1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. The Argument - This second book contains the acts of the kings of Judah and Israel: that is, of Israel, from the death of Ahab to the last king Hoshea, who was imprisoned by the king of Assyria, and his city Samaria taken, and the ten tribes led into captivity by the just plague of God for their idolatry and disobedience to God. Also of Judah, from the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat to Zedekiah, who for contemning the Lord's commandment by his prophets, and neglecting his many admonitions by famine and other means was taken by his enemies, saw his sons most cruelly slain before his face, and his own eyes put out, as the Lord had declared to him before by his prophet Jeremiah. By the just vengeance of God for contempt of his word Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple burnt, and he and all his people were led away captives into Babylon. In this book are notable examples of God's favour toward those rulers and people who obey his prophets, and embrace his word: and contrariwise of his plagues on those who neglect his ministers, and do not obey his commandments.
2 And So that he was punished for his idolatry in two ways: for the Moabites which were wont to pay him tribute rebelled and he fell out a window which was high in his house to give light beneath. Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that [was] in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of The Philistines who lived at Ekron worshipped this idol, the god of flies, thinking that he could preserve them from the biting of flies: or else he was so called, because flies were drawn in great abundance by the blood of the sacrifices that were offered to that idol. Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, He shows that idolaters do not have the true God, or else they would seek none but him alone. [Is it] not because [there is] not a God in Israel, [that] ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
4 Wherefore thus saith the Lorde, Thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death. So Eliiah departed.
5 And the messengers returned vnto him, to whome he said, Why are ye nowe returned?
6 And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Ignorance is the mother of error and idolatry. [Is it] not because [there is] not a God in Israel, [that] thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
7 And he saide vnto them, What maner of man was he which came and met you, and tolde you these wordes?
8 And they answered him, [He was] an Some think that this meant his garments, which were rough and made of hair. hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It [is] Elijah the Tishbite.
9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top That is, Carmel. of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I [be] a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. He declares the power God's word has in the mouth of his servants, when they threaten God's judgments against the wicked. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, He spoke this in mockery, and therefore provoked God's wrath so much more. O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, Meaning, that God would show by effect whether he was a true prophet or not. If I [be] a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my Which humble myself before God and his servant. life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be That is, spare my life, and do not let me die as the other two. precious in thy sight.
14 Beholde, there came fire downe from the heauen and deuoured the two former captaines ouer fiftie with their fifties: therefore let my life nowe be precious in thy sight.
15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be Thus the Lord gives boldness to his, that they fear not the threatenings of tyrants, who otherwise of themselves are afraid to do God's message. not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
16 And he saide vnto him, Thus saith the Lorde, Because thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, (was it not because there was no God in Israel to inquire of his worde?) therefore thou shalt not come downe off the bed, on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death.
17 So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoshaphat going to battle against the Syrians, made his son Jehoram king in the 17th year of his reign: and in the 18th year which was the second year of his son, Jehoram the son of Ahab reigned in Israel: and in the fifth year of this Jehoram Jehoshaphat died, and the kingdom of Judah was confirmed to his son. Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
18 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahaziah, that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Which was the place where the children of Israel were circumcised after they came over Jordan and had been forty years in the wilderness, (Jos_5:9). Gilgal.
2 Then Eliiah saide to Elisha, Tarie here, I pray thee: for the Lorde hath sent me to Bethel. But Elisha said, As the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. So they came downe to Beth-el.
3 And the So called, because they are begotten anew as it were by the heavenly doctrine. sons of the prophets that [were] at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from That is, from being your head any more: for to be as the head, is to be the master, as to be at the feet, is to be a scholar. thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I For the Lord had revealed it to him. know [it]; hold ye your peace.
4 Againe Eliiah saide vnto him, Elisha, tarie here, I pray thee: for the Lorde hath sent me to Iericho: But he said, As the Lorde liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. So they came to Iericho.
5 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Not only at Bethel, but at Jericho and other places were there prophets, who had scholars, whom they instructed and brought up in the true fear of God. Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.
6 Moreouer Eliiah saide vnto him, Tarie, I pray thee, here: for the Lorde hath sent me to Iorden. But he saide, As the Lorde liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. So they went both together.
7 And fiftie men of the sonnes of the Prophets went and stoode on the other side a farre off, and they two stoode by Iorden.
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it] together, and smote the That is, of Jordan. waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, Let your spirit have double force in me, because of these dangerous times: or let me have twice as much as the rest of the prophets: or if your spirit were to be divided into three parts, let me have two. let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10 And he saide, Thou hast asked an hard thing: yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt haue it so: & if not, it shal not be.
11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Thus God has left a testimony in all ages (both before the law, in the law and in the gospel). heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cryed, My father, my father, the charet of Israel, and the horsemen thereof: and he sawe him no more: and he tooke his owne clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 He tooke vp also the cloke of Eliiah that fell from him, and returned, and stoode by the banke of Iorden.
14 After, he tooke the cloke of Eliiah, that fell from him, and smote the waters, and sayde, Where is the Lord God of Eliiah? And so he also, after he had striken the waters, so that they were deuided this way and that way, went ouer, euen Elisha.
15 And when the sons of the prophets which [were] to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The The Spirit of prophecy was given to him as it was to Elijah. spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Because the fact was extraordinary, they doubted where he had gone, but Elisha was assured that he was taken up to God. Ye shall not send.
17 Yet they were instant vpon him, til he was ashamed: wherefore he saide, Sende. So they sent fiftie men, which sought three dayes, but founde him not.
18 Therefore they returned to him, (for he taryed at Iericho) and he said vnto them, Did not I say vnto you, Goe not?
19 And the men of the citie saide vnto Elisha, Beholde, we pray thee: the situation of this citie is pleasant, as thou, my lorde, seest, but the water is naught, and the ground baren.
20 Then he saide, Bring me a newe cruse, and put salt therein; they brought it to him.
21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast Thus God gave him power, even contrary to nature, to make the water profitable for man's use, which before was hurtful. the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren [land].
22 So the waters were healed vntill this day, according to the worde of Elisha which hee had spoken.
23 And he went vp from thence vnto Beth-el; as he was going vp the way, litle children came out of the citie, and mocked him, and saide vnto him, Come vp, thou balde head, come vp, thou balde head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and Perceiving their malicious heart against the Lord and his word, he asks God to avenge the injury done to him. cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
25 So he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the Read the annotation in (2Ki_1:17). eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought euill in the sight of the Lorde, but not like his father nor like his mother: for he tooke away the image of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the He sacrificed to the golden calves that Jeroboam had made. sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
4 And This was done after David had made the Moabites tributaries to his successors. Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel.
6 Therefore King Iehoram went out of Samaria the same season, and nombred all Israel,
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: Read (1Ki_22:4). I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, [and] my horses as thy horses.
8 Then said he, What way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way of the wildernesse of Edom.
9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the Meaning the viceroy, or lieutenant of the king of Judah, (1Ki_22:47). king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 Therefore the King of Israel sayde, Alas, that the Lord hath called these three Kings, to giue them into the hand of Moab.
11 But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here [is] Elisha the son of Shaphat, which That is, who was his servant. poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said, He is able to instruct us what God's will is in this point. The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, He knew that this wicked king would have but used his counsel to serve his turn, and therefore, he disdained to answer him. What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, The wicked do not esteem the servants of God unless they are driven by every necessity and fear of the present danger. Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 And Elisha said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would God suffers his word to be declared to the wicked because of the godly that are among them. not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel He sang songs to God's glory, and so stirred up the prophets heart to prophecy. played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
16 And he saide, Thus saith the Lorde, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the Lorde, Ye shall neither see winde nor see raine, yet the valley shalbe filled with water, that ye may drinke, both ye and your cattel, and your beastes.
18 And this is [but] a He will not only miraculously give you waters, but your enemies also into your hand. light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and Though God bestows his benefits for a time on the enemies, yet he has his seasons, when he will take them away to the intent they might see his vengeance which is prepared for them. mar every good piece of land with stones.
20 And in the morning whe the meat offring was offred, beholde, there came water by the way of Edom: and the countrey was filled with water.
21 And when al the Moabites heard that the Kings were come vp to fight against them, they gathered all that was able to put on harnesse, & vpwarde, and stood in their border.
22 And they rose earely in the morning, when the sunne arose vpon the water, and the Moabites saw the water ouer against them, as red as blood.
23 And they said, The sudden joy of the wicked is but a preparation for their destruction, which is at hand. This [is] blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they Meaning, they followed them into the towns. went forward smiting the Moabites, even in [their] country.
25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Which was one of the principle cities of the Moabites, in which they left nothing but the walls. Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about [it], and smote it.
26 And when the King of Moab saw that the battel was too sore for him, he tooke with him seuen hudreth men that drew the sword, to break through vnto the King of Edom: but they could not.
27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and Some refer it to the king of Edom's son, whom they say he had taken in that skirmish: but rather it seemed to be his own son, whom he offered to his gods to pacify them: which barbarous cruelty moved the Israelites hearts of pity to depart. offered him [for] a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to [their own] land.
1 (2Ki_2:3).Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did And therefore did not fall into debt by carelessness or excess but by the hand of the Lord. fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be Because I am poor and not able to pay. bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a Thus God permits his to be brought many times to extreme necessity, before he helps them, that afterward they may praise his mercy even more. pot of oil.
3 And he sayde, Goe, and borowe thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, emptie vessels, and spare not.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into The Prophet declares by this to her, that God never fails to provide for his servants, their wives and children, it they trust in him. all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So shee departed from him, and shut the doore vpon her, and vpon her sonnes; they brought to her, and she powred out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, [There is] not a vessel more. And the oil Or ceased to increase. stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the God here not only provided for his servant, that his debts should be paid and so kept his doctrine and profession without slander, but also for his wife and children. rest.
8 And on a time Elisha came to Shunem, and there a woman of great estimation constrained him to eate bread: and as he passed by, he turned in thither to eate bread.
9 And she sayde vnto her husband, Beholde, I know now, that this is an holy man of God that passeth by vs continually.
10 Let us make a Which would be separate from the rest of the house, that he might more conveniently give himself to study and prayers. little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And on a day, hee came thither and turned into the chamber, and lay therein,
12 And sayd to Gehazi his seruant, Call this Shunammite: and when hee called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; Thus the servants of God are not unthankful for the benefits they receive. what [is] to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I I am content with what God has sent me, and can lack nothing that one can do for another. dwell among mine own people.
14 And he said, What then [is] to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath Which was shameful and therefore he would that his master should pray to God for her that she might be fruitful. no child, and her husband is old.
15 Then said he, Cal her; hee called her, and shee stoode in the doore.
16 And he said, At this time appointed, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a sonne; she sayd, Oh my Lorde, thou man of God, doe not lye vnto thine handmayd.
17 So the woman conceiued, & bare a sonne at that same season, according to the time of life, that Elisha had sayd vnto her.
18 And when the childe was growen, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father, and to the reapers.
19 And he said unto his father, His head was hurt badly and therefore he cried. My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
20 And hee tooke him & brought him to his mother, and hee sate on her knees till noone, and dyed.
21 Then shee went vp, and layed him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the doore vpon him, and went out.
22 Then she called to her husband, & sayd, Send with me, I pray thee, one of the yong men and one of the asses: for I will haste to the man of God, and come againe.
23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? [it is] neither For at such times the people were wont to resort to the prophets for doctrine and consolation. new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, [It shall be] well.
