Beginning
Ahaz King of Judah(A)
28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ·ancestor [father] David, he did not do what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. 2 Ahaz ·did the same things as [L walked in the ways of] the kings of Israel. He made ·metal [cast; molten] ·idols [images] to worship Baal. 3 He ·burned incense [offered sacrifices] in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and ·made [sacrificed] his children ·pass through [in] the fire. He ·did [followed] the ·same hateful sins [detestable/abominable practices] as the nations had done whom the Lord had ·forced [driven] out of the land ahead of the Israelites. 4 Ahaz ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices and burned incense at the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15], and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 So the Lord his God handed over Ahaz to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated Ahaz and ·took [deported] many people of Judah as ·prisoners [captives] to Damascus.
He also handed over Ahaz to Pekah king of Israel, ·and Pekah’s army killed many soldiers of Ahaz [who inflicted heavy casualties on him]. 6 Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand ·brave [skilled] soldiers from Judah in one day. Pekah defeated them because they had ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. 7 Zicri, a mighty warrior from Ephraim, killed King Ahaz’s son Maaseiah. He also killed Azrikam, the ·officer [commander] in charge of the ·palace [L house], and Elkanah, who was second in command to the king. 8 The Israelite army captured two hundred thousand of their own relatives. They took women, sons and daughters, and ·many valuable things [much plunder/spoil/booty] from Judah and carried ·them [it] back to Samaria. 9 But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there. He met the Israelite army when it returned to Samaria and said to them, “The Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers], handed Judah over to you, because he was angry with them. But ·God has seen the cruel way you killed them [you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached to heaven]. 10 Now you plan to make the people of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves, but ·you also have sinned [L what about your own sins/transgressions…?] against the Lord your God. 11 Now listen to me. Send back ·your brothers and sisters whom you captured [the captives you have taken from your brothers], because the ·Lord is very angry with you [L fierce anger of the Lord burns against you].”
12 Then some of the ·leaders [officials] in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—·met [confronted; L rose against] the Israelite soldiers coming home from ·war [battle]. 13 They warned the soldiers, “Don’t bring the ·prisoners [captives] from Judah here. If you do, we will ·be guilty of sin against the Lord, and that will make our sin and guilt even worse [add to our sins and guilt before the Lord]. Our guilt is already so great that ·he is angry with [L his fierce anger is burning against] Israel.”
14 So the soldiers left the ·prisoners [captives] and ·valuable things [plunder; spoil; booty] in front of the ·officers [officials] and ·people there [the entire assembly]. 15 The ·leaders [men] who were named took the ·prisoners [captives] and gave those who were naked clothes from ·what the Israelite army had taken [the plunder/spoil/booty]. They gave the ·prisoners [captives] clothes, sandals, food, drink, and ·medicine [oil for their wounds; L anointed them]. They put the weak on donkeys and took them back to their ·families [brothers] in Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned home to Samaria.
More Attacks(B)
22 During Ahaz’s ·troubles [L time of distress] he was even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 He ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices to the gods of the people of Damascus, who had defeated him. He thought, “The gods of the kings of Aram helped them. If I ·offer [sacrifice] sacrifices to them, they ·will [may] help me also.” But this brought ·ruin to [the downfall of] Ahaz and all Israel.
24 Ahaz gathered the ·things [articles; utensils] from the ·Temple [L house] of God and ·broke [cut] them into pieces. Then he closed the doors of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. He made himself altars [C to pagan gods] and put them on every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah, Ahaz made ·places [L high places; 11:15] for burning sacrifices to other gods. So he ·made [provoked] the Lord, the God of his ·ancestors [fathers], ·very angry [to anger].
26 The ·other things Ahaz did as king [rest of the events/acts/history of Ahaz’s reign], from ·beginning to end [first to last], are written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], but not in the ·graves [tombs] of the kings of Israel. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah became king in his place.
Hezekiah Purifies the Temple(C)
29 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 Hezekiah did what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his ·ancestor [father] David had done.
