Beginning
28 1 Ahaz an idolater is given into the hands of the Syrians and the king of Israel. 9 The Prophet reproveth the Israelites’ cruelty. 18 Judah is molested with enemies. 23 Ahaz increaseth his idolatry. 26 His death and successor.
1 Ahaz (A)was twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not uprightly in the sight of the Lord, like David his [a]father.
2 But [b]he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made even molten images for [c]Baalim.
3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom, and [d]burnt his sons with fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on hills, and under every green tree.
5 Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of the Aramites, and they smote him, and took of his [e]many prisoners, and brought them to Damascus: and he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, which smote him with a great slaughter.
6 For [f]Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah sixscore thousand in one day, all [g]valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.
7 And Zichri a [h]mighty man of Ephraim slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah the second after the king.
8 And the children of Israel took prisoners of their brethren, [i]two hundred thousand of women, sons and daughters, and carried away much spoil of them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 ¶ But there was a Prophet of the Lord, (whose name was Oded) and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, [j]because the Lord God of your fathers is wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage, that reacheth up to heaven.
10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem, as servants and handmaids unto you, but are not you such that [k]sins are with you before the Lord your God?
11 Now therefore hear me, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken prisoners of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is toward you.
12 Wherefore certain of the chiefs of the children of [l]Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
13 And said unto them, Bring not in the captives hither: for this shall be [m]a sin upon us against the Lord: ye intended to add more to our sins and to our trespass, though our trespass be great, and the fierce wrath of God is against Israel.
14 So the army left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the Congregation.
15 And the men that were [n]named by name, rose up and took the prisoners, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them meat, and gave them drink, and [o]anointed them, and carried all that were feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho the city of Palm trees to their [p]brethren: so they returned to Samaria.
16 ¶ At that time did King Ahaz send unto the [q]kings of Assyria to help him.
17 (For the Edomites came moreover, and slew of Judah, and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines also invaded the cities in the low country, and toward the South of Judah, and took Beth Shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth and Sochoh, with the villages thereof, and Timnah, with her villages, and Gimzo, with her villages, and they dwelt there.
19 For the Lord had humbled Judah, because of Ahaz king of [r]Israel: for he had brought vengeance upon Judah, and had grievously transgressed against the Lord.)
20 And Tilgath-Pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, who troubled him and did not strengthen him.
21 For Ahaz [s]took a portion (B)out of the house of the Lord and out of the king’s house and of the princes’, and gave unto the king of Assyria: yet it helped him not.
22 And in the time of his tribulation did he yet trespass more against the Lord, (this is king Ahaz)
23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which [t]plagued him, and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice unto them, and they will [u]help me: yet they were his ruin, and of all [v]Israel.
24 And Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God, and brake the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 And in every city of Judah he made high places, to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.
26 Concerning the rest of his acts, and all his ways first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the Kings of Judah, and Israel.
27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city [w]of Jerusalem, but brought him not unto the [x]sepulchers of the Kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
29 3, 5 Hezekiah repaireth the Temple, and advertiseth the Levites of the corruption of religion. 12 The levites prepare the Temple. 20 The king and his princes sacrifice in the Temple. 25 The Levites sing praises. 31 The oblation of the people.
1 Hezekiah (C)began to reign, when he was five and twenty years old, and reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was [y]Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
2 And he did uprightly in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
3 He opened the [z]doors of the house of the Lord in the [aa]first year, and in the first month of his reign, and repaired them.
4 And he brought in the Priests and the Levites, and gathered them into the East street,
5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites: sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth [ab]the filthiness out of the Sanctuary.
6 For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and turned away their faces from the Tabernacle of the Lord, and turned their backs.
7 They have also shut the doors of the porch, and quenched the lamps, and have neither burnt incense, nor offered burnt offerings in the Sanctuary unto the God of Israel.
8 [ac]Wherefore the wrath of the Lord hath been on Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath made them a [ad]scattering, a desolation, and an hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9 For lo, our fathers are fallen by the sword, and our sons, and our daughters, and our wives are in captivity for the same cause.
10 Now [ae]I purpose to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that he may [af]turn away his fierce wrath from us.
