THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES.
1 And Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom,—and Yahweh his God was with him, and made him surpassingly great.
2 And Solomon gave word to all Israel—to the rulers of thousands and hundreds and to the judges and to all the leaders of all Israel ancestral chiefs;
3 and Solomon and all the convocation with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon,—for there was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Yahweh made in the desert.
4 Howbeit the ark of God had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim, into the place that David had prepared for it,—for he had pitched for it a tent in Jerusalem.
5 Also the altar of bronze that Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made was there before the habitation of Yahweh,—so Solomon and the convocation sought it.
6 And Solomon went up thither unto the altar of bronze before Yahweh, which belonged to the tent of meeting,—and caused to go up thereon a thousand ascending-sacrifices.
7 During that night God appeared unto Solomon,—and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou thyself didst deal with David my father in great lovingkindness,—and hast made me king in his stead.
9 Now O Yahweh Elohim, let thy word with David my father be brought to pass,—for thou hast made me king over a people for multitude like the dust of the earth.
10 Now wisdom and knowledge give thou unto me, that I may go out before this people and may come in,—for who can judge this thy people that is so great?
11 And God said unto Solomon, Because this was near thy heart and thou hast not asked riches, wealth or honour or the life of them that hate thee, nor even many days hast thou asked,—but hast asked for thyself wisdom and knowledge, that thou mayest judge my people over whom I have made thee king
12 wisdom and knowledge are granted unto thee,—moreover riches and wealth and honour will I give thee, such as the kings who were before thee did not possess, neither shall they who come after thee possess the like.
13 And Solomon came from the high place that was in Gibeon unto Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting,—and reigned over Israel.
14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and came to have a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen,—and he settled them in chariot cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.
15 And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem like stones, and cedars made he like the sycomores that are in the lowland for abundance.
16 And the horses which Solomon had were an export out of Egypt,—and a company of royal merchants used to fetch a drove at a price;
17 and they built and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty,—and so for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria by their means brought they them forth.
2 Then Solomon gave word to build a house for the Name of Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.
2 And Solomon numbered seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men to hew in the mountain,—and to oversee them three thousand six hundred.
3 And Solomon sent unto Huram king of Tyre, saying,—As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell in
4 lo! I am about to build a house for the Name of Yahweh my God to hallow unto him—to burn before him sweet incense and for a continual setting in array and to offer ascending-sacrifices morning and evening, on the sabbaths and on the new moons, and on the appointed feasts of Yahweh our God,—age-abiding is this [law] for Israel.
5 And the house which I am about to build [must be] great,—for great is our God above all gods.
6 But who is able to build unto him a house? for the heavens even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him,—who then am I that I should build unto him a house, though only to burn incense before him?
7 Now therefore send me a wise man to work in gold and in silver and in bronze and in iron and in purple and crimson and blue and skilful to execute gravings,—with the wise men who are with me, in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom my father David did provide.
8 And send me—timbers of cedar, cypress and sandal-wood out of the Lebanon, for I know that thy servants are skilful, to cut the timbers of Lebanon,—and lo! my servants shall be with thy servants:
9 yea to prepare me timbers in abundance,—for the house which I am about to build [must be] great and most wonderful.
10 And lo! for the hewers that cut the timbers have I given wheat as food for thy servants twenty thousand measures, and barley twenty thousand measures, and wine twenty thousand baths, and oil twenty thousand baths.
11 Then answered Huram king of Tyre in writing, which he sent unto Solomon,—Because Yahweh hath loved his people hath he set thee over them as king.
12 And Huram said, Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth,—who hath given unto David the king a wise son, skilled in prudence and understanding, who will build a house for Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.
13 Now therefore have I sent a wise man, skilled in understanding, pertaining to Huram my father:
14 son of a woman of the daughters of Dan whose father was a man of Tyre, skilled to work in gold and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stones and in timber, in purple, in blue and in fine white linen and in crimson, and to grave any manner of graving, and to devise any manner of device that may be given to him with thy wise men, and the wise men of my lord David thy father.
15 Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine whereof my lord hath spoken let him send unto his servants;
16 and we will cut down timbers out of the Lebanon according to all thy need, and will bring them unto thee in floats upon the sea to Joppa,—and thou shalt fetch them up to Jerusalem.
17 So Solomon numbered all the men that were sojourners who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them,—and they were found to be—a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred.
18 And he made up from among them—seventy thousand to bear burdens, and eighty thousand to hew in the mountain,—and three thousand and six hundred, as overseers to keep the people at work.
3 Then began Solomon to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, in Mount Moriah, where he had appeared unto David his father,—in the place which David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build in the second month on the second, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 And these are the things wherein Solomon was grounded for the building of the house of God,—The length by cubits in the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 And the porch which was in front of the length in front of the breadth of the house was twenty cubits, and the height thereof was a hundred and twenty,—and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the greater house covered he with cypress wood, and overlaid it with fine gold,—and raised thereon palms and wreathed garlands.
6 And he covered the house with precious stones for beauty,—and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 And he covered the house, the beams, the entrance-hall and the walls thereof and the doors thereof with gold,—and he carved cherubim upon the walls.
8 And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits,—and he covered it with fine gold, to [the number of] six hundred talents;
9 and the weight of the nails amounted to fifty shekels of gold,—and the upper chambers covered he with gold.
10 And he made in the most holy house two cherubim, of carved work,—and covered them with gold.
11 And as for the wings of the cherubim the length of them was twenty cubits,—the one wing by the cubit was five, reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub;
12 and the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house,—and the other wing was five cubits, cleaving to the wing of the other cherub:
13 the wings of these cherubim outspread were twenty cubits,—and they themselves were standing upon their feet and their faces were inward.
14 And he made a vail, of blue and purple and crimson and byssus cloth,—and raised thereon cherubim.
15 And he made for the front of the house two pillars, thirty five cubits in length,—and the capital which was upon the top of each was five cubits.
16 And he made wreathen chains in the shrine, and put them upon the top of the pillars,—and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them in the chains.
17 And he reared up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and one on the left,—and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
4 And he made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof,—and ten cubits the height thereof.
2 And he made a molten sea,—ten—by the cubit from the one brim thereof into the other brim thereof it was round all about and five—by the cubit was the height thereof, and a line—of thirty by the cubit did compass it round about.
3 And the likeness of oxen was under it round about on every side encircling it, ten in a cubit going round the sea on every side,—two rows of oxen made in the casting.
4 It was standing on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north and three looking toward the west and three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east, the sea being upon them above,—and all their hinder parts inward.
5 And the thickness thereof was a hand-breadth, and the brim thereof was like the brim-work of a cup, with blossoms of lilies,—it could hold [many] baths, three thousand would it contain.
6 And he made ten lavers, and set five on the right hand—and five on the left to bathe therein, what is offered as an ascending-sacrifice do they rinse therein,—but the sea was that the priests should bathe therein.
7 And he made ten lampstands of gold according to the regulation thereof,—and set in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left.
8 And he made ten tables, and placed in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left,—and he made a hundred tossing bowls of gold.
9 And he made the court of the priests, and the large enclosure,—and doors to the enclosure, and the doors thereof overlaid he with bronze.
