1

1 And Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ strengthened himself over his reign, and יהוה his Elohim was with him and made him exceedingly great.

2 And Shelomoh spoke to all Yisra’ĕl, to the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Yisra’ĕl, the heads of the fathers’ houses.

3 And Shelomoh, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Giḇ‛on, for Elohim’s Tent of Appointment was there, which Mosheh the servant of יהוה had made in the wilderness.

4 However, Dawiḏ had brought up the ark of Elohim from Qiryath Ye‛arim to the place Dawiḏ had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Yerushalayim.

5 And the bronze slaughter-place that Betsal’ĕl son of Uri son of Ḥur had made, he put before the Dwelling Place of יהוה. And Shelomoh and the assembly sought it.

6 And Shelomoh went up there to the bronze slaughter-place before יהוה, which was at the Tent of Appointment, and offered a thousand ascending offerings on it.

7 That night Elohim appeared to Shelomoh, and said to him, “Ask what should I give you!”

8 And Shelomoh said to Elohim, “You have shown great loving-commitment to Dawiḏ my father, and have made me sovereign in his place.

9 “Now, יהוה Elohim, let Your promise to Dawiḏ my father stand fast, for You have set me up to reign over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.

10 “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, so that I go out and come in before this people. For who is able to rightly rule this great people of Yours?”

11 And Elohim said to Shelomoh, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or esteem or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so as to rightly rule My people over whom I have set you up to reign,

12 wisdom and knowledge are given to you. And riches and wealth and esteem I also give you, such as none of the sovereigns have had who have been before you, nor any after you have.”

13 And Shelomoh went to Yerushalayim from the high place that was at Giḇ‛on, from before the Tent of Appointment, and reigned over Yisra’ĕl.

14 And Shelomoh gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the sovereign in Yerushalayim.

15 And the sovereign made silver and gold to be as stones in Yerushalayim, and he made cedars to be as plenty as the sycamores which are in the low country.

16 And Shelomoh had horses imported from Mitsrayim and from Quĕ — the sovereign’s merchants bought them in Quĕ at a price.

17 And they came up and brought from Mitsrayim a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty. And so, for all the sovereigns of the Ḥittites and the sovereigns of Aram, they brought them out by their hand.

2

1 And Shelomoh gave word to build a House for the Name of יהוה, and a house for his reign.

2 Then Shelomoh enrolled seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand hewing stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

3 And Shelomoh sent to Ḥuram sovereign of Tsor, saying, “As you did for my father Dawiḏ, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in —

4 see, I am building a House for the Name of יהוה my Elohim, to set it apart to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for the ascending offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the appointed times of יהוה our Elohim. This is for Yisra’ĕl forever.

5 “And the House which I build is great, for our Elohim is greater than all mighty ones.

6 “But who is able to build Him a House, since the heavens and the heavens of the heavens are unable to contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a House, except to offer before Him?

7 “And now, send me at once a man who knows to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and knowing to engrave with the skilled men who are with me in Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, whom Dawiḏ my father has prepared.

8 “And send me cedar, cypress and algum logs from Leḇanon, for I know that your servants know to cut timber in Leḇanon. And see, my servants are with your servants,

9 even to prepare plenty of timber for me, for the House that I am building is great and marvellous.

10 “And see, I have given servants to you, the hewers who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, and twenty thousand kors of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

11 Then Ḥuram the sovereign of Tsor answered in writing, which he sent to Shelomoh, “Because יהוה loves His people, He has made you sovereign over them.”

12 And Ḥuram said, “Blessed be יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, who made the heavens and earth, for He has given Sovereign Dawiḏ a wise son, knowing wisdom and understanding, to build a House for יהוה and a house for his reign!

13 “And now I have sent a skilled man having understanding, Ḥuram-aḇi,

14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tsor, who knows to work in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in wood, purple and blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan that is given to him, with your skilled men and with the skilled men of my master Dawiḏ your father.

15 “And now, the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine which my master has spoken of, let him send to his servants.

16 “And let us cut wood from Leḇanon, as much as you need, and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Yapho, and you take it up to Yerushalayim.”

17 And Shelomoh numbered all the men, the strangers who were in the land of Yisra’ĕl, according to the census in which Dawiḏ his father had numbered them, and they were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.

18 And he made seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

3

1 And Shelomoh began to build the House of יהוה at Yerushalayim on Mount Moriyah, where He appeared to his father Dawiḏ, at the place that Dawiḏ had prepared on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite.

2 And he began to build on the second day of the second new moon in the fourth year of his reign.

3 And these are the foundations which Shelomoh laid for building the House of Elohim: The length by cubits according to the former measure were sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.

4 And the porch that was in front was twenty cubits long according to the breadth of the house, and the height was one hundred and twenty. And he overlaid the inside with clean gold.

5 And the great house he panelled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it.

6 And he covered the house with precious stones for comeliness, and the gold was gold from Parwayim.

7 And he overlaid the house, the beams, the doorposts, and its walls, and its doors with gold, and carved keruḇim on the walls.

8 And he made the House of the Most Set-apart. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with fine gold, six hundred talents.

9 And the weight of the nails was fifty sheqels of gold. And he overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

10 In the Most Set-apart House he made two keruḇim of sculptured work, and overlaid them with gold.

11 And the wings of the keruḇim: their total length was twenty cubits, one wing was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other keruḇ,

12 and the wing of the other keruḇ was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other keruḇ.

13 The wings of these keruḇim spread out twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet, and they faced inward.

14 And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and worked keruḇim on it.

15 And at the front of the House he made two columns thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

16 And he made wreaths of chainwork, as in the Speaking Place, and put them on top of the columns. And he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork.

17 And he set up the columns before the Hĕḵal, one on the right and the other on the left, and called the name of the one on the right Yaḵin, and the name of the one on the left Bo‛az.

4

1 And he made a slaughter-place of bronze, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.

2 And he made the Sea of cast metal, ten cubits from one rim to the other, round all about. And its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured around it.

3 And figures like oxen were under it, all around it, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. Two rows of oxen were cast when it was cast.

4 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, and three facing west, and three facing south, and three facing east. And the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts were inward.

5 And it was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was shaped like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.

6 And he made ten basins, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them. In them they rinsed off what pertains to the ascending offering, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 And he made ten lampstands of gold according to their ruling, and set them in the Hĕḵal, five on the right side and five on the left.

8 And he made ten tables, and placed them in the Hĕḵal, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred bowls of gold.

9 And he made the courtyard of the priests, and the great court and doors for the court. And he overlaid these doors with bronze.

10 And he placed the Sea on the right side, eastward over against the south.

11 And Ḥuram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Ḥuram completed doing the work that he was to do for Sovereign Shelomoh for the House of Elohim:

12 the two columns and the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two columns, and the two networks to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the columns;

13 and four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the columns.

14 And he made stands and the basins on the stands,

15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it;

16 and the pots, and the shovels, and the forks. And all their vessels Ḥuram his master craftsman made of polished bronze for Sovereign Shelomoh for the House of יהוה.

17 On the plain of Yardĕn the sovereign had them cast in clay moulds, between Sukkoth and Tserĕḏathah.

18 And Shelomoh made so large a number of all these vessels that the weight of the bronze was not searched out.

19 And Shelomoh had all the furnishings made for the House of Elohim, and the slaughter-place of gold and the tables on which was the showbread,

20 and the lampstands with their lamps of refined gold, to burn according to right-ruling in front of the Speaking Place,

21 and the blossoms and the lamps and the snuffers of gold, of perfect gold,

22 and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the ladles, and the fire holders of refined gold. And the entrance to the House, its inner doors to the Most Set-apart Place, and the doors of the Hĕḵal of the House, were of gold.

5

1 And all the work that Shelomoh had done for the House of יהוה was completed. And Shelomoh brought in the set-apart items of his father Dawiḏ: the silver and the gold and all the utensils. And he put them in the treasuries of the House of Elohim.

2 And Shelomoh assembled the elders of Yisra’ĕl and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Yisra’ĕl, in Yerushalayim, to bring up the ark of the covenant of יהוה from the City of Dawiḏ, which is Tsiyon.

3 And all the men of Yisra’ĕl assembled to the sovereign at the festival, which was in the seventh new moon.

4 And all the elders of Yisra’ĕl came, and the Lĕwites took up the ark,

5 and they brought up the ark, the Tent of Appointment, and all the set-apart utensils that were in the Tent. The Lĕwite priests brought them up.

6 And Sovereign Shelomoh, and all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl who were assembled to him before the ark, were slaughtering so many sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered.

7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of יהוה to its place, into the Speaking Place of the House, to the Most Set-apart Place, under the wings of the keruḇim.

8 For the keruḇim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the keruḇim covered over the ark and its poles.

9 And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark were seen from the set-apart place, in front of the Speaking Place, but they were not seen from outside. And they are there to this day.

10 There was naught in the ark but the two tablets which Mosheh put there at Ḥorĕḇ, when יהוה made a covenant with the children of Yisra’ĕl, when they came out of Mitsrayim.

11 And it came to be when the priests came out of the Most Set-apart Place — for all the priests who were present had set themselves apart, there was none to watch by division —

12 and the Lĕwite singers, all those of Asaph and Hĕman and Yeḏuthun, with their sons and their brothers, stood at the east end of the slaughter-place, dressed in white linen, having cymbals and harps and lyres, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets.

13 Then it came to be, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking יהוה, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets, and with cymbals, and with instruments of song, and giving praise to יהוה, “For He is good, for His loving-commitment is everlasting,” that the house, the House of יהוה, was filled with a cloud,

14 and the priests were unable to stand and perform the service because of the cloud, for the esteem of יהוה filled the House of Elohim.

6

1 Then Shelomoh said, “יהוה has said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

2 “But I have built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever.”

3 And the sovereign turned around and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, while all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl stood.

4 And he said, “Blessed be יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, who has filled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father Dawiḏ, saying,

5 From the day that I brought My people out of the land of Mitsrayim, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Yisra’ĕl in which to build a house for My Name to be there, nor did I choose any man to be a leader over My people Yisra’ĕl.

6 But I have chosen Yerushalayim, for My Name to be there. And I have chosen Dawiḏ to be over My people Yisra’ĕl.’

7 “And it was in the heart of my father Dawiḏ to build a House for the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

8 “But יהוה said to my father Dawiḏ, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a House for My Name, you did well in that it was in your heart.

9 But you do not build the house, for your son who comes forth from your loins, he does build the House for My Name.’

10 “Now יהוה has established His word which He spoke, and I have been raised up instead of my father Dawiḏ, and sit on the throne of Yisra’ĕl, as יהוה promised. And I have built the House for the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

11 “And there I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of יהוה which He made with the children of Yisra’ĕl.”

12 And he stood before the slaughter-place of יהוה in front of all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, and spread out his hands —

13 for Shelomoh had made a bronze platform five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had put it in the midst of the court. And he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, and spread out his hands toward the heavens —

14 and said, “יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, there is no Elohim in the heavens or on earth like You, guarding the covenant and loving-commitment with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,

15 who has guarded what You promised Your servant Dawiḏ my father. Indeed, You have both spoken with Your mouth and have filled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

16 “And now, יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, guard what You promised Your servant Dawiḏ my father, saying, ‘There is not to cease a man of yours before Me, sitting on the throne of Yisra’ĕl — only, if your sons guard their way, to walk in My Torah as you have walked before Me.’

17 “And now, O יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, let Your word come true which You have spoken to Your servant Dawiḏ.

18 “For is it true: Elohim dwells with men on the earth! See, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens are unable to contain You, how much less this House which I have built!

19 “Yet, shall You turn to the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O יהוה my Elohim, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant is praying before You?

20 “For Your eyes to be open toward this House day and night, toward the place You have said to put Your Name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place.

21 “And shall You give heed to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Yisra’ĕl, when they pray toward this place, and hear from Your dwelling place, in the heavens, and shall hear and forgive?

22 “If anyone sins against his neighbour, and he has lifted up an oath on him, to cause him to swear, and comes and swears before Your slaughter-place in this House,

23 then hear in the heavens, and act, and rightly rule Your servants, repaying the wrong by bringing his way on his own head, and declare right the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

24 “And if Your people Yisra’ĕl are smitten before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they shall turn back and confess Your Name, and pray and make supplication before You in this House,

25 then hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of Your people Yisra’ĕl, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they shall pray toward this place and confess Your Name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

27 then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Yisra’ĕl — for You teach them the good way in which they should walk — and shall send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “When there is scarcity of food in the land; when there is pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies distress them in the land of their cities; any plague or any sickness;

29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Yisra’ĕl, when each one knows his own plague and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this house,

30 then hear from the heavens Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know — for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men —

31 so that they fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

32 “Also, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Yisra’ĕl, but who comes from a far land for the sake of Your great Name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this House,

33 then hear from the heavens Your dwelling place, and do according to all which the foreigner calls to You for, so that all the people of the earth know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people Yisra’ĕl, and to know that this House which I have built is called by Your Name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, in the way that You send them, and they shall pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and toward the House which I have built for Your Name,

35 then shall You hear from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause?