3 Hezekiah opened the doors of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and ·repaired [restored] them in the first month of the first year he was king. 4 Hezekiah brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the ·courtyard [square] on the east side of the ·Temple [L house]. 5 Hezekiah said, “Listen to me, Levites. ·Make yourselves ready for the Lord’s service [Consecrate/Purify/Sanctify yourselves], and ·make holy [consecrate/purify/sanctify] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers]. Remove from the ·Temple [L house] everything that makes it ·impure [defiled; ritually unclean]. 6 Our ·ancestors [fathers] were unfaithful to God and did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the Lord’s sight/eyes]. They ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord and ·stopped worshiping at [L turned their faces away from] the ·Temple [L house] where he lives. They ·rejected [L turned their backs on] him. 7 They shut the doors of the ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room] of the ·Temple [L house], and ·they let the fire go out in [put/snuffed out] the lamps. They stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the ·holy place to [sanctuary of] the God of Israel. 8 So the Lord became very angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and he ·punished them. Other people are frightened and shocked by what he did to them. So they ·insult the people of Judah. You know these things are true […made them an object of dread/terror, horror, and ridicule/L hissing, as you can see with your own eyes]. 9 That is why our ·ancestors [fathers] ·were killed in battle [L have fallen by the sword] and our sons, daughters, and wives ·were [are] taken captive. 10 Now I, Hezekiah, ·have decided [intend] to make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Lord, the God of Israel, so ·he will not be angry with us anymore [L his burning anger will turn away from us]. 11 My sons, don’t ·waste any more time [be negligent now]. The Lord chose you to stand ·before him [in his presence], to ·serve [minister to] him, to be his ·servants [ministers], and to burn incense to him.”
12 ·These are [Then] the Levites ·who started to work [L rose]. From the Kohathite ·family [clan] there were Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah. From the Merarite ·family [clan] there were Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel. From the Gershonite ·family [clan] there were Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah. 13 From Elizaphan’s ·family [clan] there were Shimri and Jeiel. From Asaph’s ·family [clan] there were Zechariah and Mattaniah. 14 From Heman’s ·family [clan] there were Jehiel and Shimei. From Jeduthun’s ·family [clan] there were Shemaiah and Uzziel [5:12].
15 These Levites gathered their brothers together and ·made themselves holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves]. Then they went into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord to purify it. They obeyed the king’s command that had come from the Lord. 16 When the priests went into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord to ·purify [cleanse] it, they took out all the ·unclean [defiled; C ritually] things they found in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and put them in the ·Temple [L house] courtyard. Then the Levites took these things out to the Kidron Valley. 17 Beginning on the first day of the first month, they ·made holy [consecrated; purified; sanctified] the ·Temple [L house]. On the eighth day of the month, they came to the ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room] of the ·Temple [L house], and for eight more days they ·made holy [consecrated; purified; sanctified] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. So they finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.
18 Then they went to King Hezekiah and said, “We have ·purified [cleansed] the entire ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the altar for burnt offerings and its ·utensils [equipment], and the table for the ·holy bread [T showbread] and all its ·utensils [equipment]. 19 When Ahaz was king, he was unfaithful to God and ·removed some things [discarded some utensils/equipment]. But we have ·put them back [prepared] and ·made them holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified them] for the Lord. They are now in front of the Lord’s altar.”
20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah ·gathered [assembled] the ·leaders [officials] of the city and went up to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 21 They brought seven ·bulls [oxen], seven ·male sheep [rams], seven lambs, and seven male goats. These animals were an ·offering to remove the sin of the people and [sin offering for] the kingdom ·of [or and for] Judah and ·to make [for] the ·Temple [sanctuary]. King Hezekiah commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to ·offer [sacrifice] these animals on the Lord’s altar. 22 So the priests ·killed [slaughtered] the ·bulls [oxen] and sprinkled their blood on the altar. They ·killed [slaughtered] the ·sheep [rams] and sprinkled their blood on the altar. Then they ·killed [slaughtered] the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar. 23 Then the priests brought the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the people there. After the king and the people ·put [laid] their hands on the goats, 24 the priests ·killed [slaughtered] them. They ·made an offering [sprinkled/presented their blood] on the altar to ·remove the sins of the Israelites [atone for all Israel]. The king had said that the burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] should be made for all Israel.
25 King Hezekiah ·put [stationed; positioned] the Levites in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, as David, Gad, and Nathan had commanded. (Gad was the king’s ·seer [prophet], and Nathan was a prophet.) This command came from the Lord through his prophets. 26 So the Levites stood ready with David’s musical instruments, and the priests with their trumpets.
27 Then Hezekiah gave the order to ·sacrifice [offer] the burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] on the altar. When the burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] began, the singing to the Lord also began. The trumpets were blown, and the musical instruments of David king of Israel were played. 28 ·All the people [The entire assembly] worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters ·blew their trumpets [sounded] until the burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] was finished.
29 When the sacrifices were completed, King Hezekiah and everyone with him bowed down and worshiped. 30 King Hezekiah and his ·officers [officials] ordered the Levites to ·praise [sing praises to] the Lord, using the words David and Asaph the ·seer [prophet] had used. So they praised God with ·joy [gladness] and bowed down and worshiped.
