Jotham's good reign. II. CHRONICLES,

CHAP. XXVII.

Israel smiteth Judak, delivered him into the hand of the Jotham's Acts and Prosperity. king of Syria; and they smote him, OTHAM was twenty and five and carried away a great multitude years old when he began to of them captives, and brought them reign, and he reigned sixteen to Damascus. And he was also vears in Jerusalem. His mother's delivered into the hand of the king name also was Jerushah, the of Israel, who smote him with a daughter of Zadok. great slaughter.

2 And he did that which was right. 6 1 For Pekah the son of Remain the sight of the LORD, according liah slew in Judah a hundred and to all that his father Uzziah did: twenty thousand in one day, which howbeit, he entered not into the were all valiant men; because they temple of the LORD. And the peo-had forsaken the LORD God of ple did yet corruptly. their fathers.

3 He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.

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

7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their 51 He fought also with the king brethren two hundred thousand, of the Ammonites, and prevailed women, sons, and daughters, and against them. And the children of took also away much spoil from Ammon gave him the same year a them, and brought the spoil to hundred talents of silver, and ten Samaria. thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.

6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

7. Now 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 He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

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

was there, whose name was Oded: 9 But a prophet of the LORD and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said LORD God of your fathers was unto them, Behold, because the wroth with Judah, he hath deliver ed them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond-men and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?"

deliver the captives again, which 11 Now hear me therefore, and ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

CHAP. XXVIII. 12 Then certain of the heads of Idolatrous Reign of Ahaz. the children of Ephraim, Azariah AHAZ was twenty years old the son of Johanan, Berechiah the when he began to reign, and son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizhe reigned sixteen years in Jerusa-kiah the son of Shallum, and lem: but he did not that which was Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up right in the sight of the LORD, like against them that came from the David his father:

2 For he walked in the ways of war, the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

3 Moreover, he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green

tree.

5 Wherefore the LORD his God

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13 And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.

tives and the spoil before, the prin14 So the armed men left the capces and all the congregation.

15 And the men which were extook the captives, and with the pressed by name rose up, and

but restore the captives. CHAP. XXIX. Hezekiah restores religion spoil clothed all that were naked brought him not into the sepulamong them, and arrayed them, chres of the kings of Israel: and and shod them, and gave them to Hezekiah his son reigned in his eat and to drink, and anointed stead. them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought

CHAP. XXIX. them to Jericho, the city of palm-Hen he was five and twenty The good Reign of Hezekiah. palm-HEZEKIAH began to reign

trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

16 1 At that time did king Ahaz seud unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

when

years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.

17 For again the Edomites had 2 And he did that which was come and smitten Judah, and car-right in the sight of the LORD, acried away captives. cording to all that David his father

3 He, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.

18 The Philistines also had in-had done. vaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel: for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD. 20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him

not.

21 For Ahaz 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: but he helped him not.

4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; Sanctify, now your selves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.

7 Also hey have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out 22 And in the time of his dis-the lamps, and have not burned tress did he trespass yet more incense nor offered burnt-offerings against the LORD: this is that king in the holy place unto the God of Abaz. Israel.

3 For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

21 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

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

27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they

8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

9 For lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

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

11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

12 T Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari; Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Jonh the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

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The temple cleansed.

II. CHRONICLES, Hezekiah's sacrifices

13 And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:

14 And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment 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 brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD, in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shew-bread table, with all the vessels thereof.

19 Moreover, all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the he use of the LORD.

21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for a sin-offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burntoffering and the sin-offering should de made for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

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

27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt-offering upon the altar. And when the burnt-offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.

28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burntoffering was finished..

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

30 Moreover, Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and wor shipped.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thankofferings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thankofferings; and, as many as were of a free heart, burnt-offerings.

32 And the number of the burntofferings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to the LORD,

33 And the consecrated things. were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their 23 And they brought forth the brethren the Levites did help he-goats for the sin-offering before them till the work was ended, the king and the congregation; and until the other priests had and they laid their hands upon sanctified themselves: for the Lethem Ivites were more upright in heart

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He proclaims a passover. CHAP. XXX.
to sanctify themselves than the
priests.

35 And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings, and the drinkofferings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly. CHAP. XXX.

Hezekiah keepeth a solemn Pass

13 1 And there assembled at Je2 For the king had taken coun-rusalem much people to keep the sel, and his princes, and all the feast of unleavened bread in the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep second month, a very great conthe passover in the second month. gregation.. 3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. 9 For if ye turn again unto the 21 And the children of Israel LORD, your brethren and your that cere present at Jerusalem

Idolatry destroyed.

II. CHRONICLES, Tithes, &c. brought in kept the feast of unleavened bread burnt-offerings, to wit, for the seven days with great gladness: morning and evening burnt-offerand the Levites and the priests ing, and the burnt-offerings for praised the LORD day by day, the sabbaths, and for the newsinging with loud instruments un- moons, and for the set feasts, as it to the LORD. is written in the law of the LORD.

22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.

4 Moreover, he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.

51 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase 21 For Hezekiah king of Judah of the field; and the tithe of all did give to the congregation a things brought they in abundantly. thousand bullocks and seven thou- 6 And concerning the children sand sheep; and the princes gave of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in to the congregation a thousand the cities of Judah, they also bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.

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

27 Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling-place, eren unto heaven.

brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps.

7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventli month.

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

9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.

CHAP. XXXI. Provision made for the Sacrifices. TOW when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, 11 Then Hezekiah commanded and cut down the groves, and to prepare chambers in the house threw down the high places and of the LORD; and they prepared the altars out of all Judah and them, Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Co noniah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.

13 And Jehiel, and Azaziah, 2 And Hezekiah appointed the and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jericourses of the priests and the Le-moth, and Jozabad, and Eliel. vites after, their courses, every and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and man according to his service, the Benajah, were overseers under the priests and Levites for burnt-offer- hand of Cononiah and Shimei his ings and for peace-offerings, to brother, at the commandment of minister, and to give thanks, and Hezekiah the king, and Azariah to praise in the gates of the tents, the ruler of the house of God. of the LORD. 14 And Kore the son of Imnah 3 He appointed also the king's the Levite, the porter toward the portion of his substance for the least, was over the free-will-offer