24 Then she sadled an asse, and sayde to her seruant, Driue, and goe forward: staye not for me to get vp, except I bid thee.
25 So she went, and came vnto the man of God to mount Carmel; when the man of God sawe her ouer against him, he sayd to Gehazi his seruant, Beholde, the Shunammite.
26 Runne nowe, I say, to meete her, and say vnto her, Art thou in health? is thine husband in health? and is the child in health? And she answered, We are in health.
27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she In token of humility and joy that she had met with him. caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul [is] vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid [it] from me, and hath not told me.
28 Then she said, Did I desire a sonne of my lord? did I not say, Deceiue me not?
29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: Make such speed that nothing may stop you in the way, (Luk_10:4). if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
30 And the mother of the childe sayde, As the Lorde liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. Therefore he arose, and followed her.
31 But Gehazi was gone before them, & had layed the staffe vpon the face of the childe, but he neither spake nor heard: wherefore hee returned to meete him, and told him, saying, The childe is not waken.
32 Then came Elisha into the house, and beholde, the childe was dead, and layed vpon his bedde.
33 He went in therefore, and shut the doore vpon them twayne, and prayed vnto the Lord.
34 And he went up, and Elijah did the same to the widow's son at Zarephath (1Ki_17:21) and Paul in (Act_20:10) signifying the care that should be in them, who bear the word of God and are distributors of spiritual life. lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed Meaning, often. seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
36 Then he called Gehazi, and sayd, Call this Shunammite. So he called her, which came in vnto him; he said vnto her, Take thy sonne.
37 And she came, and fell at his feete, and bowed her selfe to the ground, and tooke vp her sonne, and went out.
38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and [there was] a dearth in the That is, in the land of Israel. land; and the sons of the prophets [were] sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a Which the apothecaries call colloquintida, and is most vehement and dangerous in purging. wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred [them] into the pot of pottage: for they knew [them] not.
40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O [thou] man of God, [there is] They feared that they were poisoned because of the bitterness. death in the pot. And they could not eat [thereof].
41 Then he said, Bring meale; hee cast it into the potte, and sayd, Powre out for the people, that they may eate: and there was none euill in the pot.
42 Then came a man from Baal-shalisha, & brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, euen twenty loaues of barley, and full eares of corne in the huske; hee saide, Giue vnto the people, that they may eate.
43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and It is not the quantity of bread that satisfies, but the blessing that God gives. shall leave [thereof].
44 So he set it before them, and they did eate, and left ouer, according to the word of the Lord.
1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given Here it appears that among the infidels God has his, and also that the infidels esteem those who do good to their country. deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, [but he was] a leper.
2 And the Aramites had gone out by bands, and had taken a litle mayde of the land of Israel, and shee serued Naamans wife.
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were] with the Meaning Elisha. prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
4 And That is, Naaman told it to the king of Syria. [one] went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that [is] of the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and To give this as a present to the prophets. took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6 And brought the letter to the King of Israel to this effect, Now when this letter is come vnto thee, vnderstand, that I haue sent thee Naaman my seruant, that thou maiest heale him of his leprosie.
7 And when the King of Israel had read the letter, he rent his clothes, and sayde, Am I God, to kil and to giue life, that hee doth send to mee, that I should heale a man from his leprosie? wherfore consider, I pray you, and see howe he seeketh a quarel against me.
8 And it was [so], when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, The prophet rebukes the king because he did not consider that God was true in his promise, and therefore would not leave his Church destitute of a prophet, whose prayers he would hear, and to whom others could have recourse for comfort. Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 Then Naaman came with his horses, and with his charets, and stoode at the doore of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger vnto him, saying, Go and wash thee in Iorden seuen times, and thy flesh shall come againe to thee, and thou shalt be clensed.
11 But Naaman was Man's reason murmurs when it considers only the signs and outward things, and has no regard for the word of God, which is contained there. wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, riuers of Damascus, better then all the waters of Israel? may I not washe mee in them, and bee cleansed? so hee turned, and departed in displeasure.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, This declares that servants should reverence and love their masters as children their fathers, and likewise masters toward their servants, must be affectioned as toward their children. My father, [if] the prophet had bid thee [do some] great thing, wouldest thou not have done [it]? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he downe, and washed him selfe seuen times in Iorden, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came againe, like vnto ye flesh of a litle child, & he was cleane.
15 And hee turned againe to the man of God, hee, and all his companie, and came and stood before him, and sayd, Behold, now I knowe that there is no God in all the world, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a reward of thy seruant.
16 But he said, [As] the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take [it]; So the Lord commands that they that receive freely, should also give freely. but he refused.
17 Moreouer Naaman sayde, Shall there not be giuen to thy seruant two mules loade of this earth? for thy seruant will henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offring vnto any other god, saue vnto the Lord.
18 In this thing the LORD He feels his conscience is wounded by being present at idols service, and therefore desires God to forgive him, lest others by his example might fall to idolatry: for as for his own part he confesses that he will never serve any but the true God. pardon thy servant, [that] when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.
19 And he said unto him, The prophet did not approve his act, but after the common manner of speech he bids him farewell. Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20 And Gehazi the seruant of Elisha the man of God sayde, Beholde, my master hath spared this Aramite Naaman, receiuing not those things at his hand that he brought: as the Lord liueth, I will runne after him, and take somewhat of him.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw [him] running after him, Declaring by it, the honour and affection he bore to the prophet his master. he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, [Is] all well?
22 And he answered, All is well: my master hath set me, saying, Behold, there be come to me, euen nowe from mount Ephraim two yong men of the children of the Prophets: giue them, I pray thee, a talent of siluer, & two change of garmets.
23 And Naaman saide, Yea, take two talents: and he compelled him, and bound two talents of siluer in two bagges, with two change of garments, and gaue them vnto two of his seruants, that they might beare them before him.
24 And when he came to the tower, he took [them] from their hand, and bestowed [them] in the house: and he let the men go, and Naaman's servants. they departed.
25 Then he went in, and stoode before his master; Elisha said vnto him, Whence commest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy seruant went no whither.
26 And he said unto him, Was I not present with you in spirit? Went not mine heart [with thee], when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? [Is it] a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and That is, money to buy possessions with: meaning that it is detestable in the servants of God to have covetous minds. oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy To be an example to all, by whose covetousness God's word might be slandered. seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow.
1 And the children of the Prophets saide vnto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the place where we dwell with thee, is too litle for vs.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a Or a piece of wood fit to build with. beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3 And one said, Vouchsafe, I pray thee, to go with thy seruants, and he answered, I will goe.
4 So he went with them, & when they came to Iorden, they cut downe wood.
5 And as one was felling of a tree, the yron fell into the water: then he cryed, and said, Alas master, it was but borowed.
6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast [it] in thither; and the iron did God wrought this miraculously to confirm the authority of Elisha, to whom he had given such abundance of his Spirit. swim.
7 Then he saide, Take it vp to thee; he stretched out his hand, and tooke it.
8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In Meaning, that he would lie in ambush and take the Israelites unawares. such and such a place [shall be] my camp.
9 Therefore the man of God sent vnto the King of Israel, saying, Beware thou goe not ouer to such a place: for there the Aramites are come downe.
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and The wicked conspire nothing so craftily, but God can reveal it to his servants, and cause their counsel to be disclosed. saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 And the heart of the King of Aram was troubled for this thing: therefore he called his seruants and saide vnto them, Will ye not shewe me, which of vs bewrayeth our counsel to the king of Israel?
12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that [is] in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy There is nothing so secret that you can go about, but he knows it, and reveals it to his king. bedchamber.
13 And he said, Goe, and espie where he is, that I may sende and fetch him; one tolde him, saying, Beholde, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a Though it was nothing in man's judgment to have taken Elisha, yet the wicked doubt, and think they are never able to prepare enough power, though it be but against one or a few. great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the seruant of the man of God arose earely to goe out, beholde, an hoste compassed the citie with horses and charets. Then his seruant sayde vnto him, Alas master, howe shall we doe?
16 And he answered, For he was assured of God's help, and that millions of angels camped about the godly to deliver them. Fear not: for they that [be] with us [are] more than they that [be] with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, That he may behold how you have prepared an army to rescue us. that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was] full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when Meaning the Syrians his enemies, who came down thinking themselves sure of him. they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This [is] not the way, neither [is] this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led Thus he did being led by the Spirit of God, and not because he sought his own revenge, but only to set forth the glory of God. them to Samaria.
20 And when they were come to Samaria, Elisha saide, Lorde, open their eyes that they may see; the Lorde opened their eyes, and they saw, & beholde, they were in the mids of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, The wicked use reverent and grave words toward the servants of God, when they think to have any blessing from them, though in their heart they cannot abide them. My father, shall I smite [them]? shall I smite [them]?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: doest thou not smite them that thou hast taken with thy sworde, and with thy bowe? but set bread and water before them, that they may eate and drinke and goe to their master.
23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no For this gentle intreaty and the miracle wrought by the prophet, did more for peace than if they had been overcome in battle for they did not return at that time to fight against Israel, or in that king's days. more into the land of Israel.
24 But afterward Ben-hadad King of Aram gathered all his hoste, and went vp, and besieged Samaria.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [sold] for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's The Hebrews write, that they burned it in the seige for lack of wood. dung for five [pieces] of silver.
26 And as the King of Israel was going vpon the wall, there cryed a woman vnto him, saying, Helpe, my lord, O King.
27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the Meaning, any kind of food as corn and wine. barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 Also the King said vnto her, What ayleth thee? And she answered, This woman sayde vnto me, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him to day, and we will eate my sonne to morowe,
29 So we sod my sonne, and did eate him: & I saide to her the day after, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him, but she hath hid her sonne.
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, [he had] sackcloth within Thus hypocrites when they feel God's judgments think to please him with outward ceremonies whom in prosperity they will not know. upon his flesh.
31 And he saide, God doe so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the sonne of Shaphat shall stande on him this day.
32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and [the king] sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a Meaning, Jehoram Ahab's son, who killed the prophets and caused Naboth to be stoned. murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: [is] not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil [is] of the LORD; what So the wicked fall into a rage and desperation, if they do not find a quick remedy for their afflictions. should I wait for the LORD any longer?
1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, The godly are always assured of God's help in their necessity, but the times and hours are only revealed by God's Spirit. To morrow about this time [shall] a measure of fine flour [be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
2 Then a lord on whose hand the king To whom the king gave the charge and oversight of things as in (2Ki_7:17). leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, [if] the LORD would make He mocked at the prophets words saying, that if God rained down corn from heaven, yet this could not come to pass. windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see [it] with thine eyes, but shalt not Your infidelity will be punished in this when you see this miracle, and yet not partake of it. eat thereof.
3 And there were four leprous men at the For it was commanded in the law that they should dwell apart, and not among their brethren, (Lev_13:46). entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
4 If we say, We will enter into the citie, the famine is in the citie, and we shall die there: and if we sit here, we dye also. Nowe therefore come, and let vs fall into the campe of the Aramites: if they saue our liues, we shall liue: and if they kill vs, we are but dead.
5 So they rose vp in the twilight, to goe to the campe of the Aramites: and when they were come to the vtmost part of the campe of the Aramites, loe, there was no man there.
