Bible in 90 Days
16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord.[a] 17 All the people went and demolished[b] the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols.[c] They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to[d] the law of Moses and the edict of David. 19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 20 He summoned[e] the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah.[f]
Joash’s Reign
24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother[g] was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 2 Joash did what the Lord approved[h] throughout the lifetime[i] of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.
4 Later, Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple.[j] 5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.
6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest,[k] and said to him, “Why have you not made[l] the Levites collect[m] from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?”[n] 7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple.[o] 9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.[p] 10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.
12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen[q] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 13 They worked hard and made the repairs.[r] They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it.[s] 14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.
15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 16 He was buried in the City of David[t] with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.
17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him.[u] The king listened to their advice.[v] 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors[w] and worshiped[x] the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him.[y] They warned[z] the people, but they would not pay attention. 20 God’s Spirit energized[aa] Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous. Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22 King Joash disregarded[ab] the loyalty Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s[ac] son. As Zechariah[ad] was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!”[ae]
23 At the beginning[af] of the year the Syrian army attacked[ag] Joash[ah] and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army,[ai] for the people of Judah[aj] had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians[ak] gave Joash what he deserved.[al] 25 When they withdrew, they left Joash[am] badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to[an] the son[ao] of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus[ap] he died and was buried in the City of David,[aq] but not in the tombs of the kings. 26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).
27 The list of Joash’s[ar] sons, the many prophetic oracles about him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings.[as] His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
Amaziah’s Reign
25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother[at] was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 2 He did what the Lord approved,[au] but not with wholehearted devotion.[av]
3 When he had secured control of the kingdom,[aw] he executed the servants who had assassinated his father the king. 4 However, he did not execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses,[ax] “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do,[ay] and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do.[az] A man must be executed only for his own sin.”[ba]
5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah[bb] and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of 1,000 and the commanders of units of 100 for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age[bc] equipped with spears and shields.[bd] 6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for 100 talents[be] of silver.
7 But a prophet[bf] visited him and said: “O king, the Israelite troops must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the Ephraimites.[bg] 8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you[bh] before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating.”[bi] 9 Amaziah asked the prophet:[bj] “But what should I do about the 100 talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?” The prophet[bk] replied, “The Lord is capable of giving you more than that.” 10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home.[bl] They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt,[bm] where he defeated[bn] 10,000 Edomites.[bo] 12 The men[bp] of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over.[bq] All the captives[br] fell to their death.[bs] 13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle[bt] raided[bu] the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed[bv] 3,000 people and carried off a large amount of plunder.
14 When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people[bw] of Seir and made them his personal gods.[bx] He bowed down before them and offered them sacrifices. 15 The Lord was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why are you following[by] these gods[bz] that could not deliver their own people from your power?”[ca] 16 While he was speaking, Amaziah[cb] said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!”[cc] So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that God has decided[cd] to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”
17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers,[ce] he sent this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, “Come, face me on the battlefield.”[cf] 18 King Joash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn bush.[cg] 19 You defeated Edom[ch] and it has gone to your head.[ci] Gloat over your success,[cj] but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?”[ck]
20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning,[cl] for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom.[cm] 21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield[cn] in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home.[co] 23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—a distance of about 600 feet.[cp] 24 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God’s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.
25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 26 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.[cq] 27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem,[cr] so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him[cs] and they killed him there. 28 His body was carried back by horses,[ct] and he was buried with his ancestors[cu] in the City of David.[cv]
Uzziah’s Reign
26 All the people of Judah took Uzziah,[cw] who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 2 Uzziah[cx] built up Elat and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah[cy] had passed away.[cz]
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. 4 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done.[da] 5 He followed[db] God during the lifetime of[dc] Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed[dd] the Lord, God caused him to succeed.[de]
6 Uzziah attacked[df] the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and throughout Philistine territory.[dg] 7 God helped him in his campaigns[dh] against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached[di] the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.