36 “When they sin against You — for there is no one who does not sin — and You become enraged with them and give them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near,

37 and they shall turn back unto their heart, in the land where they have been taken captive, and shall turn, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have acted crookedly, and have done wrong,’

38 and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their being in the land of their captivity, where they have taken them captive, and they shall pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, and the city which You have chosen, and toward the House which I have built for Your Name,

39 then shall You hear from the heavens, Your dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You?

40 “Now, my Elohim, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer of this place.

41 “And now, arise, O יהוה Elohim, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O יהוה Elohim, be robed with deliverance, and let Your lovingly-commited ones rejoice in goodness.

42 “O יהוה Elohim, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember the loving-commitment of Your servant Dawiḏ.”

7

1 And when Shelomoh had ended praying, fire came down from the heavens and consumed the ascending offering and the slaughterings. And the esteem of יהוה filled the House.

2 And the priests were unable to enter the House of יהוה, because the esteem of יהוה had filled the House of יהוה.

3 And all the children of Yisra’ĕl saw how the fire came down, and the esteem of יהוה on the House, and they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and did obeisance and gave thanks to יהוה, saying, “For He is good, for His loving-commitment is everlasting.”

4 And the sovereign and all the people slaughtered slaughterings before יהוה.

5 And Sovereign Shelomoh slaughtered a slaughtering of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Thus the sovereign and all the people dedicated the House of Elohim.

6 And the priests were standing over their duties, and the Lĕwites with instruments of the song to יהוה, which Sovereign Dawiḏ had made to give thanks to יהוה, saying, “For His loving-commitment is everlasting,” whenever Dawiḏ praised by their hand. And the priests were blowing trumpets before them, and all Yisra’ĕl were standing.

7 And Shelomoh set apart the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the House of יהוה, for there he made ascending offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze slaughter-place which Shelomoh had made was not able to contain the ascending offerings and the grain offerings and the fat.

8 And Shelomoh at that time observed the Festival seven days, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Ḥamath to the wadi of Mitsrayim.

9 And on the eighth day they held an assembly, for they performed the dedication of the slaughter-place seven days, and the festival seven days.

10 And on the twenty-third day of the seventh new moon he sent the people away to their tents, rejoicing and glad of heart for the goodness that יהוה had done for Dawiḏ, and for Shelomoh, and for His people Yisra’ĕl.

11 Thus Shelomoh finished the House of יהוה and the sovereign’s house. And all that came into the heart of Shelomoh to do in the House of יהוה and in his own house, he prosperously executed.

12 And יהוה appeared to Shelomoh by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of slaughtering.

13 “If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,

14 and My people upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I shall hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

15 “Now, My eyes are open and My ears attentive to the prayer of this place.

16 “And now, I have chosen and set this house apart for My Name to be there forever. And My eyes and My heart shall always be there.

17 “And you, if you walk before Me as your father Dawiḏ walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you guard My laws and My right-rulings,

18 then I shall establish the throne of your reign, as I covenanted with Dawiḏ your father, saying, ‘There is not to cease a man of yours as ruler in Yisra’ĕl.’

19 “But if you turn away and forsake My laws and My commands which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other mighty ones, and bow yourself to them,

20 then I shall pluck them from My land, which I have given them, and this house which I have set apart for My Name I shall cast out of My sight and make it to be a proverb and a mockery among all peoples.

21 “And this house, which has been exalted, everyone who passes by it is shall be astonished and say, ‘Why has יהוה done thus to this land and this house?’

22 “Then they shall say, ‘Because they forsook יהוה Elohim of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and embraced other mighty ones, and bowed themselves to them and served them, therefore He has brought all this evil on them.’ ”

8

1 And it came to be at the end of twenty years, that Shelomoh had built the House of יהוה, and his own house.

2 As to the cities which Ḥuram had given to Shelomoh, Shelomoh had built them, and he settled the children of Yisra’ĕl there.

3 And Shelomoh went to Ḥamath Tsoḇah and took hold of it.

4 And he built Taḏmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities which he built in Ḥamath.

5 And he built Upper Bĕyth Ḥoron and Lower Bĕyth Ḥoron, cities of defence, with walls, gates, and bars,

6 also Ba‛alath and all the storage cities that Shelomoh had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the cavalry, and all that Shelomoh desired to build in Yerushalayim, and in Leḇanon, and in all the land of his rule.

7 All the people who were left of the Ḥittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Ḥiwwites, and the Yeḇusites, who were not of Yisra’ĕl —

8 their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Yisra’ĕl did not destroy — from these Shelomoh raised compulsory labour, as it is to this day.

9 And Shelomoh did not make slaves of the children of Yisra’ĕl for his work, but they were men of battle, and chiefs of his officers, and commanders of his chariots, and his cavalry.

10 And these were the chiefs of the officials of Sovereign Shelomoh: two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

11 And Shelomoh brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of Dawiḏ to the house he had built for her, for he said, “My wife does not dwell in the house of Dawiḏ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, for the place where the ark of יהוה has come, is set-apart.”

12 Then Shelomoh offered ascending offerings to יהוה on the slaughter-place of יהוה which he had built before the porch,

13 even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the command of Mosheh, for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the appointed times three times a year: the Festival of Matzot, and the Festival of Shaḇu’ot, and the Festival of Sukkot.

14 And according to the ruling of Dawiḏ his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Lĕwites for their duties, to praise and serve before the priests, as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for so was the command of Dawiḏ the man of Elohim.

15 And they did not turn aside from the command of the sovereign to the priests and Lĕwites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.

16 And all the work of Shelomoh was prepared from the day of the foundation of the House of יהוה until it was completed. And the House of יהוה was perfected.

17 Then Shelomoh went to Etsyon Geḇer and Ěyloth on the seacoast, in the land of Eḏom.

18 And Ḥuram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. And they went with the servants of Shelomoh to Ophir, and took four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to Sovereign Shelomoh.

9

1 And the sovereigness of Sheḇa heard of the report of Shelomoh, and came to Yerushalayim to try Shelomoh with hard questions, with a very great company, and camels bearing spices, and much gold, and precious stones. And she came to Shelomoh, and she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

2 And Shelomoh answered all her questions. And there was no matter hidden for Shelomoh which he did not make known to her.

3 And the sovereigness of Sheḇa saw the wisdom of Shelomoh, and the house that he had built,

4 and the food on his table, and the seating of his servants, and the service of his waiters and their attire, and his cupbearers and their attire, and his ascending offerings that he offered up in the House of יהוה, and there was no more spirit in her.

5 Then she said to the sovereign, “True was the word I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

6 “But I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes. And see, I have not been told the half of the greatness of your wisdom! You exceed the report which I heard.

7 “Blessed are your men and blessed are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

8 “Blessed be יהוה your Elohim, who delighted in you, to put you on His throne to be sovereign for יהוה your Elohim! Because your Elohim has loved Yisra’ĕl, to establish them forever, therefore He made you sovereign over them, to do right-ruling and righteousness.”

9 And she gave the sovereign one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones. And there has not been any spices such as those the sovereigness of Sheḇa gave to Sovereign Shelomoh.

10 And also, the servants of Ḥuram and the servants of Shelomoh, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones.

11 And the sovereign made stairs of the algum wood for the House of יהוה and for the sovereign’s house, also lyres and harps for singers. And there was never seen the like of them before in the land of Yehuḏah.

12 And Sovereign Shelomoh gave to the sovereigness of Sheḇa all she desired, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the sovereign. And she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

13 And the weight of gold that came to Shelomoh yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

14 besides that which the merchants and traders brought. And all the sovereigns of Araḇia and governors of the land were bringing gold and silver to Shelomoh.

15 And Sovereign Shelomoh made two hundred large shields of beaten gold — six hundred pieces of beaten gold went into each shield,

16 and three hundred shields of beaten gold — three hundred pieces of gold went into each shield. And the sovereign put them in the House of the Forest of Leḇanon.

17 And the sovereign made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with clean gold,

18 and six steps led to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; and there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

19 And twelve lions were standing there, one on each side of the six steps. The like of it was not in any reign.

20 And all the drinking vessels of Sovereign Shelomoh were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Leḇanon were of refined gold — silver was reckoned of little value in the days of Shelomoh.

21 For the sovereign’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Ḥuram. Once in three years the ships of Tarshish came, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.

22 And Sovereign Shelomoh became greater than all the sovereigns of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23 And all the sovereigns of the earth sought the presence of Shelomoh to hear his wisdom, which Elohim had put in his heart.

24 And each man brought his present: objects of silver, and objects of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses and mules, the matter of a year by year.

25 And Shelomoh had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the sovereign at Yerushalayim.

26 And he ruled over all the sovereigns from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Mitsrayim.

27 And the sovereign made silver in Yerushalayim as the stones, and he made cedar trees as plenty as the sycamores which are in the low country.

28 And they were bringing horses to Shelomoh from Mitsrayim and from all lands.

29 And the rest of the acts of Shelomoh, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Aḥiyah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat?

30 And Shelomoh reigned in Yerushalayim over all Yisra’ĕl forty years.

31 So Shelomoh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Dawiḏ his father. And Reḥaḇ‛am his son reigned in his place.

10

1 And Reḥaḇ‛am went to Sheḵem, for all Yisra’ĕl had gone to Sheḵem to set him up to reign.

2 And it came to be, when Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat heard it — he was in Mitsrayim where he had fled from the presence of Shelomoh the sovereign — that Yaroḇ‛am returned from Mitsrayim.

3 So they sent for him and called him. And Yaroḇ‛am and all Yisra’ĕl came and spoke to Reḥaḇ‛am, saying,

4 “Your father made our yoke hard, and now, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, then we shall serve you.”

5 And he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people went.

6 Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am consulted the elders who stood before his father Shelomoh while he still lived, saying, “What do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are good to these people, and shall please them, and speak good words to them, they shall be your servants all the days.”

8 But he ignored the advice the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Say this to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us.’ Say this to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

11 And now, my father put a heavy yoke on you, but I, I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I with scourges!’ ”

12 So Yaroḇ‛am and all the people came to Reḥaḇ‛am on the third day, as the sovereign commanded, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13 And the sovereign answered them harshly. Thus Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am ignored the advice of the elders,

14 and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I, I add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I with scourges!”

15 So the sovereign did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from Elohim, in order for יהוה to establish His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Aḥiyahu the Shilonite to Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat.

16 And when all Yisra’ĕl saw that the sovereign did not listen to them, the people answered the sovereign, saying, “What portion have we in Dawiḏ? And we have no inheritance in the son of Yishai. Every man to your mighty ones, O Yisra’ĕl! Now see to your own house, O Dawiḏ!” So all Yisra’ĕl went to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Yisra’ĕl who dwelt in the cities of Yehuḏah, Reḥaḇ‛am reigned over them.

18 Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am sent Haḏoram, who was over the compulsory labour, and the children of Yisra’ĕl stoned him with stones, and he died. And Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am hastily mounted his chariot to flee to Yerushalayim.

19 Thus Yisra’ĕl revolted against the house of Dawiḏ to this day.

11

1 And when Reḥaḇ‛am came to Yerushalayim, he assembled from the house of Yehuḏah and Binyamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen brave men to fight against Yisra’ĕl, to bring back the reign to Reḥaḇ‛am.

2 But the word of יהוה came to Shemayahu the man of Elohim, saying,

3 “Speak to Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh, sovereign of Yehuḏah, and to all Yisra’ĕl in Yehuḏah and Binyamin, saying,

4 Thus said יהוה, “Do not go up or fight against your brothers! Let every man return to his house, for this matter is from Me.” ’ ” So they obeyed the words of יהוה, and turned back from going against Yaroḇ‛am.

5 And Reḥaḇ‛am dwelt in Yerushalayim, and built cities for a defence in Yehuḏah.

6 And he built Bĕyth Leḥem, and Ěytam, and Teqowa,

7 and Bĕyth Tsur, and Soḵo, and Aḏullam,

8 and Gath, and Marĕshah, and Ziph,

9 and Aḏorayim, and Laḵish, and Azĕqah,

10 and Tsor‛ah, and Ayalon, and Ḥeḇron, which are in Yehuḏah and Binyamin, cities of defence.

11 And he strengthened the strongholds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and oil, and wine,

12 and shields and spears in every city, and made them very strong. Thus Yehuḏah and Binyamin were his.

13 And from all their borders the priests and the Lĕwites who were in all Yisra’ĕl took their stand with him.

14 For the Lĕwites left their open lands and their possessions and came to Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, for Yaroḇ‛am and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests unto יהוה,

15 as he appointed for himself priests for the high places, and for goats, and the calf idols which he had made.