6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a Thus God needs no great preparation to destroy the wicked. Though they are many he can scatter them with a small noise, or shaking of a leaf. noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it [was], and The wicked need no greater enemy than their own conscience to pursue them. fled for their life.
8 And when these lepers came to the vtmost part of the campe, they entred into one tent, and did eate and drinke, and caryed thence siluer and golde, and raiment, and went and hid it: after they returned, and entred into another tent, and caryed thence also, and went and hid it.
9 Then saide one to another, We doe not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we holde our peace. If we tary till day light, some mischiefe will come vpon vs. Nowe therefore, come, let vs goe, and tell the Kings housholde.
10 So they came, and called vnto the porters of the citie, and tolde them, saying, We came to the campe of the Aramites, and loe, there was no man there, neither voyce of man, but horses tyed and asses tyed: and the tents are as they were.
11 And the porters cryed and declared to the Kings house within.
12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, He mistrusted the prophets words, and therefore could believe nothing, as they who are more prudent than godly always cast more doubt than is needed. I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we [be] hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.
13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let [some] take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they [are] as all the There are no more left, but they, or the rest are consumed by the famine, as the rest of the people. multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, [I say], they [are] even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.
14 So they tooke two charets of horses, and the King sent after the hoste of the Aramites, saying, Goe and see.
15 And they went after them vnto Iorden, and loe, all the way was full of clothes and vessels which the Aramites had cast from them in their hast: & the messengers returned, and told ye King.
16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, Which he spoke by the mouth of Elisha, (2Ki_7:1). according to the word of the LORD.
17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people As the people pressed out of the gate to run to the Syrian's tents, where they had heard meat and great spoil was left. trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
18 And it came to passe, as the man of God had spoken to the King, saying, Two measures of barley at a shekel, and a measure of fine floure shall be at a shekel, to morowe about this time in the gate of Samaria.
19 But the prince had answered the man of God, and saide, Though the Lorde would make windowes in the heauen, coulde it come so to passe? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eate thereof.
20 And so it came vnto him: for the people trode vpon him in the gate, and he dyed.
1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou Where you can find a convenient place to dwell, where there is plenty. canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
2 And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God, and went both shee and her housholde and soiourned in the lande of the Philistims seuen yeeres.
3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth That is, to complain of them who had taken her possessions while she was absent. to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.
4 And the King talked with Gehazi the seruant of the man of God, saying, Tell mee, I pray thee, all the great actes, that Elisha hath done.
5 And it came to pass, as he was telling God's wonderful providence appears in this, that he caused the king to desire to hear him, whom before he contemned and also hereby prepared an entrance to the poor widows suit. the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this [is] the woman, and this [is] her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that [was] hers, and all the The king caused that to be justly restored which was wrongfully withheld from her. fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.
7 Then Elisha came to Damascus, and Ben-hadad the King of Aram was sicke, and one told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
8 And the king sayd vnto Hazael, Take a present in thine hande, and goe meete the man of God, that thou mayest inquire of ye Lord by him, saying, Shall I recouer of this disease?
9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every Of all the chiefest and precious things of the country. good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly Meaning that he would recover of this disease: but he knew that this messenger Hazael would slay him to obtain the kingdom. recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
11 And hee looked vpon him stedfastly, till Hazael was ashamed, and the man of God wept.
12 And Hazael sayde, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I knowe the euill that thou shalt do vnto the children of Israel: for their strong cities shalt thou set on fire, and their yong men shalt thou slay with the sworde, and shalt dash their infantes against the stones, and rent in pieces their women with child.
13 And Hazael said, But what, [is] thy servant That I should be without all humanity and pity. a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou [shalt be] king over Syria.
14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, What saide Elisha to thee? And he answered, Hee tolde mee that thou shouldest recouer.
15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped [it] in water, and Under pretence to refresh or ease him, he suffocated him with his cloak. spread [it] on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
16 And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat [being] then king of Judah, Read (2Ki_1:17). Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
17 He was two and thirtie yere olde, when he began to reigne: and hee reigned eight yeere in Ierusalem.
18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the The Holy Spirit shows by this the danger of joining with infidels. daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Iudah, for Dauid his seruants sake, as he had promised him to giue him a light, and to his children for euer.
20 In his days Edom Which had been subject from David's time until this time of Jehoram. revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
21 Therefore Ioram went to Zair, and all his charets with him, and he arose by night, & smote the Edomites which were about him with the captains of the charets, and the people fled into their tents.
22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then This was a city in Judah given to the Levites, (Jos_21:13) that later turned from king Jehoram, because of his idolatry. Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ioram and all that hee did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
24 And Ioram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid; Ahaziah his sonne reigned in his stead.
25 In the twelft yere of Ioram the sonne of Ahab King of Israel did Ahaziah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah begin to reigne.
26 Which is to be understood, that he was made king when his father reigned, but after his father's death he was confirmed king when he was forty-two years old, as in (2Ch_22:2).Two and twenty years old [was] Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did euill in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab: for hee was the sonne in law of the house of Ahab.
28 And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Which was a city in the tribe of Gad beyond Jordan. Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.
29 And king Joram went back to be healed in This is a city belonging to the tribe of Issachar. Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Prepare yourself to go diligently about your business for in those countries they used long garments which they tucked up when they went about earnest business. Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:
2 And when thou commest thither, looke where is Iehu ye sonne of Iehoshaphat, the sonne of Nimshi, and go, and make him arise vp from among his brethren, and leade him to a secret chamber.
3 Then take the boxe of oyle and powre it on his head, and say, Thus sayth the Lorde, I haue anointed thee for King ouer Israel. Then open the doore, and flee without any tarying.
4 So the seruat of ye Prophet gate him to Ramoth Gilead.
5 And when he came in, behold, the captaines of the armie were sitting; he sayde, I haue a message to thee, O captaine; Iehu sayd, Vnto which of all vs? And he answered, To thee, O captaine.
6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have This anointing was for kings, priests and prophets which were all figures of Messiah, in whom these three offices were accomplished. anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, [even] over Israel.
7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may auenge the blood of my seruants the Prophets, and the blood of al the seruants of the Lord of the hand of Iezebel.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shalbe destroied: and I will cut off from Ahab, him that maketh water against the wall, as well him that is shut vp, as him that is left in Israel.
9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the sonne of Ahiiah.
10 And the dogges shall eate Iezebel in the fielde of Izreel, and there shalbe none to burie her; he opened the doore, and fled.
11 Then Jehu came forth to the That is, the rest of the army, whom he called his brethren before, (2Ki_9:2). servants of his lord: and [one] said unto him, [Is] all well? wherefore came this The world always holds the ministers of God is this estimation and has always slandered the children of God (they called the Son of God a deceiver, and said he had the devil) therefore they should not be discouraged. mad [fellow] to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.
12 And they sayde, It is false, tell vs it nowe. Then he sayd, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saieth the Lorde, I haue anointed thee for King ouer Israel.
13 Then they made haste, and tooke euerie man his garment, and put it vnder him on the top of the staires, and blewe the trumpet, saying, Iehu is King.
14 So Iehu ye sonne of Iehoshaphat the sonne of Nimshi conspired against Ioram: (Now Ioram kept Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael King of Aram.
15 And King Ioram returned to bee healed in Izreel of the woundes, which the Aramites had giuen him, when hee fought with Hazael King of Aram) and Iehu sayde, If it be your mindes, let no man depart and escape out of the citie, to goe and tell in Izreel.
16 So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And God had thus ordained as in (2Ch_12:7), that this wicked and idolatrous king, who was more ready to please wicked Joram than to obey the will of God, would perish with him, by whose means he thought to have been stronger. Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
17 And the watchman that stoode in the towre in Izreel spyed the companie of Iehu as hee came, & sayd, I see a companie; Iehoram said, Take a horseman and send to meete them, that hee may say, Is it peace?
18 So there went one on horseback to meete him, and sayde, Thus sayth the King, Is it peace? And Iehu sayd, What hast thou to do with peace? Turne behinde me; the watchman tolde, saying, The messenger came to them, but he commeth not againe.
19 Then hee sent out another on horsebacke, which came to them, and sayde, Thus sayth the King, Is it peace? And Iehu answered, What hast thou to doe with peace? turne behinde me.
20 And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving [is] like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth As one that went earnestly about his business. furiously.
21 Then Iehoram sayd, Make ready: and his charet was made ready; Iehoram King of Israel and Ahaziah King of Iudah went out eyther of them in his charet against Iehu, and met him in the fielde of Naboth the Izreelite.
22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, [Is it] Meaning, since God is their enemy because of their sins, he will always stir up someone to avenge his cause. peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts [are so] many?
23 Then Iehoram turned his hand, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, O Ahaziah, there is treason.
24 But Iehu tooke a bowe in his hande, and smote Iehoram betweene the shoulders, that the arowe went through his heart: and he fell downe in his charet.
25 Then said Iehu to Bidkar a captaine, Take, and cast him in some place of the fielde of Naboth the Izreelite: for I remember that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lorde layed this burden vpon him.
26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his By this it is evident that Jezebel caused both Naboth and his sons to be put to death, that Ahab might enjoy his vineyard more quietly: else his children might have claimed possession. sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take [and] cast him into the plat [of ground], according to the word of the LORD.
27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw [this], he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. [And they did so] at the going up to Gur, which [is] by Ibleam. And he fled to After he was wounded in Samaria, he fled to Megiddo, a city of Judah. Megiddo, and died there.
28 And his seruants caried him in a charet to Ierusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the citie of Dauid.
29 And in the That is, eleven whole years: for in (2Ki_8:25) when he said he began to reign in the twelfth year of Joram, he takes a partial year for a whole. eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard [of it]; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and Being of a harsh and cruel nature, she would still retain her royal state and dignity. looked out at a window.
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had] As if to say, «Can a traitor or anyone who rises against his superior succeed?», see (1Ki_16:10). Zimri peace, who slew his master?
32 And he lift vp his eyes to the windowe, and sayd, Who is on my side, who? Then two or three of her Eunuches looked vnto him.
33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: This he did by the moving of the Spirit of God, that her blood would be shed, who had shed the blood of innocents, to be a spectacle and example of God's judgment for all tyrants. and [some] of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.
34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed [woman], and bury her: for she [is] a That is, of the king of Zidon, (1Ki_16:31). king's daughter.
35 And they went to burie her, but they foud no more of her, then the skull and the feete, and the palmes of her handes.
36 Wherefore they came agayne and tolde him; he said, This is the worde of the Lorde, which he spake by his seruant Eliiah the Tishbite, saying, In the fielde of Izreel shall ye dogs eate the flesh of Iezebel.
37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; [so] that they shall not say, Thus God's judgments appear even in this world against those who suppress his word and persecute his servants. This [is] Jezebel.
1 And Ahab had seventy The Scripture calls them sons who are either children or nephews. sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's [children], saying,
2 Nowe when this letter commeth to you, (for ye haue with you your masters sonnes, yee haue with you both charets and horses, and a defenced citie, and armour)
3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and He wrote this, to prove them whether they would take his side or not. set [him] on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and saide, Behold two Kings coulde not stande before him, how shall we then stand?
5 And he that was gouernour of Ahabs house, and he that ruled the citie, and the Elders, & the bringers vp of the children sent to Iehu, saying, We are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs: we will make no King: do what seemeth good to thee.