9 Uzziah built and fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, Valley Gate, and at the Angle.[dj] 10 He built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he owned many herds in the foothills[dk] and on the plain. He had workers in the fields and vineyards in the hills and in Carmel,[dl] for he loved agriculture.[dm]
11 Uzziah had an army of skilled warriors trained for battle. They were organized by divisions according to the muster rolls made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, a royal official. 12 The total number of family leaders who led warriors was 2,600. 13 They commanded an army of 307,500 skilled and able warriors who were ready to defend[dn] the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the entire army. 15 In Jerusalem he made war machines carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous support and became powerful.[do]
16 But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him.[dp] He disobeyed[dq] the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar. 17 Azariah the priest and eighty other brave priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted[dr] King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyed[ds] and the Lord God will not honor you!” 19 Uzziah, who had an incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and raving[dt] at the priests, a skin disease[du] appeared on his forehead right there in front of the priests in the Lord’s temple near the incense altar. 20 When Azariah the high priest and the other priests looked at him, there was a skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out of there; even the king[dv] himself wanted to leave quickly because the Lord had afflicted him. 21 King Uzziah suffered from a skin disease until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters,[dw] afflicted by a skin disease and banned from the Lord’s temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.
22 The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from start to finish, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.[dx] 23 Uzziah passed away[dy] and was buried near his ancestors[dz] in a cemetery[ea] belonging to the kings. (This was because he had a skin disease.)[eb] His son Jotham replaced him as king.
Jotham’s Reign
27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother[ec] was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done.[ed] (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter the temple.)[ee] Yet the people were still sinning.
3 He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple and did a lot of work on the wall in the area known as Ophel.[ef] 4 He built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.
5 He launched a military campaign[eg] against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him 100 talents[eh] of silver, 10,000 cors[ei] of wheat, and 10,000 cors[ej] of barley. The Ammonites also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years.[ek]
6 Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God.[el] 7 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.[em] 8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 Jotham passed away[en] and was buried in the City of David.[eo] His son Ahaz replaced him as king.
Ahaz’s Reign
28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what pleased the Lord, in contrast to his ancestor David.[ep] 2 He followed in the footsteps of[eq] the kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals. 3 He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and passed his sons through the fire,[er] a horrible sin practiced by the nations[es] whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 The Lord his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians[et] defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus.[eu] He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him.[ev] 6 In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 warriors in Judah, because they had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors.[ew] 7 Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command. 8 The Israelites seized from their brothers 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a huge amount of plunder and took it[ex] back to Samaria.
9 Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: “Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice.[ey] 10 And now you are planning[ez] to enslave[fa] the people[fb] of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the Lord your God? 11 Now listen to me! Send back those you have seized from your brothers, for the Lord is very angry at you!”[fc] 12 So some of[fd] the Ephraimite family leaders, Azariah son of Jehochanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jechizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai confronted[fe] those returning from the battle. 13 They said to them, “Don’t bring those captives here! Are you planning on making us even more sinful and guilty before the Lord?[ff] Our guilt is already great, and the Lord is very angry at Israel.”[fg] 14 So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder before the officials and the entire assembly. 15 Men were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked.[fh] So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin.[fi] They put the ones who couldn’t walk on donkeys.[fj] They brought them back to their brothers at Jericho, the city of date palm trees, and then returned to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz asked the king[fk] of Assyria for help. 17 The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried off captives. 18 The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the foothills[fl] and the Negev.[fm] They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages. 19 The Lord humiliated[fn] Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel,[fo] for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very[fp] unfaithful to the Lord. 20 King Tiglath-Pileser[fq] of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than support.[fr] 21 Ahaz gathered riches[fs] from the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help.
22 During his time of trouble King Ahaz was even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him.[ft] He reasoned,[fu] “Since the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they caused him and all Israel to stumble. 24 Ahaz gathered the items in God’s temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the Lord God of his ancestors.
26 The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, including his accomplishments from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.[fv] 27 Ahaz passed away[fw] and was buried in the city of Jerusalem; they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king.