10 And the sea he set on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
11 And Huram made—the pans, and the shovels and the tossing bowls,—and Huram finished doing the work, which he did for King Solomon in the house of God:—
12 two pillars, and the bowls and the capitals on the top of the two pillars, and the two frames of checker work, to cover the two bowls of the capitals, which were on the top of the pillars;
13 and four hundred pomegranates for the two frames,—two rows of pomegranates for each frame, for covering the two bowls of the capitals, which were on the face of the pillars;
14 and the stands made he,—and the lavers made he upon the stands;
15 the one sea,—and the twelve oxen under it;
16 and the pans and the shovels and the flesh-hooks and all the vessels made Huram his father for King Solomon for the house of Yahweh,—of burnished bronze.
17 In the circuit of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.
18 So Solomon made all these utensils in great abundance,—for the weight of the bronze could not be searched out.
19 Yea Solomon made all the utensils which were for the house of God,—and the altar of gold, and the tables, whereon was the Presence-bread;
20 and the lamp-holders and their lamps that they should burn according to the regulation before the shrine of purified gold;
21 and the blossom-work and the lamps and the tongs of gold,—the same was the purest gold;
22 and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the censers of purified gold,—and the entrance of the house, the inner doors thereof for the holy of holies and the doors of the house of the temple were of gold.
5 Thus was perfected all the work which Solomon made for the house of Yahweh,—and Solomon brought in the hallowed things of David his father the silver and the gold and all the utensils placed he in the treasuries of the house of God.
2 Then Solomon called together the elders of Israel and all the chiefs of the tribes the ancestral leaders of the sons of Israel unto Jerusalem,—to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, the same is Zion.
3 And all the men of Israel came together unto the king in the festival,—the same was the seventh month.
4 And all the elders of Israel came in,—and the Levites bare the ark;
5 and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils that were in the tent,—the priests the Levites did bring them up.
6 And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel who assembled themselves unto him before the ark were sacrificing sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor could they be counted for multitude.
7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh into the place thereof into the shrine of the house into the holy of holies,—into [the place] beneath the wings of the cherubim;—
8 for the cherubim were spreading forth two wings, over the place of the ark,—so that the cherubim formed a covering over the ark and over the staves thereof from above.
9 And they drew out the staves, and the heads of the staves could be seen out of the ark in front of the shrine, although they could not be seen on the outside,—and it came to pass that they have remained there—unto this day.
10 There was nothing in the ark save only the two tables, which Moses placed [therein] in Horeb,—when Yahweh made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came forth out of Egypt.
11 And it came to pass when the priests came forth out of the holy place,—for all the priests who were present had hallowed themselves, they had no need to observe the courses;
12 and the Levites who were the singers, even all of them pertaining to Asaph, to Heman, to Jeduthun and to their sons and to their brethren arrayed in white linen with cymbals and with harps and lyres stood eastward of the altar,—and with them priests to the number of a hundred-and-twenty, blowing with trumpets
13 then came it to pass when the trumpeters and the singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in offering praise and giving thanks unto Yahweh—yea when they did lift on high the voice with the trumpets and with the cymbals and with the instruments of song, yea in offering praise unto Yahweh—For he is good, For age-abiding is his lovingkindness, that the house was filled with the cloud of the glory of Yahweh;
14 and the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud,—for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of God.
6 Then said Solomon,—Yahweh said, that he would make his habitation in thick gloom;
2 But I have built a house as a home for thee,—A settled place for thee to abide in for ages.
3 And the king turned about his face, and blessed all the convocation of Israel,—while all the convocation of Israel was standing;
4 and he said, Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who spake with his mouth unto David my father,—and with his hand hath fulfilled, saying:
5 From the day I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I made choice of no city out of all the tribes of Israel, for building a house where my Name might be,—neither made I choice of any man, to be chief ruler over my people Israel:
6 nevertheless I have made choice of Jerusalem, that my Name might be there,—and I have made choice of David, that he might be over my people Israel.
7 And so it came to pass that it was near the heart of David my father,—to build a house, to the Name of Yahweh, God of Israel.
8 Then said Yahweh unto David my father, Because it was near thy heart to build a house for my Name thou didst well that it was near thy heart:
9 Only thou thyself must not build the house,—but thine own son that proceedeth out of thy loins—he shall build the house for my Name.
10 So then Yahweh hath established his word which he spake,—and I have been raised up instead of David my father and have taken my seat upon the throne of Israel as spake Yahweh and have built the house to the Name of Yahweh, God of Israel;
11 and have put there the ark,—wherein is the covenant of Yahweh,—which he solemnised with the sons of Israel.
12 Then stood he before the altar of Yahweh, in the presence of all the convocation of Israel,—and spread forth his hands;
13 for Solomon had made a platform of bronze and had set it in the midst of the enclosure, five cubits the length thereof and five cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height thereof,—and he stood thereon, and knelt upon his knees in the presence of all the convocation of Israel, and spread forth his hands heavenward;
14 and said, O Yahweh! God of Israel, Not like unto thee is there a god, in the heavens or throughout the earth,—who keepest Covenant and Lovingkindness for thy servants who are walking before thee with all their heart:
15 who hast kept for thy servant David my father, that which thou didst promise him,—in that thou didst promise with thy mouth and with thy hand hast fulfilled as [it is] this day.
16 Now therefore, O Yahweh—God of Israel, keep thou for thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him, saying, There shall not be cut off to thee a man from before me, to sit upon the throne of Israel,—if only thy sons take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.
17 Now therefore, O Yahweh, God of Israel,—verified be thy promise, which thou didst make unto thy servant David.
18 But in very deed will God dwell with man on the earth? Lo! the heavens, even the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built!
19 Wilt thou then turn unto the prayer of thy servant and unto his supplication, O Yahweh my God,—to hearken unto the cry and unto the prayer, wherewith thy servant is praying before thee:
20 that thine eyes may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which thou hast said thou wouldst set thy Name there,—to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant may pray towards this place:
21 wilt thou therefore hearken unto the supplications of thy servant and thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place,—yea wilt thou thyself hear out of thine own dwelling-place, out of the heavens, and when thou hearest then wilt thou forgive?
22 If a man shall sin against his neighbour, and there shall be laid upon him an oath to put him on oath,—and an oath shall come before thine altar in this house
23 then wilt thou thyself hear out of the heavens and act, and judge thy servants, bringing back unto the lawless, to set his way upon his own head,—and justifying the righteous, by giving to him according to his righteousness?
24 Or if thy people Israel be smitten before an enemy because they have been sinning against thee,—and they turn and confess thy Name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house
25 then wilt thou thyself hear out of the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel,—and bring them back unto the soil, which thou didst give to them and to their fathers?
26 When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have been sinning against thee,—and they shall pray towards this place and shall confess thy Name, from their sin shall return because thou hast been afflicting them
27 then wilt thou thyself hear [out of] the heavens and forgive the sin of thy servants and thy people Israel, that thou mayest direct them into the good way wherein they should walk,—and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance?
28 When there shall be a famine in the land, when there shall be a pestilence—when there shall be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar—when their enemy shall besiege them in the land at their own gates—whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness;—
29 whatsoever prayer, whatsoever supplication, which any son of earth may have, or any of thy people Israel,—when any man shall come to know his plague or his pain, and so he shall spread abroad his hands towards this house—
30 then wilt thou thyself hear out of the heavens, the settled place of thine abode, and forgive, and grant to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou wilt know,—for thou thyself alone knowest the heart of the sons of men:
31 to the end they may revere thee to walk in thy ways, all the days which they shall be living upon the face of the soil,—which thou gavest unto their fathers?