31 Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you people of Judah have ·given [consecrated; dedicated] yourselves to the Lord, come near to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Bring sacrifices and ·offerings, to show thanks to him [or thank offerings].” So the people brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and anyone who was willing also brought burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17]. 32 For burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] they brought a total of seventy ·bulls [oxen], one hundred ·male sheep [rams], and two hundred lambs; all these animals were sacrificed as burnt offerings to the Lord. 33 The ·holy [consecrated] offerings totaled six hundred ·bulls [oxen] and three thousand sheep and goats. 34 There were not enough priests to skin all the animals for the burnt offerings. So their ·relatives [brothers] the Levites helped them until the work was finished and other priests could be ·made holy [consecrated; purified; sanctified]. The Levites had been more careful to ·make themselves holy [consecrate/purify/sanctify themselves] than the priests. 35 There were many burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] along with the fat of ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] and drink offerings. So the service in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord ·began again [was established/restored]. 36 And Hezekiah and the people ·were very happy [rejoiced] that God had made it happen so quickly for his people.
The Passover Celebration
30 King Hezekiah sent messages to all the people of Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. Hezekiah invited all these people to come to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord in Jerusalem to ·celebrate [keep; observe] the Passover for the Lord, the God of Israel [Ex. 12]. 2 King Hezekiah, his ·officers [officials], and all the ·people [community; assembly] in Jerusalem ·agreed [decided] to ·celebrate [keep; observe] the Passover in the second month. 3 They could not ·celebrate [keep; observe] it at the ·normal [prescribed] time, because not enough priests had ·made themselves ready to serve the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves], and the people had not yet ·gathered [assembled] in Jerusalem. 4 This plan ·satisfied [seemed right to] King Hezekiah and all the ·people [community; assembled]. 5 So they ·made an announcement [sent a proclamation/edict] everywhere in Israel, from Beersheba [C in the south] to Dan [C in the north; that is, all the people in Israel], telling the people to come to Jerusalem to ·celebrate [keep; observe] the Passover for the Lord, the God of Israel. The people had not ·celebrated [kept; observed] the Passover as the law commanded ·for a long time [or in great numbers]. 6 At the king’s command, ·the messengers [couriers; L runners] took letters from him and his ·officers [officials] all through Israel and Judah. This is what the letters said:
People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then God will return to the ·few [remnant] of you who have ·escaped [been spared] from the kings of Assyria. 7 Don’t be like your ·ancestors [fathers] or your ·relatives [brothers]. They ·turned against [were unfaithful to] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], so he ·caused other people to be disgusted with them. You know this is true […made them an object of horror/derision, as you see]. 8 Don’t be ·stubborn [L stiff-necked] as your ·ancestors [fathers] were, but ·obey the Lord willingly [submit/yield to the Lord]. Come to the ·Temple [sanctuary], which he has ·made holy [consecrated; L set apart] forever. Serve the Lord your God so ·he will not be angry with [his fierce anger will turn away from] you. 9 Come back to the Lord. Then the people who captured your ·relatives [brothers] and ·children [sons] will be ·kind [merciful; compassionate] to them and will let them return to this land. The Lord your God is ·kind [gracious] and ·merciful [compassionate]. He will not turn ·away [L his face] from you if you return to him.
10 The ·messengers [couriers; L runners] went to every town in Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the way to Zebulun, but the people ·laughed at [scorned] them and ·made fun of [mocked; ridiculed] them. 11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun ·were sorry for what they had done [humbled themselves] and went to Jerusalem. 12 And ·God united all the people of [L God’s hand was on] Judah ·in obeying [L giving them one heart to do the commands of] King Hezekiah and his ·officers [officials], because their command ·had come from [L was the word of] the Lord.
13 In the second month a very large crowd came together in Jerusalem to ·celebrate [keep; observe] the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread. 14 The people removed the altars and incense altars [C to pagan gods] in Jerusalem and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15 They ·killed [slaughtered] the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed [C because others are doing what they should be doing], so they ·made themselves holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves] and brought burnt offerings into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 16 They took their ·regular places [stations; posts] in the ·Temple [L house] as the ·Teachings [law] of Moses, the man of God, ·commanded [prescribed]. The Levites gave the blood [C from the sacrifices] to the priests, who sprinkled it [C on the altar]. 17 Since many people in the crowd had not ·made themselves holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves], the Levites ·killed [slaughtered] the Passover lambs for everyone who was ·not clean [defiled; ritually unclean]. The Levites ·made each lamb holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified them] for the Lord.
23 Then all the people agreed to stay seven more days, so they celebrated with joy for seven more days. 24 Hezekiah king of Judah gave one thousand ·bulls [oxen] and seven thousand sheep to the ·people [assembly]. The ·officers [officials] gave one thousand ·bulls [oxen] and ten thousand sheep to the ·people [assembly]. Many priests ·made themselves holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves]. 25 All the ·people [assembly] of Judah, the priests, the Levites, those who came from Israel, the ·foreigners [sojourners; wanderers; resident aliens] from Israel, and the ·foreigners [sojourners; wanderers; resident aliens] living in Judah ·were very happy [rejoiced]. 26 There was much joy in Jerusalem, because there had not been a celebration like this since the time of Solomon son of David and king of Israel. 27 The priests and Levites stood up and blessed the people, and God heard them ·because their prayer reached [from] heaven, his holy home.
