1

¹ And Solomon the son of David strengthened himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and caused him to become exceedingly great.

² Then said Solomon unto all Israel, to the captains of the thousands and of the hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the chiefs of the family divisions that they should go with him.

³ Thereupon went Solomon, and all the assembly with him, to the high–place that was at Gib’on; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.

⁴ Nevertheless the ark of God had David brought up from Kiryath–ye’arim to the place which David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

⁵ But the copper altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur, had made, he placed before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the assembly sought for it.

⁶ And Solomon sacrificed there on the copper altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered upon it a thousand burnt–offerings.

⁷ In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁸ And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shown unto David my father great kindness, and hast made me king in his stead.

⁹ Now, O Lord God, let thy word unto David my father be verified; for thou hast made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.

¹⁰ Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who could otherwise judge this thy great people?

¹¹ And God said unto Solomon, Whereas this hath been in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thy enemies, and hast not even asked long life; but hast asked for thyself wisdom and knowledge, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

¹² Therefore are the wisdom and the knowledge granted unto thee; and riches, and wealth, and honor, will I give thee, such as no kings that have been before thee have had, and the like of which after thee none shall have.

¹³ Then came Solomon from the high–place that was at Gib’on to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

¹⁴ And Solomon brought together chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in the chariot–cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

¹⁵ And the king rendered the silver and gold at Jerusalem like stones, and cedar–trees he rendered as the sycamore–trees that are in the lowlands for abundance.

¹⁶ And Solomon had his horses brought out of Egypt; a company of the king’s merchants bought a quantity at a price.

¹⁷ And they brought up, and fetched out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

2

¹ (1:18) And Solomon ordered to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a house for his royal residence.

² (2:1) And Solomon numbered seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and as superintendents over them three thousand and six hundred.

³ (2:2) And Solomon sent to Churam the king of Tyre, saying, As thou hast dealt with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

⁴ (2:3) Behold, I am building a house to the name of the Lord my God, to sanctify it to him, to burn before him incense of spices, and for the continual rows of show–bread, and for the burnt–offerings at morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new–moons, and on the stated festivals of the Lord our God: this being for ever obligatory on Israel.

⁵ (2:4) And the house which I am building is great; for greater is our God than all the gods.

⁶ (2:5) But who possesseth the power to build him a house? for the heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain him: and who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn incense before him?

⁷ (2:6) And now send me a skilful man to work in gold, and in silver and in copper, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that understandeth how to engrave with the skilful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem whom David my father hath provided.

⁸ (2:7) Send me also cedar–trees, fir–trees, and sandal–wood, from the Lebanon; for I know well that thy servants have the skill to cut the trees of Lebanon: and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

⁹ (2:8) Even to prepare for me timber in abundance; for the house which I am building is to be wonderfully great.

¹⁰ (2:9) And, behold, for the hewers that cut the timber will I give unto thy servants twenty thousand cors of threshed wheat, and twenty thousand cors of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

¹¹ (2:10) Then answered Churam the king of Tyre in writing, and he sent it to Solomon, Out of the love of the Lord for his people hath he set thee as king over them.

¹² (2:11) And Churam said, Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, that hath made the heavens and the earth, who hath given to king David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and understanding, who is to build a house unto the Lord, and a house for royal residence.

¹³ (2:12) And now have I sent a skilful man, endowed with understanding, namely, Churam–Abi,

¹⁴ (2:13) The son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, while his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in copper, in iron, in stone, and in wood, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to execute any manner of engraving, and to devise every kind of work of art which may be given to him, together with thy skilful men, and skilful men of my lord David thy father.

¹⁵ (2:14) And now the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, of which my lord hath spoken, let him send unto his servants:

¹⁶ (2:15) And we will truly cut down trees out of the Lebanon, as much as thou mayest need; and we will bring them to thee in boats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry them up to Jerusalem.

¹⁷ (2:16) And Solomon numbered all the strange men that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found to be one hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

¹⁸ (2:17) And he made of them seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred superintendents to set the people to work.

3

¹ And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where He had appeared unto David his father, on the place that David had prepared in the threshing–floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

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

³ Now in this manner was the foundation laid of the house of God at its building by Solomon: The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

⁴ And the porch that was in the front of the length was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was a hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

⁵ And the great house he ceiled with fir–wood, which he overlaid with pure gold, and he wrought thereon palm–trees and chains.

⁶ And he overlaid the house with costly stones for ornament: and the gold was gold of Parvayim.

⁷ And he covered the house, the beams, the sills, and its walls, and its doors, with gold: and he engraved cherubim on the walls.

⁸ And he made the most holy house, its length being in front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits: and he covered it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

⁹ And the weight of the nails amounted to fifty shekels of gold. And the upper chambers he covered with gold.

¹⁰ And he made in the most holy house two cherubim of sculpture work, and they overlaid them with gold.

¹¹ And regarding the wings of the cherubim their length was twenty cubits; the wing of the one amounting to five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing of five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

¹² And the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing of five cubits was joined closely to the wing of the other cherub.

¹³ The wings of these cherubim as they were spread out were twenty cubits: and they were standing on their feet, and their faces were inward.

¹⁴ And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought thereon cherubim.

¹⁵ And he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits in length, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

¹⁶ And he made chains in the debir; and others which he placed on the top of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and placed them on the chains.

¹⁷ And he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and he called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Bo’az.

4

¹ He made also an altar of copper, twenty cubits being its length, and twenty cubits its breadth, and ten cubits its height.

² He made also the molten sea, being ten cubits from the one brim to the other, rounded all about, and it was five cubits in height: and a line of thirty cubits did encompass it round about.

³ And likenesses of oxen were under it, encompassing it all round about, ten in a cubit, encircling the sea round about: the oxen were in two rows and were cast with it, when it was cast.

⁴ It was standing upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was resting above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

⁵ And its thickness was a hand’s breadth, and its brim like the brim of a cup, with lily–buds; and it could hold and contain three thousand baths.

⁶ He made also ten lavers; and he placed five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: what belonged to the burnt–offering they rinsed off at them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷ And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their prescribed manner: and he placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left.

⁸ He made also ten tables, and he set them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made a hundred bowls of gold.

⁹ And he made the court of the priests, and the great out–court, and doors for the out–court, and their doors he overlaid with copper.

¹⁰ And the sea he placed on the right side toward the east, opposite to the south.

¹¹ And Churam made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. And Churam made an end of doing the work which he made for king Solomon in the house of God:

¹² The two pillars, and the bowls, and the capitals on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the bowl–shaped capitals which were on the top of the pillars;

¹³ And the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl–shaped capitals which were upon the front of the pillars.

¹⁴ The bases also did he make, and the lavers made he upon the bases.

¹⁵ The one sea, and the twelve oxen under it,

¹⁶ And the pots also, and the shovels, and the forks, and all their instruments, did Churam–Abiv make for king Solomon for the house of the Lord, of polished copper.

¹⁷ In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay–ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

¹⁸ And Solomon made all these vessels in very great abundance; for the weight of the copper was not inquired into.

¹⁹ And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained to the house of God; and the altar of gold also, and the tables whereon the show–bread was set;

²⁰ And the candlesticks with their lamps, to light them after the prescribed manner before the debir, of pure gold.

²¹ And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, were of gold, the purest of gold;

²² And the knives, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers were of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

5

¹ And so was ended all the work which Solomon made for the house of the Lord; and Solomon brought in the things sanctified by David his father; and the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels he placed in the treasuries of the house of God.

² Then did Solomon assemble the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the divisions of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

³ And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast which is in the seventh month.

⁴ All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark.

⁵ And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle: these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

⁶ And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, which could not be numbered nor told for multitude.

⁷ And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto its place, into the debir of the house, into the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim.

⁸ And the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its staves from above.

⁹ And they had made the staves so long that the ends of the staves were seen standing out from the ark in the front of the debir; but they were not seen without; and they have remained there until this day.

¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses had placed therein at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place; for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, the divisions not having been observed; ––

¹² And the Levites the singers, all together, of Assaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east side of the altar, and with them were one hundred and twenty priests blowing on trumpets; ––

¹³ And it came thus to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice accompanied with trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and in praising the Lord, For he is good; because unto everlasting endureth his kindness: that the house, even the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud;

¹⁴ And the priests were not able to stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

6

¹ Then said Solomon, "The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

² And I have indeed built a dwelling–house for thee, and have settled a place for thy abode for ever."

³ And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel was standing.

⁴ And he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hands fulfilled it, when he said,

⁵ Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I did not make choice of any city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be therein; nor did I make choice of any man to be a ruler over my people of Israel;

⁶ But I have made choice of Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have made choice of David to be over my people Israel,

⁷ And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord the God of Israel.

⁸ But the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well in that it was in thy heart:

⁹ Nevertheless thou shalt not thyself build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.

¹⁰ And the Lord hath fulfilled his word that he hath spoken; and I am risen up in the stead of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord hath spoken, and I have built the house unto the name of the Lord the God of Israel.

¹¹ And I have placed there the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord which he hath made with the children of Israel.

¹² And he now placed himself before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands;

¹³ For Solomon had made a laver of copper, and had placed it in the midst of the out–court, five cubits being its length, five cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height; and he placed himself upon it, and kneeled down upon his knees in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

¹⁴ And he said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like thee in the heavens, or on the earth, thou who keepest the covenant, and the kindness for thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart;

¹⁵ Who has kept for thy servant David my father that which thou hadst promised him; and thou spokest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day.

¹⁶ And now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for thy servant David my father that which thou hast spoken concerning him, saying, There shall never fail thee a man in my sight who sitteth on the throne of Israel, if thy children but take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

¹⁷ And now, O Lord, the God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant, unto David.

¹⁸ For, in truth, will God then dwell with men on the earth? behold, the heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain thee: how much less then this house that I have built!

¹⁹ Yet wilt thou turn thy regard unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen unto the entreaty and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

²⁰ That thy eyes may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which thou hast said that thou wouldst put thy name there; that thou mayest listen unto the prayer which thy servant will pray at this place.

²¹ And listen thou to the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they will pray at this place: and oh, do thou hear from thy dwelling–place, from heaven; and hear, and forgive.

²² If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thy altar in this house:

²³ Then do thou hear from heaven, and act, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

²⁴ And if thy people Israel be struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and they return and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication before thee in this house:

²⁵ Then do thou hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and cause them to return unto the land which thou hast given to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ When the heavens be shut up, and there he no rain, because they have sinned against thee, and they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, because thou hast afflicted them:

²⁷ Then do thou hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel; for thou wilt direct them unto the good way, wherein they should walk; and give then rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

²⁸ If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, blasting, or mildew, if there be locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in their land, in their gates at whatsoever plague, and at whatsoever sickness;

²⁹ What prayer and what supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, when they shall be conscious every man of his plague and his pain, and he then spread forth his hands toward this house:

³⁰ Then do thou hear from heaven the place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and give to every man in accordance with all his ways, as thou mayest know his heart; for thou, thyself alone, knowest the heart of the children of men;

³¹ In order that they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, all the days that they live on the face of the land which thou hast given unto our fathers.

