~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ Now Solomon the son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom, and Yahweh his God was with him and highly exalted him. And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the wilderness. However, David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. Now the bronze altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of Yahweh, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. And Solomon went up there before Yahweh to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it. In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I should give to you.” Then Solomon said to God, “You have shown great lovingkindness to my father David, and have made me king in his place. “Now, O Yahweh God, let Your promise to my father David endure, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can do justice for this great people of Yours?” And God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in your heart, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or glory, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may do justice for My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been given to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and glory, such as none of the kings who were before you had nor those who will come after you.” So Solomon went from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel. And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. The king also made silver and gold as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the Shephelah. Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s merchants procured them from Kue for a price. And they imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150; and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ Then Solomon decided to build a house for the name of Yahweh and a royal palace for himself. So Solomon numbered 70,000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to hew stone in the mountains and 3,600 to direct them. Then Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, so do for me. “Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, setting it apart to Him as holy, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of Yahweh our God, this being required forever in Israel. “Now the house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. “But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him? “So now, send me a wise man to work in gold, silver, brass, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the wise men whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared. “Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and behold, my servants will work with your servants, to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. “And behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20,000 kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 kors of barley, and 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil.” Then Huram king of Tyre said in a letter sent to Solomon: “Because Yahweh loves His people, He has given you to be king over them.” Then Huram said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, knowledgeable in insight and understanding, who will build a house for Yahweh and a royal palace for himself. “So now, I am sending Huram-abi, a wise man, who is knowledgeable in understanding, the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to devise any design which may be given to him, to work with your wise men and with the wise men of my lord David your father. “So now, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken. “And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you on rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.” Then Solomon numbered all the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, following the census which his father David had taken; and 153,600 were found. And he made 70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 as hewers of stone in the mountains and 3,600 directors to make the people work.

~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Then he began to build on the second day in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for building the house of God. The length in cubits, according to the old standard was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits. And the porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, 20 cubits, and the height 120; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. Now he overlaid the main room with cypress wood and overlaid it with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains. Further, he overlaid the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. He also covered the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds and its walls and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls. And he made the room of the Holy of Holies: its length across the width of the house was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits; and he covered it with fine gold, amounting to 600 talents. Now the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also covered the upper rooms with gold. Then in the room of the Holy of Holies he made two cherubim of fashioned work and overlaid them with gold. Now the wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits; the wing of one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub. And the wing of the other cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and its other wing of five cubits was attached to the wing of the first cherub. The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet facing the main room. And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and he ornamented cherubim on it. He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on the top of each was five cubits. And he made chains in the inner sanctuary and put them on the top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. Thus he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and one on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz.

~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ Then he made a bronze altar, twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in width and ten cubits in height. And he made the sea of cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in its circumference. Now figures like oxen were under it and encircling it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing the north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. And it was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold 3,000 baths. He also made ten lavers and set five on the right side and five on the left, in which to wash things, that is, in which they would rinse things for the burnt offering; but the sea was for the priests to wash in. Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he put them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred golden bowls. Then he made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze. And he put the sea on the right side of the house toward the southeast. And Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram completed doing the work which he did for King Solomon in the house of God: the two pillars and the two bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars. He also made the stands and he made the lavers on the stands, and the one sea with the twelve oxen under it. And the pots and the shovels and the flesh hooks and all its utensils, Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon for the house of Yahweh. On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. Thus Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze could not be found out. Solomon also made all the furniture which was in the house of God: even the golden altar and the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, and the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed; and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs of gold, of purest gold; and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the Holy of Holies and the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold.

~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of Yahweh was finished. And Solomon brought in the things set apart as holy by his father David, even the silver and the gold and all the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of God. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, that is in the seventh month. Then all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites carried the ark. And they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who congregated with him before the ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim. And the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above. But the poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and they are there to this day. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where Yahweh cut a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. Now it happened that when the priests came out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them 120 priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to give thanks to Yahweh, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised Yahweh saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness endures forever,” then the house, the house of Yahweh, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of God.