32 Moreover also unto the stranger who is not of thy people Israel but he shall come in out of a far country—for the sake of thy great Name and of thy strong hand, and of thine outstretched arm,—and so they shall come in and pray towards this house
33 then wilt thou thyself hear out of the heavens, out of the settled place of thine abode, and do according to all for which the stranger shall cry unto thee,—to the end that all the peoples of the earth may know thy Name so as to revere thee like thy people Israel, and know that thy Name hath been given unto this house which I have built?
34 When thy people shall go forth to war against their enemies, whithersoever thou mayest send them,—and shall pray unto thee in the direction of this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy Name
35 then wilt thou hear out of the heavens their prayer and their supplication,—and maintain their right.
36 When they sin against thee—for there is no son of earth who sinneth not—and thou shalt be angry with them, and deliver them up before an enemy,—who shall carry them away as their captives into a land—far away or near;
37 and they come back to their right mind, in the land whither they have been taken captive,—and so turn and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely and been lawless;—
38 and so turn unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity whither they have carried them captive,—and shall pray in the direction of their own land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen and unto the house which I have built for thy Name
39 then wilt thou hear out of the heavens—out of the settled place of thine abode—their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause,—and forgive thy people that wherein they sinned against thee?
40 Now O my God, let—I beseech thee—thine eyes be open, and thine ears attent,—unto the prayer of this place.
41 Now therefore, arise! O Yahweh God, unto thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength: Thy priests, O Yahweh God, let them be clothed with salvation, and thy men of lovingkindness let them rejoice in prosperity.
42 O Yahweh God! do not turn away thy face from thine Anointed One,—oh remember lovingkindness unto David thy servant.
7 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying Fire came down out of the heavens, and consumed the ascending-offering and the sacrifices,—and the glory of Yahweh filled the house;
2 so that the priests could not enter into the house of Yahweh,—because the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh;
3 and all the sons of Israel seeing the descending of the fire and the glory of Yahweh upon the house then knelt they down with their faces toward the ground upon the pavement and bowed themselves in prostration, and gave thanks unto Yahweh, For he is good, For age-abiding is his lovingkindness.
4 And the king and all the people were offering sacrifice before Yahweh.
5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice—of oxen twenty-two thousand, and of sheep a hundred and twenty thousand,—and so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God;
6 while the priests over their charges were standing the Levites also with the instruments for the songs of Yahweh which David the king had made, for giving thanks unto Yahweh, For age-abiding is his lovingkindness, when David offered praise by their means,—and the priests kept on blowing trumpets over against them while all Israel were standing.
7 And Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Yahweh, for he offered there the ascending-sacrifices and the fat portions of the peace-offerings,—because the altar of bronze which Solomon had made was not able to receive the ascending-sacrifice and the meal-offering and the fat portions.
8 And Solomon made a festival—at that time—for seven days and all Israel with him, an exceeding great convocation,—from the entering in of Hamath unto the ravine of Egypt.
9 And they made on the eighth day a closing feast,—because the dedication of the altar they had kept seven days and a festival seven days.
10 And on the twenty-third of the seventh month he sent the people away to their own homes,—rejoicing and glad in heart, over the goodness which Yahweh had performed unto David and unto Solomon and unto Israel his people.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of Yahweh and the house of the king,—and all that had come in upon the heart of Solomon to do in the house of Yahweh and in his own house he prosperously executed.
12 Then appeared Yahweh unto Solomon by night,—and said to him, I have heard thy prayer, and have made choice of this place for myself as a house of sacrifice:—
13 If I shut up the heavens that there be no rain, or if I lay command on the locust to devour the land,—or if I send pestilence amongst my people:
14 if my people upon whom my Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways then will I myself hear out of the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent,—to the prayer of this place.
16 Now therefore have I chosen and hallowed this house, that my Name may be there unto times age-abiding,—and mine eyes and my heart shall be there all the days.
17 Thou therefore if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded thee,—and my statutes and regulations thou wilt observe
18 then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom,—according as I covenanted to David thy father, saying—There shall not fail thee a man, to rule over Israel.
19 But if ye yourselves shall turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you,—and shall go and serve other gods, and bow down to them
20 then will I root you out from off the soil which I have given to you, and this house which I have hallowed for my Name will I cast off from before my face,—and will appoint it for a by-word and a mockery among all the peoples;
21 and this house which hath been renowned all that pass by near it shall be astonished,—and say, Wherefore hath Yahweh done thus and thus to this land and to this house?
22 And men shall say, Because they forsook Yahweh the God of their fathers who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold of other gods and bowed down to them and served them for this cause hath he brought upon them all this calamity.
8 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years wherein Solomon had built the house of Yahweh and his own house
2 that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon Solomon built them,—and caused the sons of Israel to dwell there.
3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah,—and prevailed against it;
4 and he built Tadmor in the wilderness,—and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath;
5 and he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether,—fortified cities, with walls and doors and bars;
6 and Baalath and all the store cities which pertained to Solomon, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the horsemen,—and every delight of Solomon which he delighted to build in Jerusalem and in the Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel;—
8 of their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not utterly destroyed Solomon enrolled them as tributary—unto this day.
9 But of the sons of Israel were there none whom he delivered up as bondmen unto his work,—for they were men of war and his captains and his heroes, and captains over his chariots and his horsemen.
10 These moreover were the chiefs of his officers whom King Solomon had two hundred and fifty,—who wielded dominion over the people.
11 And the daughter of Pharaoh Solomon brought up out of the city of David, unto the house which he had built for her,—for he said, A wife of mine must not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for holy are those places whereinto the ark of Yahweh hath come.
12 Then Solomon offered up ascending-sacrifices unto Yahweh,—upon the altar of Yahweh, which he had built before the porch:
13 even according to the duty of each a day upon [its own] day, offering up according to the commandment of Moses for the sabbaths and for the new moons, and for the appointed feasts three times in the year,—in the festival of unleavened cakes and in the festival of weeks and in the festival of booths;
14 and he caused to stand according to the regulation of David his father the courses of the priests over their service and of the Levites over their charges to offer praise and to minister before the priests for the duty of each day upon its own day, and the gate-keepers in their courses at every several gate,—for such was the commandment of David the man of God;
15 neither departed they from the commandment of the king concerning the priests and the Levites as to any duty or as to the treasuries.
16 So all the work of Solomon was prepared, from the day of founding the house of Yahweh even as far as the finishing thereof,—complete was the house of Yahweh.
17 Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber and unto Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom.
18 And Huram sent him—by the hand of his servants—ships and servants skilled in the sea, and they came with the servants of Solomon towards Ophir, and took from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold,—and brought unto King Solomon.
9 And the queen of Sheba heard the report of Solomon, so she came to prove Solomon with abstruse questions in Jerusalem with a very great train and camels bearing spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones,—and when she was come to Solomon she spake with him as to all that was near her heart.
2 And Solomon answered her all her questions,—and there was nothing hidden from Solomon, which he told her not.
3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon,—and the house which he had built;
4 and the food of his table and the seats of his servants and the standing of his attendants with their apparel and his cupbearers and their apparel, and his ascent whereby he used to ascend the house of Yahweh then was there in her no more spirit.
5 And she said unto the king, True was the word, which I heard in my own land,—concerning thine affairs and concerning thy wisdom.
6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I had come and mine own eyes had seen, when lo! there had not been told me the half of the fulness of thy wisdom,—thou dost exceed the report which I heard.