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye [be] mine, and [if] ye will hearken unto my voice, God as a just judge punishes the wicked children of wicked parents to the third and fourth generations. take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, [being] seventy persons, [were] with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
7 And when the letter came to them, they tooke the Kings sonnes, and slewe the seuentie persons, and layde their heads in baskets, and sent them vnto him to Izreel.
8 Then there came a messenger and tolde him, saying, They haue brought the heads of the Kings sonnes; he sayd, Let them lay them on two heapes at the entring in of the gate vntil the morning.
9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye [be] You cannot justly condemn me for the king's death, seeing as you have done the same to his posterity: for the Lord commanded me, and moved you to carry out his judgment. righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
10 Knowe nowe that there shal fall vnto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lorde hath brought to passe the things that hee spake by his seruant Eliiah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his Meaning, the idolatrous priests. priests, until he left him none remaining.
12 And he arose, and departed and came to Samaria. And as Iehu was in the way by an house where the shepheards did shere,
13 He met with the brethre of Ahaziah king of Iudah, and sayd, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and goe downe to salute the children of the King and the children of the Queene.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, [even] two and forty men; Thus God's vengeance is on them who have any part or familiarity with the wicked. neither left he any of them.
15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him: and he For he feared God, and lamented the wickedness of those times: therefore Jehu was glad to join with him: of Rechab read (Jer_35:2). saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give [me] thine hand. And he gave [him] his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 And he sayde, Come with me, and see the zeale that I haue for the Lord: so they made him ride in his charet.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained vnto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the worde of the Lord, which he spake to Eliiah.
18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Here Baal is taken for Ashtaroth the idol of the Zidonians, who Jezebel caused to be worshipped, as it is also so used in (1Ki_22:53). Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve him much.
19 Now therefore call vnto me all ye prophets of Baal, all his seruants, & all his priests, & let not a man be lacking: for I haue a great sacrifice for Baal: whosoeuer is lacking, he shal not liue. But Iehu did it by a subtiltie to destroy ye seruats of Baal.
20 And Iehu sayd, Proclaime a solemne assemblie for Baal; they proclaimed it.
21 So Iehu sent vnto all Israel, and all the seruants of Baal came, and there was not a man left that came not; they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from ende to ende.
22 Then he said vnto him that had the charge of the vestrie, Bring forth vestments for al the seruants of Baal; he brought the out vestments.
23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the Thus God would have his servants preserved and idolaters destroyed, as in his law he gives express command, (Deu_13:5). servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.
24 And when they went in to make sacrifice and burnt offering, Iehu appoynted foure score men without, and sayd, If any of the men whome I haue brought into your hands, escape, his soule shalbe for his soule.
25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, [and] slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast [them] out, and went to the Which was near Samaria. city of the house of Baal.
26 And they brought out the images of the temple of Baal, and burnt them.
27 And they destroyed the image of Baal, and threwe downe the house of Baal, & made a iakes of it vnto this day.
28 So Iehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 But fro the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat which made Israel to sinne, Iehu departed not fro them, neither from the golden calues that were in Beth-el and that were in Dan.
30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing [that which is] right in mine eyes, [and] hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that [was] in mine heart, thy Thus God approves and rewards his zeal, in executing God's judgment, though his wickedness was later punished. children of the fourth [generation] shall sit on the throne of Israel.
31 But Iehu regarded not to walke in the law of the Lorde God of Israel with all his heart: for hee departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam, which made Israel to sinne.
32 In those dayes the Lorde began to lothe Israel, and Hazael smote them in all the coastes of Israel,
33 From Iorden Eastward, euen all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, & them that were of Manasseh, from Aroer (which is by the riuer Arnon) and Gilead and Bashan.
34 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehu, and all that he did, and all his valiant deedes, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
35 And Iehu slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in Samaria, and Iehoahaz his sonne reigned in his stead.
36 And the time that Iehu reigned ouer Israel in Samaria is eight and twentie yeeres.
1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the Meaning, all the posterity of Jehoshaphat, to whom the kingdom belonged: thus God used the cruelty of this woman to destroy the family of Ahab. seed royal.
2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, The Lord promised to maintain the family of David, and not to quench the light of it, therefore he moved the heart of Jehosheba to preserve him. took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons [which were] slain; and they hid him, [even] him and his nurse, in Where the priests slept. the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
3 And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord sixe yeere: and Athaliah did reigne ouer the land.
4 And the seventh year The chief priest, Jehosheba's husband. Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son.
5 And he commanded them, saying, This [is] the thing that ye shall do; A third part of Of the Levites, who had charge of the keeping of the temple, and kept watch by course. you that enter in on the sabbath shall That no one should come on them, while they were crowning the king. even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;
6 And a third part [shall be] at the gate of Called the east gate of the temple, (2Ch_23:5). Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down.
7 And two parts of all you that Whose charge is ended. go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
8 And ye shal compasse the King rounde about, euery man with his weapon in his hande, and whosoeuer commeth within the ranges, let him be slayne: be you with the King, as he goeth out and in.
9 And the captains over the hundreds did according to all [things] that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the Read (2Ki_11:5, 2Ki_11:7). sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
10 And to the captains over hundreds did the That is, Jehoiada. priest give king David's spears and shields, that [were] in the temple of the LORD.
11 And the garde stoode, euery man with his weapon in his hande, from the right side of the house to the left side, about the altar and about the house, round about the King.
12 And he brought forth That is, Joash, who had been kept secret six years. the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] Meaning, the law of God, which is his chief charge, and by which only his throne is established. the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
13 And when Athaliah heard the noyse of the running of the people, shee came in to the people in the house of the Lord.
14 And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a Where the king's place was in the temple. pillar, as the manner [was], and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.
15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that To take her part. followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
16 Then they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, by the which the horses goe to the house of the King, and there was she slaine.
17 And Jehoiada made a That both the king and the people should maintain the true worship of God and destroy all idolatry. covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the That he should govern and they obey in the fear of God. king also and the people.
18 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the Even in the place where he had blasphemed God, and thought to have been helped by his idol, there God poured his vengeance on him. altars. And the That is, Jehoiada. priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.
19 Then he tooke the captaines of hudreths, and the other captaines, and the garde, and all the people of the lande: and they brought the King from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the garde to the Kings house: and he sate him downe on the throne of the Kings.
20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: Who by his cruelty and persecution had troubled the whole land. and they slew Athaliah with the sword [beside] the king's house.
21 Seuen yeere olde was Iehoash when he began to reigne.
1 In the seuenth yere of Iehu Iehoash began to reigne, & reigned fourty yeres in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
2 And Jehoash did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein As long as rulers give ear to the true ministers of God, they prosper. Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3 But So hard a thing it is for them, that are in authority, to be brought to the perfect obedience of God. the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, [even] the money of every one that passeth [the That is, the money of redemption (Exo_30:12), also the money which the priest valued the vows at (Lev_27:2), and their free gift. account], the money that every man is set at, [and] all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,
5 Let the priests take [it] to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the For the temple which was built a hundred and fifty-five years before, had many things decayed in it, both by the negligence of the king's predecessors, and also by the wickedness of the idolaters. breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.
6 Yet in the three and twentieth yeere of King Iehoash the Priestes had not mended that which was decayed in the Temple.
7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the [other] priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore He takes from them the ordering of the money, because of their negligence. receive no [more] money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.
8 So the Priestes consented to receiue no more money of the people, neither to repaire the decayed places of the Temple.
9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the That is, on the south side. right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money [that was] brought into the house of the LORD.
10 And when they sawe there was much money in the chest, the Kinges Secretarie came vp and the hie Priest, and put it vp after that they had tolde the money that was found in the house of the Lord,
11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them For the king had appointed others who were fit for that purpose, (2Ki_22:5). that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,
12 And to the masons and hewers of stone, and to bye timber and hewed stone, to repayre that was decayed in the house of the Lorde, and for all that which was layed out for the reparation of the Temple.
13 Howbeit there were For these men only had charge of the repairing of the temple, the rest of the money was brought to the king who caused these to be made later, (2Ch_24:14). not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money [that was] brought into the house of the LORD:
14 But they gaue it to the workemen, which repayred therewith the house of the Lord.
15 Moreouer, they reckoned not with the men, into whose handes they deliuered that money to be bestowed on workemen: for they dealt faithfully.
16 The money of the trespasse offring and the money of ye sinne offrings was not brought into the house of the Lord: for it was the Priests.
17 Then came vp Hazael King of Aram, & fought against Gath and tooke it, and Hazael set his face to goe vp to Ierusalem.
18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold [that was] found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and After the death of Jehoiada, Joash fell to idolatry: therefore God rejected him, and stirred up his enemy against him, whom he pacified with the treasures of the temple: for God would not be served with those gifts, seeing the king's heart was wicked. sent [it] to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.
19 Concerning the rest of the acts of Ioash & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
20 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and Because he had put Zachariah the son of Jehoiada to death, (2Ch_24:25). slew Joash in the house of Read (2Sa_5:9). Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
21 Euen Iozachar the sonne of Shimeath, and Iehozabad the sonne of Shomer his seruants smote him, and he dyed: & they buried him with his fathers in the citie of Dauid; Amaziah his sonne reigned in his stead.
1 In the three and twentieth yeere of Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah King of Iudah, Iehoahaz the sonne of Iehu began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seuenteene yeere.
2 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to By worshipping the calves Jeroboam erected in Israel. sin; he departed not therefrom.
3 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all While Jehoahaz lived. [their] days.
4 And Iehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord heard him: for he saw the trouble of Israel, wherewith the King of Aram troubled them.
5 (And the LORD gave Israel a That is, Joash the son of Jehoahaz. saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel Safely and without danger. dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, [but] walked therein: and there remained the In which they committed their idolatry, and which the Lord had commanded to be destroyed (Deu_16:21). grove also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of That is, Hazael and Benhadad his son, (2Ki_13:3). Of Hazael read (2Ki_13:22). Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
8 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoahaz and all that he did, and his valiant deedes, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
9 And Iehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Ioash his sonne reigned in his steade.
10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king His chief purpose is to describe the kingdom of Judah, and how God performed his promise made to the house of David: but in the process he shows how Israel was afflicted and punished for their great idolatry, who though they had now degenerated, yet God both by sending them many prophets and various punishments, called them to him again. of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] sixteen years.
11 And did euil in the sight of the Lorde: for he departed not from all the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne, but he walked therein.
12 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ioash and all that he did, and his valiant deedes, and how he fought against Amaziah King of Iudah, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
13 And Ioash slept with his fathers, and Ieroboam sate vpon his seate: and Ioash was buryed in Samaria among the Kings of Israel.
14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, Thus they used to call the prophets and servants of God, by whom God blesses his people, as in (2Ki_2:12) meaning that they prospered their country more by their prayers than by force of arms. O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15 Then Elisha sayde vnto him, Take a bowe and arrowes; he tooke vnto him bowe and arrowes.
16 And he sayde to the King of Israel, Put thine hand vpon the bowe; he put his hand vpon it; Elisha put his hands vpon the Kings hands,
17 And he said, Open the window That is, toward Syria: so that he not only prophesied with words but also confirmed him by these signs that he would have the victory. eastward. And he opened [it]. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed [them].
18 Againe he said, Take the arrowes; he tooke them; he sayde vnto the King of Israel, Smite the ground; he smote thrise, and ceased.