~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that He would dwell in the cloud of dense gloom. “Now I have built You a lofty house, And a place for Your dwelling forever.” Then the king turned his face around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it by His hands, saying, ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a ruler over My people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ “And it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. “But Yahweh said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. ‘Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will come forth from your loins, he shall build the house for My name.’ “And Yahweh has established His word which He spoke; and I have been established in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. “And there I have set the ark in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which He cut with the sons of Israel.” Then he stood before the altar of Yahweh before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had put it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven. And he said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and lovingkindness to Your slaves who walk before You with all their heart; who have kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him; indeed You have promised with Your mouth and have fulfilled it by Your hand, as it is this day. “So now, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father, that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not have a man cut off from before Me who is to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons keep their way to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ “So now, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, let Your word truly endure which You have spoken to Your servant David. “But will God truly dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. “Yet have regard to the prayer of Your slave and to his supplication, O Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your slave prays before You; that Your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that You would place Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your slave shall pray toward this place. “And listen to the supplications of Your slave and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; listen from Your dwelling place, from heaven; listen and forgive. “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, then listen from heaven and act and judge Your slaves, punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by bringing him reward according to his righteousness. “And if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they turn to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers. “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them; then listen in heaven and forgive the sin of Your slaves and of Your people Israel; indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And give rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people for an inheritance. “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is scorching wind or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, who know his own affliction and his own pain, and spread his hands toward this house, then listen from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways all the days they live upon the face of the land which You have given to our fathers. “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, if he comes from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm, so if they come and pray toward this house, then listen from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name even to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and to know that Your name is called upon this house which I have built. “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, then listen from heaven to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice. “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and give them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near, and if they cause these things to return to their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and return and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly’; and if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, then listen from heaven, from Your dwelling place, to their prayer and supplications, and do justice for them and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. “Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. “So now, arise, O Yahweh God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength; let Your priests, O Yahweh God, be clothed with salvation and let Your holy ones be glad in what is good. “O Yahweh God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember Your lovingkindness to Your servant David.”
		
~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of Yahweh because the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh. And all the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of Yahweh upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to Yahweh, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever.” Now the king and all the people were offering sacrifices before Yahweh. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. And the priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with the instruments of music to Yahweh, which King David had made for giving thanks to Yahweh—“for His lovingkindness endures forever”—whenever he gave praise by their hand, while the priests on the other side blew trumpets; and all Israel was standing. Then Solomon set apart as holy the middle of the court that was before the house of Yahweh, because there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat. So Solomon celebrated the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from Lebo-hamath to the brook of Egypt. And on the eighth day they celebrated a solemn assembly; for the dedication of the altar they celebrated seven days and the feast seven days. And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, with gladness and goodness of heart because of the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David and to Solomon and to Israel His people. Thus Solomon completed the house of Yahweh and the king’s house; and all that had come into Solomon’s heart to do in the house of Yahweh and in his house, he did successfully. Then Yahweh appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their evil ways, then I will listen from heaven, I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. “So now I have chosen and set this house apart as holy that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish your royal throne as I cut a covenant with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not have a man cut off as ruler in Israel.’ “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have set apart as holy for My name I will cast out of My presence and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. “As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will feel desolate and say, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land and to this house?’ “And they will say, ‘Because they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt and took hold of other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’”

~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ Now it happened at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of Yahweh and his own house that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there. Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and overpowered it. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars; and Baalath and all the storage cities which Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule. As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, namely, from their sons who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel had not consumed, from them Solomon raised up forced laborers to this day. But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; for they were men of war, his chief captains and his chariot commanders and his horsemen. These were the chief deputies of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people. Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of Yahweh has entered.” Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of Yahweh which he had built before the porch; and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. And according to the judgment of his father David, he caused the divisions of the priests to stand for their service, and the Levites for their responsibilities to praise and minister before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded. And they did not turn away from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the treasuries. Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of Yahweh, and until it was completed. So the house of Yahweh was finished. Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the shore of the sea in the land of Edom. And Huram by the hand of his servants sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and took from there 450 talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ Now the queen of Sheba heard the report about Solomon. So she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very glorious retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was in her heart. And Solomon declared to her the answer to all her matters; and not a matter was hidden from Solomon which he did not declare to her. Then the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the disposition of his attendants and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of Yahweh, so that there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king, “The word is true which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. “Nevertheless I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not declared to me. You exceed the report which I heard. “How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. “Blessed be Yahweh your God who delighted in you, to set you on His throne as king for Yahweh your God; because your God loved Israel to cause them to stand forever, therefore He gave you as king over them, to do justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. There had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Also, the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. And the king made of the algum trees steps for the house of Yahweh and for the king’s house, and lyres and harps for the singers; and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah. Thus King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she asked, besides a return for what she had brought to the king. Then she turned around and went to her own land together with her servants. Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. And King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. And he made 300 shields of beaten gold, using 300 shekels of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. And there were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. Twelve lions were also standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. Now 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; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came carrying gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks. So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, a set amount year by year. And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. And he was the ruler over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. The king also made silver as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the Shephelah. And they were importing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? Thus Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel. And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam became king in his place.