16 And after the Lĕwites left, those from all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, such as set their heart to seek יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, came to Yerushalayim to slaughter to יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

17 And they strengthened the reign of Yehuḏah, and made Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh strong for three years, for they walked in the way of Dawiḏ and Shelomoh for three years.

18 And Reḥaḇ‛am took for himself as wife Maḥalath the daughter of Yerimoth son of Dawiḏ, and of Aḇiḥayil the daughter of Eliyaḇ son of Yishai.

19 And she bore him sons: Ye‛ush, and Shemaryah, and Zaham.

20 And after her he took Ma‛aḵah the granddaughter of Aḇshalom. And she bore him Aḇiyah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 And Reḥaḇ‛am loved Ma‛aḵah the granddaughter of Aḇshalom more than all his wives and his concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and brought forth twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 And Reḥaḇ‛am appointed Aḇiyah son of Ma‛aḵah as chief, to be leader among his brothers, in order to make him reign.

23 And he had understanding, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands of Yehuḏah and Binyamin, to all the cities of defence, and gave them ample provision. And he sought many wives for them.

12

1 And it came to be, when Reḥaḇ‛am had established the reign and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the Torah of יהוה, and all Yisra’ĕl with him.

2 And it came to be, in the fifth year of Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am, that Shishaq sovereign of Mitsrayim came up against Yerushalayim — because they had trespassed against יהוה —

3 with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen, and innumerable people who came with him out of Mitsrayim: the Luḇim, the Sukkites and the Kushites.

4 And he took the cities of defence of Yehuḏah and came to Yerushalayim.

5 And Shemayah the prophet came to Reḥaḇ‛am and the rulers of Yehuḏah, who had been gathered in Yerushalayim because of Shishaq, and said to them, “Thus said יהוה, ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishaq.’ ”

6 Then the rulers of Yisra’ĕl and the sovereign humbled themselves, and they said, “יהוה is righteous.”

7 And when יהוה saw that they humbled themselves, the word of יהוה came to Shemayah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. I do not destroy them, but I shall give to them some deliverance, and not pour out My wrath on Yerushalayim by the hand of Shishaq,

8 but they are to become his servants, so that they know My service and the service of the reigns of the lands.”

9 And Shishaq sovereign of Mitsrayim came up against Yerushalayim, and took away the treasures of the House of יהוה and the treasures of the sovereign’s house. He took all, he also took the gold shields which Shelomoh had made.

10 And Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am made bronze shields to replace them and committed them into the hands of the chiefs of the guard, who guarded the entrance of the sovereign’s house.

11 And it came to be, whenever the sovereign went into the House of יהוה, the guard would go and bring them out, then they would take them back into the guardroom.

12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of יהוה turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely. And matters also went well in Yehuḏah.

13 So Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am strengthened himself in Yerushalayim and reigned. For Reḥaḇ‛am was forty-one years old when he became sovereign, and he reigned seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city which יהוה had chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, to put His Name there. And his mother’s name was Na‛amah, the Ammonitess.

14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek יהוה.

15 And the acts of Reḥaḇ‛am, the first and the last, are they not written in the book of Shemayah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there was fighting between Reḥaḇ‛am and Yaroḇ‛am all the days.

16 So Reḥaḇ‛am slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Dawiḏ. And Aḇiyah his son reigned in his place.

13

1 In the eighteenth year of Sovereign Yaroḇ‛am, Aḇiyah began to reign over Yehuḏah.

2 He reigned three years in Yerushalayim. And his mother’s name was Miḵayahu the daughter of Uri’ĕl of Giḇ‛ah. And there was fighting between Aḇiyah and Yaroḇ‛am.

3 And Aḇiyah joined battle with an army of mighty men of battle, four hundred thousand choice men. And Yaroḇ‛am drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty brave men.

4 And Aḇiyah stood on Mount Tsemarayim, which is in the mountains of Ephrayim, and said, “Hear me, Yaroḇ‛am and all Yisra’ĕl:

5 “Do you not know that יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has given the reign over Yisra’ĕl to Dawiḏ forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?

6 “Yet Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat, the servant of Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ, rose up and rebelled against his master.

7 “And vain men gathered to him, sons of Beliya‛al, and strengthened themselves against Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh, when Reḥaḇ‛am was young and tender of heart and could not be strong against them.

8 “And now you think to be strong against the reign of יהוה, which is in the hand of the sons of Dawiḏ. And you are a large crowd, and with you are the gold calves which Yaroḇ‛am made for you as mighty ones.

9 “Have you not thrown out the priests of יהוה, the sons of Aharon, and the Lĕwites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of the lands, so that whoever comes to ordain himself with a young bull and seven rams then becomes a priest of what are not mighty ones?

10 “But as for us, יהוה is our Elohim, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are serving יהוה, the sons of Aharon and the Lĕwites, in the work,

11 and are burning to יהוה every morning and every evening ascending offerings and sweet incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening, for we are guarding the Charge of יהוה our Elohim. But you have forsaken Him.

12 “And see, with us as Head is Elohim Himself, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Yisra’ĕl, do not fight against יהוה Elohim of your fathers, for you are not going to prosper!”

13 But Yaroḇ‛am sent round an ambush to go behind them, so they were in front of Yehuḏah, and the ambush was behind them.

14 And Yehuḏah turned and saw the battle was both in front and behind them. Then they cried out to יהוה, and the priests sounded the trumpets.

15 And the men of Yehuḏah gave a shout. And it came to be, as the men of Yehuḏah shouted, that Elohim smote Yaroḇ‛am and all Yisra’ĕl before Aḇiyah and Yehuḏah.

16 And the children of Yisra’ĕl fled before Yehuḏah, and Elohim gave them into their hand.

17 And Aḇiyah and his people struck them with a great slaughter, and five hundred thousand choice men of Yisra’ĕl fell slain.

18 And the children of Yisra’ĕl were humbled at that time, while the children of Yehuḏah prevailed, because they relied on יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

19 And Aḇiyah pursued Yaroḇ‛am and captured cities from him: Bĕyth Ěl with its villages, and Yeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.

20 And Yaroḇ‛am did not regain power again in the days of Aḇiyahu. And יהוה smote him, and he died.

21 But Aḇiyah became strong, and took fourteen wives, and brought forth twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Aḇiyah, and his ways, and his words are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

14

1 So Aḇiyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of Dawiḏ. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land rested ten years.

2 And Asa did what was good and what was right in the eyes of יהוה his Elohim,

3 and removed the slaughter-places of the stranger, and the high places, and broke down the pillars and cut down the Ashĕrim,

4 and commanded Yehuḏah to seek יהוה Elohim of their fathers, and to do the Torah and the command.

5 And he removed the high places and the sun-pillars from all the cities of Yehuḏah, and the reign rested under him.

6 And he built cities of defence in Yehuḏah, since the land had rest and he had no fighting in those years, because יהוה had given him rest.

7 And he said to Yehuḏah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought יהוה our Elohim. We have sought, and He has given us rest all around.” So they built and prospered.

8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Yehuḏah bearing shields and spears, and from Binyamin two hundred and eighty thousand men bearing shields and drew bows. All of them were mighty brave men.

9 And Zeraḥ the Kushite came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Marĕshah.

10 And Asa went out against him, and they set battle in array in the Valley of Tsephathah at Marĕshah.

11 And Asa called to יהוה his Elohim, and said, “יהוה, there is no one but You to help between the mighty and the powerless. Help us, O יהוה our Elohim, for we rest on You, and in Your Name we go against this crowd. O יהוה, You are our Elohim, do not let man prevail against You!”

12 So יהוה smote the Kushites before Asa and Yehuḏah, and the Kushites fled.

13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. And the Kushites fell, until none was left alive for them, for they were broken before יהוה and His army. And they took very much spoil,

14 and struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of יהוה came upon them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them.

15 And they also struck the camps of the herdsmen, and captured many sheep and camels, and returned to Yerushalayim.

15

1 And the Spirit of Elohim came upon Azaryahu son of Oḏĕḏ.

2 And he went out to face Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Yehuḏah and Binyamin. יהוה is with you while you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He is found by you, but if you forsake Him, He forsakes you.

3 “And for many days Yisra’ĕl has been without the true Elohim, and without a Torah priest, and without Torah.

4 “But in their distress they turned to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and they sought Him, and He was found by them.

5 “And in those days there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, for great disturbances were on all the inhabitants of the lands,

6 and they were beaten down, nation by nation, and city by city, for Elohim troubled them with every distress.

7 “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be feeble, for there is a reward for your work!”

8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oḏĕḏ the prophet, he strengthened himself, and removed the abominations from all the land of Yehuḏah and Binyamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephrayim, and restored the slaughter-place of יהוה that was before the porch of יהוה,

9 and gathered all Yehuḏah and Binyamin, and those who sojourned with them from Ephrayim, and Menashsheh, and Shim‛on, for they came over to him in great numbers from Yisra’ĕl when they saw that יהוה his Elohim was with him.

10 And they gathered together at Yerushalayim in the third new moon, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa,

11 and slaughtered to יהוה on that day seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil which they had brought.

12 And they entered into a covenant to seek יהוה Elohim of their fathers with all their heart and with all their being;

13 and whoever would not seek יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl would be put to death, from small to great, from man to woman.

14 And they swore to יהוה with a loud voice, with shouting and with trumpets and with shopharot.

15 And all Yehuḏah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their being. And He was found by them, and יהוה gave them rest all around.

16 And he also removed Ma‛aḵah, the mother of Asa the sovereign, from being sovereigness mother, because she had made an abominable image of Ashĕrah. And Asa cut down her abominable image, and crushed it, and burned it by the wadi Qiḏron.

17 Yet the high places were not removed from Yisra’ĕl. However, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

18 And he brought into the House of Elohim the set-apart items of his father and his own set-apart items: silver and gold and utensils.

19 And there was no more fighting until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

16

1 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Ba‛asha the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl came up against Yehuḏah and built Ramah, to prevent anyone going out or coming in to Asa, sovereign of Yehuḏah.

2 And Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the House of יהוה and of the sovereign’s house, and sent to Ben-Haḏaḏ sovereign of Aram, who dwelt in Darmeseq, saying,

3 “Let there be a covenant between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Come, break your covenant with Ba‛asha sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, so that he withdraws from me.”

4 And Ben-Haḏaḏ listened to Sovereign Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Yisra’ĕl, and they struck Iyon, and Dan, and Aḇĕl Mayim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

5 And it came to be, when Ba‛asha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work.

6 Then Asa the sovereign brought all Yehuḏah, and they took away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Ba‛asha had used for building. And with them he built Geḇa and Mitspah.

7 And at that time Ḥanani the seer came to Asa sovereign of Yehuḏah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the sovereign of Aram, and have not relied on יהוה your Elohim, therefore the army of the sovereign of Aram has escaped from your hand.

8 “Were the Kushites and the Luḇim not a mighty army with very many chariots and horsemen? And because you relied on יהוה, He gave them into your hand.

9 “For the eyes of יהוה diligently search throughout all the earth, to show Himself to be strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect to Him. You have acted foolishly in this, so from now on you shall have battles.”

10 And Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

11 And look, the acts of Asa, the first and the last, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl.

12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease was severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek יהוה, but the physicians.

13 So Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in his burial-site, which he had made for himself in the City of Dawiḏ. And they laid him in the bed which was filled with spices and various kinds of ointments mixed by the perfumer’s skill. And they made a very great burning for him.

17

1 And Yehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Yisra’ĕl,

2 and placed an army in all the walled cities of Yehuḏah, and set watch-posts in the land of Yehuḏah and in the cities of Ephrayim which Asa his father had taken.

3 And יהוה was with Yehoshaphat, for he walked in the former ways of his father Dawiḏ, and did not seek the Ba‛als,

4 but sought the Elohim of his father, and walked in His commands and not according to the deeds of Yisra’ĕl.

5 So יהוה established the reign in his hand. And all Yehuḏah gave presents to Yehoshaphat, and he had great riches and esteem.

6 And his heart was exalted in the ways of יהוה, and he again removed the high places and the Ashĕrim from Yehuḏah.

7 And in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Ḥayil, and Oḇaḏyah, and Zeḵaryah, and Nethan’ĕl, and Miḵayahu, to teach in the cities of Yehuḏah.

8 And with them he sent Lĕwites: Shemayahu, and Nethanyahu, and Zeḇaḏyahu, and Asah’ĕl, and Shemiramoth, and Yehonathan, and Aḏoniyahu, and Toḇiyahu, and Toḇaḏoniyah, the Lĕwites, and with them Elishama and Yehoram, the priests.

9 And they taught in Yehuḏah, and with them was the Book of the Torah of יהוה. And they went around into all the cities of Yehuḏah and taught the people.

10 And the fear of יהוה fell on all the reigns of the lands that were around Yehuḏah, and they did not fight against Yehoshaphat.

11 And some of the Philistines brought Yehoshaphat gifts and a load of silver. And the Araḇians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.