7 How happy! are thy men, and how happy! are these thy servants,—who are standing before thee continually, and hearing thy wisdom.
8 Yahweh thy God be blessed, who hath delighted in thee to set thee upon his throne as king unto Yahweh thy God. Because of the love of thy God unto Israel to establish them unto times age-abiding therefore hath he set thee over them as king, to execute justice and righteousness.
9 And she gave unto the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and spices in great abundance and precious stones,—and there was none like that spice, which the queen of Sheba gave unto King Solomon.
10 Moreover also the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir brought sandal-wood and precious stones.
11 And the king made of the sandal-wood stairs unto the house of Yahweh and unto the house of the king, also lyres and harps for the singers,—and there were none seen like them before in the land of Judah.
12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides [a return for] that which she had brought unto the king,—so she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold;
14 besides what came in from the subjugated and what the travelling merchants were bringing in,—and all the kings of Arabia and the pashas of the land were bringing gold and silver unto Solomon.
15 And King Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold,—six hundred [shekels] of beaten gold overlay one shield;
16 also three hundred bucklers of beaten gold,—three hundred [shekels] of gold overlay one buckler,—and the king placed them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 And the king made a great throne of ivory,—and overlaid it with pure gold;
18 and there were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold unto the throne made fast, and supports on this side and on that unto the seat,—and two lions standing by the supports;
19 and twelve lions standing there upon the six steps on this side and on that,—there was never made the like for any kingdom.
20 And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of purified gold,—there was no silver it was esteemed in the days of Solomon as nothing.
21 For the ships of the king used to go to Tarshish, with the servants of Huram,—once in three years came in the ships of Tarshish bearing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.
22 And so King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth,—as to riches and wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth were seeking the face of Solomon,—to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart;
24 and they were bringing in every man his present—utensils of silver and utensils of gold and mantles, armour and spices, horses and mules,—the need of a year in a year.
25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls of horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen,—and he settled them in the chariot cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.
26 And he ruled over all the kings,—from the river [Euphrates] even up to the land of the Philistines, yea up to the bounds of Egypt.
27 And the king made the silver in Jerusalem like the stones,—and the cedar trees made he like the sycomores which are in the lowland for abundance.
28 And they used to bring horses out of Egypt unto Solomon and out of all lands.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father,—and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
10 And Rehoboam went to Shechem,—for to Shechem had all Israel come to make him king.
2 And it came to pass when Jeroboam son of Nebat who was in Egypt—whither he had fled from the face of Solomon the king—heard of it then returned Jeroboam out of Egypt.
3 And they sent and called him, so Jeroboam and all Israel came,—and spake unto Rehoboam, saying:
4 Thy father made our yoke oppressive,—now therefore lighten thou somewhat the oppressive servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us and we will serve thee.
5 And he said unto them, Yet three days and then return unto me,—and the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had been standing before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying,—How do ye counsel to return answer unto this people?
7 And they spake unto him saying, If thou wilt be kind to this people and please them, and speak unto them kind words then will they be thy servants all the days.
8 But he declined the counsel of the old men which they gave him,—and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who were standing before him.
9 And he said unto them, What do ye counsel that we should return as answer unto this people,—who have spoken unto me saying, Lighten thou somewhat the yoke which thy father put upon us?
10 Then spake with him the young men who had grown up with him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto the people who have spoken unto thee saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, Thou therefore lighten somewhat our yoke,—Thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins;
11 Now therefore my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, But I will add to your yoke,—My father chastised you with whips, But I with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came unto Rehoboam on the third day,—as the king spake, saying, Return unto me on the third day.
13 And the king answered them harshly,—and King Rehoboam declined the counsel of the old men;
14 and spake unto them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, But I will add thereunto,—My father chastised you with whips, But I with scorpions.
15 So the king hearkened not unto the people,—for there had come to be a turn from God, to the end Yahweh might establish his word which he had spoken by means of Ahijah the Shilonite, unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 And when all Israel [saw] that the king hearkened not unto them the people answered the king saying—What portion have we in David Or inheritance in the son of Jesse? Every man to your homes, O Israel! Now see to thine own house, O David! And all Israel departed to their homes.
17 But as for the sons of Israel who were dwelling in the cities of Judah Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the tribute, and the sons of Israel stoned him with stones that he died. So King Rehoboam hasted to mount his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 Thus Israel rebelled against the house of David—unto this day.
11 And when Rehoboam had entered Jerusalem, he called together the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men warriors,—to fight against Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 Then came the word of Yahweh, unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying:
3 Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah,—and unto all Israel in Judah and in Benjamin, saying:
4 Thus saith Yahweh, Ye shall not go up neither shall ye fight against your brethren, return every man to his own house, for from me hath this thing been brought about. So they hearkened unto the words of Yahweh, and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem,—and built cities for defence in Judah;
6 yea he built Bethlehem and Etam and Tekoa;
7 and Beth-zur and Soco and Adullam;
8 and Gath and Mareshah and Ziph;
9 and Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah;
10 and Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin,—as fortified cities.
11 And he strengthened the fortified places,—and put therein captains, and stores of food and oil and wine;
12 and in every several city shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong,—thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.
13 And the priests and Levites that were in all Israel took their stand with him out of all their boundaries.
14 For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possessions, and came to Judah and to Jerusalem,—for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, from ministering as priests unto Yahweh;
15 and appointed for himself priests for the high places and for the demons—and for the calves which he had made.
16 And after them—out of all the tribes of Israel such as were setting their heart to seek Yahweh God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and emboldened Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years,—for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 And Rehoboam took him to wife, Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth son of David,—and Abihail, daughter of Eliab son of Jesse;
19 and she bare him sons,—Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham.
20 And after her he took Maacah, daughter of Absolom,—and she bare him Abijah and Attai, and Ziza and Shelomith.
21 And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absolom above all his wives and his concubines, for eighteen wives took he, and sixty concubines,—and begat twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 So then Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head to be chief ruler among his brethren,—yea that he might make him king.
23 So he took heed and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin unto all the fortified cities, and gave them food in abundance,—and asked a multitude of wives.
12 And it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself he forsook the law of Yahweh,—and all Israel with him.
2 And so it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,—because they had dealt treacherously against Yahweh;—
3 with twelve hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen,—and without number the people who came with him out of Egypt—Lybians, Sukkiim and Ethiopians.
4 And he captured the cities of defence which belonged to Judah,—and came as far as Jerusalem.
5 And Shemaiah the prophet came unto Rehoboam, and the rulers of Judah who had gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem because of Shishak,—and said unto them, Thus saith Yahweh, Ye have left me, Therefore I also have left you in the hands of Shishak.
6 Then the rulers of Israel and the king humbled themselves,—and said, Righteous is Yahweh!
7 And when Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves the word of Yahweh came unto Shemaiah, saying—They have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them,—but will grant them in a little while to escape, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall become his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the house of the king the whole he took,—and he took the bucklers of gold, which Solomon had made.
10 And King Rehoboam made instead of them bucklers of bronze,—and committed them unto the hand of the captains of the runners, who kept guard at the entrance of the house of the king.
11 And so it was whensoever the king came into the house of Yahweh the runners came and bare them, and then returned them into the chamber of the runners.
12 But when he humbled himself then turned from him the anger of Yahweh, that he would not destroy to make an end,—moreover also in Judah there were some good things.
13 So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned,—because forty-one years old was Rehoboam when he began to reign and seventeen years reigned he in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen to set his Name there—from among all the tribes of Israel, and the name of his mother was Naamah the Ammonitess.