³² But also to the stranger, who is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far–off country for the sake of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thy outstretched arm,–– if they come and pray in this house,––

³³ Mayest thou likewise listen from heaven, from the place of thy dwelling, and do according to all that the stranger will call on thee for: in order that all people of the earth may know thy name, both to fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and to understand that this house, which I have built, is called by thy name.

³⁴ If thy people go out to battle against their enemies on the way on which thou mayest send them, and they do pray unto thee in the direction of this city which thou hast chosen, and of the house that I have built unto thy name:

³⁵ Then hear thou from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and procure them justice.

³⁶ If they sin against thee––for there is no man that may not sin,––and thou be angry with them, and give them up before the enemy, so that their captors carry them away captive unto a land far off or near;

³⁷ And if they then take it to their heart in the land whither they have been carried captive, and repent and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, and have acted wickedly;

³⁸ And they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have been carried captive, and they pray in the direction of their land, which thou hast given unto their fathers, and of the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built unto thy name:

³⁹ Then hear thou from heaven, from the place of thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplications, and procure them justice, and forgive thy people for what they have sinned against thee.

⁴⁰ Now, my God, let I beseech thee, thy eyes be open, and thy ears be attentive unto the prayer on this place.

⁴¹ And now arise, O Lord God, unto thy resting–place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, clothe themselves with salvation, and let thy pious servants rejoice in happiness.

⁴² O Lord God, turn not away the face of thy anointed: remember the pious deeds of David thy servant.

7

¹ And when Solomon had made an end of praying, a fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt–offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

² And the priests were not able to enter into the house of the Lord; because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.

³ And all the children of Israel were looking on as the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord was resting upon the house; and they kneeled down with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and prostrated themselves, and gave thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; because unto everlasting endureth his kindness.

⁴ And the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

⁵ And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: and so they dedicated the house of God, the king and all the people.

⁶ And the priests were standing on their stations, and the Levites with the instruments of the music of the Lord, which king David had made to give thanks unto the Lord, because unto everlasting endureth his kindness, with the song of praise of David in their hand; and the priests blew the trumpets opposite to them, and all Israel were standing.

⁷ And Solomon hallowed the interior of the court that was before the house of the Lord; for he prepared there the burnt–offerings, and the fat of the peace–offerings; because the copper altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt–offerings, and the meat–offerings, and the fat.

⁸ And Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Chamath unto the river of Egypt.

⁹ And they held on the eighth day a solemn assembly; for the dedication of the altar they held seven days, and the feast seven days.

¹⁰ And on the three–and–twentieth day of the seventh month he dismissed the people unto their tents, joyful and glad of heart because of the good that the Lord had done for David, and for Solomon, and for Israel his people.

¹¹ Thus did Solomon complete the house of the Lord, and the king’s house; and in all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prospered.

¹² Then appeared the Lord to Solomon during the night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and I have made choice of this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

¹³ If I shut up the heavens that there be no rain, or if I give a charge to the locusts to devour off the land, or if I send a pestilence among my people:

¹⁴ And if my people, over whom my name is called, do then humble themselves, and pray, and seek my presence, and turn away from their evil ways: then will I also hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

¹⁵ Now, my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive unto the prayer on this place.

¹⁶ And now I have chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there for ever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there at all times.

¹⁷ And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father hath walked, so as to do in accordance with all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my ordinances:

¹⁸ Then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, just as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall never fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

¹⁹ But if ye will indeed turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and will go and serve other gods, and bow down to them:

²⁰ Then will I pluck them up out of my land which I have given unto them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast away from my sight, and I will render it to be for a proverb and for a by–word among all the people.

²¹ And this house, which hath been so exalted, shall become an astonishment to every one that passeth by it: so that he will say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

²² And men shall then say, For the cause that they forsook the Lord the God of their fathers, who had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and they took hold of other gods, and bowed down to them, and served them: therefore hath he brought upon them all this evil.

8

¹ And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

² That as regardeth the cities which Churam had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

³ And Solomon went to Chamath–zobah, and prevailed against it.

⁴ And he built Thadmor in the wilderness, and all the treasure–cities, which he built in Chamath.

⁵ And he built the upper Beth–choron, and the lower Beth–choron, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

⁶ And Ba’alath, and all the treasure–cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for chariots, and the cities for horsemen, and all the other desire of Solomon which he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in the Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

⁷ All the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Emorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,

⁸ Out of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel had not destroyed––these did Solomon levy as tributary laborers until this day.

⁹ Yet of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen for his work; but they were men of war, and chiefs of his captains; and officers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

¹⁰ And these were the chiefs of the superintendents whom king Solomon had, even two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

¹¹ And the daughter of Pharaoh did Solomon bring up out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, No wife of mine shall dwell in a house of David the king of Israel, because they are holy, because there came once unto them the ark of the Lord.

¹² Then did Solomon offer burnt–offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

¹³ Even according to what was the due of every day on its day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new–moons, and on the stated festivals, three times in the year, on the feast of unleavened bread, and on the feast of weeks, and on the feast of tabernacles.

¹⁴ And he stationed, according to the prescription of David his father, the divisions of the priests at their service, and the Levites at their stations, to praise and minister next to the priests, in the requirement of every day on its day, and the gate–keepers in their divisions at every gate; for so was the charge of David the man of God.

¹⁵ And they departed not from the charge of the king concerning the priests and Levites respecting every matter, and respecting the treasuries.

¹⁶ And so was all the work of Solomon successful from the day of founding the house of the Lord, even until it was finished. So was perfected the house of the Lord.

¹⁷ Then went Solomon to ‘Ezyon–geber, and to Eloth, at the sea–shore in the land of Edom.

¹⁸ And Churam sent him by means of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and they fetched away thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought the same to king Solomon.

9

¹ And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with riddles at Jerusalem, with a very great train, and with camels bearing spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was on her heart.

² And Solomon solved for her all her questions; and there was nothing hidden from Solomon which he did not tell her.

³ And when the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

⁴ And the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup–bearers, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her.

⁵ And she said to the king, The truth only was the word that I heard in my own land of thy acts, and of thy wisdom.

⁶ And I believed not in their words, until I came, and my eyes saw all; and, behold, the one–half of the greatness of thy wisdom hath not been told me: thou excellest the report which I have heard.

⁷ Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, who stand before thee continually, and hear thy wisdom.

⁸ Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath had delight in thee to place thee on his throne, as a king for the Lord thy God; because thy God loved Israel, to sustain them for ever, therefore hath he placed thee over them as king, to exercise justice and righteousness.

⁹ And she gave to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones: and there never were any such spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

¹⁰ And also the servants of Churam, and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought sandal–trees and precious stones.

¹¹ And the king made of the sandal–trees steps for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were never seen the like of them before in the land of Judah.

¹² And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her pleasure, whatsoever she asked, beside a return for that which she had brought unto the king. And she turned about and went away to her own country, she and her servants.

¹³ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty and six talents of gold;

¹⁴ Besides what the travelling tradesmen and the merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold he used for each one target.

¹⁶ And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold he used for each one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷ The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

¹⁸ And the throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, fastened into the throne; and there were arms on either side, on the place of the seat; and two lions stood beside the arms;

¹⁹ And twelve lions stood there upon the six steps on both sides: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

²⁰ And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: no silver was valued in the days of Solomon at the least.

²¹ For the king’s ships went to Tharshish with the servants of Churam; once in three years did the Tharshish–ships use to come home laden with gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

²² And king Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth for riches and wisdom.

²³ And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

²⁴ And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, armor, and spices, horses, and mules; and so year by year.

²⁵ And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he quartered in the cities for chariots, and near the king at Jerusalem.

²⁶ And he was ruling over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and as far as the boundary of Egypt.

²⁷ And the king rendered silver in Jerusalem like stones, and the cedar–trees he rendered like the sycamore–trees that are in the lowlands, for abundance.

²⁸ And men were bringing out horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

²⁹ And the remainder of the acts of Solomon, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Achiyah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Ye’do the seer concerning Jerobo’am the son of Nebat.

³⁰ And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

³¹ And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father: and Rehobo’am his son became king in his stead.

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¹ And Rehobo’am went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.

² And it came to pass, when Jerobo’am the son of Nebat heard of it, for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, that Jerobo’am returned out of Egypt.

³ And they sent and called him: and so came Jerobo’am with all Israel and spoke to Rehobo’am, saying,

⁴ Thy father made our yoke hard; but now do thou make lighter the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

⁵ And he said unto them, After but three days, then return unto me. And the people went away.

⁶ Then consulted king Rehobo’am with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, How do you advise that I should return an answer to this people?

⁷ And they spoke unto him, saying, If thou wilt be kind to this people, and please them, and speak to them good words: then will they be servants unto thee for all times.

⁸ But he forsook the counsel which the old men had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and who stood before him.

⁹ And he said unto them, How do you counsel how we should give an answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make lighter the yoke which thy father did put upon us?

¹⁰ Then spoke with him the young men that were grown up with him, saying, Thus must thou say unto the people that have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but do thou make it lighter unto us: thus must thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.

¹¹ And now if my father hath burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: if my father hath chastised you with whips, then will I do it with scorpion–thorns.

¹² When now Jerobo’am and all the people came to Rehobo’am on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, Return to me on the third day:

¹³ The king answered them harshly; and king Rehobo’am forsook the counsel of the old men;

¹⁴ And he spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add thereto; my father chastised you with whips, but I will do it with scorpion–thorns.

¹⁵ And the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was so brought about from God, in order that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he had spoken by means of Achiyahu the Shilonite unto Jerobo’am the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? nor have we an inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel; now, see to thy own house, David. So did all Israel go to their tents.

¹⁷ But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, over them did Rehobo’am reign.

¹⁸ Then sent king Rehobo’am Hadoram who was over the tribute; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehobo’am made speed with his might to get upon his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹ So did Israel rebel against the house of David unto this day.

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¹ And when Rehobo’am was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom again to Rehobo’am.

² But the word of the Lord came unto Shema’yahu the man of God, saying,

³ Say unto Rehobo’am the son of Solomon, the king of Judah and Benjamin, saying,

⁴ Thus hath said the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight with your brethren: return every man to his house; for from me hath this thing been brought about. And they hearkened to the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jerobo’am.

⁵ And Rehobo’am dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities as fortresses in Judah.

⁶ He built, namely, Beth–lechem, and ‘Etam, and Thekoa’.

⁷ And Beth–zur, and Socho, and ‘Adullam,

⁸ And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

⁹ And Adorayim and Lachish, and ‘Azekah,

¹⁰ And Zor’ah, and Ayalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

¹¹ And he strengthened the strong–holds, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and oil and wine;

¹² And in each and every city he placed shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong: and thus remained with him Judah and Benjamin.