~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. Then they sent and called for him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, “Your father made our yoke harsh; but now, lighten the harsh service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Then he said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people went away. Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to respond to this people?” And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had counseled him, and took counsel with the young men who grew up with him and stood before him. So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may respond to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” Then the young men who grew up with him spoke with him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! ‘So now my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had spoken, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” And the king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders, and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God, that Yahweh might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Now all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So the people responded to the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel; Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him and he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ Then Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who could wage war, to fight against Israel to return the kingdom to Rehoboam. But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You shall not go up and fight against your brothers; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the words of Yahweh and returned from going against Jeroboam. Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for fortifications in Judah. Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. And he put large shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin. Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him from all their territories. For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possession of land and went to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from ministering as priests to Yahweh— And he set up priests of his own for the high places, for the goat demons and for the calves which he had made— Now those from all the tribes of Israel who gave their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and gave courage to Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. Then Rehoboam took as a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. And Rehoboam set up Abijah the son of Maacah to be head and ruler among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. And he acted with discernment and distributed some of his sons through all the lands of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them sustenance in abundance. And he sought a multitude of wives for them.

~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ Now it happened that when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of Yahweh. Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to Yahweh, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. And he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.’” So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “Yahweh is righteous.” When Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not bring them to ruin, but I will grant them some measure of escape, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. “But they will become his slaves so that they may know the difference between My slavery and the slavery of the kingdoms of the countries.” So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king’s house. He took everything; he even took the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the hand of the commanders of the guard who kept the door of the king’s house. Now it happened that as often as the king entered the house of Yahweh, the guards would come and carry them and then bring them back into the guards’ room. And when he humbled himself, the anger of Yahweh turned away from him, so as not to ruin him completely; and also conditions were good in Judah. So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek Yahweh. Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical record? Now there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah his son became king in his place.

~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. And Abijah began the battle with a military force of mighty men, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam arranged them all for battle against him with 800,000 chosen men who were mighty men of valor. Then Abijah rose up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: “Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? “Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, and worthless men gathered about him, vile men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon; he was young and timid and could not exert his strength before them. “So now you intend to exert your strength before the kingdom of Yahweh by the hand of the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. “Have you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to ordain himself with a bull from the herd and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. “But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to Yahweh as priests, and the Levites are in their work. “And every morning and evening they burn to Yahweh burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the responsibility given by Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken Him. “And behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to raise the shout of war against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.” But Jeroboam had encircled an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. So Judah turned around, and behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to Yahweh, and the priests blew the trumpets. Then the men of Judah raised a shout of war, and when the men of Judah raised the shout of war, then it was that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. So the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. And Abijah and his people struck them down with a great slaughter, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah were strong because they leaned upon Yahweh, the God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its towns, Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns. Now Jeroboam did not again recover power in the days of Abijah; and Yahweh smote him and he died. But Abijah became stronger; and he took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.
		