14 But he did evil,—in that he did not fix his heart to seek Yahweh.
15 Now the story of Rehoboam first and last is it not written in the story of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer for enrolling,—also the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days?
16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David,—and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.
13 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah:
2 three years reigned he in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Maacah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah,—and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 And Abijah began the war with a force of heroes of war, four hundred thousand chosen men,—and Jeroboam set in array against him to battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men heroes of valour.
4 And Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim,—and said Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!
5 Is it not yours to know, that Yahweh God of Israel gave the kingdom to David over Israel unto times age-abiding,—to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
6 Yet hath Jeroboam son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, risen up,—and rebelled against his lord.
7 And there are gathered unto him vain men sons of the Abandoned One, who emboldened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon,—when Rehoboam was young and tender of heart, and had not strengthened himself to meet them.
8 Now therefore ye are thinking to strengthen yourselves against the kingdom of Yahweh, in the hand of the sons of David,—and ye are a great multitude, and with you are calves of gold, which Jeroboam hath made you for gods.
9 Have ye not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites,—and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the countries? Whosoever cometh to install himself with a young bullock and seven rams then becometh he a priest unto the no-gods.
10 But as for us Yahweh is our God and we have not forsaken him,—and the priests who are waiting upon Yahweh are sons of Aaron, with Levites in the work;
11 and they are making a perfume unto Yahweh with ascending-sacrifices morning by morning and evening by evening and an incense of sweet spices and are putting in order bread upon the pure table and the lampstand of gold with the lamps thereof for lighting up evening by evening for observant are we of the charge of Yahweh our God,—whereas ye have forsaken him.
12 And lo! with us as Head is God himself and his priests and the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you,—O sons of Israel! do not fight against Yahweh God of your fathers for ye shall not prosper.
13 But Jeroboam sent round an ambush, to come up from behind them,—so they were before Judah and the ambush did come up from behind them.
14 And when Judah turned and lo! as for them the battle was before and behind then made they outcry unto Yahweh,—and the priests kept on blowing with the trumpets.
15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout,—and it came to pass when the men of Judah shouted then God himself smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 And the sons of Israel fled from before Judah,—and God delivered them into their hand.
17 And Abijah and his people smote among them with a great smiting,—and there fell down slain of Israel, five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 Thus were the sons of Israel subdued at that time,—and the sons of Judah prevailed, because they leaned upon Yahweh the God of their fathers.
19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and captured from him cities, even Bethel with the villages thereof, and Jeshanah with the villages thereof,—and Ephron with the villages thereof;
20 neither was Jeroboam strong any more in the days of Abijah,—and Yahweh smote him that he died.
21 And Abijah strengthened himself, and took him fourteen wives,—and begat twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.
22 And the rest of the story of Abijah, both his ways and his words,—are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
14 So Abijah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his stead,—in his days the land rested ten years.
2 And Asa did that which was good and that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh his God;
3 and took away the foreign altars and the high places,—and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut in twain the Sacred Stems;
4 and bade Judah seek Yahweh, God of their fathers,—and execute the law and the commandment;
5 and removed from all the cities of Judah, the high places and the sun-images,—and the kingdom became quiet before him.
6 And he built cities of defence in Judah,—for the land had quiet nor was there near him any war in these years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
7 Therefore said he to Judah, Let us build these cities and let us surround them with walls and towers, doors and bars, while the land is yet before us for we have sought Yahweh our God, we have sought him and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8 And it came to pass that Asa had a force bearing shield and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin such as bare a buckler and trode a bow, two hundred and eighty thousand,—all these were heroes of valour.
9 Then came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a force of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots,—and he came as far as Mareshah.
10 And Asa went out to meet him,—and they set in array for battle, in the valley of Zaphonah at Mareshah.
11 Then Asa cried out unto Yahweh his God and said, O Yahweh, it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with such as have no strength. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for on thee do we lean, and in thy name have we come against this multitude,—O Yahweh! our God thou art, let not weak man have power against thee.
12 So Yahweh smote the Ethiopians, before Asa and before Judah,—and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued as far as to Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell so that there was no way for them to recover, for they were routed before Yahweh and before his host,—and they carried away exceeding much spoil.
14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh was upon them,—and they plundered all the cities, for great plunder was there in them.
15 Moreover also the tents of the cattle they smote,—and carried off sheep in abundance and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.
15 Now as for Azariah son of Oded there came upon him the spirit of God.
2 So he went forth to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin,—Yahweh is with you so long as ye are with him, and if ye seek him he will be found of you, but if ye forsake him he will forsake you.
3 Now many days had Israel been,—without the faithful God and without a teaching priest and without the law;
4 But they turned in their distress unto Yahweh God of Israel,—and sought him and he was found of them.
5 And in those times there had been no prosperity to him that went out nor to him that came in,—for great consternations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands;
6 and they were beaten in pieces—nation against nation and city against city,—for God discomfited them with all manner of distress.
7 Ye therefore be strong, and let not your hands be slack,—for there is a reward for your work!
8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet he strengthened himself and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured out of the hill country of Ephraim,—and renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh.
9 And he gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them, out of Ephraim and out of Manasseh and out of Simeon,—for they fell unto him out of Israel in great numbers, because they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.
10 So they gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they sacrificed unto Yahweh on that day, out of the spoil they had brought in,—oxen seven hundred, and sheep seven thousand.
12 And they entered into a covenant, to seek Yahweh, God of their fathers,—with all their heart and with all their soul;
13 and whosoever would not seek unto Yahweh God of Israel should be put to death,—whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 So they bound themselves by oath unto Yahweh, with a loud voice and with shouting,—and with trumpets and with horns.
15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath for with all their heart had they sworn, and with all their good will had they sought him, and he was found of them,—and Yahweh gave them rest round about.
16 Moreover also as touching Maacah mother of Asa the king he removed her from being queen, because she had made unto the Sacred Stem, a monstrous thing,—so Asa cut down her monstrous thing, and reduced it to dust and burnt it up in the Kidron ravine.
17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel,—only the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 And he brought the hallowed things of his father and his own hallowed things into the house of God,—silver and gold and utensils.
19 And war was there none,—until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah,—that he might let none come out or go in, unto Asa king of Judah.
2 So Asa brought forth silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the house of the king,—and sent unto Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:
3 [Let there be] a covenant between me and thee, as between my father and thy father.—Lo! I have sent thee silver and gold, go break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may go up from me.
4 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto King Asa and sent the chieftains of the forces which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon and Dan, and Abel-maim,—and all the storehouses of the cities of Naphtali.
5 And it came to pass when Baasha heard it he left off building Ramah,—and let his work cease.
6 And Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers thereof, which Baasha had used in building,—and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
7 And at that time came Hanani the seer, unto Asa the king of Judah,—and said unto him, Because thou hast leaned upon the king of Syria and hast not leaned upon Yahweh thy God for this cause hath the force of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lybians a huge host with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet because thou didst lean upon Yahweh he delivered them into thy hand.
9 For as touching Yahweh [seeing that] his eyes are ever running to and fro throughout all the earth to shew himself strong with them who are perfect toward himself thou hast made thyself foolish over this,—for from henceforth there shall be with thee—wars.