19 And the man of God was Because he seemed content to have victory against the enemies of God two or three times but did not have the zeal to overcome them continually, and to destroy them completely. wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed [it]: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria [but] thrice.
20 So Elisha dyed, and they buryed him; certaine bandes of the Moabites came into the land that yeere.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band [of men]; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he By this miracle God confirmed the authority of Elisha, whose doctrine in his life they contemned, that at this sight they might return and embrace the same doctrine. revived, and stood up on his feet.
22 But Hazael King of Aram vexed Israel all the dayes of Iehoahaz.
23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as That is, until their sins were come to a full measure and there was no more hope of amendment. yet.
24 So Hazael the King of Aram dyed: and Ben-hadad his sonne reigned in his stead.
25 Therefore Iehoash the sonne of Iehoahaz returned, and tooke out of the hand of Ben-hadad the sonne of Hazael the cities which he had taken away by warre out of the hand of Iehoahaz his father: for three times did Ioash beate him, and restored the cities vnto Israel.
1 The second yeere of Ioash sonne of Iehoahaz King of Israel reigned Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah.
2 He was fiue and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned nine and twentie yeere in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Iehoadan of Ierusalem.
3 And he did [that which was] In the beginning of his reign he seemed to have an outward show of godliness, but later he became an idolater and worshipped the idols of the Idumeans. right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
4 Notwithstanding the hie places were not taken away: for as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense in the hie places.
5 And when the kingdome was confirmed in his hand, he slewe his seruants which had killed the King his father.
6 But the children of the murderers he Because they neither consented nor were partakers with their fathers in that act. slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
7 He slew of For the Idumeans, whom David had brought to subjection, rebelled in the time of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat. Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, Let us fight hand to hand, and try it by battle, and not destroy one another's cities. let us look one another in the face.
9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that [was] in Lebanon sent to the By this parable Jehoash compares himself to a cedar tree, because of his great kingdom over ten tribes and Amaziah to the thistle because he ruled over but two tribes and the wild beasts are Jehoash's soldiers, that spoiled the cities of Judah. cedar that [was] in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that [was] in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: Brag of the victory, so that you stay at home and do not provoke me. glory [of this], and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to [thy] hurt, that thou shouldest fall, [even] thou, and Judah with thee?
11 But Amaziah would not heare: therefore Iehoash King of Israel went vp: and he and Amaziah King of Iudah sawe one another in the face at Beth-shemesh which is in Iudah.
12 And Iudah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fledde euery man to their tents.
13 But Iehoash King of Israel tooke Amaziah King of Iudah, the sonne of Iehoash the sonne of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Ierusalem, and brake downe the wall of Ierusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, foure hundreth cubites.
14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and That is, which the Israelites had given to them from Judah for an assurance of peace. hostages, and returned to Samaria.
15 Concerning the rest of the acts of Iehoash which he did and his valiant deedes, and how he fought with Amaziah King of Iudah, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
16 And Iehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried at Samaria among the Kings of Israel: and Ieroboam his sonne reigned in his stead.
17 And Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah, liued after the death of Iehoash sonne of Iehoahaz King of Israel fifteene yeere.
18 Concerning the rest of the actes of Amaziah, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Which Rehoboam built in Judah for a fortress, (2Ch_11:9). Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
20 And they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Ierusalem with his fathers in the citie of Dauid.
21 And all the people of Judah took Who is also called Uzziah, (2Ch_26:1). Azariah, which [was] sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
22 He built Which is also called Elanon or Eloth. Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
23 In the fifteenth yeere of Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah, was Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash made King ouer Israel in Samaria, and reigned one and fourtie yeere.
24 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the Because this idolatry was so vile and almost incredible, that men should forsake the living God, to worship calves, the work of man's hands, therefore the Scripture often repeats it in the reproach of all idolaters. sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 He restored the coast of Israel, from the entring of Hamath, vnto the Sea of the wildernesse, according to the worde of the Lorde God of Israel, which he spake by his seruant Ionah the sonne of Amittai the Prophet, which was of Gath Hepher.
26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, [that it was] very bitter: for [there was] not any Read (1Ki_14:10). shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.
27 Yet the Lord had not decreed to put out the name of Israel from vnder the heauen: therefore he preserued them by the hand of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Which was also called Antiochia of Syria or Riblah. Hamath, [which belonged] to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
29 So Ieroboam slept with his fathers, euen with the Kings of Israel, and Zachariah his sonne reigned in his steade.
1 In the seuen and twentieth yeere of Ieroboam King of Israel, began Azariah, sonne of Amaziah King of Iudah to reigne.
2 Sixteene yeere olde was he, when he was made King, and he reigned two and fiftie yeere in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Iecholiah of Ierusalem.
3 And he did [that which was] As long as he listened to Zachariah the prophet. right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
4 But the hie places were not put away: for the people yet offered, and burned incense in the hie places.
5 And the LORD His father and grandfather were slain by their subjects and servants, and he because he would usurp the priest's office contrary to God's ordinance was smitten immediately by the hand of God with the leprosy, (2Ch_26:21). smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son [was] over the house, As viceroy or deputy to his father. judging the people of the land.
6 Concerning the rest of the actes of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
7 So Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buryed him with his fathers in the citie of Dauid, and Iotham his sonne reigned in his stead.
8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six He was the fourth in descent from Jehu, who reigned according to God's promise, but in him God began to execute his wrath against the house of Jehu. months.
9 And did euill in the sight of the Lorde, as did his fathers: for he departed not fro the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne.
10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and Zachariah was the last in Israel, that had the kingdom by succession, save only Pekahiah the son of Menahem, who reigned only two years. slew him, and reigned in his stead.
11 Concerning the rest of the actes of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
12 This was the word of the Lord, which he spake vnto Iehu, saying, Thy sonnes shall sit on the throne of Israel vnto the fourth generation after thee; it came so to passe.
13 Shallum the sonne of Iabesh began to reigne in the nine and thirtieth yeere of Vzziah King of Iudah: and he reigned the space of a moneth in Samaria.
14 For Menahem the sonne of Gadi went vp from Tirzah, & came to Samaria, & smote Shallum the sonne of Iabesh in Samaria, & slew him, and reigned in his stead.
15 Cocerning the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the treason which he wrought, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
16 Then Menahem smote Which was a city of Israel that would not receive him as their king. Tiphsah, and all that [were] therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not [to him], therefore he smote [it; and] all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
17 The nine and thirtieth yeere of Azariah King of Iudah, beganne Menahem the sonne of Gadi to reigne ouer Israel, and reigned ten yeeres in Samaria.
18 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, and departed not all his dayes from the sinne of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne.
19 [And] Pul the king of Assyria came against the That is, of Israel. land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand Instead of seeking help from God, he went about by money to purchase the favour of this king being an infidel and therefore God forsook him, and Pul soon afterward broke his promises, destroyed his country and led his people away captive. talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
20 And Menahem exacted the money in Israel, that all men of substance shoulde giue the King of Asshur fiftie shekels of siluer a piece: so the king of Asshur returned and taried not there in the land.
21 Concerning the rest of the actes of Menahem, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his sonne did reigne in his steade.
23 In ye fiftieth yere of Azariah king of Iudah, began Pekahiah the sonne of Menahem to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, & reigned two yere.
24 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde: for he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne.
25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Which were of the same conspiracy. Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
26 Concerning the rest of the actes of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
27 In the two and fiftieth yere of Azariah King of Iudah began Pekah the sonne of Remaliah to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, and reigned twentie yeere.
28 And he did euil in the sight of the Lord: for he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, that made Israel to sinne.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel For God stirred up Pul and Tiglathpileser against Israel for their sins, (1Ch_5:26). came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
30 And Hoshea the sonne of Elah wrought treason against Pekah the sonne of Remaliah, and smote him, and slewe him, and reigned in his stead in the twentieth yeere of Iotham the sonne of Vzziah.
31 Concerning the rest of the actes of Pekah, & all that he did, behold, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.
32 In the second yere of Pekah the sonne of Remaliah King of Israel, began Iotham sonne of Vzziah King of Iudah to reigne.
33 Fiue and twentie yeere olde was he, when he began to reigne, and he reigned sixteene yeere in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Ierusha the daughter of Zadok.
34 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD: he did according He shows that his uprightness was not such, but that he had many great faults. to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35 But the hie places were not put away: for the people yet offered and burnt incense in the hie places: he buylt the hyest gate of the house of the Lord.
36 Concerning the rest of the acts of Iotham, and all that hee did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Iudah?
37 In After the death of Jotham. those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Who in one day slew 120,000 of Judah's fighting men (2Ch_28:6), because they had forsaken the true God. Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38 And Iotham slept with his fathers, & was buryed with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his father, & Ahaz his sonne reigned in his steade.
1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah This was a wicked son of a godly father, as of him again came godly Hezekiah, and of him wicked Manasseh, save that God in the end showed him mercy. Thus we see how uncertain it is to depend on the dignity of our fathers. Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Twentie yeere olde was Ahaz, when hee began to reigne, and he reigned sixteene yeere in Ierusalem, and did not vprightly in the sight of the Lord his God, like Dauid his father:
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to That is, offered him to Molech or made him pass between two fires, as the manner of the Gentiles was, (Lev_18:21; Deu_18:10). pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
4 Also he offred and burnt incense in the hie places & on the hilles, & vnder euery greene tree.
5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome For the Lord preserved the city and his people for the sake of his promise made to David. [him].
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Which Azariah had taken from the Syrians and fortified, (2Ki_14:22). Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7 So Ahaz sent Contrary to the admonition of the prophet Isaiah, (Isa_7:4). messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I [am] thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the Thus he did not spare the temple of God from being spoiled to gain help from men and would not once lift his heart to God to desire his help or hear his prophet's counsel. house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria.
9 And the King of Asshur consented vnto him: and the King of Asshur went vp against Damascus; when he had taken it, he caryed the people away to Kir, and slew Rezin.
10 And King Ahaz went vnto Damascus to meete Tiglath Pileser King of Asshur: and when King Ahaz sawe the altar that was at Damascus, he sent to Vriiah the Priest the paterne of the altar, and the facion of it, and all the workemanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the priest built an altar We see that there is no prince so wicked that he cannot find liars and false ministers to serve his purposes. according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made [it] against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered Either offerings for peace or prosperity, or thanksgiving as in (Lev_3:1) or else meaning the morning and evening offering, (Exo_29:38; Num_28:3) and thus he contemned the means and the altar which God had commanded by Solomon, to serve God after his own fantasy. thereon.
13 And hee burnt his burnt offering, and his meate offring, and powred his drinke offring, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offrings besides the altar,
14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which [was] before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the That is, at the right hand, as men went into the temple. north side of the altar.
15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the Here he establishes by commandment his own wicked proceedings, and abolishes the commandment and ordinance of God. brasen altar shall be for me to enquire [by].
16 And Vriiah the Priest did according to all that King Ahaz had commanded.
17 And King Ahaz brake the borders of the bases, and tooke the caldrons from off them, and tooke downe the sea from the brasen oxen that were vnder it, and put it vpon a pauement of stones.
18 And the Or tent, in which they lay on the sabbath, who had served their week in the temple and so departed home. covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD Either to flatter the king of Assyria, when he should thus see him change the ordinance of God or else that the temple might be a refuge for him if the king should suddenly assault his house. for the king of Assyria.
19 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahaz, which he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buryed with his fathers in the citie of Dauid, and Hezekiah his sonne reigned in his steade.