¹³ And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel presented themselves to him out of all their territory.

¹⁴ For the Levites left their open districts and their possession, and went to Judah and Jerusalem; because Jerobo’am and his sons cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord,

¹⁵ And because he ordained for himself priests for the high–places, and for the evil spirits, and for the calves which he had made.

¹⁶ And after them came out of all the tribes of Israel such as directed their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel: these came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord, the God of their fathers.

¹⁷ And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and brought power to Rehobo’am, the son of Solomon, during three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon during three years.

¹⁸ And Rehobo’am took himself as wife Machalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abichayil the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

¹⁹ And she bore to him sons: Je’ush, and Shamaryah, and Zaham.

²⁰ And after her did he take Ma’achah the daughter of Abshalom; and she bore to him Abiyah, and ‘Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹ And Rehobo’am loved Ma’achah the daughter of Abshalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and he begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters.

²² And Rehobo’am appointed Abiyah the son of Ma’achah to be the chief, to be ruler among his brethren; because he desired to make him king.

²³ And he dealt understandingly, and dispersed all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto all the fortified cities; and he gave them food in abundance and he required for them a multitude of wives.

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¹ And it came to pass, when Rehobo’am had established the kingdom, and when he had become strong, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

² And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehobo’am, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,––because they had acted faithlessly against the Lord,––

³ With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen: and innumerable were the people that came with him out of Egypt––the Lubim, the Sukkiyim, and the Ethiopians.

⁴ And he captured the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and he came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ And Shem’ayah the prophet came to Rehobo’am, and the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Ye have indeed forsaken me, and therefore have I also relinquished you into the hand of Shishak.

⁶ Thereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.

⁷ And when the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, then came the word of the Lord to Shem’ayah, saying, "They have humbled themselves: I will not destroy them; but I will permit some little to escape from them; and my wrath shall not be poured out over Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak."

⁸ However they shall be servants unto him, and they shall know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the various countries.

⁹ And so came up Shishak the king of Egypt against Jerusalem, and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house: every thing did he take away; and he took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

¹⁰ And king Rehobo’am made in their stead shields of copper, and committed them for keeping into the hand of the chiefs of the runners, who kept guard at the door of the king’s house.

¹¹ And it happened whenever the king went into the house of the Lord, that the runners came and bore them, and carried them back into the apartment of the runners.

¹² And when he had humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so that he destroyed him not to make an end of him: and also in Judah were some good things found.

¹³ And king Rehobo’am strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehobo’am was one and forty years old when he became king, and seventeen years did he reign in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Na’amah the ‘Ammonitess.

¹⁴ And he did the evil; because he directed not his heart to seek the Lord.

¹⁵ And the acts of Rehobo’am, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Shem’ayah the prophet, and of ‘Iddo, the seer concerning the genealogies. And the wars of Rehobo’am and Jerobo’am lasted all the days.

¹⁶ And Rehobo’am slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abiyah his son became king in his stead.

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¹ In the eighteenth year of king Jerobo’am became Abiyah king over Judah.

² Three years he reigned in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Michayahu the daughter of Uriel of Gib’ah. And there was war between Abiyah and Jerobo’am.

³ And Abiyah joined the battle with an army of valiant men of war, even of four hundred thousand chosen men: Jerobo’am also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor.

⁴ And Abiyah stood up above mount Zemarayim, which is in the mountain of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jerobo’am, and all Israel;

⁵ Ought ye not to know that the Lord the God of Israel hath given the kingdom over Israel to David for eternity, yea, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salts?

⁶ But there rose up Jerobo’am the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, and rebelled against his lord.

⁷ And there were gathered unto him idle men, worthless persons, and put themselves in violent resistance against Rehobo’am the son of Solomon: while Rehobo’am was young and tender hearted, and could not sustain himself before them.

⁸ And now ye think to sustain yourselves before the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude; and with you are golden calves, which Jerobo’am hath made for you as gods.

⁹ Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made yourselves priests like the people of the various lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams can become a priest to things that are no gods?

¹⁰ But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, who minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron; and the Levites are at their appointed work;

¹¹ And they burn unto the Lord burnt–offerings every morning and every evening and incense of sweet spices; and the rows of the show–bread do they place upon the pure table; and there is the candlestick of gold with its lamps, to light the same every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God, while ye have truly forsaken him.

¹² And, behold, with us at our head, is the true God, with his priests with trumpets for blowing the alarm, to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord the God of your fathers; for ye will not prosper.

¹³ But Jerobo’am caused an ambush to come around behind them: so they themselves were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

¹⁴ And when Judah turned round, behold, they had the battle before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests blew with the trumpets.

¹⁵ And then gave the men of Judah a shout: and it came to pass, as the men of Judah shouted, that God struck down Jerobo’am and all Israel before Abiyah and Judah.

¹⁶ And the children of Israel fled from before Judah, and God gave them up into their hand.

¹⁷ And Abiyah and his people smote them with a great defeat, and there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁸ Thus were the children of Israel humbled at that time: and the children of Judah became powerful, because they relied upon the Lord the God of their fathers.

¹⁹ And Abiyah made pursuit after Jerobo’am, and captured cities from him, Bethel with its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages, and ‘Ephrayin with its villages.

²⁰ And Jerobo’am did not recover strength again in the days of Abiyahu: and the Lord struck him, and he died.

²¹ But Abiyahu became strong, and he took himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

²² And the rest of the acts of Abiyah, and his ways, and his speeches, are written in the writing of the prophet ‘Iddo.

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¹ (13:23) And Abiyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Assa his son became king in his stead. In his days the land had repose ten years.

² (14:1) And Assa did what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

³ (14:2) And he removed the altars of the strange gods, and the high–places, and broke up the statues, and cut down the groves;

⁴ (14:3) And he ordered Judah to seek the Lord the God of their fathers, and to execute the law and the commandment.

⁵ (14:4) Also he removed out of all the cities of Judah the high–places and the sun–images: and the kingdom had repose before him.

⁶ (14:5) And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land had repose, and no one had war with him in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.

⁷ (14:6) Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls, and towers, gates, and bars: the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God,––we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

⁸ (14:7) And Assa had an army that bore targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew the bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.

⁹ (14:8) And there came out against them Zerach the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand times thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came as far as Mareshah.

¹⁰ (14:9) Then went Assa out against him, and they set themselves in battle–array in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

¹¹ (14:10) And Assa called unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, nothing can hinder thee to help, whether it be the mighty, or those that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for on thee do we rely, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God! no mortal can place a restraint against thee.

¹² (14:11) Thereupon did the Lord strike down the Ethiopians before Assa, and before Judah: and the Ethiopians fled.

¹³ (14:12) And Assa and the people that were with him pursued them as far as Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many, that they could not recover themselves; for they were broken down before the Lord, and before his camp; and they carried away exceedingly much booty.

¹⁴ (14:13) And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the dread of the Lord was upon them: and they plundered all the cities; for abundant spoil was in them.

¹⁵ (14:14) And also the tents of the owners of cattle did they smite, and they carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

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¹ And as for ‘Azaryahu the son of ‘Oded––on him came the spirit of God;

² And he went out to meet Assa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Assa, and all Judah and Benjamin, The Lord is with you, while ye remain with him; and if ye seek him, he will let himself be found by you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

³ And many days had elapsed for Israel, they being without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

⁴ But they returned when they were in distress unto the Lord, the God of Israel, and they sought him, and he let himself be found by them.

⁵ And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, and to him that came in; but there were great confusions among all the inhabitants of the countries.

⁶ And nation was dashed to pieces against nation, and city against city; for God did confound them with all kind of distress.

⁷ But as for you, be ye strong, and let not your hands be weak; for there is a reward for your doing.

⁸ And when Assa heard these words, and the prophecy of ‘Oded the prophet, he was strengthened, and he put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured from the mountain of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.

⁹ And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, and those that sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Menasseh, and out of Simeon; for they had joined him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

¹⁰ And so they assembled themselves at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Assa.

¹¹ And they sacrificed unto the Lord on the same day, of the booty which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

¹² And they entered into the covenant to seek the Lord the God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

¹³ So that whosoever would not seek the Lord the God of Israel should be put to death, from the small even up to the great, whether it be man or woman.

¹⁴ And they swore unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with joyful shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

¹⁵ And all Judah rejoiced because of the oath; for with all their heart had they sworn, and with their whole desire did they seek him, and he let himself be found by them: and the Lord gave them rest on every side.

¹⁶ And also concerning Ma’achah the mother of king Assa, he removed her from being queen, because she had made a scandalous image for the grove; and Assa cut down her scandalous image, and had it ground up, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

¹⁷ But the high–places were not removed out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Assa was entire all his days.

¹⁸ And be brought the things which his father had sanctified, and his own sanctified things, into the house of God,––silver, and gold, and vessels.

¹⁹ And there was no war until the five–and–thirtieth year of the reign of Assa.

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¹ In the six–and–thirtieth year of the reign of Assa, came up Ba’sha the king of Israel against Judah, and built Kamah, in order not to suffer any one to go out or come in to Assa the king of Judah.

² Then did Assa bring out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent them to Ben–hadad the king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

³ A covenant is between me and thee, as between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Ba’sha the king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.

⁴ And Ben–hadad hearkened unto king Assa, and sent the captains of the armies that he had against the cities of Israel, and they smote ‘Iyon, and Dan, and Abel–mayim, and all the treasure–cities of Naphtali.

⁵ And it came to pass, when Ba’sha heard this, that he left off the building of Ramah, and stopped his work.

⁶ And king Assa took then all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, wherewith Ba’sha had built; and he built therewith Geba’ and Mizpah.

⁷ And at that time came Chanani the seer to Assa the king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on the Lord thy God: therefore is the army of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hands.

⁸ Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a numerous army, with chariots and horsemen in great abundance? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he gave them up into thy hand.

⁹ For as regardeth the Lord, his eyes roam throughout the whole earth, to hold strongly with those whose heart is entire toward him: thou hast done foolishly for this reason; because from this time forth there will be wars with thee.

¹⁰ Then became Assa incensed toward the seer, and put him in a prison–house; for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Assa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

¹¹ And, behold, the acts of Assa, the first and the last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

¹² And Assa became sick in the thirty–and–ninth year of his reign in his feet, his disease being exceedingly severe: yet even in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but applied to the physicians.

¹³ And Assa slept with his fathers, and died in the one–and–fortieth year of his reign.

¹⁴ And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had dug for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the couch which was filled with sweet odors and divers kinds of spices mixed by the apothecary’s art; and they made for him a burning uncommonly great.

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¹ And Jehoshaphat his son became king in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

² And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and placed garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Assa his father had captured.

