bishop, went out to the centurions, and to the princes of the host, and said to them, Lead ye her without the precincts, either enclosings, of the temple, and be she slain withoutforth by sword; and the priest commanded, that she should not be slain in the house of the Lord. (And the High Priest Jehoiada went out to the centurions, and to the leaders of the army, and said to them, Lead ye her without the precincts of the Temple, and let her be killed outside with the sword; and the High Priest commanded, that she should not be killed in the House of the Lord.)

¹⁵ And they setted hands on her noll (And so they put their hands on her); and when she had entered into the gate of the horses, of the king’s house, they killed her there.

¹⁶ Forsooth Jehoiada covenanted a bond of peace betwixt himself and all the people and the king, that it should be the people of the Lord. (And then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be the people of the Lord.)

¹⁷ Therefore all the people entered into the house of Baal, and they destroyed it, and they brake the altars and the simulacra thereof; but they killed before the altars Mattan, the priest of Baal (and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars).

¹⁸ And Jehoiada ordained sovereigns in the house of the Lord, that under the hands of priests, and of deacons, which David parted in the house of the Lord, they should offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses, in joy and in songs, by the ordinance of David. (And then Jehoiada ordained as the rulers of the House of the Lord, the priests, and the Levites, whom David had assigned to the House of the Lord, to offer the burnt sacrifices to the Lord, as it is written in The Book of Moses, with joy and with songs, by David’s ordinance.)

¹⁹ Also he ordained porters in the gates of the house of the Lord, that an unclean man in anything should not enter into it. (And he ordained the guards, or the doorkeepers, at the gates of the House of the Lord, so that no unclean person could enter into it.)

²⁰ And he took the centurions, and the strongest men, and princes of the people, and all the common people of the land. And they made the king to go down from the house of the Lord, and to enter by the midst of the higher gate into the house of the king; and they set him in the king’s throne. (And he took the centurions, and the strongest men, and the people’s leaders, and all the common people of the land. And together they brought the king down from the House of the Lord, and they entered through the Upper Gate into the house of the king, and they put him on the king’s throne.)

²¹ And all the people of the land was glad, and the city rested; forsooth Athaliah was slain by (the) sword.

24 Joash was of seven years (Joash was seven years old), when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Zibiah of Beersheba.

² And he did that, that was good before the Lord, in all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.

³ And Joash took two wives, of which he begat sons and daughters. (And Jehoiada chose two wives for him, of whom Joash begat sons and daughters.)

⁴ And after which things it pleased Joash to repair the house of the Lord.

⁵ And he gathered together [the] priests and deacons, and said to them, Go ye out to the cities of Judah, and gather ye of all Israel money, to the repairing of the temple of your Lord God, by each year; and do ye this thing hastily. Certainly the deacons did this thing negligently. (And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go ye out to the cities of Judah, and gather ye the yearly money, or the annual tax, from all Israel, for repairs to the Temple of the Lord your God; and do ye this thing promptly, or quickly. But the Levites did it negligently, or slovenly.)

⁶ And the king called Jehoiada, the prince of priests, and said to him, Why was it not (a) charge to thee, to constrain the deacons to bring in (the) money of Judah and of Jerusalem, which money was ordained of Moses, the servant of the Lord, that all the multitude of Israel should bring it into the tabernacle of witnessing? (And so the king called the High Priest Jehoiada, and said to him, Why was it not a concern for thee, to require the Levites to bring in the money, that is, the tax, from Judah and Jerusalem, which was ordained by Moses, the Lord’s servant, that all the multitude of Israel should bring to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing?)

⁷ For the wicked woman Athaliah, and her sons, destroyed the house of God; and of all the things, that were hallowed to the temple of the Lord, they adorned the temple of Baalim. (For that wicked woman Athaliah, and her sons, destroyed the House of God; and they adorned the temple of the Baalim, with all the things that were dedicated to the Temple of the Lord.)

⁸ Therefore the king commanded, and they made an ark, and setted it beside the gate (of the House) of the Lord withoutforth. (And so the king commanded, and they made a box, and put it outside the gate of the House of the Lord.)

⁹ And it was preached in Judah and Jerusalem, that each man should bring to the Lord the price, that Moses, the servant of God, ordained upon all Israel, in desert. (And it was preached in Judah and Jerusalem, that everyone should bring to the Lord the tax, that Moses, the servant of God, had ordained upon all Israel, in the wilderness.)

¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people were glad, and they entered, and brought, and sent freely their gifts into the ark of the Lord (and freely put their gifts into the box for the Lord), so that it was filled with treasure.