1 In the twelft yeere of Ahaz King of Iudah began Hoshea the sonne of Elah to reigne in Samaria ouer Israel, and reigned nine yeeres.
2 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, Though he invented no new idolatry or impiety as others did, yet he sought help from the Egyptians, whom God had forbidden. but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 And Shalmaneser king of Asshur came vp against him, and Hoshea became his seruant, and gaue him presents.
4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, For he had paid tribute for eight years. as [he had done] year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Asshur came vp throughout all the lande, and went against Samaria, and besieged it three yeere.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the For at this time the Medes and Persians were subject to the Assyrians. Medes.
7 For [so] it was, that the children of Israel had He sets forth at length the cause of this great plague and perpetual captivity, to admonish all people, and nations to cleave to the Lord God, and worship only him for fear of similar judgment. sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 And walked according to the facions of the Heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel, and after the maners of the Kings of Israel, which they vsed,
9 And the children of Israel did secretly [those] things that [were] not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower Meaning, throughout all their borders. of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10 And had made them images and groues vpon euery hie hill, and vnder euery greene tree,
11 And there burnt incense in all the hie places, as did the heathen, whom the Lord had taken away before them, and wrought wicked things to anger the Lord,
12 And serued idoles: whereof the Lorde had sayd vnto them, Ye shal do no such thing,
13 Notwithstanding the Lord testified to Israel, and to Iudah by all the Prophets, & by all the Seers, saying, Turne from your euill wayes, and keepe my commandements & my statutes, according to all the Lawe, which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my seruants the Prophets.
14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their So that to allege the authority of our fathers or great antiquity, except we can prove that they were godly, is but to declare that we are the children of the wicked. fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they refused his statutes and his couenant, that he made with their fathers, & his testimonies (wherewith he witnessed vnto them) and they followed vanitie, and became vaine, and followed the heathen that were round about them: concerning whome the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, [even] two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the That is, the sun, moon and stars, (Deu_4:19). host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to Read (2Ki_16:3). pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and Read of this phrase in (1Ki_21:20, 1Ki_21:25). sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah No whole tribe was left but Judah, and they of Benjamin and Levi who remained were counted with Judah. only.
19 Yet Iudah kept not the commandements of the Lord their God, but walked according to the facion of Israel, which they vsed.
20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his Out of the land where he showed the greatest tokens of his presence and favour. sight.
21 That is, God cut off the ten tribes, (1Ki_12:16, 1Ki_12:20).For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sinnes of Ieroboam, which he did, and departed not therefrom,
23 Vntill the Lord put Israel away out of his sight, as he had said by all his seruants the Prophets, and caryed Israel away out of their land to Asshur vnto this day.
24 And the king of Assyria brought [men] from Babylon, and from Of these people came the Samaritans, of which mention is so often made in the gospel, and with whom the Jews would have nothing to do, (Joh_4:9). Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed [them] in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And [so] it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, [that] they That is, they served him not: therefore, lest they should blaspheme him, as though there were no God, because he chastised the Israelites, he shows his mighty power among them by this strange punishment. feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew [some] of them.
26 Wherefore they spake to the King of Asshur, saying, The nations which thou hast remoued, and placed in the cities of Samaria, knowe not the maner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them, because they knowe not the maner of the God of the land.
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God That is, how to worship him: thus the wicked rather than losing their conveniences will change to all religions. of the land.
28 So one of the Priestes, which they had caryed from Samaria, came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they shoulde feare the Lorde.
29 Howbeit euery nation made their gods, & put them in the houses of the hie places, which the Samaritanes had made, euery nation in their cities, wherein they dwelt.
30 And the men of Babylon made Meaning that every country served the idol that was most esteemed in the place to which they came. Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 And the Auims made Nibhaz, and Tartak: and the Sepharuims burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech, and Anammelech the gods of Sepharuaim.
32 Thus they feared the Lorde, and appoynted out Priestes out of them selues for the hie places, who prepared for them sacrifices in the houses of the hie places.
33 They That is, they had a certain knowledge of God, and feared him because of the punishment, but they continued to be idolaters as do the papists who worship both God and idols: but this is not to fear God, as appears in (2Ki_17:34). feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after He means by this the Israelites to whom God had given his commandments. their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
35 And with whom the Lord had made a couenant, and charged them, saying, Feare none other gods, nor bowe your selues to them, nor serue them, nor sacrifice to them:
36 But feare the Lorde which brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power, and a stretched out arme: him feare ye, and worshippe him, and sacrifice to him.
37 Also keepe ye diligently the statutes and the ordinances, and the Lawe, and the commandement, which he wrote for you, that ye do them continually, and feare not other gods.
38 And forget not the couenant that I haue made with you, neither feare ye other gods,
39 But feare the Lord your God, and he will deliuer you out of the handes of all your enemies.
40 Howbeit they obeyed not, but did after their olde custome.
41 So these That is, these strangers who were sent into Samaria by the Assyrians. nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
1 Now in the third yeere of Hoshea, sonne of Elah King of Israel, Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz king of Iudah began to reigne.
2 He was fiue and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned nine and twenty yeere in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Abi the daughter of Zachariah,
3 And he did [that which was] Although they of Judah were given to idolatry and impiety, as they of Israel were, yet God for the sake of his promise was merciful to the throne of David, and yet by his judgment toward the other, provoked to repentance. right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it That is «a piece of brass»: thus he calls the serpent by contempt, which even though it was set up by the word of God, and miracles were wrought by it, when it was used for idolatry this good king destroyed it, not thinking it worthy to be called a serpent, but a piece of brass. Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in the Lorde God of Israel: so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah, neither were there any such before him.
6 For he claue to the Lord, and departed not from him, but kept his commaundements, which the Lord had commaunded Moses.
7 So the Lord was with him, and he prospered in all thinges, which he tooke in hande: also he rebelled against the King of Asshur, and serued him not.
8 He smote the Philistines, [even] unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, Read (2Ki_17:9). from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
9 And in the fourth yere of King Hezekiah, (which was the seuenth yeere of Hoshea sonne of Elah King of Israel) Shalmaneser King of Asshur came vp against Samaria, and besieged it.
10 And after three yeeres they tooke it, euen in the sixt yeere of Hezekiah: that is, the ninth yeere of Hoshea King of Israel was Samaria taken.
11 Then the King of Asshur did carry away Israel vnto Asshur, and put them in Halah and in Habor, by the riuer of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 Because they woulde not obey the voyce of the Lord their God, but transgressed his couenant: that is, all that Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded, and would neyther obey nor doe them.
13 Moreouer, in the fourteenth yeere of King Hezekiah, Saneherib King of Asshur came vp against all the strong cities of Iudah, and tooke them.
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, As his zeal was before praised, so his weakness is here set forth, that no one should glory in himself. I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 Therefore Hezekiah gaue all the siluer that was found in the house of the Lorde, and in the treasures of the Kings house.
16 At the same season did Hezekiah pul off the plates of the doores of the Temple of the Lord, and the pillars (which the sayd Hezekiah King of Iudah had couered ouer) and gaue them to the King of Asshur.
17 And the king of Assyria sent After certain years, when Hezekiah ceased to send the tribute appointed by the king of the Assyrians, he sent his captains and army against him. Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which [is] in the highway of the fuller's field.
18 And called to the King. Then came out to them Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, which was steward of the house, and Shebnah the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder.
19 And Rabshakeh sayde vnto them, Tell ye Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus saith the great King, euen the great King of Asshur, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou sayest, (but [they are but] vain words,) [I have] You think that words will serve to persuade your people, or to move my master. counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, [even] upon Egypt will not only be unable to help you, but will be a detriment to you. Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath Thus the idolaters think that God's religion is destroyed, when superstition and idolatry are reformed. taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give Meaning, that it was best for him to yield to the king of Assyria because his power was so small that he did not have men to care for two thousand horses. pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
24 For how canst thou despise any captaine of the least of my masters seruants, and put thy trust on Egypt for charets and horsemen?
25 Am I now come up without the The wicked always flatter themselves in their prosperity, that God favours them. Thus he speaks to scare Hezekiah into thinking that by resisting him he would be resisting God. LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
26 Then Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Ioah said vnto Rabshakeh, Speake I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Aramites language, for we vnderstand it, and talke not with vs in the Iewes tongue, in the audience of the people that are on the wall.
27 But Rabshakeh saide vnto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master & to thee to speake these words, and not to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?
28 So Rabshakeh stoode and cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes language, and spake, saying, Heare the wordes of the great King, of the king of Asshur.
29 Thus sayth the King, Let not Hezekiah deceiue you: for he shall not be able to deliuer you out of mine hand.
30 Neither let Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliuer vs, and this citie shall not be giuen ouer into the hand of the king of Asshur.
31 Hearken not vnto Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Asshur, Make appointment with me, and come out to me, that euery man may eate of his owne vine, & euery man of his owne figge tree, and drinke euery man of the water of his owne well,
32 Until He makes himself so sure, that he will not grant them a truce, unless they give themselves to him to be led away as captives. I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
33 Hath any of the gods of the nations deliuered his lande out of the hand of the King of Asshur?
34 Where is the god of Hamah, and of Arpad? where is the god of Sepharuaim, Hena and Iuah? how haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand?
35 Who [are] they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the This is an execrable blasphemy against the true God, to make him equal with the idols of other nations: therefore God sharply punished him. LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
36 But the people helde their peace, and answered not him a worde: for the Kings commandement was, saying, Answere ye him not.
37 Then Eliakim, the sonne of Hilkiah which was steward of the house, and Shebnah the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and tolde him the wordes of Rabshakeh.
1 And when King Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes and put on sackecloth, and came into the house of the Lord,
2 And he sent Eliakim, which [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, To hear some new prophecy and to have comfort from him. to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to The dangers are so great, that we can neither avenge this blasphemy, or help ourselves any more than a woman in labour. the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring forth.
4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up [thy] prayer for the Meaning, for Jerusalem which only remained of all the cities of Judah. remnant that are left.
5 So the seruants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 And Isaiah said vnto them, So shall ye say to your master, Thus sayeth the Lorde, Be not afraide of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the seruants of the king of Asshur haue blasphemed me.
7 Behold, I will send a blast The Lord can with one blast blow away all the strength of man, and turn it into dust. upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and founde the King of Asshur fighting against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
9 And when That is, Sennacherib. he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, For the kings of Ethiopia and Egypt joined together against the king of Assyria because of his oppression of other countries. Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,
10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy The closer the wicked are to their destruction, the more they blaspheme. God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Beholde, thou hast heard what the Kings of Asshur haue done to all landes, how they haue destroyed them: and shalt thou be deliuered?
12 Haue the gods of the heathen deliuered them which my fathers haue destroyed? as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden, which were in Thelasar?
13 Where is the King of Hamath, & the King of Arpad, and the King of the citie of Shepharuaim, Hena and Iuah?
14 And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the Before the Ark of the covenant. LORD.
15 And Hezekiah He shows what the true refuge and help is in all dangers, that is, to flee to the Lord by earnest prayer. prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou art the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
16 LORD, Show by effect that you will not allow your Name to be blasphemed. bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the By this title he discerns God from all idols and false gods. living God.
17 Trueth it is, Lord, that the Kings of Asshur haue destroyed the nations and their landes,
18 And haue set fire on their gods: for they were no gods, but the worke of mans hands, euen wood and stone: therefore they destroyed them.