~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place. The land was quiet for ten years during his days. And Asa did what was good and right in the sight of Yahweh his God, for he removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, cut the Asherim in pieces, and said for Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was quiet before him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was quiet, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because Yahweh had given him rest. And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought Yahweh our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and succeeded. Now Asa had a military force of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were mighty men of valor. Then Zerah the Ethiopian went out against them with a military force of one million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. So Asa went out to meet him, and they arranged themselves for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. Then Asa called to Yahweh his God and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between those of abundant power and those who have no power; so help us, O Yahweh our God, for we lean on You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, You are our God; let not mortal man prevail against You.” So Yahweh smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before His army. And they carried away very much spoil. And they struck down all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh had fallen on them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Yahweh is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will be found; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. “Now for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. “But in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and they searched for Him, and He was found by them. “Now in those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for much confusion was upon all the inhabitants of the lands. “And nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God threw them into confusion with every kind of distress. “But you, be strong and do not let your hands fall limp, for there is reward for your work.” Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he strengthened himself and took away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then renewed the altar of Yahweh which was in front of the porch of Yahweh. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who sojourned with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. And they sacrificed to Yahweh that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. Moreover, they swore an oath to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. All Judah was glad concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had searched for Him with all their desire, and He was found by them. So Yahweh gave them rest on every side. He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly devoted all his days. And he brought into the house of God the holy things of his father and his own holy things: silver and gold and utensils. And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, “Let there be a covenant between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his military forces against the cities of Israel, and they struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. Now it happened that when Baasha heard of it, he ceased building up Ramah and stopped his work. Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. Now at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have leaned on the king of Aram and have not leaned on Yahweh your God, therefore the military force of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. “Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a vast military force with an exceedingly vast number of chariots and horsemen? Yet because you leaned on Yahweh, He gave them into your hand. “For the eyes of Yahweh move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is wholly devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” Then Asa was vexed with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. Now behold, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. And Asa became diseased in his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek Yahweh, but the physicians. So Asa slept with his fathers. And he died in the forty-first year of his reign. And they buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.

~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ Jehoshaphat his son then became king in his place, and strengthened himself over Israel. And he put military forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had captured. And Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the ways of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, walked in His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. So Yahweh established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. And his heart took great pride in the ways of Yahweh, and again he took away the high places and the Asherim from Judah. Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of Yahweh with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. Now the dread of Yahweh was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. Indeed, some of the Philistines brought presents and silver as their tax burden to Jehoshaphat; the Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah. And he had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. This was their muster according to their fathers’ households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor; and next to him was Johanan the commander, and with him 280,000; and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who volunteered for Yahweh, and with him 200,000 mighty men of valor; and of Benjamin, Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him 200,000 equipped with bow and shield; and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 armed for military duty. These are they who attended on the king, apart from those whom the king put in the fortified cities through all Judah.

~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. And some years later he went down to Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab sacrificed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and incited him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.” Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of Yahweh.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of Yahweh here that we may inquire of him?” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hasten to bring Micaiah son of Imla.” Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, clothed in their royal garments, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” All the prophets were also prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.” Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets, as if from one mouth, are good to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak that which is good.” But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, what my God says, that I shall speak.” Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, and they will be given into your hand.” Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?” So he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd; And Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’” So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. “And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. “Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ “And he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall entice him and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ “So now, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, but Yahweh has spoken calamity against you.” Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak to you?” And Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide.” Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son; and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.” ’ ” And Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. Now the king of Aram had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” Now it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God incited them away from him. So it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded.” Now the battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in peace to his house in Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him to his face and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh and so bring wrath on yourself from Yahweh? “But some good has been found in you, for you have purged the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.” So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. Indeed, he returned and went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and caused them to return back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. And he appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each city. And he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Yahweh who is with you when you render judgment. “So now then let the dread of Yahweh be upon you; be careful what you do, because with Yahweh our God there is no unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh and to judge disputes. So they returned to Jerusalem. Then he commanded them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and wholeheartedly. “Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before Yahweh and wrath may not come on you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not be guilty. “And behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in all that pertains to Yahweh, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the one who is good.”

~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ Now it happened after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Ammonites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” And Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh, and called for a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from Yahweh; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Yahweh before the new court, and he said, “O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can take their stand against You. “Did You not, O our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever? “And they have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and save us.’ “So now, behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), and behold, they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have caused us to possess. “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.” Now all Judah was standing before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; and he said, “Pay attention, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says Yahweh to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. ‘Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. ‘You need not fight in this battle; take your stand—stand and see the salvation of Yahweh on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for Yahweh is with you.” So Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping Yahweh. Then the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, rose up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, establish your faith in Yahweh your God and you will be established. Establish your faith in His prophets and succeed.” When he had taken counsel with the people, he caused those who sang to Yahweh and those who praised Him to stand in holy attire, as they went out before the army, saying, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for His lovingkindness endures forever.” When they began singing for joy and praising, Yahweh set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. Indeed, the sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to devote them to destruction and to utterly eradicate them; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to bring one another to ruin. Now Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, and they turned toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses fallen on the ground, and no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil and found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much. Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Beracah, for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore they have named that place “The Valley of Beracah” until today. And every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with gladness, for Yahweh had made them glad over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of Yahweh. And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around. Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn away from it, doing what is right in the sight of Yahweh. The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts to the God of their fathers. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. Afterwards, Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly in so doing. So he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed your works.” So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.