³ And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat; because he walked in the first ways of David his father, and sought not after the Be’alim;

⁴ On the contrary, after the God of his father did he seek, and in his commandments did he walk, but not after the doings of Israel.

⁵ Therefore did the Lord establish the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat; and he had riches and honor in abundance.

⁶ And his heart raised itself up in the ways of the Lord, and he removed moreover the high–places and groves out of Judah.

⁷ And in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben–chayil, and ‘Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Michayahu, to teach in the cities of Judah.

⁸ And with them were the Levites, Shema’yahu, and Nethanyahu, and Zebadyahu, and ‘Assahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adoniyahu, and Tobiyahu, and Tobadoniyah, the Levites; and with them Elishama’ and Jehoram, the priests.

⁹ And they taught in Judah, and with them was the book of the law of the Lord, and they moved about through all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

¹⁰ And the dread of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war with Jehoshaphat.

¹¹ Also from the Philistines did people bring unto Jehoshaphat presents and silver, as tribute: also the Arabians brought him small cattle, rams seven thousand and seven hundred, and he–goats seven thousand and seven hundred.

¹² And Jehoshaphat went on becoming exceedingly great, and he built in Judah castles and treasure–cities.

¹³ And he had great works in the cities of Judah, and men of war, mighty in valor, in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ And these are their numbers according to their family divisions: Of Judah, of the captains of the thousands was ‘Adnah the chief, and with him were mighty men of valor, three hundred thousand.

¹⁵ And next to him was Jehochanan the chief, and with him were two hundred and eighty thousand.

¹⁶ And next to him was ‘Amassyah the son of Zichri, who voluntarily offered himself unto the Lord; and with him were two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.

¹⁷ And of Benjamin, the mighty valiant Elyada’, and with him were those armed with bow and shield two hundred thousand.

¹⁸ And next him was Jehozabad, and with him were one hundred and eighty thousand ready armed for the host.

¹⁹ These were those that ministered to the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

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¹ And Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he intermarried with Achab.

² And he went down after some years to Achab to Samaria. And Achab killed for him sheep and oxen in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and persuaded him to go up to Ramoth–gil’ad.

³ Then said Achab the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me against Ramoth–gil’ad! And he said to him, I will be like thee, and my people shall be as thy people; and we will be with thee in the battle.

⁴ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, today first of the word of the Lord.

⁵ Then did the king of Israel assemble the prophets, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth–gil’ad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.

⁶ And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Eternal besides, that we might inquire of him?

⁷ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him; for he never prophesieth any good concerning me, but at all times evil: it is Michayhu the son of Yimla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

⁸ Then called the king of Israel a certain court–officer, and said, "Hasten hither Michayhu the son of Yimla."

⁹ And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in their royal garments, and they were sitting in a threshing–floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Kena’anah had made himself horns of iron; and he said, Thus hath said the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou have made an end of them.

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up against Ramoth–gil’ad, and prosper, and the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.

¹² And the messenger that went to call Michayhu spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets are with one voice good for the king: so do let thy word, I pray thee, be like that of any one of them, and speak something good.

¹³ And Michayhu said, As the Lord liveth, truly what my God may say, that will I speak.

¹⁴ And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Michah, shall we go to Ramoth–gil’ad to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and may they be delivered into your hand.

¹⁵ And the king said to him, How many times yet must I adjure thee that thou shalt not speak to me any thing but the truth in the name of the Lord?

¹⁶ Then said he, I saw all Israel scattered over the mountains, as flocks that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.

¹⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say unto thee that he would not prophesy concerning me any good, but only for evil?

¹⁸ And he said, Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right and his left.

¹⁹ And the Lord said, Who will persuade Achab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth–gil’ad? And one said––one saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

²⁰ Then came there forth a spirit, and placed himself before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?

²¹ And he said, I will go forth, and I will become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou wilt persuade him, and also prevail: go forth, and do so.

²² And now, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets: but the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

²³ And Zedekiah the son of Kena’anah went near, and struck Michayhu on the cheek, and said, Which is the way the Spirit of the Lord passed away from me to speak with thee?

²⁴ And Michayhu said, Behold, thou shalt see it on that day when thou shalt go into the innermost chamber to hide thyself.

²⁵ And the king of Israel said, Take ye Michayhu, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

²⁶ And say ye, Thus hath said the king, Put this man in the prison, and feed him with sparing bread and with sparing water, until I return in peace.

²⁷ And Michayhu said, If thou return at all in peace, then hath the Lord not spoken through me. And he said, Hear it, O all ye nations!

²⁸ And the king of Israel went up with Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to Ramoth–gil’ad.

²⁹ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but do thou put on thy royal garments. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

³⁰ And the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that he had, saying, Fight ye not with the small or with the great, save only with the king of Israel alone.

³¹ And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, This is the king of Israel. And they encompassed him to fight; and Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God induced them to go away from him.

³² And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from following him.

³³ But a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the armor: wherefore he said to the chariot–driver, Turn about, and carry me out of the camp; for I am wounded.

³⁴ And the battle increased on that day: and the king of Israel stayed himself up in the chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and he died at the time of the sun’s going down.

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¹ And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace, to Jerusalem.

² And there came out to meet him Jehu the son of Chanani the seer, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help the wicked, and love those that hate the Lord? and because of this there is wrath over thee from before the Lord.

³ Nevertheless there are good things found on thee; because thou hast removed the Asheroth out of the land, and hast directed thy heart firmly to seek God.

⁴ And Jehoshaphat remained at Jerusalem; but he went out again through the people from Beer–sheba’ as far as the mountain of Ephraim, and caused them to return unto the Lord the God of their fathers.

⁵ And he appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, in city by city.

⁶ And he said to the judges, Look well at what ye are doing; because not for man are ye to judge, but for the Lord, who is with you in pronouncing judgment.

⁷ And now let the dread of the Lord be upon you: take heed and act; for with the Lord our God there is no injustice, nor respect for persons, nor taking of bribes.

⁸ But also in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat appoint some of the Levites, and the priests, and of the chiefs of the family divisions of Israel, for the giving of the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.

⁹ And he charged on them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with an undivided heart.

¹⁰ And whatsoever controversy may come to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall truly warn them that they incur not guilt against the Lord, and so there come wrath over you, and over your brethren: so must ye do, and ye will not incur guilt.

¹¹ And, behold, Amaryahu the chief priest is over you for every matter of the Lord; and Zebadyahu the son of Yishma’el, the ruler for the house of Judah, for every matter of the king; and the Levites are officers before you. Be strong and act, and may the Lord be with the good.

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¹ And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of ‘Ammon, and with them some of the ‘Ammonim, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

² And there came some and told unto Jehoshaphat, saying, There is coming against thee a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Syria; and, behold, they are in Chazazon–thamar, which is ‘En–gedi.

³ Then became Jehoshaphat afraid, and he directed his face to seek the Lord; and he proclaimed a fast over all Judah.

⁴ And the people of Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: also out of all the cities of Judah did they come to seek the Lord.

⁵ And Jehoshaphat stood forward in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court.

⁶ And he said, O Lord, the God of our fathers, thou art God in the heavens, and thou rulest over all the kingdoms of the nations; and in thy hand are the power and might, and there is none that can withstand thee.

⁷ Behold, it is thou, O our God, who hast driven out the inhabitants of this land from before thy people Israel; and thou gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend to eternity.

⁸ And they have dwelt therein, and have built for thee therein a sanctuary for thy name, saying,

⁹ If there should come over us any evil, the sword, punishment, or pestilence, or famine, then will we stand before this house, and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house, and we will cry unto thee out of our distress, and thou wilt hear and help.

¹⁰ And now, behold, the children of ‘Ammon and Moab and mount Se’ir, against whom thou wouldst not suffer Israel to come, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not:––

¹¹ And behold, they recompense us, by coming to drive us out of thy inheritance, which thou hast given us to possess.

¹² O our God, wilt thou not execute justice on them? for there is no power in us against this great multitude that is coming against us; and we indeed know not what we are to do: but upon thee are our eyes directed.

¹³ And all Judah were standing before the Lord, also their little ones, their wives, and their sons.

¹⁴ And upon Jachaziel the son of Zecharyahu, the son of Benayah, the son of Je’iel, the son of Matthanyah, the Levite, of the sons of Assaph, came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the assembly;

¹⁵ And he said, Listen ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus hath said the Lord unto you, Be ye not afraid and be not dismayed because of this great multitude; for not unto you belongeth the battle, but unto God.

¹⁶ Tomorrow go ye down against them behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye will find them at the end of the valley, in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.

¹⁷ Ye shall not need to fight in this place: stand firmly, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, and be not dismayed; tomorrow go out to meet them, and the Lord will be with you.

¹⁸ And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, to prostrate themselves unto the Lord.

¹⁹ And then arose the Levites, of the children of the Kehathites, and of the children of the Korehites, to praise the Lord the God of Israel with a very loud voice.

²⁰ And they rose up early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Thekoa’: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood forward and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the Lord your God, and ye will have permanence; believe his prophets, and ye will prosper.

²¹ And he consulted with his people, and he appointed singers unto the Lord, and those that should praise in the holy ornaments, as they went out before the armed array, and said, Give thanks unto the Lord; for unto everlasting endureth his kindness.

²² And at the time when they began with the song and the praise, the Lord set an ambush against the children of ‘Ammon, Moab, and mount Se’ir, who were come against Judah, and they were smitten.

²³ And the children of ‘Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Se’ir, utterly to annihilate and to destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Se’ir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped.

²⁵ And then came Jehoshaphat and his people to plunder their booty, and they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and costly vessels, which they stript off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in plundering the booty, for it was so much.

²⁶ And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore did they call the name of this place, The valley of Berachah Blessing, until this day.

²⁷ Then returned all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to return to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had caused them to rejoice over their enemies.

²⁸ And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and with harps and with trumpets unto the house of the Lord.

²⁹ And a dread from God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they heard that the Lord had fought with the enemies of Israel.

³⁰ So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat had repose, and his God gave him rest all round about.

³¹ And so did Jehoshaphat reign over Judah; thirty and five years old was he when he became king, and twenty and five years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was ‘Azubah the daughter of Shilchi.

³² And he walked in the way of his father Assa, and turned not aside from it, doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

³³ Nevertheless the high–places were not removed; for the people had not yet directed their heart firmly unto the God of their fathers.

³⁴ And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Chanani, which was entered into the book of the kings of Israel.

³⁵ And after this did Jehoshaphat the king of Judah connect himself with Achazyah the king of Israel, the same who acted very wickedly;

³⁶ And he connected himself with him to make ships to go to Tharshish: and they made ships in ‘Ezyon–geber.

³⁷ Then prophesied Eli’ezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast connected thyself with Achazyahu, the Lord hath broken down thy works. And the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tharshish.

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¹ And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son became king in his stead.

² And he had brothers the sons of Jehoshaphat: ‘Azaryah, and Jechiel, and Zecharyahu, and ‘Azaryahu, and Michael, and Shephatyahu, all these being sons of Jehoshaphat the king of Israel.