10 Then was Asa angry with the seer and put him in the house of the stocks, for he was in a rage with him over this,—and Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
11 But lo! the story of Asa, first and last there it is written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
12 And Asa became diseased—in the thirty-ninth year of his reign—in his feet, exceedingly severe was his disease,—yet even in his disease he sought not Yahweh, but unto physicians.
13 And Asa slept with his fathers,—yea he died in the forty-first year of his reign;
14 and they buried him in his own stately sepulchre which he had hewn for himself in the city of David, and laid him on a couch which was full of sweet spices—yea of various kinds, made by the perfumer’s art,—and they burned for him with an exceeding great burning.
17 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead,—and strengthened himself against Israel;
2 and put forces in all the fortified cities of Judah,—and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had captured.
3 And it came to pass that Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat,—because he walked in the first ways of David his father, and sought not unto the Baalim;
4 for unto the God of his father he sought, and in his commandments he walked,—and not according to the doing of Israel.
5 Therefore did Yahweh establish the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah gave a present unto Jehoshaphat,—and he came to have riches and honour in abundance.
6 And his heart was encouraged in the ways of Yahweh,—and he yet further took away the high places and the Sacred Stems out of Judah.
7 And in the third year of his reign he sent to his rulers even to Ben-hail and to Obadiah and to Zechariah, and to Nethanel and to Micaiah,—that they were to teach throughout the cities of Judah;
8 and with them Levites, Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tob-adonijah Levites,—and with them Elishama and Jehoram priests;
9 and they taught throughout Judah, and with them was the book of the law of Yahweh,—so they went round throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
10 And it came to pass that the dread of Yahweh was upon all the kingdoms of the countries, that were round about Judah,—and they warred not against Jehoshaphat.
11 And from among the Philistines were they bringing in unto Jehoshaphat a present and silver as tribute,—even the Arabians were bringing in unto him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.
12 And so it came to pass that Jehoshaphat went on waxing surpassingly great,—and he built throughout Judah fortresses and cities for store;
13 and much business had he throughout the cities of Judah,—but the men of war the heroes of valour were in Jerusalem.
14 And these are the numbers of them by their ancestral house,—To Judah pertained rulers of thousands, Adnah the chief and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand;
15 and under his direction was Jehohanan the chief,—and with him two hundred and eighty thousand;
16 and under his direction Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto Yahweh,—and with him two hundred thousand heroes of valour.
17 And out of Benjamin a hero of valour Eliada,—and with him armed with bow and buckler two hundred thousand;
18 and under his direction Jehozabad,—and with him a hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war.
19 These were they who were waiting upon the king,—besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
18 And it came to pass when Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance that he contracted by marriage affinity with Ahab.
2 So he went down at the end of some years unto Ahab to Samaria, Ahab therefore sacrificed for him sheep and oxen in abundance, also for the people whom he had with him,—and then persuaded him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
3 For Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go up with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he said unto him—So am I even as thou, and like thy people are my people, and with thee in the war.
4 Then said Jehoshaphat unto the king of Israel,—Seek, I pray thee, some time to-day the word of Yahweh.
5 So the king of Israel gathered together the prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go up against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I forbear? And they said—Go up, and may God deliver it into the hand of the king!
6 Then said Jehoshaphat, Is there not here a prophet of Yahweh besides,—that we may seek from him?
7 Then said the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat—There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh but I hate him for he is never prophesying concerning me anything good—but—all his days—evil, the same is Micaiah son of Imla. Then said Jehoshaphat, Let not the king say so!
8 And the king of Israel called for a certain officer,—and said, Haste, Micaiah son of Imla!
9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each upon his throne clothed in robes, and they were sitting in an open space, at the entrance of the gate of Samaria,—and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Then did Zedekiah son of Chenaanah make him horns of iron,—and said—Thus saith Yahweh, With these shalt thou push Syria until they are consumed.
11 And all the prophets were prophesying so, saying,—Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, and Yahweh will deliver [it] into the hand of the king.
12 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Lo! the words of the prophets with one mouth are good for the king,—be thy word then, I pray thee, like one of theirs, so wilt thou speak good.
13 Then said Micaiah,—By the life of Yahweh whatsoever my God shall say that must I speak.
14 Now when he came unto the king, the king said unto him, Micah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up and prosper, and may they be delivered into your hand.
15 Then the king said unto him, How many times must I be putting thee on oath,—that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?
16 So he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd,—and Yahweh said, No masters have these! let them return every man unto his own house in peace.
17 Then said the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat,—Said I not unto thee, He wilt not prophesy concerning me anything good but evil?
18 Then said he, Therefore hear ye the word of Yahweh,—I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens standing, on his right hand and his left.
19 Then said Yahweh, Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
20 Then came there forth a spirit and stood before Yahweh, and said, I will persuade him. And Yahweh said unto him, Wherewith?
21 And he said, I will go forth and become a spirit of falsehood, in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said—Thou mayest persuade moreover also thou shalt prevail, go forth and do so.
22 Now therefore lo! Yahweh hath suffered a spirit of falsehood to be put into the mouth of these thy prophets,—but Yahweh hath spoken concerning thee—evil.
23 Then drew near Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek,—and said, Which then is the way the spirit of Yahweh passed from me to speak with thee?
24 Then said Micaiah, Lo! thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt enter into a chamber within a chamber, to hide thyself.
25 Then said the king of Israel, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon ruler of the city and unto Joash son of the king;
26 and ye shall say, Thus saith the king, Put ye this one into the prison,—and feed him with the bread of oppression and with the water of oppression, until I return in peace.
27 Then said Micaiah, If thou do at all return in peace Yahweh hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear! ye peoples all!
28 Then went up the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah against Ramoth-gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [I am about] to disguise myself and enter into the battle, but thou put on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of chariots which he had, saying, Ye shall not fight, with small [or] with great,—save with the king of Israel alone.
31 So it came to pass when the chariot-captains saw Jehoshaphat that they said, The king of Israel it is. And they compassed him about to fight,—but Jehoshaphat made outcry and Yahweh helped him, yea God allured them away from him.
32 And so it came to pass when the chariot-captains saw that it was not the king of Israel that they turned back from pursuing him;
33 but a certain man drawing a bow in his innocence, smote the king of Israel between the shoulder-joints and the coat of mail,—wherefore he said to the charioteer, Turn thy hand and convey me out of the host for I am sore wounded.
34 But the battle increased on that day, and the king of Israel was propping himself up in the chariot before the Syrians until evening,—and died at the time of the going in of the sun.
19 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned unto his own house in peace to Jerusalem.
2 And there came out to meet him Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, who said unto King Jehoshaphat, Unto the lawless was it [right] to give help? and on them who hate Yahweh to bestow thy love? For this cause therefore is there wrath against thee, from before Yahweh;
3 howbeit good things are found with thee,—for that thou hast consumed the Sacred Stems out of the land, and hast fixed thy heart to seek God.
4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem,—and he again went forth among the people from Beersheba as far as the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
5 And he stationed judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city;
6 and said unto the judges, See what ye are doing, inasmuch as not for man must ye judge but for Yahweh,—who will be with you in the word of justice.
7 Now therefore let the dread of Yahweh be upon you,—observe and do, for there is with Yahweh our God neither perversity nor respect of persons nor the taking of bribes.
8 And even in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat station some of the Levites and the priests and of the ancestral chiefs of Israel, to pronounce the just sentence of Yahweh and to settle disputes,—when they returned to Jerusalem.
9 And he laid charge upon them, saying,—Thus shall ye act in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and with an undivided heart.