~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ 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 place. Now he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. And their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. So Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself, and he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the commanders of Israel also. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. However, Yahweh was not willing to make the house of David a ruin because of the covenant which He had cut with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves. Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers. Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and drove Judah astray. Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you, behold, Yahweh is going to smite your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great calamity; and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’” Then Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians; and they went up against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. So after all this Yahweh smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness. Now it happened in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died with this greatly painful disease. And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah became king. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction. He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans struck Joram. So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they caused by striking him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. Now the downfall of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. And when he came, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. Now it happened when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers attending to Ahaziah, and killed them. And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding himself in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death, and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom. Now Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son had died. So she rose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so she did not put him to death. So he was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah was reigning over the land.

~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ Now in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took commanders of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they entered into a covenant with him. And they went around Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. Then all the assembly cut a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David. “This is the thing which you shall do: one-third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbath, shall be gatekeepers at the thresholds, and one-third shall be at the king’s house, and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of Yahweh. “But let no one enter the house of Yahweh except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of Yahweh. “And the Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house, let him be put to death. And be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.” So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions. Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields and small shields which had been King David’s, which were in the house of God. And he caused all the people to stand, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!” Then Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, so she came into the house of Yahweh to the people. And she looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the commanders and the trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land were glad and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!” Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were appointed over the military force and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, let him be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “You shall not put her to death in the house of Yahweh.” So they laid hands on her, and when she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house, they put her to death there. Then Jehoiada cut a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the people of Yahweh. And all the people came to the house of Baal and tore it down, and his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And Jehoiada placed the assignments concerning the house of Yahweh in the hand of the Levitical priests, whom David had divided by lot to be over the house of Yahweh, to offer the burnt offerings of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses—with gladness and singing according to the order of David. And he caused the gatekeepers of the house of Yahweh to stand, so that no one would enter who was in any way unclean. And he took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of Yahweh, and they came through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they sat the king upon the royal throne. So all of the people of the land were glad, and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. And Joash did what was right in the sight of Yahweh all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took up two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters. Now it happened afterwards, that Joash had in his heart to restore the house of Yahweh. And he gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matter quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. So the king called for Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the levy fixed by Moses the servant of Yahweh on the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?” For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even used the holy things of the house of Yahweh for the Baals. So the king said the word, and they made a chest and put it outside by the gate of the house of Yahweh. And they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to Yahweh the levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. And all the officials and all the people were glad and brought in their levies and dropped them into the chest until they had finished. Now it happened that whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, empty the chest, take it, and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money. And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of Yahweh; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of Yahweh, and also craftsmen in iron and bronze to repair the house of Yahweh. So those who did the work labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they restored the house of God according to its specifications and strengthened it. When they had completed, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of Yahweh, utensils for the ministry and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they were offering burnt offerings in the house of Yahweh continually all the days of Jehoiada. Then Jehoiada became old and full of days, and he died; he was 130 years old at his death. They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done what is good in Israel and to God and His house. But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. And they forsook the house of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to Yahweh; though they testified against them, they did not give ear. Now the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you trespass against the commandments of Yahweh and do not succeed? Because you have forsaken Yahweh, He has also forsaken you.’” So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of Yahweh. Thus Joash the king did not remember the lovingkindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he killed his son. And as he died he said, “May Yahweh see and avenge!” Now it happened at the turn of the year that the military force of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. Indeed the military force of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet Yahweh gave a very great military force into their hands, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. When they had gone from him (for they left him very sick), his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. Now as to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.