Hezekiah Consecrates the Temple
29 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother[fx] was Abijah,[fy] the daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done.[fz]
3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the Lord’s temple and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and Levites and assembled them in the square on the east side. 5 He said to them: “Listen to me, you Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, so you can consecrate the temple of the Lord God of your ancestors.[ga] Remove from the sanctuary what is ceremonially unclean. 6 For our fathers were unfaithful; they did what is evil in the sight of[gb] the Lord our God and abandoned him. They turned away[gc] from the Lord’s dwelling place and rejected him.[gd] 7 They closed the doors of the temple porch and put out the lamps; they did not offer incense or burnt sacrifices in the sanctuary of the God of Israel. 8 The Lord was angry at Judah and Jerusalem and made them an appalling object of horror at which people hiss out their scorn,[ge] as you can see with your own eyes. 9 Look, our fathers died violently[gf] and our sons, daughters, and wives were carried off[gg] because of this. 10 Now I intend[gh] to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging anger.[gi] 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him,[gj] to be his ministers,[gk] and offer sacrifices.”[gl]
12 The following Levites prepared to carry out the king’s orders:[gm]
From the Kohathites: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;
from the Merarites: Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;
from the Gershonites: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;
13 from the descendants of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel;
from the descendants of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 from the descendants of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei;
from the descendants of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 They assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves. Then they went in to purify the Lord’s temple, just as the king had ordered, in accordance with the word[gn] of the Lord. 16 The priests then entered the Lord’s temple to purify it; they brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’s temple every ceremonially unclean thing they discovered inside.[go] The Levites took them out to the Kidron Valley. 17 On the first day of the first month they began consecrating; by the eighth day of the month they reached the porch of the Lord’s temple.[gp] For eight more days they consecrated the Lord’s temple. On the sixteenth day of the first month they were finished. 18 They went to King Hezekiah and said: “We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, including the altar of burnt sacrifice and all its equipment, and the table for the Bread of the Presence and all its equipment. 19 We have prepared and consecrated all the items that King Ahaz removed during his reign when he acted unfaithfully. They are in front of the altar of the Lord.”
20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah assembled the city officials and went up to the Lord’s temple. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah.[gq] The king[gr] told the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer burnt sacrifices on the altar of the Lord. 22 They slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood on the altar; next they slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood on the altar. 23 Finally they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they placed their hands on them. 24 Then the priests slaughtered them. They offered their blood as a sin offering on the altar to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had decreed[gs] that the burnt sacrifice and sin offering were for all Israel.
25 Hezekiah[gt] stationed the Levites in the Lord’s temple with cymbals and stringed instruments just as David, Gad the king’s prophet,[gu] and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.) 26 The Levites had[gv] David’s musical instruments and the priests had trumpets. 27 Hezekiah ordered the burnt sacrifice to be offered on the altar. As they began to offer the sacrifice, they also began to sing to the Lord, accompanied by the trumpets and the musical instruments of King David of Israel. 28 The entire assembly worshiped, as the singers sang and the trumpeters played. They continued until the burnt sacrifice was completed.
29 When the sacrifices were completed, the king and all who were with him bowed down and worshiped. 30 King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to praise the Lord, using the psalms[gw] of David and Asaph the prophet.[gx] So they joyfully offered praise and bowed down and worshiped. 31 Hezekiah said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves[gy] to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings[gz] to the Lord’s temple.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and whoever desired to do so[ha] brought burnt sacrifices.
32 The assembly brought a total of 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs as burnt sacrifices to the Lord,[hb] 33 and 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep[hc] were consecrated. 34 But there were not enough priests to skin all the animals,[hd] so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.)[he] 35 There was a large number of burnt sacrifices, as well as fat from the peace offerings and drink offerings that accompanied the burnt sacrifices. So the service of the Lord’s temple was reinstituted.[hf] 36 Hezekiah and all the people were happy about what God had done[hg] for them,[hh] for it had been done quickly.[hi]
Hezekiah Observes the Passover
30 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. 2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 3 They were unable to observe it at the regular[hj] time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The proposal seemed appropriate to[hk] the king and the entire assembly. 5 So they sent an edict[hl] throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people[hm] to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law.[hn] 6 Messengers[ho] delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.