19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the He shows the reason the faithful desire God to deliver them: that is, that he may be glorified by their deliverance. kingdoms of the earth may know that thou [art] the LORD God, [even] thou only.
20 Then Isaiah the sonne of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I haue heard that which thou hast prayed me, concerning Saneherib King of Asshur.
21 This [is] the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The Because as yet Jerusalem had not been taken by the enemy therefore he calls her virgin. virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, [and] laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted [thy] voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? [even] God counts that as an injury done to him, and will avenge what is done to any of his saints. against the Holy [One] of Israel.
23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, [and] the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the Meaning Jerusalem, which Isaiah calls the height of his borders, that is, of Judah, (Isa_37:24). lodgings of his borders, [and into] the forest of his Carmel.
24 I haue digged, and drunke the waters of others, and with the plant of my feete haue I dried all the floods closed in.
25 Hast thou not heard long ago [how] I have done it, [and] of ancient times that I have formed it? He declares that as he is the author and beginning of his Church, he will never allow it to be completely destroyed, as other cities and kingdoms. now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities [into] ruinous heaps.
26 Therefore their Thus he describes the wicked, who flourish for a time, and later fade and decay like flowers. inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were [as] the grass of the field, and [as] the green herb, [as] the grass on the housetops, and [as corn] blasted before it be grown up.
27 I knowe thy dwelling, yea, thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy furie against me.
28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my I will bridle your rage, and turn you to and fro as it pleases me. hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
29 And this [shall be] a God not only promised him the victory, but gives him a sign to confirm his faith. sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.
30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take The Lord will multiply in great number that small remnant of Judah that escaped. root downward, and bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the The love, that God has for his Church will overcome the counsels and enterprises of men. zeal of the LORD [of hosts] shall do this.
32 Wherefore thus saith the Lorde, concerning the King of Asshur, He shall not enter into this citie, nor shoote an arrowe there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a mount against it:
33 But he shall returne the way he came, and shall not come into this citie, saith the Lorde.
34 For I will defende this citie to saue it for mine owne sake, and for Dauid my seruants sake.
35 And the same night the Angell of the Lorde went out and smote in the campe of Asshur an hundreth foure score and fiue thousande: so when they rose earely in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
36 So Saneherib King of Asshur departed, & went his way, and returned, & dwelt in Nineueh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons This was the just judgment of God for his blasphemy, that he would be slain before the idol that he preferred to the living God, and by those who should by nature have needed his defence. smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto death: and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amoz came to him, and said vnto him, Thus saith the Lorde, Put thine house in an order: for thou shalt die, and not liue.
2 Then he turned his face to the That his mind might not be troubled. wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a Meaning, without all hypocrisy. perfect heart, and have done [that which is] good in thy sight. And Hezekiah Not so much for his own death, as for fear that idolatry would be restored which he had destroyed, and so God's Name be dishonoured. wept sore.
4 And afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle of the court, the worde of the Lord came to him, saying,
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy Because of his true repentance and prayer, God turned away his wrath. prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the To give thanks for your deliverance. house of the LORD.
6 And I wil adde vnto thy dayes fiftene yere, and wil deliuer thee & this citie out of the hand of the King of Asshur, and will defende this citie for mine owne sake, & for Dauid my seruats sake.
7 And Isaiah said, Take a He declares that though God can heal without other medicines, he will not have these inferior means contemned. lump of figs. And they took and laid [it] on the boil, and he recovered.
8 For Hezekiah had saide vnto Isaiah, What shalbe the signe that the Lorde will heale me, and that I shall goe vp into the house of the Lorde the thirde day?
9 And Isaiah answered, This signe shalt thou haue of the Lorde, that the Lorde will doe that he hath spoken, Wilt thou that the shadowe goe forwarde ten degrees, or go backe ten degrees?
10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow Let the sun go so many degrees back, that the hours may be fewer in the king's dial. return backward ten degrees.
11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the Which was set at the top of the stairs that Ahaz had made. dial of Ahaz.
12 At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a Moved by the favour that God showed to Hezekiah, and also because he had declared himself an enemy of Sennacherib who was now destroyed. present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and [all] the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his Being moved by ambition and vain glory, and also because he seemed to rejoice in the friendship of him who was God's enemy and an infidel. dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
14 Then Isaiah the Prophet came vnto King Hezekiah, and saide vnto him, What saide these men? and from whence came they to thee? And Hezekiah said, They be come from a farre countrey, euen from Babel.
15 Then saide he, What haue they seene in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house haue they seene: there is nothing among my treasures, that I haue not shewed the.
16 And Isaiah said vnto Hezekiah, Heare the worde of the Lorde.
17 Beholde, the dayes come, that all that is in thine house, and what so euer thy fathers haue layed vp in store vnto this day, shall be caryed into Babel: Nothing shall be left, saith the Lorde.
18 And of thy sonnes, that shall proceede out of thee, and which thou shalt beget, shall they take away, and they shalbe eunuches in the palace of the King of Babel.
19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good [is] the word of the LORD which thou hast He acknowledges Isaiah to be the true prophet of God and therefore humbles himself to his word. spoken. And he said, [Is it] not [good], if Seeing that God has shown me this favour to grant me quietness during my life: for he was afraid lest the enemies would have had opportunity to rejoice if the Church had decayed in his time, because he had restored religion. peace and truth be in my days?
20 Concerning the rest of the actes of Hezekiah, and all his valiant deedes, and howe he made a poole and a cundite, and brought water into the citie, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his sonne reigned in his steade.
1 Manasseh was twelue yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned fiftie and fiue yeere in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was Hephzi-bah.
2 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde after the abomination of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he went backe and built the hie places, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed: and he erected vp altars for Baal, and made a groue, as did Ahab King of Israel, and worshipped all the hoste of heauen and serued them.
4 Also he built altars in the house of the Lorde, of the which the Lorde saide, In Ierusalem will I put my Name.
5 And he built altars for al the hoste of ye heauen in the two courtes of the house of the Lord.
6 And he made his son Read (2Ki_16:3). pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke [him] to anger.
7 And he set the image of the groue, that he had made, in the house, whereof ye Lord had saide to Dauid & to Salomon his sonne, In this house and in Ierusalem, which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for euer.
8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will Therefore seeing they did not obey the commandment of God, they were justly cast from the land which they had only on condition. observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
9 Yet they obeyed not, but Manasseh ledde them out of the way, to doe more wickedly then did the heathen people, whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 Therefore the Lorde spake by his seruants the Prophets, saying,
11 Because that Manasseh King of Iudah hath done such abominations, and hath wrought more wickedly then al that the Amorites (which were before him) did, and hath made Iudah sinne also with his idoles,
12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I [am] bringing [such] evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall Meaning, that whoever hears of this great plague, will be astonished. tingle.
13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line As I have destroyed Samaria and the house of Ahab so will I destroy Judah. of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as [a man] wipeth a dish, wiping [it], and turning [it] upside down.
14 And I will forsake the Meaning, Judah and Benjamin, which were the only ones left of the rest of the tribes. remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
15 Because they haue done euil in my sight, and haue prouoked mee to anger, since the time their fathers came out of Egypt vntill this day.
16 Moreover Manasseh shed The Hebrews write that he slew Isaiah the prophet, who was his father-in-law. innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD.
17 Concerning the rest of the actes of Manasseh, and all that hee did, and his sinne that he sinned, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, & was buried in the garden of his own house, euen in the garden of Vzza: and Amon his sonne reigned in his steade.
19 Amon was two and twentie yere olde, when he began to reigne, and hee reygned two yeere in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Iotbah.
20 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did.
21 For hee walked in all the way that his father walked in, and serued the idoles that his father serued, and worshipped them.
22 And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the That is, according to his commandment. way of the LORD.
23 And the seruantes of Amon conspired against him, and slewe the King in his owne house.
24 And the people of the land slewe all them that had conspired against King Amon, and the people made Iosiah his sonne King in his steade.
25 Concerning the rest of the actes of Amon, which he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
26 And they buried him in his sepulchre in the garden of Vzza: and Iosiah his sonne reigned in his steade.
1 Iosiah was eight yeere olde when he beganne to reigne, and hee reigned one and thirtie yeere in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Iedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozcath.
2 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, and His zeal was prophesied of, and his name mentioned by Iddo the prophet, more than 300 years before, (1Ki_13:2) and being but eight years old, he sought the God of his father David, (2Ch_34:3). walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
3 And in the eighteenth yeere of King Iosiah, the King sent Shaphan the sonne of Azaliah the sonne of Meshullam the chanceller to ye house of the Lord, saying,
4 Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the Certain of the priests were appointed to this office, as in (2Ki_12:9). door have gathered of the people:
5 And let From the time of Joash for the space of 244 years, the temple remained without repairs through the negligence of the priests. This shows that they who have a charge and do not execute it should have it taken from them. them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which [is] in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,
6 To wit, vnto the artificers and carpenters & masons, and to bye timber, and hewed stone to repaire the house.
7 Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt So God provided him with faithful servants, seeing he went about so zealously to set forth the work of God. faithfully.
8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the This was the copy that Moses left them, as it appears in (2Ch_34:14), which either by the negligence of the priests had been lost, or else by the wickedness of idolatrous kings had been abolished. book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9 So Shaphan the chanceller came to ye King, and brought him word againe, and saide, Thy seruants haue gathered the money, that was found in the house, and haue deliuered it vnto the hands of them that doe the worke, and haue the ouersight of the house of the Lord.
10 Also Shaphan the chanceller shewed the King saying, Hilkiah the Priest hath deliuered me a booke; Shaphan read it before the King.
11 And when the King had heard the wordes of the booke of the Law, he rent his clothes.
12 Therefore the King commaunded Hilkiah the Priest, & Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, and Achbor the sonne of Michaiah, and Shaphan the chanceller, and Asahiah the Kings seruant, saying,
13 Go ye, Meaning, to some prophet to whom God reveals the knowledge of things, as in (Jer_21:8), though at other times they enquired the Lord by Urim and Thummim. enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great [is] the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the Or the house of doctrine, which was near the temple, and where the learned assembled to search the scriptures and the doctrine of the prophets. college;) and they communed with her.
15 And shee answered them, Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, Tel the man that sent you to mee,
16 Thus sayth the Lorde, Behold, I wil bring euill vpon this place, & on the inhabitants thereof, euen al the words of the booke which ye King of Iudah hath read,
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the The works of man's hand here signifies all that man invents beside the word of God, which are abominable in God's service. works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the King of Iudah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shal ye say vnto him, Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Israel, The wordes that thou hast heard, shal come to passe.
19 Because thine heart was Meaning, that he repented as they that do not repent are said to harden their heart, (Psa_95:8). tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard [thee], saith the LORD.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in Upon which we may gather that the anger of God is ready against the wicked when God takes his servants out of this world. peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.
1 And the king Because he saw the great plagues of God that were threatened, he knew no more speedy way to avoid them, than to turn to God by repentance which cannot come but from faith, and faith by hearing the word of God. sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
2 And the King went vp into the house of the Lord, with all the men of Iudah and all the inhabitants of Ierusalem with him, and the Priests & Prophets, and all the people both smal and great: and he reade in their eares all the wordes of the booke of the couenant, which was found in the house of the Lord.