~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, yet not with a whole heart. Now it happened as soon as the kingdom was strong in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. But he did not put their sons to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which Yahweh commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor sons be put to death for their fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin.” Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he took a census of those from twenty years old and upward and found them to be 300,000 choice men, able to go out for military duty, able to handle spear and large shield. And he hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. “But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will cause you to stumble before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cause to stumble.” Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “Yahweh has much more to give you than this.” Then Amaziah dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned home in burning anger. Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the sons of Seir. The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all split open. But the troops whom Amaziah sent back from going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 of them and plundered much plunder. Now it happened that after Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, worshiped them, and burned incense to them. Then the anger of Yahweh burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” Now it happened that as he was talking with him, the king said to him, “Have we given you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has counseled to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.” And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But a beast of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. “You said, ‘Behold, you have struck down Edom.’ And your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now stay at home; for why should you provoke calamity so that you, even you, would fall and Judah with you?” But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might give them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent. Then Joash king of Israel seized Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. And he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. Then they carried him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him succeed. Then he went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and strengthened them. He also built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the Shephelah and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. Moreover, Uzziah had a military force which could wage war, which went out for military duty by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s officials. The total number of the heads of the households, of mighty men of valor, was 2,600. And under their hand was a mighty army of 307,500, who could wage war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for slings. In Jerusalem he also made devices of war devised by skillful designers to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense. Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, men of valor. And they stood against Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are set apart as holy to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from Yahweh God.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because Yahweh had smitten him. So King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.

~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of Yahweh. But the people continued acting corruptly. He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel. Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. He fought also with the king of the sons of Ammon and prevailed over them. So the sons of Ammon gave him during that year 100 talents of silver, 10,000 kors of wheat, and 10,000 of barley. The sons of Ammon also brought back to him this amount in the second and in the third year. So Jotham became strong because he established his ways before Yahweh his God. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.

~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of Yahweh, as David his father had done. But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. Moreover, he offered offerings in smoke in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel. He also sacrificed and offered offerings in smoke on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. So, Yahweh his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they struck him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. Indeed, Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah 120,000 in one day, all men of valor, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son and Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah the second to the king. Then the sons of Israel carried away captive of their brothers 200,000 women, sons, and daughters; and they plundered also a great deal of spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because of the wrath of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, against Judah, He has given them into your hand, and you have killed them in a rage which has even reached heaven. “So now you are intending to subdue for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have your own matters of guilt against Yahweh your God? “So now, listen to me and return the captives whom you carried away from your brothers, for the burning anger of Yahweh is against you.” Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—arose against those who were coming from the engagement of the army, and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are intending to bring upon us guilt against Yahweh adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.” So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the commanders and all the assembly. Then the men who were designated by name arose, took hold of the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria. At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. Indeed, again the Edomites had come and struck Judah and carried away captives. And the Philistines also had raided the cities of the Shephelah and of the Negev of Judah, and had captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its towns, Timnah with its towns, and Gimzo with its towns, and they settled there. For Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had caused it to be out of control in Judah and was very unfaithful to Yahweh. So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and distressed him instead of strengthening him. Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of Yahweh and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him. Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to Yahweh. Indeed, he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had struck him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the stumbling of him and all Israel. Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God. Then he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of Yahweh and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. Now in each and every city of Judah he made high places to offer offerings in smoke to other gods, and provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers, to anger. Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son became king in his place.

~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east. Then he said to them, “Listen to me, O Levites. Set yourselves apart now as holy, and set apart as holy the house of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and bring out the impurity from the holy place. “For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what is evil in the sight of Yahweh our God, and have forsaken Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of Yahweh, and have turned their backs. “They have also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. “Therefore the wrath of Yahweh was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. “And behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. “Now it is in my heart to cut a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us. “My sons, do not be at ease now, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and offer offerings up in smoke.” Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathites; and from the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah; and from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; and from the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; and from the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. And they gathered their brothers, set themselves apart as holy, and went in to cleanse the house of Yahweh, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Yahweh. So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of Yahweh to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of Yahweh they brought out to the court of the house of Yahweh. Then the Levites received it to bring out to the Kidron valley, to an outer area. Then they began to set it apart as holy on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of Yahweh. Then they set apart the house of Yahweh as holy in eight days, and completed it on the sixteenth day of the first month. Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of Yahweh, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils. “Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had rejected during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and set apart as holy; and behold, they are before the altar of Yahweh.” Then King Hezekiah arose early and gathered the princes of the city and went up to the house of Yahweh. And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of Yahweh. So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it on the altar. They also slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood on the altar; they slaughtered the lambs also and splashed the blood on the altar. Then they had the male goats of the sin offering approach before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. And the priests slaughtered them and purged the altar with their blood to atone for all Israel, for the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel. He then caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh with cymbals, with harps, and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from Yahweh by the hand of His prophets. And the Levites stood with the musical instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah said to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song to Yahweh also began with the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel. While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was completed. Now at the completion of the burnt offerings, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped. Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to Yahweh with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and bowed down and worshiped. Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have become ordained to Yahweh, approach and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of Yahweh.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were willing of heart brought burnt offerings. And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to Yahweh. And the holy things were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was completed and until the other priests had set themselves apart as holy. For the Levites were more upright of heart to set themselves apart as holy than the priests. There were also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of Yahweh was established again. Then Hezekiah and all the people were glad over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly.