This royal edict read:[hp] “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return[hq] to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.[hr] 7 Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors,[hs] provoking him to destroy them,[ht] as you can see. 8 Now, don’t be stubborn[hu] like your fathers. Submit[hv] to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.[hw] 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you[hx] if you return to him.”
10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.[hy] 11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 In Judah God moved the people to unite[hz] and carry out the edict of the king and the officers in keeping with the Lord’s message. 13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.[ia] 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.[ib]
15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. 16 They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.[ic] 17 Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered[id] the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord.[ie] 18 The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law.[if] For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive[ig] 19 everyone who has determined to follow God,[ih] the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”[ii] 20 The Lord responded favorably[ij] to Hezekiah and forgave[ik] the people.
21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might.[il] 22 Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites,[im] who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord.[in] They feasted for the seven days of the festival,[io] and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.
23 The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. 24 King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep[ip] for the assembly, while the officials supplied them[iq] with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. 25 The celebration included[ir] the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners[is] who came from the land of Israel, and those who were residents of Judah. 26 There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel.[it] 27 The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them[iu] as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.
31 When all this was over, the Israelites[iv] who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished[iw] all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.[ix] Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities.[iy]
The People Contribute to the Temple
2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks[iz]—to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary.[ja]
3 The king contributed[jb] 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[jc] in the law of the Lord. 4 He ordered[jd] the people living in Jerusalem to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient[je] to the law of the Lord. 5 When the edict was issued,[jf] the Israelites freely contributed[jg] 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[jh] 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.[ji] 7 In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps[jj] 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.[jk]
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,[jl] 12 they brought in the contributions, tithes,[jm] and consecrated items that had been offered.[jn] 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[jo] according to their divisions, regardless of age.[jp] 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.[jq] 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,[jr] men were assigned[js] 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.[jt]
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.[ju] 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,[jv] 3 he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springs[jw] 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.[jx] They reasoned,[jy] “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” 5 Hezekiah[jz] energetically rebuilt[ka] every broken wall. He erected towers and an outer wall[kb] and fortified the terrace of the City of David.[kc] He made many weapons and shields.
6 He appointed military officers over the army[kd] and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them,[ke] saying, 7 “Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic[kf] 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.[kg] 8 He has with him mere human strength,[kh] but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!” The army[ki] 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[kj] to Jerusalem. The message was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of[kk] 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?[kl] 11 Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will rescue us from the power[km] of the king of Assyria.” But he is misleading you, and you will die of hunger and thirst![kn] 12 Hezekiah is the one who eliminated[ko] the Lord’s[kp] 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[kq] 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?[kr] 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?[ks] 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[kt] can your gods rescue[ku] you from my power?’”
16 Sennacherib’s[kv] servants further insulted[kw] the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 17 He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words:[kx] “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.”[ky] 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[kz] and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib[la] returned home humiliated.[lb] When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons[lc] 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.[ld] He made them secure on every side.[le] 23 Many were bringing presents[lf] to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by[lg] all the nations.
Hezekiah’s Shortcomings and Accomplishments
24 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness.[lh] He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed.[li] 25 But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem.[lj] 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.[lk]
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.[ll] 29 He built royal cities[lm] 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.[ln] 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,[lo] God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.[lp]
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.[lq] 33 Hezekiah passed away[lr] 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.[ls] 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[lt] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations[lu] 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[lv] and worshiped[lw] them. 4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my permanent home.”[lx] 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[ly] 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.[lz] He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered him.[ma] 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.[mb] 8 I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,[mc] 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[md] 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[me] 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,[mf] bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 12 In his pain[mg] Manasseh[mh] asked the Lord his God for mercy[mi] and truly[mj] humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.[mk] 13 When he prayed to the Lord,[ml] the Lord[mm] responded to him[mn] and answered favorably[mo] his cry for mercy. The Lord[mp] brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.