12 And Yehoshaphat became increasingly great, and he built palaces and storage cities in Yehuḏah.

13 And he had much work in the cities of Yehuḏah. And the men of battle, mighty brave men, were in Yerushalayim.

14 And these were their numbers, according to their fathers’ houses: Of Yehuḏah, the commanders of thousands: Aḏnah the commander, and with him three hundred thousand mighty brave men;

15 and next to him was Yehoḥanan the commander, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand;

16 and next to him was Amasyah son of Ziḵri, who volunteered himself to יהוה, and with him two hundred thousand mighty brave men.

17 And of Binyamin: Elyaḏa, a mighty brave one, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield;

18 and next to him was Yehozaḇaḏ, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand prepared for battle.

19 These were the ones serving the sovereign, besides those whom the sovereign put in the walled cities throughout all Yehuḏah.

18

1 And Yehoshaphat had great riches and esteem, and allied himself with Aḥaḇ by marriage.

2 And some years later he went down to visit Aḥaḇ in Shomeron. And Aḥaḇ slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and incited him to go up with him to Ramoth Gil‛ad.

3 And Aḥaḇ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, “Do you go with me against Ramoth Gil‛ad?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, even with you in battle.”

4 And Yehoshaphat said to the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, “Please inquire for the word of יהוה today.”

5 And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Do we go against Ramoth Gil‛ad to battle, or do I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for Elohim does give it into the sovereign’s hand.”

6 But Yehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of יהוה here, so that we inquire of him?”

7 And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat, “There is still one man to inquire of יהוה from him; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Miḵayehu, the son of Yimla.” And Yehoshaphat said, “Let not the sovereign say so!”

8 So the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl called one of his officers and said, “Bring Miḵahu son of Yimla at once!”

9 And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and Yehoshaphat the sovereign of Yehuḏah, dressed in their robes, sat each on his throne. And they sat at a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Shomeron. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 And Tsiḏqiyahu son of Kena‛anah had made horns of iron for himself, and said, “Thus said יהוה, ‘With these you push the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ”

11 And all the prophets were prophesying so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gil‛ad and prosper, and יהוה shall give it into the hand of the sovereign.”

12 And the messenger who had gone to call Miḵayehu spoke to him, saying, “See, the words of the prophets with one mouth are good towards the sovereign. So please let your word be like the word of one of them, and you shall speak good.”

13 And Miḵayehu said, “As יהוה lives, whatever my Elohim says, that I speak.”

14 And he came to the sovereign. And the sovereign said to him, “Miḵah, do we go against Ramoth Gil‛ad to battle, or do I refrain?” And he said, “Go and prosper, and they are given into your hand!”

15 And the sovereign said to him, “How many times have I made you swear that you do not speak to me, except the truth, in the Name of יהוה?”

16 So he said, “I saw all Yisra’ĕl scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And יהוה said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

17 And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

18 Then he said, “Therefore hear the word of יהוה: I saw יהוה sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right and on His left.

19 “And יהוה said, ‘Who shall entice Aḥaḇ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl to go up and fall at Ramoth Gil‛ad?’ And one said this, and another said that.

20 “And a spirit came forward and stood before יהוה, and said, ‘Let me entice him.’ יהוה said to him, ‘In what way?’

21 “And he said, ‘I shall go out and be a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘Entice him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’

22 “And now, see, יהוה has put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and יהוה has spoken evil concerning you.”

23 And Tsiḏqiyahu son of Kena‛anah came near and struck Miḵayehu on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of יהוה pass over from me to speak to you?”

24 And Miḵayehu said, “Look, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide!”

25 Then the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said, “Take Miḵayehu, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Yo’ash the sovereign’s son,

26 and say, ‘Thus said the sovereign, “Put this one in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace.” ’ ”

27 And Miḵayehu said, “If you return at all in peace, יהוה has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you people!”

28 Then the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and Yehoshaphat the sovereign of Yehuḏah went up to Ramoth Gil‛ad.

29 And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat, “Let me disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl disguised himself, and they went into battle.

30 And the sovereign of Aram had commanded the commanders of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl.”

31 And it came to be, when the commanders of the chariots saw Yehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl!” So they turned around to fight against him, and Yehoshaphat cried out, and יהוה helped him, and Elohim moved them to turn away from him.

32 And it came to be, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, that they turned back from pursuing him.

33 And a man drew a bow in his simplicity, and struck the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl between the joints of his armour. And he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

34 But the battle increased that day, and the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening, and he died at the time of the going down of the sun.

19

1 And Yehoshaphat the sovereign of Yehuḏah returned to his house in peace in Yerushalayim.

2 And Yĕhu son of Ḥanani the seer went out to face him, and said to Sovereign Yehoshaphat, “Do you help the wrong and love those who hate יהוה? Therefore the wrath of יהוה is upon you.

3 “But good matters are found in you, in that you have removed the Ashĕroth from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek Elohim.”

4 So Yehoshaphat dwelt in Yerushalayim, and he went out again among the people from Be’ĕrsheḇa to the hill country of Ephrayim, and brought them back to יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

5 And he appointed judges in the land in all the walled cities of Yehuḏah, city by city,

6 and said to the judges, “Watch what you are doing, for you do not judge for man, but for יהוה who is with you in the matter of right-ruling.

7 “And now, let the fear of יהוה be upon you. Guard and do it, for there is no unrighteousness with יהוה our Elohim, nor partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

8 And in Yerushalayim Yehoshaphat also appointed some of the Lĕwites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Yisra’ĕl, for the right-ruling of יהוה and for dispute. Then they returned to Yerushalayim.

9 And he commanded them, saying, “Do this in the fear of יהוה, trustworthily and with a perfect heart:

10 “When any dispute comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between Torah and command, laws and right-rulings, then you shall warn them, lest they trespass against יהוה and wrath come upon you and your brothers. Do this, and you shall not be guilty.

11 “And look, Amaryahu the chief priest is over you in all matters of יהוה. And Zeḇaḏyahu son of Yishma‛ĕl, the ruler of the house of Yehuḏah, for all the matters of the sovereign, and the Lĕwites are officials before you. Be strong and do, and יהוה is with the good.”

20

1 And after this it came to be that the children of Mo’aḇ and the children of Ammon came in, and with them some of the peoples, against Yehoshaphat to battle.

2 And they came and spoke to Yehoshaphat, saying, “A great army is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Aram. And see, they are in Ḥatsatson Tamar,” which is Ěn Geḏi.

3 And Yehoshaphat was afraid, and set his face to seek יהוה, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Yehuḏah.

4 And Yehuḏah gathered to inquire of יהוה, even from all the cities of Yehuḏah they came to seek יהוה.

5 And Yehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, in the House of יהוה, in front of the new courtyard,

6 and said, “O יהוה Elohim of our fathers, are You not Elohim in the heavens, and do You not rule over all the reigns of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to stand against You?

7 “Are You not our Elohim? You have driven out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Yisra’ĕl, and gave it to the seed of Aḇraham who loves You forever.

8 “And they dwell in it, and have built You a set-apart place in it for Your Name, saying,

9 If evil does come upon us, such as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or scarcity of food, we shall stand before this House and in Your presence — for Your Name is in this House — and cry out to You in our distress, and You do hear and save.’

10 “And now, see, the children of Ammon and Mo’aḇ, and Mount Sĕ‛ir, whom You would not let Yisra’ĕl invade when they came out of the land of Mitsrayim, for they turned from them and did not destroy them,

11 and see, they are repaying us by coming in to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

12 “O our Elohim, would You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great army that is coming against us. And we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

13 And all Yehuḏah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before יהוה.

14 And the Spirit of יהוה came upon Yaḥazi’ĕl son of Zeḵaryahu, son of Benayah, son of Ye‛i’ĕl, son of Mattanyah, a Lĕwite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly,

15 and he said, “Listen, all Yehuḏah, and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and Sovereign Yehoshaphat! Thus said יהוה to you, ‘Do not fear, nor be afraid of the face of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but Elohim’s.

16 Go down against them tomorrow. See, they are coming up by the ascent of Tsits, and you shall find them at the end of the wadi before the Wilderness of Yeru’ĕl.

17 It is not for you to fight in this. Position yourselves, stand still and see the deliverance of יהוה with you, O Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim!’ Do not be afraid nor fear, go out against them tomorrow, for יהוה is with you.”

18 And Yehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Yehuḏah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell down before יהוה, to bow themselves before יהוה.

19 And the Lĕwites, of the children of the Qehathites and of the children of the Qorḥites stood up to praise יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl with exceedingly loud voice.

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Teqowa. And as they went out, Yehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Yehuḏah and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim: Trust in יהוה your Elohim and be steadfast, trust His prophets and prosper.”

21 And after consulting with the people, he appointed those who should sing to יהוה, and who should praise the splendour of set-apartness, as they went out before the army and were saying, “Give thanks to יהוה, for His loving-commitment is everlasting.”

22 And when they began singing and praising, יהוה set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Mo’aḇ, and Mount Sĕ‛ir, who had come against Yehuḏah, and they were smitten.

23 Then the children of Ammon and Mo’aḇ stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Sĕ‛ir to destroy and annihilate them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Sĕ‛ir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 And when Yehuḏah came at the lookout in the wilderness, they looked toward the army and saw their dead bodies, lying on the ground, and none had escaped.

25 And Yehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, and they found among them a great amount of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could take away. And they were three days plundering the spoil, for it was much.

26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beraḵah, for there they blessed יהוה. Therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Beraḵah to this day.

27 Then they returned, every man of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, with Yehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Yerushalayim with joy, for יהוה had made them rejoice over their enemies.

28 And they came to Yerushalayim, with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the House of יהוה.

29 And the fear of Elohim was on all the reigns of the lands when they heard that יהוה had fought against the enemies of Yisra’ĕl.

30 Then the reign of Yehoshaphat was at peace, for his Elohim gave him rest on all sides.

31 Thus Yehoshaphat reigned over Yehuḏah — thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Yerushalayim. And his mother’s name was Azuḇah the daughter of Shilḥi.

32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of יהוה.

33 Only, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts for the Elohim of their fathers.

34 And the rest of the acts of Yehoshaphat, the first and the last, see, they are written in the book of Yĕhu son of Ḥanani, which is mentioned in the book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl.

35 And after this Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah joined himself with Aḥazyah sovereign of Yisra’ĕl. He did wrong in doing so.

36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Etsyon Geḇer.

37 Then Eli‛ezer son of Doḏawahu of Marĕshah prophesied against Yehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Aḥazyahu, יהוה shall break up your work.” And the ships were wrecked, so that they were unable to go to Tarshish.

21

1 And Yehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of Dawiḏ. And Yehoram his son reigned in his place.

2 And he had brothers, the sons of Yehoshaphat: Azaryahu, and Yeḥi’ĕl, and Zeḵaryahu, and Azaryahu, and Miḵa’ĕl, and Shephatyahu. All these were sons of Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yisra’ĕl.

3 And their father gave them many gifts of silver and gold and precious items, with walled cities in Yehuḏah, but he had given the reign to Yehoram because he was the first-born.

4 And when Yehoram had risen up over the reign of his father and strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the heads of Yisra’ĕl.

5 Yehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Yerushalayim.

6 And he walked in the way of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl, as the house of Aḥaḇ had done, for he had the daughter of Aḥaḇ as a wife. And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה.

7 However, יהוה would not destroy the house of Dawiḏ, because of the covenant He had made with Dawiḏ, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons, all the days.

8 In his days the Eḏomites revolted from under the hand of Yehuḏah, and appointed a sovereign over themselves.

9 Then Yehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And it came to be that he rose by night and struck the Eḏomites who had surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots.

10 Thus the Eḏomites revolted from under the hand of Yehuḏah to this day. Then Liḇnah revolted from under his hand, because he had forsaken יהוה Elohim of his fathers.

11 He had also made high places in the mountains of Yehuḏah, and caused the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to commit whoring, and led Yehuḏah astray.

12 And a letter came to him from Ěliyahu the prophet, saying, Thus said יהוה Elohim of your father Dawiḏ, “Because you have not walked in the ways of Yehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa sovereign of Yehuḏah,

13 but have walked in the way of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl, and have made Yehuḏah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to commit whoring like the whorings of the house of Aḥaḇ, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself,

14 see, יהוה is going to strike with a great blow among your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions,

15 and you, with many sicknesses, with disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out because of the sickness, day by day.”

16 And יהוה stirred up the spirit of the Philistines against Yehoram, and of the Araḇians who were near the Kushites.

17 And they came up into Yehuḏah and broke into it, and captured all the possessions that were found in the sovereign’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Yeho’aḥaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 And after all this יהוה plagued him in his intestines with a disease for which there was no healing.

19 And it came to be in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness, and he died in great pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Yerushalayim, to no one’s regret, and passed away. And they buried him in the City of Dawiḏ, but not in the burial-sites of the sovereigns.

