Historical
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 [a]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 [b]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 [c]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, [d]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 [e]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 [f]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 [g]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 [h]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 [i]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 [j]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 [k]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 [l]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 [m]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 [n]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 [o]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 [p]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 [q]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 [r]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 [s]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 [t]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, (A)as it is written in the Law of the Lord)
4 He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give a [u]part to the Priests, and Levites, that they might be [v]encouraged in the law of the Lord.
5 ¶ And when the commandment was [w]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 [x]which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them on [y]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 [z]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 [aa]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 [ab]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 [ac]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 [ad]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.
32 1 Sennacherib invadeth Judah. 3 Hezekiah prepareth for the war. 7 He exhorteth the people to put their trust in the Lord. 9 Sennacherib blasphemeth God. 20 Hezekiah prayeth. 21 The Angel destroyeth the Assyrians and the king is slain. 25 Hezekiah is not thankful toward the Lord. 33 His death.
1 After these things faithfully described, (B)Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and besieged the strong cities, and thought to [ae]win them for himself.
2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that his [af]purpose was to fight against Jerusalem,
3 Then he took counsel with his princes and his nobles, to stop the water of the fountains without the city: and they did help him.
4 So many of the people assembled themselves, and stopped all the fountains, and the river that ran through the midst of the country, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
5 And [ag]he took courage, and built all the broken wall, and made up the towers, and another wall without, and repaired [ah]Millo in the [ai]city of David, and made many [aj]darts and shields.
6 And he set captains of war over the people, and assembled them to him in the broad place of the gate of the city, and [ak]spake comfortably unto them, saying,
7 Be strong and courageous: fear not, neither be afraid for the king of Assyria, neither for all the multitude that is with him: (C)for there be more with us, then is with him.
8 With him is an [al]arm of flesh, but with us is the [am]Lord our God for to help us, and to fight our battles. Then the people were confirmed by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 (D)After this, did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem (while he was [an]against Lachish, and all his dominion with him) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 Thus saith Sennacherib the king of Assyria, Wherein do ye trust, that ye will remain in Jerusalem, during the siege?
11 Doth not Hezekiah entice you to give over yourselves unto death by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places, and his [ao]altars, and commanded Judah, and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?
13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other countries? were the gods of the nations of other lands able to deliver their land out of mine hand?
14 Who is he of all the [ap]gods of those nations (that my fathers have destroyed) that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor seduce you after this sort, neither believe ye him: for none of all the gods of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of [aq]mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your gods deliver you out of mine hand?
16 And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his [ar]servant Hezekiah.
17 He wrote also letters, blaspheming the Lord God of Israel, and speaking against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other countries could not deliver their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.
18 Then they [as]cried with a loud voice in the Jews speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to fear them and to astonish them, that they might take the city.
19 Thus they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, even the [at]works of man’s hands,
20 But Hezekiah the King, and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz [au]prayed against this and cried to heaven.
21 And the Lord sent an Angel, which destroyed all the valiant men, and the princes and [av]captains of the host of the king of Assyria: so he returned [aw]with shame to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his [ax]own bowels, slew him there with the sword.
22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and [ay]maintained them on every side.
23 And many brought offerings unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was [az]magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
24 (E)In those days Hezekiah was sick unto the death, and prayed unto the Lord, who spake unto him, and gave him [ba]a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not render according to the reward bestowed upon him: for his heart [bb]was lifted up, and wrath came upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself (after that his heart was lifted up) he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekiah also had exceeding much riches and honor, and he got him treasures of silver, and of gold, and of precious stones, and of sweet odors, and of shields, and of all pleasant vessels:
28 And of store houses for the increase of wheat and wine and oil, and stalls for all beasts, and [bc]rows for the [bd]stables.
29 And he made him cities, and had possession of sheep and oxen in abundance: for God had given him substance exceeding much.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water springs of [be]Gihon, and led them straight underneath toward the city of David Westward: so Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 But because of the ambassadors of the princes of Babel, which sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to [bf]try him, and to know all that was in his heart.
32 Concerning the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the Prophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the highest sepulcher of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death, and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
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