10 Any dispute that shall come in unto you from among your brethren who are dwelling in their cities between blood and blood between law and commandment and statutes and regulations then shall ye warn them, that they may not become guilty against Yahweh and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren,—Thus shall ye act and not incur guilt.
11 And lo! Amariah the chief priest is over you as to every matter of Yahweh and Zebadiah son of Ishmael the chief ruler for the house of Judah as to every matter of the king, and as officers the Levites are before you,—Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the good!
20 And it came to pass after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon and with them some of the Meunim came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 And there came [some] and told Jehoshaphat, saying, There is coming against thee, a great multitude from beyond the sea from Syria,—and lo! they are in Hazazon-tamar, the same is Engedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek unto Yahweh,—and proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to enquire of Yahweh,—even out of all the cities of Judah came they in to seek Yahweh.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the convocation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Yahweh,—before the new court;
6 and said, O Yahweh, God of our fathers, art not thou God in the heavens? and art thou not ruling throughout all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand [are there not] strength and might? and is there any who against thee can stand?
7 Art not thou our God who didst dispossess the inhabitants of this land, from before thy people Israel,—and didst give it unto the seed of Abraham who loved thee unto times age-abiding?
8 and they have dwelt therein,—and have built for thee therein a sanctuary for thy Name, saying:
9 If there come upon us calamity, the sword of judgment or pestilence or famine we will stand before this house and before thee, for thy Name is in this house,—that we may make outcry unto thee out of our distress that thou mayest hear and save.
10 Now therefore lo! the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir whom thou didst not suffer Israel to invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt,—but they turned away from them and destroyed them not
11 yea lo! they are requiting us,—by coming to drive us out, from thy possession which thou didst cause us to possess.
12 O our God, wilt thou not bring judgment upon them, seeing that there is in us no strength, before this great multitude that is coming against us,—we therefore know not what we shall do, but unto thee are our eyes.
13 And all Judah were standing before Yahweh,—also their little ones, their wives and their children.
14 Now as for Jahaziel son of Zechariah son of Benaiah son of Jeiel son of Mattaniah a Levite of the sons of Asaph there came upon him the spirit of Yahweh, in the midst of the convocation:
15 and he said, Give ye heed all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! Thus saith Yahweh unto you. As for you do not fear nor be dismayed by reason of this great multitude for not yours is the battle but God’s.
16 To-morrow go ye down against them, for lo! there they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz,—and ye shall find them at the end of the ravine, facing the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 It is not for you to fight in this matter,—take your station, stand still and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem, do not fear nor be dismayed, to-morrow go ye out to meet them, and Yahweh will be with you.
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground,—and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, prostrating themselves unto Yahweh.
19 And Levites—of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to offer praise unto Yahweh, God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.
20 So they rose early in the morning, and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa,—and as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, Trust ye in Yahweh your God and ye shall be trusted, Trust ye in his prophets and ye shall prosper.
21 And when he had given counsel unto the people he appointed such as should sing unto Yahweh, and offer praise with holy adorning,—as they should be going forth before the armed men that they should be saying, O give thanks unto Yahweh, For age-abiding is his lovingkindness.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise Yahweh had set liers-in-wait against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir who were coming against Judah and they were smitten.
23 Then rose up the sons of Ammon and Moab against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, to devote and to destroy,—and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir they helped to cut off every man his neighbour.
24 So when Judah came near the watch-tower of the wilderness,—they turned towards the multitude, and lo! there they were dead bodies fallen to the earth with none to escape.
25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came near to plunder the spoil of them they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies and precious jewels, and they stripped off for themselves beyond what they could carry away,—and they were three days plundering the spoil for great it was.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the vale of Beracah, for there they blessed Yahweh,—on this account was the name of that place called The Vale of Beracah—unto this day.
27 Then turned every man of Judah and Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat at their head, to go again to Jerusalem with joy,—for Yahweh had caused them to rejoice over their enemies.
28 So they came to Jerusalem, with harps and with lyres and with trumpets,—unto the house of Yahweh.
29 And it came to pass that the dread of God was upon all the kingdoms of the countries,—when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet,—for his God gave him rest round about.
31 Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah,—thirty-five years old was he when he began to reign and twenty-five years reigned he in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa and turned not from it,—doing that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh.
33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away,—for as yet the people had not fixed their heart unto the God of their fathers.
34 But the rest of the story of Jehoshaphat, first and last lo! there it is written in the story of Jehu son of Hanani, which hath been added to the book of the Kings of Israel.
35 Yet after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel,—he was lawless in his doings;
36 and he joined with him, to make ships to go unto Tarshish,—and they made ships in Ezion-geber.
37 Then prophesied Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, against Jehoshaphat, saying,—Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah Yahweh hath broken in pieces thy works. So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go unto Tarshish.
21 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David,—and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
2 Now he had brethren, sons of Jehoshaphat—Azariah and Jehiel and Zechariah and Azariah, and Michael and Shephatiah,—all these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel,
3 and their father gave them large presents—of silver and of gold and of precious things, with cities of defence in Judah,—but the kingdom gave he unto Jehoram for he was the firstborn.
4 But when Jehoram had arisen over the kingdom of his father he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword,—moreover also some of the rulers of Israel.
5 Thirty-two years old was Jehoram when he began to reign,—and eight years reigned he in Jerusalem.
6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel like as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab had he to wife,—so he wrought wickedness in the eyes of Yahweh.
7 Howbeit Yahweh was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which he had solemnised unto David,—and as he had promised to give unto him a lamp and unto his sons all the days.
8 In his days revolted the Edomites, from under the hand of Judah,—and set over themselves a king.
9 So Jehoram passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him,—and it came to pass that he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that were round about unto him and the chariot-captains.
10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah—unto this day. Then must Libnah needs revolt at the same time from under his hand,—because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers.
11 He too made high places among the mountains of Judah,—and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unchaste, and seduced Judah.
12 Then came there unto him a writing, from Elijah the prophet, saying,—Thus saith Yahweh, God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah;
13 but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unchaste, after the unchastities of the house of Ahab,—moreover also thine own brethren of the house of thy father who were better than thou hast thou slain
14 lo! Yahweh is about to plague with a great plague thy people,—and thy children and thy wives and all thy possessions;
15 also thyself with sore diseases, with a disease of thy bowels,—until thy bowels shall fall out by reason of the disease, in a year added to a year.
16 And Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians, who were under the direction of the Ethiopians;
17 and they came up against Judah and forced their way into it, and carried off all the possessions that were found belonging to the house of the king, moreover also his sons and his wives,—so that there was left him never a son, save only Jehoahaz the youngest of his sons.
18 And after all this Yahweh plagued him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19 And it came to pass in a year beyond a year even when the end of the days of two years had passed that his bowels fell out by reason of his disease, so that he died of malignant disease,—and his people made him no burning like the burning of his fathers.
20 Thirty-two years old was he when he began to reign, and eight years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and went his way—unregretted, and though they buried him in the city of David yet not in the sepulchres of the kings.
22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead, for all the elder sons had the band of men slain who came in with the Arabians into the camp,—so Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
2 Forty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and one year reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Athaliah, daughter of Omri.
3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab,—for his mother became his counsellor to work lawlessness.
4 Wherefore he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh like the house of Ahab,—for they became his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction.
5 Even in their counsel he walked, and went with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria, in Ramoth-gilead,—and the Syrians smote Joram.