22

1 And the inhabitants of Yerushalayim set up Aḥazyahu his youngest son to reign in his place, for the raiding band that came with the Araḇians into the camp had killed all the older sons. So Aḥazyahu son of Yehoram, sovereign of Yehuḏah, reigned.

2 Aḥazyahu was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yerushalayim one year. And his mother’s name was Athalyahu the granddaughter of Omri.

3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Aḥaḇ, for his mother counselled him to do wrong.

4 And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה, like the house of Aḥaḇ, for they were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

5 He also walked in their counsel, and went with Yehoram son of Aḥaḇ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl to fight against Ḥaza’ĕl sovereign of Aram at Ramoth Gil‛ad. And the Arameans struck Yoram,

6 and he returned to Yizre‛ĕl to recover from the strikings with which they struck him at Ramah, when he fought against Ḥaza’ĕl sovereign of Aram. And Azaryahu son of Yehoram, sovereign of Yehuḏah, went down to see Yehoram son of Aḥaḇ in Yizre‛ĕl, for he was sick.

7 But from Elohim came the downfall of Aḥazyahu, through his coming to Yoram. For when he came he went out with Yehoram against Yĕhu son of Nimshi, whom יהוה had anointed to cut off the house of Aḥaḇ.

8 And it came to be, when Yĕhu was executing judgment on the house of Aḥaḇ, that he found the rulers of Yehuḏah and the sons of Aḥazyahu’s brothers who served Aḥazyahu, and killed them.

9 So he searched for Aḥazyahu, and they caught him while he was hiding in Shomeron, and brought him to Yĕhu, and put him to death, then buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Yehoshaphat, who sought יהוה with all his heart.” And there was none in the house of Aḥazyahu strong enough to reign.

10 And when Athalyahu the mother of Aḥazyahu saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the offspring of the reign of the house of Yehuḏah.

11 But Yehoshaḇ‛ath, the daughter of the sovereign, took Yo’ash son of Aḥazyahu, and stole him away from among the sovereign’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Yehoshaḇ‛ath, the daughter of Sovereign Yehoram, the wife of Yehoyaḏa the priest, because she was the sister of Aḥazyahu, hid him from Athalyahu so that she could not put him to death.

12 And he was hidden with them in the House of Elohim for six years, while Athalyah was reigning over the land.

23

1 And in the seventh year Yehoyaḏa strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds: Azaryah son of Yeroḥam, and Yishma‛ĕl son of Yehoḥanan, and Azaryahu son of Oḇĕḏ, and Ma‛asĕyahu son of Aḏayahu, and Elishaphat son of Ziḵri.

2 And they went about through Yehuḏah and gathered the Lĕwites from all the cities of Yehuḏah, and the chiefs of the fathers of Yisra’ĕl, and they came to Yerushalayim.

3 And all the assembly made a covenant with the sovereign in the House of Elohim. And he said to them, “See, the son of the sovereign is to reign, as יהוה has said of the sons of Dawiḏ.

4 “This is what you do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Lĕwites, gatekeepers of the thresholds;

5 and one-third are at the sovereign’s house, and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation, while all the people are in the courtyards of the House of יהוה.

6 “And let no one come into the House of יהוה except the priests and those of the Lĕwites who serve — they go in, for they are set-apart. But all the people are to guard the Charge of יהוה.

7 “And the Lĕwites shall surround the sovereign on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand. And whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. And be with the sovereign when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 And the Lĕwites and all Yehuḏah did according to all that Yehoyaḏa the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those going out on the Sabbath, for Yehoyaḏa the priest did not dismiss the divisions.

9 And Yehoyaḏa the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had been Sovereign Dawiḏ’s, that were in the House of Elohim.

10 And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the House to the left side of the House, along by the slaughter-place and by the House, all around the sovereign.

11 And they brought out the son of the sovereign and put on him the diadem and the Witness, and set him up to reign. Then Yehoyaḏa and his sons anointed him, and said, “Let the sovereign live!”

12 And Athalyahu heard the noise of the people running and praising the sovereign, and she came to the people in the House of יהוה,

13 and looked and saw the sovereign standing by his column at the entrance. And the chiefs and the trumpeters were beside the sovereign, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with instruments of song, and those who led in praise. Then Athalyahu tore her garments and said, “Treason! Treason!”

14 And Yehoyaḏa the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside the ranks, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest said, “Do not kill her in the House of יהוה.”

15 So they laid hands on her, and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the sovereign’s house, and they put her to death there.

16 Yehoyaḏa then made a covenant — between himself and the people and the sovereign — to be the people of יהוה.

17 And all the people went to the house of Ba‛al, and broke it down. They completely broke up its slaughter-places and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Ba‛al before the slaughter-places.

18 And Yehoyaḏa put the offices of the House of יהוה into the hand of the priests, the Lĕwites, whom Dawiḏ had assigned in the House of יהוה, to offer the ascending offerings of יהוה, as it is written in the Torah of Mosheh, with rejoicing and with singing, by the hands of Dawiḏ.

19 And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the House of יהוה, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.

20 And he took the commanders of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the sovereign down from the House of יהוה. And they went through the Upper Gate to the sovereign’s house, and set the sovereign on the throne of the reign.

21 And all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city had rest, for they had slain Athalyahu with the sword.

24

1 Yo’ash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim. And the name of his mother was Tsiḇyah of Be’ĕrsheḇa.

2 And Yo’ash did what was right in the eyes of יהוה all the days of Yehoyaḏa the priest.

3 And Yehoyaḏa took for him two wives, and he brought forth sons and daughters.

4 And after this it came to be that Yo’ash set his heart on restoring the House of יהוה.

5 And he gathered the priests and the Lĕwites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Yehuḏah, and gather from all Yisra’ĕl silver to repair the House of your Elohim from year to year, and see that you hurry the matter.” But the Lĕwites did not hurry it.

6 And the sovereign called Yehoyaḏa the chief, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Lĕwites to bring in from Yehuḏah and from Yerushalayim the levy of Mosheh the servant of יהוה and of the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, for the Tent of the Witness?”

7 For the sons of Athalyahu, that wrong woman, had broken into the House of Elohim, and had also prepared all the set-apart vessels of the House of יהוה to the Ba‛als.

8 So the sovereign commanded and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the House of יהוה,

9 and made it known in Yehuḏah and in Yerushalayim to bring to יהוה the levy that Mosheh the servant of Elohim had imposed on Yisra’ĕl in the wilderness.

10 And all the rulers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought in and put them into the chest to completion.

11 And it came to be, at that time, when the chest was brought to the sovereign’s official by the hand of the Lĕwites, and when they saw that there was much silver, that the sovereign’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. So they did day by day, and gathered a large amount of silver.

12 And the sovereign and Yehoyaḏa gave it to those who did the work of the service of the House of יהוה. And they hired stonemasons and carpenters to restore the House of יהוה, and also those who worked in iron and bronze to repair the House of יהוה.

13 And the workmen laboured, and the work of restoration progressed in their hands, and they established the House of Elohim to its proper form and strengthened it.

14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the silver before the sovereign and Yehoyaḏa, and they made utensils from it for the House of יהוה, utensils for serving and offering, ladles and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered ascending offerings in the House of יהוה continually all the days of Yehoyaḏa.

15 And Yehoyaḏa was old and satisfied with days, and died, one hundred and thirty years old when he died.

16 And they buried him in the City of Dawiḏ among the sovereigns, for he had done good in Yisra’ĕl, both toward Elohim and His house.

17 And after the death of Yehoyaḏa the rulers of Yehuḏah came and bowed themselves to the sovereign. And the sovereign listened to them,

18 and they forsook the House of יהוה Elohim of their fathers, and served the Ashĕrim and the idols. And wrath came upon Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim because of their trespass.

19 And He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to יהוה. And they witnessed against them, but they did not listen.

20 Then the Spirit of Elohim came upon Zeḵaryah son of Yehoyaḏa the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus said Elohim, ‘Why are you transgressing the commands of יהוה, and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken יהוה, He has forsaken you.’ ”

21 And they conspired against him, and at the command of the sovereign they stoned him with stones in the courtyard of the House of יהוה.

22 Thus Yo’ash the sovereign did not remember the loving-commitment which Yehoyaḏa his father had done to him, and killed his son. And as he died, he said, “יהוה does see, and repay!”

23 And it came to be, at the turn of the year, that the army of Aram came up against him. And they came into Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, and destroyed all the rulers of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the sovereign of Darmeseq.

24 For the army of Aram came with few men, but יהוה gave a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken יהוה Elohim of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Yo’ash.

25 And when they had withdrawn from him — for they left him very sick — his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Yehoyaḏa the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died. And they buried him in the City of Dawiḏ, but they did not bury him in the burial-sites of the sovereigns.

26 And these are the ones who conspired against him: Zaḇaḏ the son of Shim‛ath the Ammonitess, and Yehozaḇaḏ the son of Shimrith the Mo’aḇitess.

27 As to his sons, and the many words about him, and the rebuilding of the House of Elohim, see, they are written in the commentary of the book of the sovereigns. And Amatsyahu his son reigned in his place.

25

1 Amatsyahu was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. And the name of his mother was Yehoaddan of Yerushalayim.

2 And he did what was right in the eyes of יהוה, but not with a perfect heart.

3 And it came to be, upon his strong control of the reign, that he killed his servants who had struck his father the sovereign.

4 But he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the Torah in the Book of Mosheh, where יהוה commanded, saying, “Fathers are not put to death for their children, and children are not put to death for their fathers, but each one has to die for his own sin.”

5 And Amatsyahu gathered Yehuḏah and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, according to the fathers’ houses, for all Yehuḏah and Binyamin. And he registered them from twenty years old and above, and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men going out to the army, handling spear and shield.

6 And he hired one hundred thousand mighty brave ones from Yisra’ĕl for one hundred talents of silver.

7 But a man of Elohim came to him, saying, “O sovereign, do not let the army of Yisra’ĕl go with you, for יהוה is not with Yisra’ĕl, with all the children of Ephrayim.

8 “But if you are going, do it! Be strong in battle, else Elohim would make you fall before the enemy, for Elohim has power to help and to overthrow.”

9 And Amatsyahu said to the man of Elohim, “But what do we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Yisra’ĕl?” And the man of Elohim answered, “יהוה has more to give you than this.”

10 So Amatsyahu dismissed the army that had come to him from Ephrayim, to go back home. And they were greatly enraged against Yehuḏah, and they returned home in a rage.

11 And Amatsyahu strengthened himself, and led his people, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck ten thousand of the sons of Sĕ‛ir.

12 And the sons of Yehuḏah took captive another ten thousand alive, and they brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, and all of them were dashed to pieces.

13 And the soldiers of the army which Amatsyahu had sent back from going with him to battle, they raided the cities of Yehuḏah from Shomeron to Bĕyth Ḥoron, and struck three thousand in them, and took much spoil.

14 And it came to be, after Amatsyahu came from striking the Eḏomites, that he brought the mighty ones of the people of Sĕ‛ir, and set them up to be his mighty ones, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

15 Therefore the displeasure of יהוה burned against Amatsyahu, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the mighty ones of the people, which did not deliver their own people from your hand?”

16 And it came to be, as he talked with him, that the sovereign said to him, “Have we appointed you counsellor to the sovereign? Stop! Why should they strike you?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that Elohim has counselled to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

17 And Amatsyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah took counsel and sent to Yo’ash son of Yeho’aḥaz, son of Yĕhu, sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “Come, let us look each other in the face!”

18 And Yo’ash sovereign of Yisra’ĕl sent to Amatsyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, saying, “The thistle that was in Leḇanon sent to the cedar that was in Leḇanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ And a wild beast that was in Leḇanon passed by and trampled the thistle.

19 “You have said, ‘See, I have stricken Eḏom,’ and your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now stay at home, why should you stir up yourself to evil, that you should fall — you and Yehuḏah with you?”

20 But Amatsyahu did not listen, for it came from Elohim, in order to give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the mighty ones of Eḏom.

21 So Yo’ash sovereign of Yisra’ĕl went out. And he and Amatsyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah faced one another at Bĕyth Shemesh, which belongs to Yehuḏah.

22 And Yehuḏah was smitten before Yisra’ĕl, and they each fled to his tent.

23 And Yo’ash the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl caught Amatsyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, son of Yo’ash, son of Yeho’aḥaz, at Bĕyth Shemesh, and brought him to Yerushalayim, and broke down the wall of Yerushalayim from the Gate of Ephrayim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits,

24 and took all the gold and the silver, and all the utensils that were found in the House of Elohim with Oḇĕḏ-Eḏom, and the treasures of the sovereign’s house, and hostages, and returned to Shomeron.

25 And Amatsyahu son of Yo’ash, sovereign of Yehuḏah, lived fifteen years after the death of Yo’ash son of Yeho’aḥaz, sovereign of Yisra’ĕl.