³ And their father gave them many gifts consisting of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the first–born.

⁴ Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he slew all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.

⁵ Thirty and two years was Jehoram old when he became king, and eight years did he reign in Jerusalem.

⁶ And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as had done the house of Achab; for the daughter of Achab had he for wife: and he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

⁷ Yet would the Lord not destroy the house of David, on account of the covenant which he had made with David, and as he had said to give to him a government and to his sons at all times.

⁸ In his days Edom revolted from under the power of Judah, and they appointed a king over themselves.

⁹ Then did Jehoram go over with his princes, and all the chariots were with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites who compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots.

¹⁰ Yet Edom revolted from under the power of Judah even until this day: then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his power; because he had forsaken the Lord the God of his fathers.

¹¹ He also made high–places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go astray, and misled Judah.

¹² And there came unto him a writing from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus hath said the Lord the God of David thy father, Inasmuch as thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, and in the ways of Assa the king of Judah,

¹³ But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go astray, as the house of Achab hath caused others to go astray, and hast also slain thy brothers of thy father’s house, who were better than thyself:

¹⁴ Behold, the Lord will inflict a great plague on thy people, and on thy children, and on thy wives, and on all thy possessions;

¹⁵ And thou shalt be afflicted with great diseases by a disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels pass out from thee by reason of the disease days upon days.

¹⁶ And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that are alongside of the Cushim:

¹⁷ And they went up against Judah, and made an incursion into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and also his sons, and his wives; and there was not left unto him any son, save Jehoachaz, the youngest of his sons.

¹⁸ And after all this did the Lord afflict him in his bowels with a disease which was incurable.

¹⁹ And it came to pass, from days to days, and when the fixed time was expired, after two years, that his bowels passed out from him by reason of his disease: so he died of evil diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.

²⁰ Thirty and two years old was he when he became king, and eight years did he reign in Jerusalem, and departed without joy: and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

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¹ And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Achazyahu his youngest son king in his stead; for the predatory band that was come with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So became Achazyahu, the son of Jehoram the king of Judah, king.

² Forty and two years old was Achazyahu when he became king, and one year did he reign in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Athalyahu the grand– daughter of ‘Omri.

³ Also he walked in the ways of the house of Achab; for his mother was his counsellor to act wickedly.

⁴ And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord like the house of Achab; for these were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction.

⁵ He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Achab the king of Israel to war against Chazael the king of Syria at Ramoth–gil’ad: and the Syrians smote Joram.

⁶ And he returned to be healed in Yizre’el because of the wounds which had been given him at Ramah, when he fought with Chazael the king of Syria. And ‘Azaryahu the son of Jehoram the king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Achab at Yizre’el, because he was sick.

⁷ But from God was the confusion of Achazyahu that he should come to Joram: and when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Achab.

⁸ And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Achab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brothers of Achazyahu, that ministered to Achazyahu, and he slew them.

⁹ And he sought Achazyahu, and they caught him while he was hiding himself in Samaria, and they brought him to Jehu, and they slew him, and buried him; because they said, He is son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. And there was none of the house of Achazyahu who had sufficient power to obtain the kingdom.

¹⁰ And when ‘Athalyahu the mother of Achazyahu saw that her son was dead, she arose and exterminated all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

¹¹ But Yehoshab’ath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Achazyahu, and stole him away from the midst of the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse into the bed–chamber. So did Yehoshab’ath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Yehoyada’ the priest,––for she was the sister of Achazyahu,––hide him from ‘Athalyahu, so that she slew him not.

¹² And he was with them in the house of God hidden six years, while ‘Athalyah was reigning over the land.

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¹ And in the seventh year Yehoyada’ strengthened himself, and took the captains of the hundreds, ‘Azaryah the son of Jerocham and Yishma’el the son of Jehochanan, and ‘Azaryahu the son of ‘Obed, and Ma’asseyahu the son of ‘Adayahu, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, with him into a covenant.

² And they moved about in Judah, and gathered the Levites together out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the families of Israel; and they came to Jerusalem.

³ And all the congregation made a covenant in the house of God with the king. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall be king, as the Lord hath spoken concerning the sons of David.

⁴ This is the thing that ye shall do, A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers at the thresholds;

⁵ And a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the foundation–gate; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.

⁶ But let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites: they shall enter, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord.

⁷ And the Levites shall encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he who cometh into the house shall be put to death; and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

⁸ And the Levites and all Judah did in accordance with all that Yehoyada’ the priest had commanded, and they took every man his men that came in on the sabbath, with those that were to be relieved on the sabbath; for Yehoyada’ the priest had not dismissed the divisions.

⁹ And Yehoyada’ the priest gave to the captains of the hundreds the spears, and the shields, and the quivers, that belonged to king David, which were in the house of God.

¹⁰ And he placed all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the temple, all round about the king,

¹¹ Then did they bring forth the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and they made him king. And Yehoyada’ and his sons anointed him, and said, Long live the king.

¹² And when ‘Athalyah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

¹³ And she looked, and behold, the king stood upon his stand at the entrance, and the princes and the trumpets were around the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew on trumpets; also the singers were there leading with instruments of music in the songs of praise; and ‘Athalyah rent her clothes, and said, "Treason, treason."

¹⁴ But Yehoyada’ the priest ordered the captains of the hundreds, the commanders of the army, to go out, and said unto them, Lead her forth to within the ranges; and he that followeth her shall be put to death with the sword. For the priest had said, Ye shall not put her to death in the house of the Lord.

¹⁵ And they made way for her: and she went to the entrance of the horse–gate by the king’s house, and they put her to death there.

¹⁶ And Yehoyada’ made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be a people unto the Lord.

¹⁷ And then came all the people into the house of Ba’al, and pulled it down, and his altars and his images did they break in pieces, and Mathhan the priest of Ba’al they slew before the altars.

¹⁸ And Yehoyada’ placed the supervision over the house of the Lord into the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had divided off over the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt–offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, after the manner of David.

¹⁹ And he appointed the gatekeepers over the gates of the house of the Lord, that none unclean in any thing should enter therein.

²⁰ And he took the captains of the hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors over the people, and all the people of the land, and he brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and they came through the midst of the upper gate into the king’s house; and they caused the king to sit upon the throne of the kingdom.

²¹ And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; but ‘Athalyahu they had slain with the sword.

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¹ Seven years old was Joash when he became king, and forty years did he reign in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Zibyah of Beer–sheba’.

² And Joash did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, all the days of Yehoyada’ the priest.

³ And Yehoyada’ took for himself two wives, and he begat sons and daughters.

⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Yoash had it in his mind to renew the house of the Lord.

⁵ And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and ye shall make haste in this matter. But the Levites made no haste.

⁶ Then called the king for Yehoyada’ the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required from the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the contribution fixed by Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of the testimony?

⁷ For the sons of the wicked ‘Athalyahu have made breaches in the house of God; and also the holy things of the house of the Lord have they applied to the Be’alim.

⁸ And at the king’s order they made a chest, and placed it at the gate of the house of the Lord on the outside.

⁹ And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the contribution fixed by Moses the servant of God upon Israel in the wilderness.

¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and they brought it in, and cast it into the chest, until it was full.

¹¹ Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then came the king’s scribe and the high–priest’s officer and emptied the chest, and took it up, and brought it back to its place. Thus did they day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

¹² And the king and Yehoyada’ gave it to those who overlooked the service of the house of the Lord, and these hired masons and carpenters to renew the house of the Lord, and also to the workers in iron and copper to repair the house of the Lord.

¹³ So the workmen wrought, and the work was restored through their means, and they replaced the house of God in its former state, and strengthened it.

¹⁴ And when they had completed it, they brought before the king and Yehoyada’ the rest of the money, and they made of it vessels for the house of the Lord, the vessels of the service and for the sacrificing, and the spoons, and other vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt–offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Yehoyada’.

¹⁵ And Yehoyada’ became old, and was full of days, and died: he was old one hundred and thirty years when he died.

¹⁶ And they buried him in the city of David among the kings; because he had done a good thing in Israel, and toward God, and his house.

¹⁷ But after the death of Yehoyada’ came the princes of Judah, and bowed themselves down to the king. Then did the king hearken unto them.

¹⁸ And they forsook the house of the Lord the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and there came wrath over Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.

¹⁹ And he sent prophets among them, to bring them back again unto the Lord; and they gave them warning; but they did not give ear.

²⁰ And the spirit of God endued Zechariah the son of Yehoyada’ the priest, and he stood up above the people, and he said unto them, Thus hath said the true God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord? ye cannot prosper so; because as ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.

²¹ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the court of the house of the Lord.

²² And king Joash did not remember the kindness which Yehoyada’ his father had shown to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord will see this, and require my blood.

²³ And it came to pass at the expiration of the year, that the army of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and all their spoil they sent off unto the king of Damascus.

²⁴ Indeed with a small company of men did the army of Syria come; but the Lord delivered into their hand an army exceedingly numerous; because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers. And on Joash they executed punishment.

²⁵ And when these were gone away from him––for they left him suffering with great diseases––his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Yehoyada’ the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.

²⁶ And these are those that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shim’ath the ‘Ammonitess, and Yehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and the great prophecy concerning him, and the founding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amazyahu his son became king in his stead.

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¹ When twenty and five years old did Amazyahu become king, and twenty and nine years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Yeho’addan of Jerusalem.

² And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with an entire heart.

³ And it came to pass, when the kingdom was firmly established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father.

⁴ But their children he put not to death; but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, that the Lord had commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, nor shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

⁵ And Amazyahu gathered Judah together, and stationed them after the family divisions, after the captains over the thousands, and after the captains over the hundreds, of all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them to be three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to the army, that could handle spear and shield.

⁶ He hired also out of Israel one hundred thousand mighty men of valor for one hundred talents of silver.

⁷ But a man of God came unto him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim.

⁸ But if thou wilt go, and be ever so active and strong for the battle: God will cause thee to stumble before the enemy; for there is power with God to help, and to cause to stumble.

⁹ Then said Amazyahu to the man of God, But what is it to be done for the hundred talents which I have given to the band of Israel? And the man of God said, The Lord hath enough in his power to give thee much more than this.

¹⁰ Then did Amazyahu separate them, to wit, the band that was come to him out of Ephraim, that they might go to their place: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned to their home in burning anger.

¹¹ And Amazyahu strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote of the children of Se’ir ten thousand men.

¹² And ten thousand did the children of Judah take captive alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were crushed.

¹³ But the men of the band whom Amazyahu had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, spread themselves about in the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth–choron, and smote of them three thousand persons, and plundered much spoil.

¹⁴ And it came to pass, after Amazyahu was come home from smiting the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Se’ir, and set them up unto himself as gods, and before them he used to prostrate himself and unto them he used to burn incense.