~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel. And the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to celebrate the Passover in the second month, since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not set themselves apart as holy in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. Thus the thing was right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. So they established a decree to make a proclamation pass throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was written. And the couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the commandment of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and remain from the hand of the kings of Assyria. “Now do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you see. “Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but give your hand to Yahweh and enter His sanctuary which He has set apart as holy forever, and serve Yahweh your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you. “For when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For Yahweh your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.” So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they were laughing at them to scorn and mocking them. Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of Yahweh. Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly. And they arose and took away the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also took away all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron. Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and set themselves apart as holy and brought burnt offerings to the house of Yahweh. And they stood at their stations according to the legal judgment for them, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests splashed the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the assembly who had not set themselves apart as holy; therefore, the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to set them apart as holy to Yahweh. For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May Yahweh, who is good, atone for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though not according to the rules of cleansing of the sanctuary.” So Yahweh heard Hezekiah and healed the people. And the sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day after day with loud instruments to Yahweh. Then Hezekiah spoke to the hearts of all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of Yahweh. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. Then the whole assembly took counsel to determine to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with gladness. For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and a large number of priests set themselves apart as holy. And all the assembly of Judah were glad, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. So there was great gladness in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy habitation, to heaven.

~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ Now when all this was completed, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, shattered the pillars, cut the Asherim in pieces, and tore down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until the destruction was completed. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession. And Hezekiah set up the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both 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 camp of Yahweh. He also appointed the king’s portion of his goods 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 times, as it is written in the law of Yahweh. Also he said to the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might be strong in the law of Yahweh. As soon as the word spread forth, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all. Now the sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of the holy gifts which were made holy to Yahweh their God, and put them in heaps. In the third month they began to make the heaps, and completed them by the seventh month. Then Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, and they blessed Yahweh and His people Israel. Then Hezekiah inquired of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok said to him, “Since the contributions began to be brought into the house of Yahweh, there has been much to eat and be satisfied with and have left over, for Yahweh has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.” Then Hezekiah ordered them to prepare rooms in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them. And they faithfully brought in the contribution and the tithe and the holy things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer over them and his brother Shimei was second. Now Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting at the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God. And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the contributions for Yahweh and the most holy things. Now assisting by his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, without regard to their genealogical record, to the males from thirty years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of Yahweh for his daily obligations—for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions; as well as the priests who were recorded genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards, by their responsibilities and their divisions. The genealogical record included all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they set themselves apart faithfully in holiness. Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically recorded among the Levites. Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right, and true before Yahweh his God. And every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment—to seek his God—he did with all his heart and succeeded.

~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself. Then Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he had set his face to make war on Jerusalem, and he took counsel with his commanders and his warriors to stop up the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. So many people gathered and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed in the midst of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” And he strengthened himself and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. He also put military commanders over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke to their hearts, saying, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the multitude that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. “With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were sustained by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege? ‘Is not Hezekiah inciting you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “Yahweh our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? ‘Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall offer offerings up in smoke”? ‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand? ‘Who was there among all the gods of these nations which my fathers devoted to destruction, who could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? ‘So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or incite you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’” His servants spoke further against Yahweh God and against His servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters to reproach Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.” And they called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to instill fear and terrify them, so that they might capture the city. And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men’s hands. But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. And Yahweh sent an angel who wiped out every mighty man of valor, ruler, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And he entered the house of his god, and some of his own children caused him to fall there by the sword. So Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and He guided them on every side. And many were bringing presents to Yahweh at Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was lifted up in the sight of all nations thereafter. In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death; and he prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Yahweh did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah. Now Hezekiah had abundant riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of desirable articles, storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine, and oil, stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds for the flocks. He also made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him exceedingly abundant wealth. And it was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did. Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the miraculous sign that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of lovingkindness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And Manasseh his son became king in his place.