26 And the rest of the acts of Amatsyahu, from the first to the last, see, are they not written in the book of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl?

27 And from the time that Amatsyahu turned away from following יהוה, they made a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim, and he fled to Laḵish. And they sent after him to Laḵish and killed him there,

28 and they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Yehuḏah.

26

1 And all the people of Yehuḏah took Uzziyahu, who was sixteen years old, and set him up to reign instead of his father Amatsyahu.

2 He built Ěyloth and restored it to Yehuḏah, after the sovereign slept with his fathers.

3 Uzziyahu was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Yerushalayim. And his mother’s name was Yeḵolyah of Yerushalayim.

4 And he did what was right in the eyes of יהוה, according to all that his father Amatsyahu did.

5 And he sought Elohim in the days of Zeḵaryahu, who had understanding in the visions of Elohim. And while he sought יהוה, Elohim made him prosper.

6 And he went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Yaḇneh, and the wall of Ashdoḏ, and built cities around Ashdoḏ and among the Philistines.

7 And Elohim helped him against the Philistines, and against the Araḇians who lived in Gur Ba‛al, and the Me‛unites.

8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziyahu. And his name spread as far as the entrance of Mitsrayim, for he strengthened himself greatly.

9 And Uzziyahu built towers in Yerushalayim at the Corner Gate, and at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress, and strengthened them.

10 And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the low country and in the plain, farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Karmel, for he loved the soil.

11 And Uzziyah had an army of fighting men who went out to battle by divisions, according to the number on their roll as prepared by Ye‛i’ĕl the scribe and Ma‛asĕyahu the officer, under the hand of Ḥananyahu, one of the sovereign’s commanders.

12 The total number of the clan chiefs of the mighty brave ones was two thousand six hundred.

13 And under their hand was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred that fought with mighty power, to help the sovereign against the enemy.

14 And Uzziyahu prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and body armour, and bows, and sling stones.

15 And he made machines in Yerushalayim, devised by skilled men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. And his name spread far and wide, for he was marvellously helped till he became strong.

16 But when he became strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he trespassed against יהוה his Elohim by entering the Hĕḵal of יהוה to burn incense on the slaughter-place of incense.

17 And Azaryahu the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of יהוה, who were brave men.

18 And they stood up against Sovereign Uzziyahu, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziyahu, to burn incense to יהוה, but for the priests, the sons of Aharon, who are set-apart to burn incense. Get out of the set-apart place, for you have trespassed, and there is no esteem to you from יהוה Elohim.”

19 And Uzziyahu was wroth. And he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was wroth with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the House of יהוה, beside the incense slaughter-place.

20 And Azaryahu the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and saw that he was leprous on his forehead. And they hurried him from there. And he also hurried to get out, because יהוה had struck him.

21 And Sovereign Uzziyahu was a leper until the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, because he was a leper, for he was cut off from the House of יהוה. And Yotham his son was over the sovereign’s house, ruling the people of the land.

22 And the rest of the acts of Uzziyahu, from the first to the last, the prophet Yeshayahu the son of Amots wrote.

23 So Uzziyahu slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial-place which belonged to the sovereigns, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Yotham his son reigned in his place.

27

1 Yotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim. And his mother’s name was Yerushah the daughter of Tsaḏoq.

2 And he did what was right in the eyes of יהוה, according to all that his father Uzziyahu had done. Only, he did not come into the Hĕḵal of יהוה. And the people continued to act corruptly.

3 He built the Upper Gate of the House of יהוה, and he built much on the wall of Ophel.

4 And he built cities in the hill country of Yehuḏah, and in the forests he built palaces and towers.

5 And he fought with the sovereign of the Ammonites and had strong victory over them. And the children of Ammon gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. This is what the children of Ammon paid him, also in the second and third years.

6 And Yotham strengthened himself, for he prepared his ways before יהוה his Elohim.

7 And the rest of the acts of Yotham, and all his battles and his ways, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah.

8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim.

9 So Yotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of Dawiḏ. And his son Aḥaz reigned in his place.

28

1 Aḥaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of יהוה, as his father Dawiḏ had done,

2 and walked in the ways of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl, and made moulded images for the Ba‛als.

3 And he himself burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom יהוה dispossessed from before the children of Yisra’ĕl,

4 and slaughtered and burned incense on the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Therefore יהוה his Elohim gave him into the hand of the sovereign of Aram, and they struck him, and took many of them away as captives, and brought them to Darmeseq. And he was also given into the hand of the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, who struck him with a great slaughter.

6 And Peqaḥ son of Remalyahu killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Yehuḏah in one day, all brave men, because they had forsaken יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

7 And Ziḵri, a mighty man of Ephrayim, killed Ma‛asĕyahu son of the sovereign, and Azriqam the officer over the house, and Elqanah who was second to the sovereign.

8 And the children of Yisra’ĕl took captive from their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons and daughters. And they also seized from them much spoil, and they brought the spoil to Shomeron.

9 But a prophet of יהוה was there, whose name was Oḏĕḏ. And he went out before the army that came to Shomeron, and said to them, “See, because יהוה Elohim of your fathers was displeased with Yehuḏah, He has given them into your hand, and you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to the heavens.

10 “And now you are planning to make the children of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim your male and female slaves, but are you not also guilty before יהוה your Elohim?

11 “Now therefore, listen to me, and return the captives whom you have taken captive from your brothers, for the heat of the wrath of יהוה is upon you.”

12 And some of the heads of the children of Ephrayim: Azaryahu son of Yehoḥanan, Bereḵyahu son of Meshillĕmoth, and Yeḥizqiyahu son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Ḥaḏlai, stood up against those who came from the army,

13 and said to them, “Do not bring the captives here, to bring on us guilt before יהוה. Are you planning to add to our sins and to our guilt? For our guilt is great, and burning is the wrath on Yisra’ĕl.”

14 And the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly.

15 And the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they put on all the naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, and gave them food and drink, and anointed them, and let all the weak ones ride on donkeys, and brought them to their brothers at Yeriḥo, the city of palm trees, then returned to Shomeron.

16 At that time Sovereign Aḥaz sent to the sovereigns of Ashshur to help him.

17 For the Eḏomites had come again, and struck Yehuḏah, and took away captives.

18 And the Philistines invaded the cities of the low country and of the South of Yehuḏah, and captured Bĕyth Shemesh, and Ayalon, and Geḏĕroth, and Soḵo with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and dwelt there.

19 For יהוה had brought Yehuḏah low because of Aḥaz sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, for he brought about a lack of restraint in Yehuḏah and trespassed against יהוה.

20 And Tiglath-Pileser the sovereign of Ashshur came against him and distressed him, and did not strengthen him,

21 though Aḥaz had taken some of the treasures from the House of יהוה, from the house of the sovereign, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the sovereign of Ashshur, but he did not help him.

22 And in the time of his distress Sovereign Aḥaz trespassed even more against יהוה — this Sovereign Aḥaz —

23 and he slaughtered to the mighty ones of Darmeseq, those striking him, saying, “Because the mighty ones of the sovereigns of Aram help them, I slaughter to them and they help me.” But they were to cause him and all Yisra’ĕl to stumble.

24 And Aḥaz gathered the utensils of the House of Elohim, and cut in pieces the utensils of the House of Elohim, and shut the doors of the House of יהוה, and made for himself slaughter-places in every corner of Yerushalayim.

25 And in every city, even the cities of Yehuḏah, he made high places to burn incense to other mighty ones, and provoked יהוה Elohim of his fathers.

26 And the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl.

27 So Aḥaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Yerushalayim, but they did not bring him into the burial-sites of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl. And Ḥizqiyahu his son reigned in his place.

29

1 Ḥizqiyahu began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. And his mother’s name was Aḇiyah the daughter of Zeḵaryahu.

2 And he did what was right in the eyes of יהוה, according to all that his father Dawiḏ did.

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first new moon, he opened the doors of the House of יהוה and repaired them,

4 and brought in the priests and the Lĕwites, and gathered them in the open place to the east.

5 And he said to them, “Listen to me, O Lĕwites! Now set yourselves apart, set apart the House of יהוה Elohim of your fathers, and remove the uncleanness from the set-apart place.

6 “For our fathers have trespassed and have done evil in the eyes of יהוה our Elohim, and have forsaken Him, and have turned their faces away from the Dwelling Place of יהוה, and have given their backs.

7 “And they have shut the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and they have not burned incense or offered ascending offerings in the set-apart place to the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

8 “Therefore the wrath of יהוה fell upon Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, and He has given them up for a trembling, for an astonishment, and for a hissing, as you see with your eyes.

9 “And see, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword. And our sons, and our daughters, and our wives are in captivity for this.

10 “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, so that the heat of His wrath turns away from us.

11 “My sons, do not be slack, for יהוה has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be attendants for Him and burn incense.”

12 And the Lĕwites rose up: Maḥath son of Amasai and Yo’ĕl son of Azaryahu, of the sons of the Qehathites; and of the sons of Merari, Qish son of Aḇdi and Azaryahu son of Yehallel’ĕl; and of the Gĕreshonites, Yo’aḥ son of Zimmah and Ěḏen son of Yo’aḥ;

13 and of the sons of Elitsaphan, Shimri and Ye‛i’ĕl; and of the sons of Asaph, Zeḵaryahu and Mattanyahu;

14 and of the sons of Hĕman, Yeḥi’ĕl and Shim‛i; and of the sons of Yeḏuthun, Shemayah and Uzzi’ĕl.

15 And they gathered their brothers, and set themselves apart, and went according to the command of the sovereign, at the words of יהוה, to cleanse the House of יהוה.

16 And the priests came into the inner part of the House of יהוה to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness they found in the Hĕḵal of יהוה to the courtyard of the House of יהוה. Then the Lĕwites received it to take it outside to the wadi Qiḏron.

17 And they began to set apart on the first day of the first new moon, and on the eighth day of the new moon they came to the porch of יהוה. And they set apart the House of יהוה in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first new moon they had finished.

18 Then they came in to Sovereign Ḥizqiyahu and said, “We have cleansed all the House of יהוה, and the slaughter-place of ascending offerings with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils.

19 “And all the utensils which Sovereign Aḥaz in his reign had pushed aside, when he trespassed, we have prepared and set apart. And see, they are before the slaughter-place of יהוה.”

20 And Sovereign Ḥizqiyahu rose up early, and gathered the heads of the city, and went up to the House of יהוה.

21 And they brought seven bulls, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the reign, for the set-apart place, and for Yehuḏah. And he said to the priests, the sons of Aharon, to offer them on the slaughter-place of יהוה.

22 So they slew the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the slaughter-place. And they slew the rams and sprinkled the blood on the slaughter-place. And they slew the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the slaughter-place.

23 And they brought out the male goats of the sin offering before the sovereign and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them,

24 and the priests slew them, and with their blood made a sin offering on the slaughter-place, to make an atonement for all Yisra’ĕl, for the sovereign said that the ascending offering and the sin offering is for all Yisra’ĕl.

25 And he appointed the Lĕwites in the House of יהוה with cymbals, with harps, and with lyres, according to the command of Dawiḏ, and of Gaḏ, seer of the sovereign, and of Nathan the prophet, for the command was by the hand of יהוה, by the hand of His prophets.

26 And the Lĕwites stood with the instruments of Dawiḏ, and the priests with the trumpets.

27 And Ḥizqiyahu gave the order to offer the ascending offering on the slaughter-place. And when the ascending offering began, the singing unto יהוה began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of Dawiḏ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl.

28 And all the assembly were bowing, and the singers singing, and the trumpeters blowing — all this until the ascending offering was completed.

29 And at the completion of the offering, the sovereign and all who were present with him bowed and worshipped.

30 And Sovereign Ḥizqiyahu and the rulers ordered the Lĕwites to sing praise to יהוה with the words of Dawiḏ and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31 And Ḥizqiyahu responded and said, “Now that you have ordained yourselves to יהוה, come near, and bring slaughterings and thank offerings into the House of יהוה.” And the assembly brought in slaughterings and thank offerings, and all those whose hearts were so moved brought ascending offerings.

32 And the number of the ascending offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, two hundred lambs — all these for an ascending offering to יהוה.

33 And the set-apart gifts were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.

34 Only, the priests were too few, and were unable to skin all the ascending offerings, so their brothers the Lĕwites helped them until the work was completed and until the other priests had set themselves apart, for the Lĕwites were more upright of heart to set themselves apart, than the priests.

35 And there were also many ascending offerings, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every ascending offering. Thus the service of the House of יהוה was re-established.

36 And Ḥizqiyahu and all the people rejoiced that Elohim had prepared the people, because the matter came about so suddenly.

30

1 And Ḥizqiyahu sent to all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah, and he also wrote letters to Ephrayim and Menashsheh, to come to the House of יהוה at Yerushalayim, to perform the Pĕsaḥ to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

2 But the sovereign and his leaders and all the assembly in Yerushalayim had taken counsel to perform the Pĕsaḥ in the second new moon.