¹¹ And when it was time, that they should bear the ark before the king(’s) (officials) by the hands of deacons, for they saw much money, the clerk of the king entered, and he whom the first, or chief, priest had ordained, and they poured out the money, that was in the ark; and they bare again the ark to his place (And when it was time, that they should carry the box to the king’s officials by the hands of the Levites, for they saw much money in it, the king’s clerk entered, and he whom the High Priest had ordained, and they poured out the money, that was in the box; and then they put the box back in its place). And so they did by all days, and money without number was gathered together;

¹² which the king and Jehoiada gave to them that were (the) sovereigns of the works of the house of the Lord. And they hired thereof cutters of stones, and craftsmen of all works, that they should repair the house of the Lord; also they hired smiths of iron, and of brass, that that thing should be underset, that began to fall (and they hired ironsmiths, and bronze-workers, so that what had begun to fall, or to fail, could be strengthened).

¹³ They that wrought did craftily, and the crazing of the walls was stopped by the hands of them; and they raised the house of the Lord into the former state, and made it to stand steadfastly. (They who did the work did so with craftsmanship, and they repaired the breaches in the walls; and so they raised the House of the Lord back to its former state, and made it stand strong and steadfast.)

¹⁴ And when they had fulfilled all the works, they brought before the king and Jehoiada the tother part of the money, of which money vessels were made into the service of the temple, and to burnt sacrifices (and from that money vessels were made for service in the Temple, and for the burnt sacrifices); also vials, or basins, and other vessels of gold and of silver were made thereof. And burnt sacrifices were offered in the house of the Lord continually, in all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ And Jehoiada full of days waxed eld, and he was dead, when he was of an hundred years and thirty; (And Jehoiada grew old, and full of days, and he died when he was a hundred and thirty years old;)

¹⁶ and they buried him in the city of David with (the) kings; for he had done good with Israel, (for God,) and with his house. (and they buried him in the City of David with the kings; for he had done good in Israel, for God, and for his House.)

¹⁷ But after that Jehoiada died, the princes of Judah entered, and worshipped the king, which was flattered with their services, and assented to them. (But after that Jehoiada died, the leaders of Judah entered, and worshipped, or honoured, the king, who was flattered by them, and he assented to them.)

¹⁸ And they forsook the temple of the Lord God of their fathers, and served idols in woods, and graven images (and worshipped sacred poles, and carved idols); and the ire of the Lord was made against Judah and Jerusalem for this sin.

¹⁹ And he sent to them prophets, that they should turn again to the Lord (so that they would return to the Lord); the which prophets’ witnessing, they would not hear.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed, or environed, Zechariah, the priest, the son of Jehoiada; and he stood in the sight of the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why break ye the commandment of the Lord, which thing shall not profit to you, and ye have forsaken the Lord, that he should forsake you? (Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah, the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and he stood before the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why have ye broken the Lord’s commands? truly that shall not profit you; but because ye have abandoned the Lord, now he hath abandoned you.)

²¹ Which were gathered together against him, and casted stones (at him), by commandment of the king, in the large place of the house of the Lord. (And they gathered together against him, and threw stones at him, by the command of the king, in the courtyard of the House of the Lord.)

²² And king Joash had not mind on the mercy, (or goodness,) which Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had done with him; but he killed the son of Jehoiada. And when Zechariah died, he said, The Lord see this thing, and again-seek it. (And King Joash forgot about the loyalty which Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown to him; and so he had Jehoiada’s son killed. And as Zechariah died, he said, May the Lord see what thou hast done, and avenge it.)

²³ And when a year was turned about, either ended, the host of Syria went up against Joash, and it came into Judah and into Jerusalem, and it killed all the princes of the people (and they came into Judah and Jerusalem, and they killed all the leaders of the people); and they sent all the prey to the king of Damascus.

²⁴ And certain(ly), when a full little number of men of Syria was come into Judah, the Lord betook in(to) their hands a multitude of Jews without number, for they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. Also they used shameful dooms against Joash (And so they executed judgement against Joash);

²⁵ and they went away from him, and they left him in great sorrows. And his servants rose up against him, into vengeance of the blood of the son of Jehoiada, priest; and killed him in his bed, and he was dead. And they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of kings. (and then they went away from him, and they left him in great sorrows. And then his servants rose up against him, in vengeance for the blood of the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and they killed him in his bed, and he was dead. And they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.)

²⁶ And Zabad, the son of Shimeath of Ammon, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith of Moab, setted treasons to him. (And it was Zabad, the son of Shimeath of Ammon, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith of Moab, who set treason against him.)

²⁷ Soothly his sons, and the sum of money that was gathered under him, and the repairing of the house of God, be written diligently in the book of Kings (all be diligently written about in The Book of the Kings). And Amaziah, his son, reigned for him;