14 After this Manasseh[mq] built up the outer wall of the City of David[mr] 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[ms] 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[mt] spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are recorded[mu] 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.[mv] 20 Manasseh passed away[mw] 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[mx] the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon offered sacrifices to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped[my] them. 23 He did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done.[mz] Amon was guilty of great sin.[na] 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[nb] made his son Josiah king in his place.
Josiah Institutes Religious Reforms
34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what the Lord approved[nc] and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps;[nd] he did not deviate to the right or the left.
3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor[ne] David. In his twelfth year he began ridding[nf] Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images. 4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down,[ng] and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols, and images, crushed them, and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests[nh] on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins[ni] around them, 7 he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, he continued his policy of purifying the land and the temple.[nj] He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city official, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to repair the temple of the Lord his God. 9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God’s temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the people of[nk] Manasseh and Ephraim and from all who were left in Israel, as well as from all the people of[nl] Judah and Benjamin and the residents of[nm] Jerusalem. 10 They handed it over to the construction foremen[nn] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They in turn paid the temple workers to restore and repair it.[no] 11 They gave money to the craftsmen and builders to buy chiseled stone and wood for the braces and rafters of the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into disrepair.[np] 12 The men worked faithfully. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah (Levites descended from Merari), as well as Zechariah and Meshullam (descendants of Kohath). The Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians, 13 supervised the laborers and all the foremen on their various jobs.[nq] Some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and guards.
14 When they took out the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the law scroll the Lord had given to Moses. 15 Hilkiah informed Shaphan the scribe, “I found the law scroll in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and reported,[nr] “Your servants are doing everything assigned to them. 17 They melted down the silver in the Lord’s temple[ns] and handed it over to the supervisors and the construction foremen.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. 20 The king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah,[nt] Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 21 “Go, ask the Lord[nu] for me and for those who remain in Israel and Judah about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited[nv] against us, because our ancestors did not obey the word of the Lord by living[nw] according to all that is written in this scroll.”
22 So Hilkiah and the others sent by the king[nx] went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah,[ny] the supervisor of the wardrobe.[nz] (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh[oa] district.) They stated their business,[ob] 23 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the curses that are recorded in the scroll which they read before the king of Judah. 25 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices[oc] to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made.[od] My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 26 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard: 27 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit[oe] and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words concerning this place and its residents. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 28 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.[of] You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.
29 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.[og] 30 The king went up to the Lord’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites. All the people were there, from the oldest to the youngest. He read aloud all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the Lord’s temple. 31 The king stood by his pillar[oh] and renewed[oi] the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow[oj] the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being,[ok] by carrying out the terms[ol] of this covenant recorded on this scroll. 32 He made all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it.[om] The residents of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged[on] all who were in Israel to worship the Lord their God. Throughout the rest of his reign[oo] they did not turn aside from following the Lord God of their ancestors.
Josiah Observes the Passover
35 Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged them to carry out their service in the Lord’s temple. 3 He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the Lord, “Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don’t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel! 4 Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed in writing by King David of Israel and his son Solomon. 5 Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen.[op] 6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to celebrate[oq] according to the Lord’s message which came through Moses.”
7 From his own royal flocks and herds, Josiah supplied the people with 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as 3,000 cattle.[or] 8 His officials also willingly contributed to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of God’s temple, gave the priests 2,600 Passover sacrifices and 300 cattle. 9 Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the officials of the Levites, supplied the Levites with 5,000 Passover sacrifices and 500 cattle. 10 Preparations were made,[os] and the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions as prescribed by the king. 11 They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood,[ot] while the Levites skinned the animals. 12 They reserved the burnt offerings and the cattle for the family divisions of the people to present to the Lord, as prescribed in the scroll of Moses.[ou] 13 They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people. 14 Afterward they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering burnt sacrifices and fat portions until evening. The Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s prophet.[ov] The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them.
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