¹⁵ Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amazyahu, and he sent unto him a prophet, who said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, that have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?

¹⁶ And it came to pass, as he was speaking unto him, that he said unto him, Have we ever appointed thee as a counsellor to the king? forbear this: why shouldst thou be smitten? Then did the prophet forbear; and he said, I know that God hath resolved to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

¹⁷ Then held Amazyahu the king of Judah a council, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoachaz, the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

¹⁸ And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amazyahu the king of Judah, saying, The thorn–bush that was in the Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in the Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son for wife. And there passed along the wild beasts that were in the Lebanon, and trod down the thorn–bush.

¹⁹ Thou hast thought, Lo, thou hast smitten Edom; and thy heart hath lifted thee up to acquire much glory: now stay in thy house; why wilt thou meddle with misfortune, that thou mayest fall, thou, and Judah with thee?

²⁰ But Amazyahu would not hear; for it was ordained by God, in order to deliver them into the hand of Joash; because they had sought after the gods of Edom.

²¹ Thereupon did Joash the king of Israel go up: and they looked one another in the face, he and Amazyahu the king of Judah, at Beth–shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

²² And Judah was defeated before Israel, and they fled every man to his tents.

²³ And Joash the king of Israel caught Amazyahu the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoachaz, at Beth–shemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and made a breach in the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner–gate, four hundred cubits.

²⁴ And taking all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with ‘Obed–edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, and the children of the chiefs as hostages, he returned to Samaria.

²⁵ And Amazyahu the son of Joash the king of Judah lived after the death of Joash the son of Jehoachaz the king of Israel fifteen years.

²⁶ And the rest of the acts of Amazyahu the first and the last, behold, they are fully written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

²⁷ Now from the time that Amazyahu departed from following the Lord, they raised a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: wherefore he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

²⁸ And they carried him on horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

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¹ And all the people of Judah took ‘Uzziyahu, who was then sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amazyahu.

² He it was that built Eloth, and brought it back to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.

³ Sixteen years old was ‘Uzziyahu when he became king, and fifty and two years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Yecholyah of Jerusalem.

⁴ And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, in accordance with all that his father Amazyahu had done.

⁵ And he was inclined to seek God in the days of Zecharyahu, who had understanding in the visions of God; and during the time that he sought the Lord, God caused him to prosper.

⁶ And he went forth and made war against the Philistines, and he broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

⁷ And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur–ba’al, and the Me’unim.

⁸ And the ‘Ammonites gave presents to ‘Uzziyahu: and his name extended even to the entrance of Egypt; for he became exceedingly strong.

⁹ And ‘Uzziyahu built towers in Jerusalem, above the corner–gate, and above the valley–gate, and at the angle, and made them strong.

¹⁰ He built also towers in the desert, and hewed out many wells; for he had much cattle, both in the lowlands and in the plain; also husbandmen, and vintners in the mountains, and in Carmel; for he loved husbandry.

¹¹ Moreover ‘Uzziyah had an army of fighting men, that went out to the host by bands, according to the number of those mustered of them through the hand of Je’iel the scribe and Ma’asseyahu the overseer, under the supervision of Chananyahu, one of the king’s captains.

¹² The whole number of the chiefs of the family divisions of the mighty men of valor was two thousand and six hundred.

¹³ And under their supervision was an efficient army, of three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

¹⁴ And ‘Uzziyahu prepared for them, for all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging.

¹⁵ And he made in Jerusalem artificial contrivances, contrived by a skilful man, to be stationed on the towers and upon the ramparts, to shoot off arrows and great stones. And his name extended ever so far abroad; for he was marvelously assisted, till he became strong.

¹⁶ But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; and he became unfaithful against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

¹⁷ And there went in after him ‘Azaryahu the priest, and with him were priests of the Lord, valiant men, to the number of eighty;

¹⁸ And they stood forward against king ‘Uzziyahu, and they said unto him, It is not for thee, O ‘Uzziyahu, to burn incense unto the Lord, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; and it will not be for thy honor from the Lord God.

¹⁹ But ‘Uzziyahu became wroth, and in his hand was a censer to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, above the altar of the incense.

²⁰ And when ‘Azaryahu the chief priest, with all the priests, turned about toward him, behold, he was leprous on his forehead, and they hurried him away from there: yea, he also made haste to go out, because the Lord had afflicted him.

²¹ And king ‘Uzziyahu was a leper until the day of his death, and dwelt in the leper–house, as a leper; for he was excluded from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, and judged the people of the land.

²² And the rest of the acts of ‘Uzziyahu, the first and the last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos write.

²³ And ‘Uzziyahu slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial–field which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son became king in his stead.

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¹ Twenty and five years old was Jotham when he became king, and sixteen years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Yerushah, the daughter of Zadok.

² And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, in accordance with all that his father ‘Uzziyahu had done: only he entered not into the temple of the Lord. But the people acted still corruptly.

³ He it was that built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of the hill–fort he built much.

⁴ Moreover he built cities in the mountain of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.

⁵ And he likewise fought with the king of the sons of ‘Ammon, and prevailed against them. And the children of ‘Ammon gave him in that same year one hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of ‘Ammon pay unto him again, both in the second year, and in the third.

⁶ So Jotham became strong; because he directed his ways before the Lord his God.

⁷ And the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

⁸ Five and twenty years old was he when he became king, and sixteen years did he reign in Jerusalem.

⁹ And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Achaz his son became king in his stead.

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¹ Twenty years old was Achaz when he became king, and sixteen years did he reign in Jerusalem; and he did not what is right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father;

² But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Be’alim.

³ And he also burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his sons in the fire, after the abominable acts of the nations that the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.

⁴ And he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high–places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

⁵ Wherefore the Lord his God gave him up into the hand of the king of Syria; and they defeated his people, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And also into the hand of the king of Israel was he given up, and he defeated his people with a great slaughter.

⁶ And Pekach the son of Remalyahu slew in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all being valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.

⁷ And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Ma’asseyahu the king’s son, and ‘Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah the second in rank to the king.

⁸ And the children of Israel led away captive from their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and also much booty did they plunder from them, and they brought the booty to Samaria.

⁹ But there was a prophet of the Lord, ‘Oded was his name; and he went out to meet the host that was coming to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because of the fury of the Lord the God of your fathers against Judah, hath he given them up into your hand, and ye have slain among them in a rage that reacheth as far as the heavens.

¹⁰ And now ye think to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to become bond–men and bond–women unto you; but surely are there not with you, even with you, trespasses against the Lord your God?

¹¹ And now hear me, and restore the captives, whom ye have taken captive from your brethren; for the fierce wrath of the Lord is over you.

¹² Then arose certain men of the heads of the children of Ephraim, ‘Azaryahu the son of Jehochanan, Berechyahu the son of Meshillemoth, and Jechizkiyahu the son of Shallum, and ‘Amassa the son of Chadlai, against those that were come from the army.

¹³ And they said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither; for in addition to the guiltiness against the Lord resting on us, ye think to add unto our sins and unto our guiltiness; for great is the guiltiness resting on us, and there is fierce wrath over Israel.

¹⁴ So the armed men abandoned the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.

¹⁵ And then arose the men who have been expressed by name, and took hold of the captives, and all that were naked among them they clothed from the booty; and they gave them garments and shoes, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm–trees, near their brethren; and then did they return to Samaria.

¹⁶ At that time sent king Achaz unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

¹⁷ Moreover the Edomites came again and defeated the men of Judah, and carried away captives.

¹⁸ And the Philistines invaded the cities of the lowlands, and of the south of Judah, and captured Beth–shemesh, and Ayalon, and Gederoth, and Socho with its villages, and Thimnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there.

¹⁹ For the Lord humbled Judah on account of Achaz the king of Israel; for he made Judah unruly, and acted very faithlessly against the Lord.

²⁰ Then came against him Tilgath–pilneesser the king of Assyria, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

²¹ Although Achaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: he yet gave him no assistance.

²² And in the time that he distressed him, became he yet more faithless against the Lord,––yea, he, king Achaz;

²³ And he sacrificed unto the gods of the people of Damascus, who had smitten him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria do help them, therefore will I sacrifice unto them, that they may help me. But they only became to him a stumbling–block for him and for all Israel.

²⁴ And Achaz gathered up the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and locked up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

²⁵ And in each and every city of Judah made he high–places to burn incense unto other gods; and he provoked to anger the Lord the God of his fathers.

²⁶ And the rest of his acts and of all his ways, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

²⁷ And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son became king in his stead.

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¹ Hezekiah became king when five and twenty years old, and twenty and nine years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abiyah, the daughter of Zecharyahu.

² And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, in accordance with all that David his father had done.

³ He it was that in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.

⁴ And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the open place at the east;

⁵ And he said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify yourselves now, and sanctity the house of the Lord the God of your fathers, and carry forth the unclean thing out of the sanctuary.

⁶ For our fathers have dealt faithlessly, and have done what is evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him; and they have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.

⁷ They had also locked up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and incense have they not burnt, and the burnt–offerings have they not offered in the sanctuary, unto the God of Israel.

⁸ Wherefore the wrath of the Lord is upon Judah and Jerusalem. and he hath rendered them to be a horror, an astonishment, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

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

¹⁰ Now it is in my heart to make a covenant for the Lord the God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

¹¹ My sons, be not negligent now; for of you hath the Lord made choice to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye might be unto him ministers and those that burn incense.

¹² Then arose the Levites, Machath the son of ‘Amassai, and Joel the son of ‘Azaryahu, of the sons of the Kehathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of ‘Abdi, and ‘Azaryahu the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershunites, Joach the son of Zimmah, and ‘Eden the son of Joach:

¹³ And of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri, and Je’iel; and of the sons of Assaph, Zecharyahu and Matthanyahu;

¹⁴ And of the sons of Heman, Jechiel and Shim’i; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shema’yah and ‘Uzziel;

¹⁵ And they gathered together their brethren, and they sanctified themselves, and came, according to the command of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it; and they brought out every thing unclean which they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord; and the Levites received it, to carry it out abroad unto the brook Kidron.

¹⁷ And they commenced on the first day of the first month to sanctify; and on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of the Lord, and they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days; and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

¹⁸ Then went they in the inner part of the palace to king Hezekiah, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt–offering, and all its vessels, and the table of shewbread, and all its vessels.

¹⁹ Moreover all the vessels, which king Achaz had cast aside during his reign in his faithlessness, have we put in order and sanctified: and, behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.

²⁰ Then arose king Hezekiah early, and gathered together the princes of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.

²¹ And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven sheep, and seven he–goats, as a sin–offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he ordered the sons of Aaron the priests to offer them on the altar of the Lord.

²² So they slaughtered the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar; and they slaughtered the rams, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar; they also slaughtered the sheep, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

²³ And they brought near the he–goats of the sin–offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:

²⁴ And the priests slaughtered them, and they made an expiation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel; because for all the people, said the king, should be the burnt–offering and the sin–offering.