3 For they were unable to perform it at its time, because not enough priests had set themselves apart, and the people had not gathered at Yerushalayim.

4 And the matter was right in the eyes of the sovereign and in the eyes of all the assembly.

5 And they settled the matter, to send a call to all Yisra’ĕl, from Be’ĕrsheḇa to Dan, to come to perform a Pĕsaḥ to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl at Yerushalayim, since they had not done it for a long time, as it is written.

6 And the runners went to all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah with the letters from the sovereign and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the sovereign, “Children of Yisra’ĕl, turn back to יהוה Elohim of Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yisra’ĕl, so that He returns to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the sovereigns of Ashshur.

7 “And do not be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against יהוה Elohim of their fathers, so that He gave them up to ruin, as you see.

8 “Now do not stiffen your neck, like your fathers, stretch forth the hand to יהוה, and come to His set-apart place, which He has set apart forever, and serve יהוה your Elohim, so that His burning wrath turns away from you.

9 “For if you turn back to יהוה, your brothers and your children shall be shown compassion by their captors, even to return to this land. For יהוה your Elohim shows favour and compassion, and does not turn His face from you if you turn back to Him.”

10 And the runners passed from city to city throughout the land of Ephrayim and Menashsheh, as far as Zeḇulun. But they were laughing at them and mocking them.

11 Some from Ashĕr and Menashsheh and from Zeḇulun, however, humbled themselves and came to Yerushalayim.

12 Also the hand of Elohim was on Yehuḏah to give them one heart to do the command of the sovereign and the rulers, at the word of יהוה.

13 And many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Yerushalayim to perform the Festival of Matzot in the second new moon.

14 And they rose up and removed the slaughter-places that were in Yerushalayim, and they removed all the incense slaughter-places and threw them into the wadi Qiḏron.

15 Then they slew the Pĕsah on the fourteenth day of the second new moon. And the priests and the Lĕwites were ashamed, and set themselves apart, and brought the ascending offerings to the House of יהוה.

16 And they stood in their place according to their right-ruling. According to the Torah of Mosheh, the man of Elohim, the priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Lĕwites.

17 For many in the assembly had not set themselves apart. Therefore the Lĕwites were over the slaughter of the Pĕsaḥim for everyone who was not clean, to set them apart to יהוה.

18 For many of the people, many from Ephrayim and Menashsheh, Yissasḵar and Zeḇulun, had not been cleansed, yet they ate the Pĕsaḥ contrary to what was written. But Ḥizqiyahu prayed for them, saying, “יהוה who is good, provide atonement for everyone

19 who has prepared his heart to seek Elohim, יהוה Elohim of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the cleansing of the set-apart place.”

20 And יהוה listened to Ḥizqiyahu and healed the people.

21 And the children of Yisra’ĕl who were in Yerushalayim performed the Festival of Matzot seven days with great joy. And the Lĕwites and the priests praised יהוה day by day, with instruments of praise before יהוה.

22 And Ḥizqiyahu spoke to the heart of all the Lĕwites, those having good understanding concerning יהוה. So they ate during the appointed time, seven days, slaughtering slaughterings of peace offerings and making confession to יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

23 And all the assembly took counsel to perform another seven days, and they performed it another seven days with joy.

24 For Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah presented to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the rulers presented to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests set themselves apart.

25 And all the assembly of Yehuḏah rejoiced, and the priests and Lĕwites, and all the assembly who had come from Yisra’ĕl, and the sojourners who came from the land of Yisra’ĕl, and those who dwelt in Yehuḏah.

26 And there came to be great joy in Yerushalayim, for since the days of Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ, the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, the like of this had not been in Yerushalayim.

27 And the priests, the Lĕwites, rose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard. And their prayer came up to His set-apart dwelling place, to heaven.

31

1 And at the completion of all this, all Yisra’ĕl who were present went out to the cities of Yehuḏah and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Ashĕrim, and tore down the high places and the slaughter-places, from all Yehuḏah, and Binyamin, and in Ephrayim and Menashsheh, even to completion. Then all the children of Yisra’ĕl returned to their own cities, each to his possession.

2 And Ḥizqiyahu appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Lĕwites according to their divisions, each according to his service of the priests and Lĕwites for ascending offerings and peace offerings, to serve and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of יהוה.

3 And the sovereign portioned of his possessions for the ascending offerings, for the morning and evening ascending offerings, and the ascending offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the appointed times, as it is written in the Torah of יהוה.

4 And he said to the people, those who dwelt in Yerushalayim, to give the portion for the priests and the Lĕwites, so that they are strengthened in the Torah of יהוה.

5 And as the word spread, the children of Yisra’ĕl brought large quantities of the first-fruits of grain and wine, and oil and honey, and of all the increase of the field. And they brought in the tithe of all, a large amount.

6 And the children of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah, those who dwelt in the cities of Yehuḏah, brought the tithe of cattle and sheep. Even the tithe of set-apart gifts which were set apart to יהוה their Elohim were brought in, and they gave heaps, heaps.

7 In the third new moon they began to pile up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh new moon.

8 And Ḥizqiyahu and the leaders came and saw the heaps, and they blessed יהוה and His people Yisra’ĕl.

9 And Ḥizqiyahu asked the priests and the Lĕwites about the heaps.

10 And Azaryahu the chief priest, from the house of Tsaḏoq, answered him and said, “Since they began to bring the offerings into the House of יהוה, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for יהוה has blessed His people. And this great amount is left over.”

11 And Ḥizqiyahu ordered them to prepare rooms in the House of יהוה, and they prepared them.

12 Then they brought in the contribution, and the tithes, and the set-apart gifts, trustworthily. And Konanyahu the Lĕwite was leader over them, and Shim‛i his brother was the next.

13 And Yeḥi’ĕl, and Azazyahu, and Naḥath, and Asah’ĕl, and Yerimoth, and Yozaḇaḏ, and Eli’ĕl, and Yismaḵyahu, and Maḥath, and Benayahu were overseers under the hand of Konanyahu and Shim‛i his brother, by order of Ḥizqiyahu the sovereign and Azaryahu the ruler of the House of Elohim.

14 And Qorĕ son of Yimnah the Lĕwite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the voluntary offerings to Elohim, to distribute the offerings of יהוה and the most set-apart gifts.

15 And under his hand were Ěḏen, and Minyamin, and Yĕshua, and Shemayahu, Amaryahu, and Sheḵanyahu, in the cities of the priests, to distribute trustworthily to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as the small.

16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the House of יהוה his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division,

17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Lĕwites from twenty years old upward, by their duties in their divisions,

18 and to all listed in the genealogy, their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, all the company of them. For in their trustworthiness they set themselves apart in set-apartness.

19 And for the sons of Aharon the priests, who were in the fields of the open land of their cities, in each and every city, there were men who were called by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Lĕwites.

20 And Ḥizqiyahu did this in all Yehuḏah, and he did what was good and what was right and what was true before יהוה his Elohim.

21 And in every work that he began in the service of the House of Elohim, in the Torah and in the command, to seek his Elohim, with all his heart, he did and prospered.

32

1 After these matters and this trustworthiness, Sanḥĕriḇ sovereign of Ashshur came. And he entered Yehuḏah and encamped against the cities of defence, and said to break them open to himself.

2 And Ḥizqiyahu saw that Sanḥĕriḇ had come, and his face set to fight against Yerushalayim,

3 and he took counsel with his rulers and mighty men to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city. And they helped him.

4 And many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the stream that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the sovereigns of Ashshur come and find much water?”

5 And he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and outside of it another wall, and strengthened Millo, the City of Dawiḏ, and made large numbers of weapons and shields.

6 And he appointed battle officers over the people, and gathered them to him in the open space at the city gate, and spoke to their heart, saying,

7 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid nor be cast down before the sovereign of Ashshur, nor before all the army that is with him. For with us there are more than with him.

8 “With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is יהוה our Elohim, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people leaned on the words of Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah.

9 After this Sanḥĕriḇ the sovereign of Ashshur sent his servants to Yerushalayim — but he himself, and all his power with him against Laḵish — to Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, and to all Yehuḏah who were in Yerushalayim, saying,

10 “Thus said Sanḥĕriḇ the sovereign of Ashshur, ‘On what are you trusting, that you remain in Yerushalayim under siege?

11 Is Ḥizqiyahu not persuading you to give yourselves over to die by scarcity of food and by thirst, saying, “יהוה our Elohim shall deliver us from the hand of the sovereign of Ashshur”?

12 Has not Ḥizqiyahu himself taken away His high places and His slaughter-places, and ordered Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, saying, “Bow yourselves before one slaughter-place and burn incense on it”?

13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the mighty ones of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand?

14 Who was there among all the mighty ones of those nations that my fathers put under the ban that could deliver his people from my hand, that your Elohim should be able to deliver you from my hand?

15 And now, do not let Ḥizqiyahu deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no mighty one of any nation or reign was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers — much less your Elohim, to deliver you from my hand!’ ”

16 And his servants spoke even more against יהוה Elohim and against His servant Ḥizqiyahu.

17 And he wrote letters to reproach יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the mighty ones of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the Elohim of Ḥizqiyahu shall not deliver His people from my hand.”

18 Then they called out with a loud voice in the language of Yehuḏah to the people of Yerushalayim who were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, in order to capture the city.

19 And they spoke against the Elohim of Yerushalayim, as against the mighty ones of the people of the earth, the work of men’s hands.

20 And Sovereign Ḥizqiyahu and the prophet Yeshayahu, son of Amots, prayed about this, and cried out to the heavens.

21 And יהוה sent a messenger who cut down every mighty brave one, both the leader and the commander in the camp of the sovereign of Ashshur, and he returned shamefaced to his own land, and went into the house of his mighty one, and there some of his own offspring caused him to fall by the sword.

22 Thus יהוה saved Ḥizqiyahu and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim from the hand of Sanḥĕriḇ the sovereign of Ashshur, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

23 And many brought gifts to יהוה at Yerushalayim, and presents to Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all nations thereafter.

24 In those days Ḥizqiyahu was sick and near death, and he prayed to יהוה. And He spoke to him and appointed a sign for him.

25 However, Ḥizqiyahu did not repay according to the good done to him, for his heart was lifted up, therefore wrath came upon him and upon Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim.

26 Then Ḥizqiyahu humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, so that the wrath of יהוה did not come upon them in the days of Ḥizqiyahu.

27 And Ḥizqiyahu had much riches and esteem. And he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all desirable utensils;

28 and storehouses for the harvest of grain, and wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.

29 And he made cities for himself, and possessions of great numbers of flocks and herds, for Elohim gave him much property.

30 And Ḥizqiyahu himself had stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Giḥon, and directed them to the west side of the City of Dawiḏ. And Ḥizqiyahu prospered in all his work.

31 However with the envoys of the princes of Baḇel, whom they sent to ask him about the wonder that was done in the land, Elohim left him, in order to try him, to know all that was in his heart.

32 And the rest of the acts of Ḥizqiyahu, and his loving-commitment, see, they are written in the vision of Yeshayahu the prophet, son of Amots, in the book of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl.

33 So Ḥizqiyahu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper burial-sites of the sons of Dawiḏ. And all Yehuḏah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim esteemed him at his death. And Menashsheh his son reigned in his place.

33

1 Menashsheh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Yerushalayim.

2 But he did evil in the eyes of יהוה, according to the abominations of the nations whom יהוה dispossessed from before the children of Yisra’ĕl.

3 For again he rebuilt the high places which Ḥizqiyahu his father had broken down, and raised up slaughter-places for the Ba‛als, and made Ashĕrim, and bowed himself to all the host of the heavens and served them.

4 And he built slaughter-places in the House of יהוה, of which יהוה had said, “In Yerushalayim is My Name, forever.”

5 And he built slaughter-places for all the host of the heavens in the two courtyards of the House of יהוה.

6 And he made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and practised magic, and used divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of יהוה, to provoke Him.

7 And he placed a carved image of the idol which he had made, in the House of Elohim, of which Elohim had said to Dawiḏ and to Shelomoh his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, I put My Name forever,

8 and no more shall I remove the foot of Yisra’ĕl from the soil which I have appointed for your fathers — only if they guard to do all that I have commanded them, according to all the Torah and the laws and the right-rulings by the hand of Mosheh.”

9 Thus Menashsheh led Yehuḏah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim astray, to do more evil than the nations whom יהוה had destroyed before the children of Yisra’ĕl.

10 And יהוה spoke to Menashsheh and to his people, but they did not listen.

11 Therefore יהוה brought upon them the commanders of the army of the sovereign of Ashshur, who captured Menashsheh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and made him go to Baḇel.

12 And when he was in distress, he sought the face of יהוה his Elohim, and humbled himself greatly before the Elohim of his fathers,

13 and prayed to Him. And He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him back to Yerushalayim into his reign. And Menashsheh knew that יהוה was Elohim.