3 And the king stood by Where the king had his place, (2Ki_11:14). a pillar, and made a As Joshua did, (Jos_24:22, Jos_24:25). covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all [their] heart and all [their] soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the Meaning, they who were next in dignity to the high priest. priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried In contempt of the altar Jeroboam had built there to sacrifice to his calves. the ashes of them unto Bethel.
5 And he put down the Or Chemarims, meaning the priests of Baal who were called Chemarims either because they wore black garments or else were smoked with burning incense to idols. idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
6 And he brought out the He removed the grove which idolaters for devotion had planted near the temple, contrary to the commandment of the Lord, (Deu_16:21), or as some read, the similitude of a grove which was hung in the temple. grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped [it] small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the Both in contempt of the idols and reproach of them who had worshipped them in their lives. graves of the children of the people.
7 And hee brake downe the houses of the Sodomites, that were in the house of the Lord, where the women woue hangings for the groue.
8 Also he brought all the priests out of the cities of Iudah, and defiled the hie places where the Priests had burnt incense, euen from Geba to Beer-sheba, and destroyed the hie places of the gates, that were in the entring in of the gate of Ioshua the gouernour of the citie, which was at the left hand of the gate of the citie.
9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places Because they who had forsaken the Lord to serve idols, were not fit to minister in the service of the Lord for the instruction of others. came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
10 And he defiled Which was a valley near to Jerusalem, and signifies a tabret because they smote on the tabret while their children were burning, that their cry should not be heard, (Lev_18:21), after which Josiah commanded trash to be cast in contempt of it. Topheth, which [is] in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
11 And he took away the The idolatrous kings had dedicated horses and chariots to the sun, either to carry about the image of it as the heathen did, or else to sacrifice them as a most agreeable sacrifice. horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which [was] in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
12 And the altars that were on the top of the chamber of Ahaz, which the Kings of Iudah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord did the King breake downe, and hasted thence, & cast the dust of them in the brooke Kedron.
13 And the high places that [were] before Jerusalem, which [were] on the right hand of the That was the mount of olives, so called because it was full of idols. mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
14 And he brake the images in pieces, & cut downe the groues and filled their places with the bones of men.
15 Moreover Which Jeroboam had built in Israel, (1Ki_12:28-29). the altar that [was] at Bethel, [and] the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, [and] stamped [it] small to powder, and burned the grove.
16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that [were] there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned [them] upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the According to the prophecy of Iddo, (1Ki_13:2). man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
17 Then he sayde, What title is that which I see? And the men of the citie sayd vnto him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Iudah, and tolde these things that thou hast done to the altar of Beth-el.
18 And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the Meaning, the prophet who came after him, and caused him to eat contrary to the command of the Lord, who were both buried in the same grave, (1Ki_13:31). prophet that came out of Samaria.
19 Iosiah also tooke away all the houses of the hie places, which were in the cities of Samaria, which the Kings of Israel had made to anger the Lord, and did to them according to all the factes that he had done in Beth-el.
20 And he sacrificed all the Priests of the hie places, that were there vpon the altars, and burnt mens bones vpon them, & returned to Ierusalem.
21 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, Keepe the passeouer vnto the Lorde your God, as it is written in the booke of this couenant.
22 Surely there was not holden For the multitude and zeal of the people with the great preparation. such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;
23 And in the eightenth yere of King Iosiah was this Passeouer celebrated to the Lord in Ierusalem.
24 Iosiah also tooke away them that had familiar spirits, and the soothsayers, and the images, and the idoles, and al the abominations that were espied in the lande of Iudah and in Ierusalem, to performe the wordes of the Lawe, which were written in the booke that Hilkiah the Priest found in the house of the Lord.
25 Like vnto him was there no King before him, that turned to the Lord with al his heart, and with all his soule, and with all his might according to all the Lawe of Moses, neither after him arose there anie like him.
26 Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the Because of the wicked heart of the people, who would not turn to him by repentance. fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
27 Therefore the Lorde saide, I will put Iudah also out of my sight, as I haue put away Israel, and will cast off this citie Ierusalem, which I haue chosen, and the house whereof I said, My name shalbe there.
28 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iosiah, and all that hee did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
29 In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah Because Pharaoh passed through his country, he was afraid Pharaoh would have done him harm and would have stopped him, yet he did not consult the Lord, and therefore was slain. went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
30 Then his seruants caryed him dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Ierusalem, and buried him in his owne sepulchre; the people of the lande tooke Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah, and anointed him, and made him King in his fathers steade.
31 Iehoahaz was three and twentie yeere olde when he beganne to reigne, and reigned three moneths in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Hamutal the daughter of Ieremiah of Libnah.
32 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his Meaning, the wicked kings before. fathers had done.
33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands Which was Antiochia in Syria, also called Hamath. at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
34 And Pharaoh Nechoh made Eliakim the sonne of Iosiah King in steade of Iosiah his father, and turned his name to Iehoiakim, and tooke Iehoahaz away, which when he came to Egypt, dyed there.
35 And Iehoiakim gaue the siluer and the golde to Pharaoh, and taxed the land to giue the money, according to the commadement of Pharaoh: he leuyed of euery man of the people of the lande, according to his value, siluer and golde to giue vnto Pharaoh Nechoh.
36 Iehoiakim was fiue and twentie yere olde, when he began to reigne, and he reigned eleuen yeeres in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
37 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, according to all that his fathers had done.
1 In his In the end of the third year of his reign and in the beginning of the fourth, (Dan_1:1). days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
2 And the Lorde sent against him bandes of the Caldees, and bands of the Aramites, & bands of the Moabites, and bandes of the Ammonites, and he sent them against Iudah to destroy it, according to the worde of the Lord, which he spake by his seruants the Prophets.
3 Surely at the Though God used these wicked tyrants to execute his just judgments, they are not to be excused, for they proceeded from ambition and malice. commandment of the LORD came [this] upon Judah, to remove [them] out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;
4 And for the innocent blood that he shed, (for he filled Ierusalem with innocent blood) therefore the Lord would not pardon it.
5 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kinges of Iudah?
6 So Jehoiakim Not that he was buried with his fathers, but he died in the way, as they let him prisoner toward Babylon, see (Jer_22:19). slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
7 And the King of Egypt came no more out of his lande: for the King of Babel had taken from the riuer of Egypt, vnto the riuer Perath, all that pertained to the King of Egypt.
8 Iehoiachin was eighteene yere old, when he beganne to reigne, and reigned in Ierusalem three moneths. His mothers name also was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Ierusalem.
9 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, according to all that his father had done.
10 In that time came the seruants of Nebuchad-nezzar king of Babel vp against Ierusalem: so the citie was besieged.
11 And Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel came against the citie, and his seruants did besiege it.
12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah That is, yielded himself to him by the counsel of Jeremiah. went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year In the reign of the king of Babylon. of his reign.
13 And he caryed out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lorde, & the treasures of the Kings house, and brake all the vessels of gold, which Salomon King of Israel had made in the Temple of the Lorde, as the Lord had saide.
14 And he caryed away all Ierusalem, and all the princes, and all the strong men of warre, euen ten thousande into captiuitie, and all the workemen, and cunning men: so none remained sauing the poore people of the lande.
15 And he caryed away Iehoiachin into Babel, and the Kings mother, and the Kinges wiues, and his eunuches, and the mightie of the lande caryed he away into captiuitie from Ierusalem to Babel,
16 And al the men of warre, euen seuen thousand, and carpenters, & lockesmithes a thousande: all that were strong and apt for warre, did the King of Babel bring to Babel captiues.
17 And the King of Babel made Mattaniah his vncle King in his steade, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
18 Zedekiah was one and twentie yeere olde, when he began to reigne, and he reigned eleuen yeeres in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Hamutal the daughter of Ieremiah of Libnah.
19 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Iehoiakim had done.
20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his Out of Jerusalem and Judah into Babylon. presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
1 And it came to pass in the That is, of Zedekiah. ninth year of his reign, in the Which the Hebrews call Teber, and it contains part of December and part of January. tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, [that] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
2 So the citie was besieged vnto the eleueth yeere of King Zedekiah.
3 And on the ninth [day] of the [fourth] month the famine So much that the mothers ate their children, (Lam_4:10). prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war [fled] by night by the way of the Which was a back door, or some secret gate to leave by. gate between two walls, which [is] by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees [were] against the city round about:) and [the king] went the way toward the plain.
5 But the armie of the Caldees pursued after the King, and tooke him in the desertes of Iericho, and all his hoste was scattered from him.
6 So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they Or, condemned him for his perjury and treason, (2Ch_36:13). gave judgment upon him.
7 And they slew the sonnes of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bounde him in chaines, and caried him to Babel.
8 And in the fifth month, on the Jeremiah writes in (Jer_52:12) the tenth day, because the fire continued from the seventh day to the tenth. seventh [day] of the month, which [is] the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
9 And burnt the house of the Lord, and the Kings house, and all the houses of Ierusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire.
10 And all the armie of the Caldees that were with the chiefe stewarde, brake downe the walles of Ierusalem round about.
11 Now the rest of the people [that were] left in the city, and the fugitives that While the siege endured. fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.
12 But the chiefe steward left of the poore of the land to dresse the vines, and to till the land.
13 Also the pillars of brasse that were in the house of the Lorde, and the bases, and the brasen Sea that was in the house of the Lorde, did the Caldees breake, and caried the brasse of them to Babel.
14 And the Of these read (Exo_27:3). pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
15 And the asshe pannes, and the basens, and all that was of gold, and that was of siluer, tooke the chiefe steward away,
16 With the two pillers, one Sea and the bases, which Salomon had made for the house of the Lorde: the brasse of all these vessels was without weight.
17 The height of the one piller was eighteene cubits, and the chapiter thereon was brasse, & the height of the chapiter was with networke three cubites, and pomegranates vpon the chapiter rounde about, all of brasse: and likewise was the second piller with the networke.
18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the That is, one appointed to act in the place of the high priest, if he were sick or otherwise detained. second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and Jeremiah makes mention of seven but here he speaks of those who were the chiefest. five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land [that were] found in the city:
20 And Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde tooke them, and brought them to the King of Babel to Riblah.
21 And the King of Babel smote them, & slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Iudah was caried away captiue out of his owne land.
22 Howbeit there remained people in the land of Iudah, whom Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel left, and made Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan ruler ouer them.
23 Then when all the captaines of the host & their men heard, that the king of Babel had made Gedaliah gouernour, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to wit, Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, & Seraiah the sonne of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, & Iaazaniah the sonne of Maachathi, they and their men.
24 And Gedaliah That is, he exhorted them in the Name of the Lord, according to Jeremiah's counsel, to submit themselves to Nebuchadnezzar, seeing it was the revealed will of the Lord. sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
25 But in the seuenth moneth Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah the sonne of Elishama of the Kings seede, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, & he died, & so did he the Iewes, and the Caldees that were with him at Mizpah.
26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Contrary to Jeremiah's counsel in Jeremiah 40-42. Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of This long were he, his wife and his children in Babylon, whom Nebuchadnezzar's son after his father's death preferred to honour: thus by God's providence the seed of David was preserved even to Christ. Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth [day] of the month, [that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
28 And spake kindly to him, & set his throne aboue the throne of the Kings that were with him in Babel,
29 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eate bread before him, all the dayes of his life.
30 And his Meaning, that he had standing in the court. allowance [was] a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.