11 Now my sons, be not deceived: for the Lord hath (D)chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and to be his ministers, and to burn incense.
12 ¶ Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel: and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:
13 And of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah, and Mattaniah:
14 And of the sons of Heman, Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves and came according to the commandment of the king, and [ag]by the words of the Lord, for to cleanse the house of the Lord.
16 And the Priests went into the inner parts of the house of the Lord, to [ah]cleanse it and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the Temple of the Lord, into the court of the house of the Lord: and the Levites took it, to carry it out unto the brook Kidron.
17 They began the first day of the [ai]first month to sanctify it, and the eight day of the month came they to the porch of the Lord: so they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days, and in the sixteenth day of the first month, they made an end.
18 ¶ Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the [aj]showbread table, with all the vessels thereof:
19 And all the vessels which King Ahaz had cast aside when he reigned, and transgressed, have we prepared and sanctified: and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.
20 ¶ And Hezekiah the king [ak]rose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.
21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats for a (E)sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the Priests the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.
22 So they slew the bullocks, and the Priests received the blood, and [al]sprinkled it upon the altar: they slew also the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar, and they slew the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.
23 Then they brought the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the Congregation, [am]and they laid their hands upon them.
24 And the Priests slew them, and with the blood of them they cleansed the altar to reconcile all Israel: for the king had commanded for all Israel the burnt offering, and the sin offering.
25 He appointed also the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with viols, and with harps, (F)according to the commandment of David, and Gad the King’s Seer, and Nathan the Prophet: for the [an]commandment was by the hand of the Lord, and by the hand of his Prophets.
26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar: and when the burnt offering began, the song of the [ao]Lord began with the trumpets, and the instruments [ap]of David king of Israel.
28 And all the congregation worshipped, singing a song, and they blew the trumpets: all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him, bowed themselves, and worshipped.
30 ¶ Then Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the [aq]words of David, and of Asaph the Seer. So they praised with joy, and they bowed themselves, and worshipped.
31 And Hezekiah spake, and said, Now ye have [ar]consecrated yourselves to the Lord: come near and bring the sacrifices and offerings of praise into the house of the Lord. And the Congregation brought sacrifices and offerings of praises, and every man that was willing in heart offered burnt offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt offerings, which the Congregation brought, was seventy bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord:
33 And for [as]sanctification six hundred bullocks, and three thousand sheep.
34 But the Priests were too few, and were not able to flay all the burnt offerings: therefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till they had ended the work, and until other Priests were sanctified: for the Levites were [at]more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the Priests.
35 And also the burnt offerings were many, with the (G)fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offering: so the service of the house of the Lord was set in order.
36 Then Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had made the people so [au]ready: for the thing was done suddenly.
30 1, 13 The keeping of the Passover by the king’s commandment. 6 He exhorteth Israel to turn to the Lord. 18 He prayeth for the people. 24 His oblation and the princes’. 27 The Levites bless the people.
1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to [av]Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel.
2 And the king and his princes and all the Congregation had taken counsel in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the [aw]second month.
3 For they could not keep it at this time, because there were not Priests enough sanctified, neither was the people gathered to Jerusalem.
4 And the thing pleased the king, and all the Congregation.
5 And they decreed to make proclamation throughout all Israel from [ax]Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a great time, [ay]as it was written.
6 ¶ So the posts went with letters by the commission of the King, and his princes, throughout all Israel and Judah, and with the commandment of the King, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and [az]he will return to the remnant that are escaped of you, out of the hands of the kings of Assyria.
7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers: and therefore he made them desolate, as ye see.
8 Be not ye now stiff-necked like your fathers, but [ba]give the hand to the Lord, and come into his Sanctuary, which he hath sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, and the fierceness of his wrath shall turn away from you.
9 For if ye return unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find mercy before them that led them captives, and they shall [bb]return unto this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye convert unto him.
10 ¶ So the posts went from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun: but they [bc]laughed them to scorn and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless, divers of Asher, and Manasseh, and of Zebulun, submitted themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12 And the hand of God was in Judah, so that he gave them one [bd]heart to do the commandment of the king, and of the rulers, according to the word of the Lord.