14 And after this he built a wall outside the City of Dawiḏ on the west of Giḥon, in the wadi, and as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate, and it went round Ophel, and he made it exceedingly high. And he put army commanders in all the walled cities of Yehuḏah.

15 And he removed the foreign mighty ones and the idol from the House of יהוה, and all the slaughter-places that he had built in the mount of the House of יהוה and in Yerushalayim, and he threw them out of the city.

16 And he built the slaughter-place of יהוה, and slaughtered slaughterings of peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and ordered Yehuḏah to serve יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

17 But the people were still slaughtering on the high places, though only to יהוה their Elohim.

18 And the rest of the acts of Menashsheh, his prayer to his Elohim, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl.

19 And his prayer, and his entreaty, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places where he built high places and set up the Ashĕrim and the carved images, before he was humbled, see, they are written among the words of the seers.

20 So Menashsheh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Yerushalayim.

22 But he did evil in the eyes of יהוה, as his father Menashsheh had done. And Amon slaughtered to all the carved images which his father Menashsheh had made, and served them.

23 And he did not humble himself before יהוה, as his father Menashsheh had humbled himself, for Amon trespassed more and more.

24 And his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house.

25 But the people of the land struck all those who had conspired against Sovereign Amon, and the people of the land set up his son Yoshiyahu to reign in his place.

34

1 Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Yerushalayim.

2 And he did what was right in the eyes of יהוה, and walked in the ways of his father Dawiḏ, and did not turn aside, right or left.

3 And in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the Elohim of his father Dawiḏ. And in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim from the high places, and the Ashĕrim, and the carved images, and the moulded images.

4 And they broke down the slaughter-places of the Ba‛als in his presence, and the sun-pillars which were above them he cut down. And the Ashĕrim, and the carved images, and the moulded images he smashed, and ground them up and strewed it on the surface of the burial-sites of those who had slaughtered to them.

5 And he burned the bones of the priests on their slaughter-places, and cleansed Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim,

6 and in the cities of Menashsheh, and Ephrayim, and Shim‛on, as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around.

7 And he broke down the slaughter-places and the Ashĕrim, and ground the carved images into dust, and cut down all the sun-pillars throughout all the land of Yisra’ĕl, and returned to Yerushalayim.

8 And in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the House, he sent Shaphan son of Atsalyahu, and Ma‛asĕyahu the head of the city, and Yo’aḥ son of Yo’aḥaz the recorder, to repair the House of יהוה his Elohim.

9 And they went to Ḥilqiyahu the high priest, and they gave the silver that was brought into the House of Elohim, which the Lĕwites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Menashsheh and Ephrayim, and from all the remnant of Yisra’ĕl, and from all Yehuḏah and Binyamin, and which they had brought back to Yerushalayim,

10 and they gave it in the hand of the workmen, those appointed over the House of יהוה. And they gave it to the workmen who worked in the House of יהוה, to repair and strengthen the house.

11 And they gave it to the craftsmen and to the builders, to buy hewn stone and timber for couplings and for beams for the houses which the sovereigns of Yehuḏah had destroyed.

12 And the men did the work trustworthily. And over them were appointed Yaḥath and Oḇaḏyahu the Lĕwites, of the sons of Merari, and Zeḵaryah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Qehathites, to oversee; and of the Lĕwites, all of whom were skilled in instruments of song,

13 and over the burden bearers, and overseers of all who did work in any kind of service. And of the Lĕwites were scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.

14 And when they brought out the silver that was brought into the House of יהוה, Ḥilqiyahu the priest found the Book of the Torah of יהוה given by Mosheh.

15 Then Ḥilqiyahu responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Torah in the House of יהוה.” And Ḥilqiyahu gave the book to Shaphan.

16 And Shaphan brought the book to the sovereign, and brought the sovereign word, saying, “All that has been given into the hand of your servants, they are doing.

17 “And they have poured out the silver that was found in the House of יהוה, and have given it into the hand of those appointed and the workmen.”

18 And Shaphan the scribe informed the sovereign, saying, “Ḥilqiyahu the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the sovereign.

19 And it came to be, when the sovereign heard the words of the Torah, that he tore his garments.

20 And the sovereign commanded Ḥilqiyahu, Aḥiqam son of Shaphan, and Aḇdon son of Miḵah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asayah a servant of the sovereign, saying,

21 “Go, inquire of יהוה for me, and for him who is left in Yisra’ĕl and in Yehuḏah, concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of יהוה that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not guarded the Word of יהוה, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

22 Then Ḥilqiyahu and those of the sovereign went to Ḥuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Toqhath, son of Ḥasrah, keeper of the wardrobe, who was dwelling in Yerushalayim in the Second Quarter. And they spoke to her about this.

23 And she said to them, “Thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Say to the man who sent you to Me,

24 “Thus said יהוה, ‘See, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the sovereign of Yehuḏah,

25 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other mighty ones, to provoke Me with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath is poured out on this place, and is not quenched.’” ’

26 “And to the sovereign of Yehuḏah, who sent you to inquire of יהוה, say this to him, ‘Thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, whose words you have heard,

27 “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Elohim when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your garments and wept before Me, I also have heard,” declares יהוה.

28 “See, I am gathering you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your burial-site in peace, so that your eyes would not see all the evil that I am bringing on this place and its inhabitants.” ’ ” So they brought back word to the sovereign.

29 And the sovereign sent and gathered all the elders of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim.

30 And the sovereign went up to the House of יהוה with all the men of Yehuḏah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and the priests and the Lĕwites, and all the people, both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the House of יהוה.

31 And the sovereign stood in his place and made a covenant before יהוה, to follow יהוה and to guard His commands and His witnesses and His laws, with all his heart and all his being, to do the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32 And he made stand all who were present in Yerushalayim and Binyamin. And the inhabitants of Yerushalayim did according to the covenant of Elohim, the Elohim of their fathers.

33 And Yoshiyahu removed all the abominations from all the lands that belonged to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and made all who were present in Yisra’ĕl diligently serve יהוה their Elohim. All his days they did not turn away from following יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

35

1 And Yoshiyahu performed a Pĕsaḥ to יהוה in Yerushalayim, and they slew the Pĕsaḥ on the fourteenth day of the first new moon.

2 And he set the priests in their duties and strengthened them for the service of the House of יהוה,

3 and said to the Lĕwites who were teaching all Yisra’ĕl, who were set-apart to יהוה, “Put the set-apart ark in the house which Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ, sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, built. It is no longer to be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve יהוה your Elohim and His people Yisra’ĕl,

4 and prepare by the fathers’ houses, according to your divisions, by the writing of Dawiḏ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and by the writing of Shelomoh his son.

5 “And stand in the set-apart place by the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the lay people, and the portion of the father’s house of the Lĕwites.

6 “And slay the Pĕsaḥ, and set yourselves apart, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of יהוה by the hand of Mosheh.”

7 And Yoshiyahu gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Pĕsaḥim for everyone present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand cattle — these were from the sovereign’s possessions.

8 And his leaders contributed a voluntary offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Lĕwites. Ḥilqiyah, and Zeḵaryahu, and Yeḥi’ĕl, leaders of the House of Elohim, gave to the priests for the Pĕsaḥim two thousand six hundred, and three hundred cattle;

9 and Konanyahu, his brothers Shemayahu and Nethan’ĕl, and Ḥashaḇyahu and Ye‛i’ĕl and Yozaḇaḏ, chiefs of the Lĕwites, gave to the Lĕwites for Pĕsaḥim five thousand, and five hundred cattle.

10 And the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their places, and the Lĕwites in their divisions, according to the command of the sovereign,

11 and they slew the Pĕsaḥ. And the priests sprinkled out of their hands, while the Lĕwites were skinning.

12 And they removed the ascending offerings, to give them to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to bring to יהוה, as it is written in the Book of Mosheh, and the same with the cattle.

13 So they roasted the Pĕsaḥ with fire according to the right-ruling, and they boiled the set-apart offerings in pots, and in cauldrons, and in bowls, and brought them speedily to all the lay people.

14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aharon, were offering ascending offerings and fat until night. So the Lĕwites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aharon.

15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the command of Dawiḏ, and Asaph, and Hĕman, and Yeḏuthun the seer of the sovereign. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to leave their position, because their brothers the Lĕwites prepared for them.

16 And all the service of יהוה was prepared that day, to perform the Pĕsaḥ and to offer ascending offerings on the slaughtplace of יהוה, according to the command of Sovereign Yoshiyahu.

17 And the children of Yisra’ĕl who were present performed the Pĕsaḥ at that time, and the Festival of Matzot for seven days.

18 There had not been a Pĕsaḥ performed in Yisra’ĕl like it since the days of Shemu’ĕl the prophet. And none of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl had performed such a Pĕsaḥ as Yoshiyahu performed, with the priests and the Lĕwites, and all Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl who were present, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.

19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Yoshiyahu this Pĕsaḥ was performed.

20 After all this, when Yoshiyahu had prepared the House, Neḵo sovereign of Mitsrayim came up to fight against Karkemish by the Euphrates. And Yoshiyahu went out against him.

21 And he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, sovereign of Yehuḏah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am fighting, for Elohim commanded me to make haste. Leave Elohim alone, who is with me, lest He destroy you.”

22 However, Yoshiyahu would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself to fight against him, and did not listen to the words of Neḵo from the mouth of Elohim, and came to fight in the Valley of Meḡiddo.

23 And the archers shot at Sovereign Yoshiyahu. And the sovereign said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.”

24 And his servants took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Yerushalayim. And he died, and was buried in one of the burial-sites of his fathers. And all Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim were mourning for Yoshiyahu.

25 And Yirmeyahu lamented for Yoshiyahu. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Yoshiyahu in their lamentations, and made it a law in Yisra’ĕl. And see, they are written in the Laments.

26 And the rest of the acts of Yoshiyahu and his loving-commitment, according to what was written in the Torah of יהוה,

27 and his acts from the first to the last, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah.

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1 And the people of the land took Yeho’aḥaz son of Yoshiyahu, and set him up to reign in his father’s place in Yerushalayim.

2 Yeho’aḥaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three new moons in Yerushalayim.

3 And the sovereign of Mitsrayim turned him aside in Yerushalayim, and imposed on the land a levy of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

4 And the sovereign of Mitsrayim made his brother Elyaqim sovereign over Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, and changed his name to Yehoyaqim. And Neḵo took Yeho’aḥaz his brother and brought him to Mitsrayim.

5 Yehoyaqim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Yerushalayim. And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה his Elohim.

6 Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar sovereign of Baḇel came up against him, and bound him in bronze shackles to take him away to Baḇel.

7 And Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar brought some of the utensils from the House of יהוה to Baḇel, and put them in his hĕḵal at Baḇel.

8 And the rest of the acts of Yehoyaqim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah. Then Yehoyaḵin his son reigned in his place.

9 Yehoyaḵin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yerushalayim three new moons and ten days. And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה.

10 And at the turn of the year Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar sent and brought him to Baḇel, with the valuable utensils from the House of יהוה, and made Tsiḏqiyahu, Yehoyaqim’s brother, sovereign over Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim.

11 Tsiḏqiyahu was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Yerushalayim.

12 And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה his Elohim. He did not humble himself before Yirmeyahu the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of יהוה.

13 And he also rebelled against Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, who had made him swear by Elohim, but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

14 Also, all the heads of the priests and the people trespassed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the House of יהוה which He had set apart in Yerushalayim.

15 And יהוה Elohim of their fathers sent to them, by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

16 But they were mocking the messengers of Elohim and despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of יהוה arose against His people, until there was no healing.

17 Therefore He brought against them the sovereign of the Kasdim, and he killed their young men with the sword in the House of their set-apart place, and had no compassion on young man or maiden, on the aged or the weak — He gave all into his hand.

18 And all the utensils from the House of Elohim, great and small, and the treasures of the House of יהוה, and the treasures of the sovereign and of his leaders, all these he brought to Baḇel.

19 And they burned the House of Elohim, and broke down the wall of Yerushalayim, and burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its valuable utensils.

20 And those who escaped from the sword he exiled to Baḇel, where they became servants to him and his sons until the reign of the reign of Persia,

21 in order to fill the word of יהוה by the mouth of Yirmeyahu, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay waste she kept Sabbath, until seventy years were completed.

22 And in the first year of Koresh sovereign of Persia, in order to accomplish the word of יהוה by the mouth of Yirmeyahu, יהוה stirred up the spirit of Koresh sovereign of Persia, so that he called out in all his reign, and also put it in writing, saying,

23 “Thus said Koresh sovereign of Persia, ‘יהוה Elohim of the heavens has given me all the reigns of the earth. And He has commanded me to build Him a house in Yerushalayim, which is in Yehuḏah. Whoever is among you of all His people, יהוה his Elohim be with him, and let him go up!’ ”