²⁵ And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the command of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: because from the Lord was this commandment by means of his prophets.

²⁶ And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

²⁷ And Hezekiah ordered to offer the burnt–offering on the altar. And when the burnt–offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments of David the king of Israel.

²⁸ And all the assembly prostrated themselves, and the song sounded, and the trumpeters blew; all this continued until the burnt–offering was completed.

²⁹ And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him kneeled down and prostrated themselves.

³⁰ And king Hezekiah and the princes then said to the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Assaph the seer. And they sang praises with great joy, and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

³¹ Then commenced Hezekiah, and said, Now have ye consecrated yourselves unto the Lord: come near and bring sacrifices and thanksgiving–offerings unto the house of the Lord. And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thanksgiving–offerings, and every one who was liberal of heart, burnt–offerings.

³² And the number of the burnt–offerings, which the assembly brought, was seventy bullocks, one hundred rams, and two hundred sheep: as a burnt–offering unto the Lord were all these.

³³ And the hallowed sacrifices were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

³⁴ Only the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt–offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites assisted them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests could sanctify themselves, for the Levites were of upright heart to sanctify themselves more than the priests.

³⁵ But there were also burnt–offerings in abundance, with the fat of the peace–offerings, and the drink–offerings for the burnt–offerings. So was again established the service of the house of the Lord.

³⁶ And Hezekiah rejoiced, with all the people, over that which God had prepared for the people; because the thing occurred suddenly.

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¹ Then sent Hezekiah to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to prepare the passover–sacrifice unto the Lord the God of Israel.

² And the king held a consultation, as also his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to prepare the passover–sacrifice in the second month.

³ For they were not able to prepare it at that time; because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, nor had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

⁴ And the thing seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly.

⁵ So they established a decree to cause a proclamation to be made throughout all Israel, from Beer–sheba’ even as far as Dan, that they should come to prepare the passover–sacrifice unto thy Lord the God of Israel at Jerusalem; because for a long time past they had not prepared it as it was written,

⁶ So the runners went with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the command of the king, saying, O children of Israel, return unto the Lord the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the power of the kings of Assyria.

⁷ And be net like your fathers, and like your brethren, who acted faithlessly against the Lord the God of their fathers, wherefore he gave them up to become an object of astonishment, as ye see.

⁸ Now do ye not harden your necks, like your fathers: hold out your hand unto the Lord, and come unto his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever, and serve the Lord your God, and so will he turn away from you the fierceness of his wrath.

⁹ For If ye return unto the Lord, your brethren and your children will find mercy in the presence of their captors, so that they may return to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his countenance from you, if ye return unto him.

¹⁰ And as the runners were passing from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Menasseh and as far as Zebulun, they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking at them.

¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Asher and Menasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

¹² Also over Judah came the hand of God to give unto them one heart to do the command of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

¹³ And there was gathered together at Jerusalem a numerous people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

¹⁴ And they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the vessels for burning incense did they take away, and they threw them into the brook Kidron.

¹⁵ And they slaughtered the passover–sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt–offerings unto the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ And they stood on their station after their prescribed manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God, the priest sprinkling the blood, which they received out of the hand of the Levites.

¹⁷ For there were many in the assembly that had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of the slaughtering of the passover sacrifices for every one that was not clean, to sanctify the same unto the Lord.

¹⁸ For a large portion of the people, even many out of Ephraim, and Menasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, but ate the passover not as it is written. However Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The Lord who is good will grant pardon for this.

¹⁹ To every one that hath directed his heart to seek God, the Lord the God of his fathers; though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

²⁰ And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and he healed the people.

²¹ And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem celebrated the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, with loud instruments before the Lord.

²² And Hezekiah spoke comfortingly unto all the Levites that had good intelligence of the Lord: and they ate the festive–offerings during seven days, offering peace–offerings, and making confession to the Lord the God of their fathers.

²³ And the whole assembly took counsel to celebrate other seven days: and they celebrated these seven days with joy.

²⁴ For Hezekiah king of Judah had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and the priests sanctified themselves in great numbers.

²⁵ And thus rejoiced all the assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that was come out of Israel, and the strangers that were come out of the land of Israel, and those that dwelt in Judah.

²⁶ And there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David the king of Israel had the like not been in Jerusalem.

²⁷ Then arose the priests the Levites and blessed the people: and their voice was listened to, and their prayer came to His holy dwelling–place, even unto heaven.

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¹ And when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke in pieces the statues, and cut down the groves, and pulled down the high–places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Menasseh, until they had made an end of them all. Then returned all the children of Israel every man to his possession, to their own cities.

² And Hezekiah stationed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, of the priests and the Levites, for burnt–offerings and for peace–offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camps of the Lord.

³ The king also gave a portion from his own property for the burnt–offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt–offerings, and the burnt–offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new–moons, and for the appointed feasts, as it is written in the law of the Lord.

⁴ Moreover he said to the people, to those who dwelt in Jerusalem, to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, in order that they might hold firmly to the law of the Lord.

⁵ And when the matter was spread abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first–fruits of corn, of the new wine, and of oil, and of honey, and of all the products of the field: and the tithe of all things did they bring likewise in abundance.

⁶ And as for the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were hallowed unto the Lord their God, and gave them by heaps.

⁷ In the third month did they begin to lay the foundation of the heaps, and in the seventh month did they finish them.

⁸ And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord, and his people Israel.

⁹ Then made Hezekiah inquiry of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

¹⁰ Then spoke to him ‘Azaryahu the chief priest of the house of Zadok, and said, Since it was begun to bring the heave–offerings into the house of the Lord, there hath been enough to eat, and to leave in great abundance; for the Lord hath blessed his people: and that which is left is this great mass.

¹¹ Then ordered Hezekiah to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord: and they prepared them.

¹² And they brought in the heave–offerings, and the tithes, and the sanctified things, in faithfulness: and over them were appointed the ruler Conanyahu the Levite, and Shim’i his brother the second in rank.

¹³ And Jechiel, and ‘Azazyahu, and Nachath, and ‘Assahel, and Jerimoth. and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Yissmachyahu, and Machath, and Benayahu, were overseers under the supervision of Conanyahu and Shim’i his brother, by the appointment of king Hezekiah, and ‘Azazyahu the ruler of the house of God.

¹⁴ And Kore the son of Yimnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east side. was over the freewill–offerings of God, to give to him the heave–offerings of the Lord, and the most holy things.

¹⁵ And under his supervision were ‘Eden, and Minyamin, and Jeshua’, and Shema–yahu, Amaryahu, and Shechanyahu, in the cities of the priests, in faithfulness, to give to their brethren after the divisions, equally to the great as to the small;

¹⁶ Besides these to those recorded by their genealogies of males, from three years old and upward, of all that entered into the house of the Lord, the daily portion on its day, for their service in their charges according to their divisions.

¹⁷ And likewise to the priests recorded by their genealogies after their family divisions, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their divisions;

¹⁸ And to those recorded by their genealogies of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, of all the assembly; for in their faithfulness they devoted themselves in the sanctuary.

¹⁹ Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the open districts of their cities, in each and every city, there were men, expressed by name, who had to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were recorded by their genealogies among the Levites.

²⁰ And the like did Hezekiah in all Judah, and he did what is good and right and true before the Lord his God.

²¹ And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he acted with all his heart, and prospered.

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¹ After these things and veritable events came Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and invaded Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break them open for himself.

² And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was coming, and that his face was directed for war against Jerusalem,

³ He consulted with his princes and his mighty men to stop up the waters of the springs which were without the city: and they helped him.

⁴ And there were gathered together a very numerous body of people, and they stopped up all the springs, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

⁵ Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall where it was broken down, and heightened the towers, and built without another wall, and fortified the Millo of the city of David, and made weapons in abundance and shields.

⁶ And he appointed war–officers over the people, and gathered them together unto him in the open place at the gate of the city, and spoke comfortingly to them, saying,

⁷ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear and be not dismayed because of the king of Assyria, and because of all the multitude that is with him; for with us there is One greater than with him:

⁸ With him there is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people relied upon the words of Hezekiah the king of Judah.

⁹ After this did Sennacherib the king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, while he was himself lying before Lachish, and all the chief troops of his dominion with him, against Hezekiah the king of Judah, and against all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,

¹⁰ Thus hath said Sennacherib the king of Assyria, On what do ye trust, that ye remain besieged in Jerusalem?

¹¹ Doth not Hezekiah mislead you to give you up to die by famine and by thirst, when he saith, The Lord our God will deliver us out of the grasp of the king of Assyria?

¹² Is it not this Hezekiah that hath removed his high–places and his altars, when he said to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar shall ye prostrate yourselves, and upon it shall ye burn incense?

¹³ Know ye not what I have done, I and my fathers, unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand?

¹⁴ Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, was it, that was able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

¹⁵ And now let not Hezekiah deceive you, and let him not mislead you in this manner, nor believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom whatever was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less will you Gods, deliver you out of my hand!

¹⁶ And yet more did his servants speak against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

¹⁷ He wrote also letters to blaspheme against the Lord the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands, who have not delivered their people out of my hand, so will the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.

¹⁸ Then did they call out with a loud voice in the Jewish language unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to frighten them, and to terrify them: in order that they might capture the city.

¹⁹ And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as concerning the gods of the nations of the earth, the work of the hands of man.

²⁰ And king Hezekiah and Isaiah the son of Amos the prophet prayed for this cause, and they cried to heaven.

²¹ And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off every mighty man of valor and leader and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria: and when he was returned with shame of face to his own land, he went into the house of his god, and those that were come forth from his own bowels felled him there with the sword.

²² Thus did the Lord save Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and out of the hand of all, and guided them safely on every side.

²³ And many brought presents unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah the king of Judah: so that he was exalted before the eyes of all the nations after that time.

²⁴ In those days fell Hezekiah sick to the death; and he prayed unto the Lord: and he spoke unto him, and he gave him a wonderful token.

²⁵ But not according to the mercy shown unto him did Hezekiah act in return; for his heart was lifted up: wherefore there came wrath over him, and over Judah and Jerusalem.

²⁶ Then became Hezekiah humbled because of the lifting up of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷ And Hezekiah had riches and honor in exceeding abundance; and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of costly vessels;

²⁸ And storehouses for the produce of corn, and new wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds for flocks.

²⁹ Moreover he erected for himself cities, and acquired possessions of flocks and herds in multitude; for God had given him wealth in great abundance.

³⁰ This same Hezekiah also stopped up the upper mouth of the waters of Gichon, and brought them straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

³¹ And in the same manner in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire concerning the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him, to prove him, to know all that was in his heart.

³² And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his pious deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

³³ And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the highest place of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem showed him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son became king in his stead.

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¹ Twelve years old was Manasseh when he became king, and fifty and five years did he reign in Jerusalem.

² And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, after the abominable acts of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.