13 And there assembled to Jerusalem much people, to keep the feast of the unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
14 ¶ And they arose, and took away the [be]altars that were in Jerusalem, and all those for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15 Afterward they slew the Passover the fourteenth day of the second month: and the Priests and Levites were [bf]ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.
16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the Law of Moses the man of God: and the Priests sprinkled the [bg]blood returned of the hands of the Levites.
17 Because there were many in the Congregation that were not sanctified, therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passover for all that were not clean, to sanctify it to the Lord.
18 For a multitude of the people, even a multitude of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves, yet did eat the Passover, but not as it was written: wherefore Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The [bh]good Lord be merciful toward him,
19 That prepareth his whole heart to seek the Lord God, the God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed, according to the purification of the Sanctuary.
20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah, and [bi]healed the people.
21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem, kept the feast of the unleavened bread seven days with great joy, and the Levites, and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the Lord.
22 And Hezekiah [bj]spake comfortably unto all the Levites that had good knowledge to sing unto the Lord: and they did eat in that feast seven days, and offered peace offerings, and praised the Lord God of their fathers.
23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep it another seven days. So they kept it seven days with joy.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah had given to the Congregation a [bk]thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep. And the princes had given to the Congregation a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and many Priests were sanctified.
25 And all the Congregation of Judah rejoiced with the Priests and the Levites, and all the Congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like thing in Jerusalem.
27 Then the Priests and the Levites arose, and [bl]blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up unto heaven, to his holy habitation.
31 1 The people destroy idolatry. 2 Hezekiah appointeth Priests and Levites, 4 And provideth for their livings. 13 He ordaineth overseers to distribute to every one his portion.
1 And when all these things were finished, all Israel, that were found in the cities of Judah, went out and [bm]brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake down the high places, and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had made an end: afterward all the [bn]children of Israel returned every man to his possession, into their own cities.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the Priests and Levites by their turns, every man according to his office, both Priests and Levites for the burnt offering and peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the [bo]tents of the Lord.
3 (And the king’s portion was of his own substance for the burnt offerings, even for the burnt offerings of the morning and of the evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons and for the solemn feasts, (H)as it is written in the Law of the Lord)
4 He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give a [bp]part to the Priests, and Levites, that they might be [bq]encouraged in the law of the Lord.
5 ¶ And when the commandment was [br]spread, the children of Israel brought abundance of firstfruits, of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field, and the tithes of all things brought they abundantly.
6 And the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought the tithes of bullocks and sheep, and the holy tithes [bs]which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them on [bt]many heaps.
7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
8 ¶ And when Hezekiah and the princes came, and saw the heaps, they [bu]blessed the Lord and his people Israel.
9 And Hezekiah questioned with the Priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 And Azariah the chief Priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have [bv]eaten, and have been satisfied, and there is left in abundance: for the Lord hath blessed his people, and this abundance that is left.
11 ¶ And Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord: and they prepared them,
12 And carried in the firstfruits, and the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully: and over them was Conaniah the Levite the chief, and Shimei his brother the second.
13 And Jehiel, and Azaziah and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers [bw]by the appointment of Conaniah, and Shimei his brother, and by the commandment of Hezekiah the King, and of Azariah the chief of the house of God.
14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, porter toward the East, was over the things that were willingly offered unto God, to distribute the oblations of the Lord, and the holy things that were consecrated.
15 And at his hand were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shechaniah, in the cities of the Priests, to distribute with fidelity to their brethren by courses, both to the great and small,
16 Their daily portion: beside their generation, being males [bx]from three years old and above, even to all that entered into the house of the Lord to their office in their charge, according to their courses:
17 Both to the generation of the Priests after the house of their fathers, and to the Levites from twenty years old and above, according to their charge in their courses:
18 And to the generation of all their children, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters throughout all the Congregation: for by their [by]fidelity are they partakers of the holy things.
19 Also to the sons of Aaron, the Priests, which were in the fields and suburbs of their cities, in every city the men that were appointed by names, should give portions to all the males of the Priests, and to all the generation of the Levites.
20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and did well, and uprightly, and truly before the Lord his God.
21 And in all the works that he began for the service of the house of God, both in the Law and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
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