The Collection for the Priests(D)
31 When the Passover celebration was finished, all the Israelites in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. There they smashed the ·stone [sacred] pillars [C used in pagan worship]. They cut down the Asherah ·idols [poles; 14:3] and destroyed the altars and ·places for worshiping gods [L high places; 11:15] in all of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and ·homes [properties].
2 King Hezekiah ·appointed [organized; assigned] ·groups [divisions] of priests and Levites for their special duties. They were to ·offer [sacrifice] burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1], to ·worship [serve], and to give thanks and praise at the gates of the Lord’s ·house [L camp]. 3 Hezekiah gave some of his own animals for the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], which were given every morning and evening, on Sabbath days, during New Moons, and at other feasts ·commanded [prescribed] in the Lord’s ·Teachings [instructions; laws].
4 Hezekiah commanded the people living in Jerusalem to give the priests and Levites the portion ·that belonged to [prescribed for] them. Then the priests and Levites could ·give all their time [devote themselves] to the Lord’s ·Teachings [instructions; laws]. 5 As soon as the king’s command went out to the Israelites, they gave ·freely of the [generously/abundantly from the] first ·portion [fruits; harvest] of their grain, new wine, oil, honey, and ·everything they grew [all the produce] in their fields. They brought a large amount, ·one-tenth [a tithe] of everything. 6 The people of Israel and Judah who lived in Judah also brought ·one-tenth [a tithe] of their cattle and sheep and ·one-tenth [a tithe] of the ·holy things [sacred/consecrated/dedicated things] that were given to the Lord their God, and they put all of them in ·piles [heaps]. 7 The people began the ·piles [heaps] in the third month [C late spring] and finished in the seventh month [C early autumn]. 8 When Hezekiah and his ·officers [officials] came and saw the ·piles [heaps], they ·praised [blessed; thanked] the Lord and his people Israel. 9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the ·piles [heaps]. 10 Azariah, the leading priest from Zadok’s ·family [clan; L house], answered Hezekiah, “Since the people began to bring their ·offerings [contributions; gifts] to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, we have had plenty to eat and plenty left over, because the Lord has blessed his people. So we have all this left over.”
11 Then Hezekiah commanded the priests to prepare the storerooms in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. So this was done. 12 Then the priests brought in the ·offerings [contributions] and the ·things given to the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified things] and ·one-tenth of everything the people had given [the tithes]. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was ·second to him [his assistant]. 13 Conaniah and his brother Shimei were over these supervisors: Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. King Hezekiah and Azariah the officer in charge of the ·Temple [L house] of God had ·chosen [appointed] them.
14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite was in charge of the ·special gifts the people wanted to give [voluntary/free will offerings] to God. He was responsible for ·giving out [distributing] the contributions made to the Lord and the ·holy [consecrated; dedicated] gifts. Kore was the guard at the East Gate. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah helped Kore in the towns where the priests lived. They gave from what was collected to ·the other groups of priests [their brothers by divisions], both ·old [great] and ·young [small].
16 They also gave to the males three years old and older who had their names in the ·Levite family [genealogical] ·histories [records]. ·They were to enter […all who entered] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord for their daily ·service [duties], ·each group having its own responsibilities [according to their divisions]. 17 The priests were given their part of the collection, by ·families [ancestral houses], as listed in the ·family [genealogical] ·histories [records]. The Levites twenty years old and older were given their part of the collection, based on their ·responsibilities [duties] and their ·groups [divisions]. 18 The Levites’ babies, wives, sons, and daughters also got part of the collection. This was done for all the Levites who were ·listed [enrolled] in the ·family histories [genealogical records], because they ·always kept themselves ready to serve the Lord [faithfully consecrated/purified themselves].
19 Some of Aaron’s descendants, the priests, lived on the farmlands near the towns or in the towns. Men were ·chosen [appointed; designated] by name to ·give [distribute] part of the collection to these priests. All the males and those ·named [listed] in the ·family histories [genealogical records] of the Levites received part of the collection.
20 This is what King Hezekiah did ·in [throughout] Judah. He did what was good and right and ·obedient [faithful; true; pleasing] before the Lord his God. 21 Hezekiah tried to ·obey [seek] God in his service of the ·Temple [L house] of God, and in following his ·teachings [instructions; laws] and commands. He ·gave himself fully to his work for God [did so wholeheartedly] and therefore ·had success [prospered].
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