³ And he built again the high–places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he erected altars for the Be’alim, and made Asheroth, and bowed himself down to all the host of heaven, and served them.

⁴ And he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

⁵ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

⁶ And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of Ben–hinnom: he also observed times, and employed enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with those of a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he did much that is evil in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

⁷ And he placed a carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have made choice of out of all the tribes of Israel, will I place my name for ever.

⁸ Nor will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers; but only if they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

⁹ But Menasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do worse than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed from before the children of Israel.

¹⁰ And the Lord spoke to Menasseh, and to his people; but they listened not.

¹¹ Wherefore the Lord brought over them the captains of the army belonging to the king of Assyria: and they took Menasseh prisoner with chains, and bound him with fetters, and led him off to Babylon.

¹² And when he was in distress, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

¹³ And he prayed unto him, and he permitted himself to be entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem, unto his kingdom. Then did Menasseh feel conscious that the Lord is indeed the true God.

¹⁴ And after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gichon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the fish–gate, and about the hill–fort, and raised it up to a very great height; and he placed captains of the army in all the fortified cities of Judah.

¹⁵ And he removed the strange gods and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built on the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and he cast them forth to without the city.

¹⁶ And he rebuilt the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereupon peace–offerings and thanksgiving–offerings, and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord the God of Israel.

¹⁷ Nevertheless the people sacrificed on the high–places, but only unto the Lord their God.

¹⁸ And the rest of the acts of Menasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the Lord the God of Israel, behold, they are in the history of the kings of Israel.

¹⁹ His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sins and his faithlessness, and the places whereon he built high–places, and set up the Asherim and the graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written in the history of Chozai.

²⁰ And Menasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son became king in his stead.

²¹ Two and twenty years old was Amon when he became king, and two years did he reign in Jerusalem.

²² And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, as Menasseh his father had done; and unto all the carved images which Menasseh his father had made did Amon sacrifice, and them he served;

²³ But he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Menasseh his father had humbled himself; for he, Amon, made his guiltiness great.

²⁴ And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.

²⁵ But the people of the land slew all those that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

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¹ Eight years old was Josiah when he became king, and thirty and one years did he reign in Jerusalem.

² And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right or to the left.

³ And in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a lad, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem from the high–places, and the Asherim, and the carved images, and the molten images.

⁴ And they broke down in his presence the altars of the Be’alim, and the sun–images, that were set above them, he cut down; and the Asherim, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and ground down, and strewed the same upon the graves of those that had sacrificed unto them.

⁵ And the bones of priests did he burn upon their altars; and he purified Judah and Jerusalem.

⁶ And so did he in the cities of Menasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, with their mattocks, round about.

⁷ And when he had broken down the altars and had beaten the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and cut down all the sun–images throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

⁸ And in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purified the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azalyahu, and Ma’asseyahu the governor of the city and Joach the son of Joachaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

⁹ And they came to Chilkiyahu the high–priest, and gave up the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites that watched at the threshold had gathered from the hand of Menasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and were returned to Jerusalem.––

¹⁰ And they delivered it into the hand of those who overlooked the workmen that had been appointed as overseers of the house of the Lord: and those who overlooked the workmen, who did the work in the house of the Lord, gave it out, to repair and to restore the house,

¹¹ And they gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy hewn stone and timber for joists, and to lay the beams in the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

¹² And the men acted faithfully in the work: and over them were appointed Jachath and ‘Obadyahu, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kehathites, to supervise; and every one of these Levites was skilful on instruments of music.

¹³ They were also over the bearers of burdens and supervisors over all that did the work in every manner of service: and from the Levites there were also scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.

¹⁴ And when they took out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Chilkiyahu the priest found the book of the law of the Lord through the hand of Moses.

¹⁵ Then commenced Chilkiyahu and said to Shaphan the scribe, The book of the law have I found in the house of the Lord. And Chilkiyahu gave the book to Shaphan.

¹⁶ And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king also word back again, saying, All that was put in the hand of thy servants, have they truly done.

¹⁷ And they have taken out the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the appointed overseers, and into the hand of those who overlook the workmen.

¹⁸ Then told Shaphan the scribe the king, saying, A book hath Chilkiyahu the priest given me. And Shaphan read in it before the king.

¹⁹ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

²⁰ And the king commanded Chilkiyahu, and Achikam the son of Shaphan, and ‘Abdon the son of Michah, and Shaphan the scribe, and ‘Assayah a servant of the king’s, saying,

²¹ Go ye, inquire of the Lord in my behalf, and in behalf of those that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that hath been found; for great is the fury of the Lord that is poured out against us, because our fathers did not keep the word of the Lord, to do in accordance with all that is written in this book.

²² Then went Chilkiyahu with those whom the king had appointed, to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Thoknath, the son of Chassrah, the keeper of the wardrobe; ––now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the suburb; ––and they spoke to her in that wise.

²³ And she said unto them, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Say unto the man that hath sent you to me,

²⁴ Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah;

²⁵ Because they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, in order to provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands: therefore is my fury poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.

²⁶ And with respect to the king of Judah, who sendeth you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Concerning the words which thou hast heard;

²⁷ Because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardst his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and didst humble thyself before me, and rend thy clothes, and weep before me: I have also truly heard it, saith the Lord.

²⁸ Behold, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy graves in peace, and thy eyes shall not look on all the evil which I am bringing over this place, and over its inhabitants. And they brought the king word again.

²⁹ And the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

³⁰ And the king went up into the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, from the great to the small; and he read before their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord.

³¹ And the king stood up on his stand, and he made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book.

³² And he caused to accede to it every one that was present in Jerusalem and Benjamin. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

³³ And Josiah removed all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and caused all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. All his days did they not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.

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¹ And Josiah kept in Jerusalem the passover unto the Lord: and they slaughtered the passover–sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the first month.

² And he placed the priests in their charges, and strengthened them for the service of the house of the Lord.

³ And he said unto the Levites that instructed all Israel, who were holy unto the Lord, Set the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David the king of Israel did build; you have not to carry it any more upon your shoulders; now serve the Lord your God, and his people Israel.

⁴ And prepare yourselves by your family divisions, according to your courses, after the written order of David the king of Israel, and after the written order of Solomon his son;

⁵ And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the family divisions of your brethren the sons of the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites;

⁶ And slaughter the passover–sacrifice, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare it for your brethren, to do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

⁷ And Josiah set apart for the sons of the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover–sacrifices, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and of steers three thousand: these were of the king’s property.

⁸ And his princes set apart much as a freewill gift for the people for the priests, and for the Levites: Chilkiyah, and Zecharyahu, and Jechiel, the rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover–sacrifices two thousand and six hundred lambs and kids, and three hundred steers.

⁹ And Conanyahu, and Shema’yahu and Nethanel, his brothers, and Chashabyahu and Je’iel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, set apart unto the Levites for passover–sacrifices five thousand lambs and kids, and five hundred steers.

¹⁰ So the service was established, and the priests stood on their station, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the king’s command.

¹¹ And they slaughtered the passover–sacrifice, and the priests sprinkled the blood received from their hands, and the Levites did the flaying.

¹² And they removed the burnt–offerings to give them to the divisions of the family divisions of the sons of the people, to offer them unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the steers.

¹³ And they roasted the passover by the fire in accordance with the prescribed manner; but the holy offerings they seethed in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the sons of the people.

¹⁴ And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests; because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering the burnt–offerings and the fat until night: therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

¹⁵ And the singers the sons of Assaph were on their station, according to the command of David, and Assaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate: they had no need to depart from their service; because their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

¹⁶ So was established all the service of the Lord on the same day, to prepare the passover–sacrifice, and to offer burnt–offerings upon the altar of the Lord, according to the command of king Josiah.

¹⁷ And the children of Israel that were present prepared the passover–sacrifice at that time, and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

¹⁸ And there was not holden any passover like this in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; and all the kings of Israel did not keep such a passover as Josiah kept, with the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁹ In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover holden.

²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had restored the temple, came up Necho the king of Egypt to fight against Karkemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.

²¹ But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war, and God hath commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God who is with me, that he may not destroy thee.

²² Nevertheless did Josiah not turn his face away from him, but disguised himself, to fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God; and he came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

²³ And the archers shot at king Josiah: and the king said to his servants, Carry me away: for I am sorely wounded.

²⁴ And his servants carried him away out of that chariot, and conveyed him in the second chariot that he had: and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

²⁵ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and they instituted them as a custom in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

²⁶ And the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his pious deeds, in accordance with what is written in the law of the Lord,

²⁷ And his acts, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

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¹ And the people of the land took Jehoachaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.

² Twenty and three years old was Joachaz when he became king, and three months did he reign in Jerusalem.

³ And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

⁴ And the king of Egypt made Elyakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoyakim. And Joachaz his brother did Necho take away, and bring him to Egypt.

⁵ Twenty and five years old was Jehoyakim when he became king, and eleven years did he reign in Jerusalem: and he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord his God.

⁶ Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and he bound him with fetters, to carry him away to Babylon.

⁷ And some of the vessels of the house of the Lord did Nebuchadnezzar carry to Babylon, and he placed them in his temple at Babylon.

⁸ And the rest of the acts of Jehoyakim, and his abominable deeds which he did, and that which was found concerning him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoyachin his son became king in his stead.

⁹ Eight years old was Jehoyachin when he became king, and three months and ten days did he reign in Jerusalem: and he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

¹⁰ And with the expiration of the year did king Nebuchadnezzar send and had him brought to Babylon, with the costly vessels of the house of the Lord: and he made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem,

¹¹ Twenty and one years old was Zedekiah when he became king, and eleven years did he reign in Jerusalem.

¹² And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord his God: he humbled himself not before Jeremiah the prophet, according to the order of the Lord.

¹³ And also against king Nebuchadnezzar did he rebel, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart so as not to return unto the Lord the God of Israel.

¹⁴ Also all the chiefs of the priests and the people committed manifold trespasses, like all the abominable acts of the foreign nations: and they defiled the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

¹⁵ And the Lord the God of their fathers sent to them by means of his messengers, making them rise early, and sending them: because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling–place;

¹⁶ But they mocked at the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scorned his prophets, until the fury of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

¹⁷ And he brought over them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, the old man, and the aged: all did he give up into his hand.

¹⁸ And all the vessels of the house of God, the great and the small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes,––all these did he carry to Babylon.

¹⁹ And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and all her palaces they burnt with fire, and all her costly vessels they gave up to destruction.

²⁰ And those that had escaped from the sword did he carry into exile to Babylon: and they were servants to him and to his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to the government:

²¹ To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had satisfied its sabbaths: all the days of its desolation it rested, till seventy years were completed.

²² And in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, at the completion of the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, did the Lord stir up the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia, so that he caused a proclamation to be made throughout all his kingdom, and also by means of writing, saying,

²³ Thus hath said Cyrus the king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.