~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh dispossessed before the sons of Israel. Indeed, he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had torn down; and he erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “In Jerusalem My name shall be forever.” Indeed, he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Yahweh. He even made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced soothsaying, interpreted omens, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much that was evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger. Then he put the graven 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 chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. “And I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have set up for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the judgments given by the hand of Moses.” Thus Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray in order to do more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the sons of Israel. Then Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore Yahweh brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated Yahweh his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. Then he prayed to Him, and He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and returned him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God. Afterwards, he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of Yahweh, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. And he set up the altar of Yahweh and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he said for Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, although only to Yahweh their God. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, even his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are among the chronicles of the kings of Israel. His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the chronicles of the Hozai. And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son became king in his place. Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the graven images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. Moreover, he did not humble himself before Yahweh as his father Manasseh had humbled himself, but Amon multiplied guilt. Then his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. Then the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Now in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the graven images, and the molten images. And they tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he cut in pieces; also the Asherim, the graven images, and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins, he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and cut in pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God. And they came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the doorkeepers, had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Then they gave it into the hand of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of Yahweh; and those who did the work, who were doing this in the house of Yahweh, used it to restore and repair the house. They in turn gave it to the craftsmen and to the builders to buy hewn stone and timber for clamps and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. And the men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to direct: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. They were also over those who carried loads, and directed all those who did the work from service to service; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers. When they were taking out the money which had been brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Yahweh given by the hand of Moses. So Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and furthermore responded to the king with a word, saying, “Everything that was given to the hand of your servants they are doing. “They have also poured out the money that was found in the house of Yahweh, and have given it into the hand of the supervisors and those who did the work.” Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, “Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found, for great is the wrath of Yahweh which is poured out against us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.” So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. And she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Say to the man who sent you to Me, thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. “Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore My wrath will be poured out against this place, and it shall not be quenched.” ’ “But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was soft and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares Yahweh. “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.” ’ ” So they brought back word to the king. Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of Yahweh and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Yahweh. Then the king stood in his place and cut a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that were written in this book. Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve Yahweh their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn away from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover animals on the fourteenth day of the first month. And he caused the priests to stand in their responsibilities and strengthened them in the service of the house of Yahweh. He also said to the Levites who provided understanding to all Israel and who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer. Now serve Yahweh your God and His people Israel. “So prepare yourselves by your fathers’ households in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon. “Moreover, stand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your brothers the lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father’s household. “Now slaughter the Passover animals, sanctify yourselves and prepare for your brothers to do according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.” And Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering 30,000 plus 3,000 bulls; these were from the king’s possessions. His officials also contributed a freewill offering to the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 from the flocks and 300 bulls. Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officials of the Levites, contributed to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 from the flocks and 500 bulls. So the service was prepared, and the priests stood at their stations and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s commandment. And they slaughtered the Passover animals, and while the priests splashed the blood received from their hand, the Levites skinned them. Then they took away the portions for the burnt offerings that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to bring near to Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this also with the bulls. So they roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the legal judgment, and they boiled the holy things in pots, in kettles, in pans, and carried them speedily to all the lay people. Afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their stations according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to turn aside from their service, because the Levites their brothers prepared for them. So all the service of Yahweh was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of Yahweh according to the commandment of King Josiah. Thus the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. And there had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah celebrated with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was celebrated. After all this, when Josiah had set the house in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has said for me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not bring you to ruin.” However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. Then the archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” So his servants took him out of the chariot and drove him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died, and he was buried in the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them a statute in Israel; behold, they are also written in the lamentations. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of lovingkindness according to what was written in the law of Yahweh, and his acts, first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ Then the people of the land took Joahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. Then the king of Egypt had him removed in Jerusalem and imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. Then the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Joahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to lead him off to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of Yahweh to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. And at the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of Yahweh, and he made his relative Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke from the mouth of Yahweh. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh, the God of Israel. Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people were very unfaithful following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of Yahweh which He had set apart as holy in Jerusalem. And Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by the hand of His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His habitation; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of Yahweh arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who killed their choice men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on choice man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king and of his officials, he brought them all to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God and tore down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. And those who had escaped from the sword he took away into exile to Babylon; and they were slaves to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had made up for its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were fulfilled. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to complete the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah—Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he had a proclamation pass throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up!’”