6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds wherewith they smote him in Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria,—and Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel because sick was he!
7 But from God came the downfall of Azariah, through his coming to Joram,—and because through his coming he went out with Jehoram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8 And so it came to pass when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab,—and found the rulers of Judah and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah ministering to Ahaziah that he slew them.
9 And he sought Ahaziah and they captured him, he having hid himself in Samaria, and they brought him unto Jehu and he put him to death, and they buried him because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart,—and no one of the house of Ahaziah had ability for the kingdom.
10 But when Athaliah mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead she rose up and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
11 But Jehoshabeath, daughter of the king, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the sons of the king who were being slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber,—so Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram—wife of Jehoiada the priest for she was the sister of Ahaziah—hid him from the face of Athaliah so that she slew him not.
12 And it came to pass that he was with them in the house of God, hidden six years,—while Athaliah was reigning over the land.
23 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the rulers of hundreds—even Azariah son of Jeroham and Ishmael son of Jehohanan and Azariah son of Obed and Maaseiah son of Adaiah and Elishaphat son of Zichri—unto himself in covenant.
2 And they went round throughout Judah, and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the ancestral chiefs of Israel,—and they came into Jerusalem.
3 And all the convocation solemnised a covenant in the house of God with the king,—and he said to them, Lo! the king’s son must reign, as spake Yahweh concerning the sons of David.
4 This is the thing that ye shall do,—A third of you entering on the sabbath, both of the priests and of the Levites, as doorkeepers of the porch;
5 and a third being in the house of the king, and a third at the foundation gate,—and all the people being in the courts of the house of Yahweh
6 then let no one enter the house of Yahweh save only the priests and they who are in attendance of the Levites, they may enter for holy they are,—but all the people shall keep the watch of Yahweh.
7 So shall the Levites encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and he that entereth into the house shall be put to death. Thus be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth out.
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men, who were coming in on the sabbath with them who were going out on the sabbath,—for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9 And Jehoiada the priest gave unto the captains of hundreds the spears and the bucklers and the shields, which belonged to King David,—which were in the house of God.
10 And he caused all the people to stand even every man with his weapon in his hand from the right corner of the house as far as the left corner of the house, by the altar and the house,—near the king round about.
11 Then brought they forth the king’s son and set upon him the crown and the testimony, and made him king,—and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, May the king live!
12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people who were running, and those who were praising the king,—then came she unto the people in the house of Yahweh;
13 and looked and lo! the king standing by his pillar at the entrance and the captains and the trumpets by the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing with trumpets, and the singers with instruments of song, and such as led the offering of praise then Athaliah rent her garments, and said, Conspiracy! conspiracy!
14 Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds officers of the force and said unto them, Take her forth within the ranks, and he that cometh in after her let him be slain with the sword,—for, said the priest, Ye must not slay her in the house of Yahweh!
15 So they made way for her, and she came into the entrance of the horse-gate of the house of the king,—and they slew her there.
16 And Jehoiada solemnised a covenant, between himself and all the people and the king,—that they should become a people unto Yahweh.
17 Then all the people entered into the house of Baal and brake it down, and his altars and his images brake they in pieces,—and Mattan the priest of Baal they slew before the altars.
18 And Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of Yahweh into the hand of the priests and the Levites whom David set by courses over the house of Yahweh, that they might offer up the ascending-sacrifices of Yahweh as it is written in the law of Moses with rejoicing and with song,—under the direction of David.
19 And he caused gatekeepers to stand at the gates of the house of Yahweh,—that no one who was unclean should on any account enter.
20 Then took he the captains of hundreds—and the nobles—and the rulers over the people—and all the people of the land and brought down the king out of the house of Yahweh, and they entered through the midst of the upper gate into the house of the king,—and they seated the king, upon the throne of the kingdom.
21 And all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,—when Athaliah they had slain with the sword.
24 Seven years old was Joash when he began to reign, and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2 And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives,—and he begat sons and daughters.
4 And it came to pass after this that it was near the heart of Joash to renew the house of Yahweh.
5 So he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said unto them—Go ye out unto the cities of Judah and gather out of all Israel silver to repair the house of your God year by year, and ye shall hasten the matter,—but the Levites hastened it not.
6 Then the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites, to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the convocation of Israel,—for the tent of testimony?
7 For as for Athaliah the Lawless her sons brake up the House of God,—moreover all the hallowed things of the house of Yahweh offered they unto the Baalim.
8 So the king bade [them], and they made a certain chest,—and set it in the gate of the house of Yahweh outside.
9 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in unto Yahweh the tribute of Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the desert.
10 And all the rulers and all the people rejoiced,—and brought in and cast into the chest until they had finished.
11 And it came to pass what time the chest was brought into the office of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they had seen that abundant was the silver that the scribe of the king came in and the officer of the chief priest, and they emptied the chest, and bare it and put it back in its place,—thus they did day by day, and collected silver in abundance;
12 and the king and Jehoiada gave it unto such as were doing the work of labouring upon the house of Yahweh, and they were hiring masons and carpenters to renew the house of Yahweh,—moreover also such as were fashioners of iron and bronze, to repair the house of Yahweh.
13 So the doers of the work wrought, and the work of restoration went forward in their hand,—and they caused the house of God to stand forth according to its due proportions and made it strong.
14 And when they had finished they brought in before the king and Jehoiada the rest of the silver and he made it into utensils for the house of Yahweh utensils of attendance, and bowls and spoons even utensils of gold and silver. Then were they offering ascending-sacrifices in the house of Yahweh continually, all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada waxed old and became satisfied with days and died,—a hundred and thirty years old when he died.
16 And they buried him in the city of David with the kings,—because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and his house.
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the rulers of Judah, and bowed themselves down unto the king,—then hearkened the king unto them.
18 And they forsook the house of Yahweh, God of their fathers, and served the Sacred Stems and the images,—so there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem, for this their guilt.
19 And he sent among them prophets, to bring them back unto Yahweh,—and they testified against them but they would not give ear.
20 And the spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he took his stand above the people,—and said unto them, Thus saith God, Wherefore are ye transgressing the commandments of Yahweh so that ye cannot prosper, because ye have forsaken Yahweh therefore hath he forsaken you.
21 So they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones by the commandment of the king,—in the court of the house of Yahweh.
22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the lovingkindness which Jehoiada his father had done for him, but slew his son,—and as he died he said, Yahweh see and require!
23 And it came to pass when the year had gone round that the force of Syria came up against him, and they entered Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the rulers of the people from among the people,—and all the spoil of them sent they unto the king of Damascus.
24 Although with a comparatively few men came the force of Syria yet Yahweh delivered into their hand an exceeding large force,—because they had forsaken Yahweh the God of their fathers,—and upon Joash executed they judgments.
25 And when they had departed from him for they left him with sore diseases his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him upon his bed and he died,—and though they buried him in the city of David yet did they not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings.
26 Now these are they that conspired against him,—Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
27 But as for his sons and the greatness of the oracle on him and the foundation of the house of God lo! there they are written in the commentary of the Book of Kings,—and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
25 Twenty-five years old was Amaziah when he began to reign, and twenty-nine years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—only not with a whole heart.
3 And it came to pass when the kingdom was confirmed unto him that he slew his servants who had smitten the king his father;
4 but their sons he put not to death,—but as it is written in the law—in the book of Moses—how that Yahweh commanded, saying—Fathers shall not die for sons and Sons shall not die for fathers, but Each man for his own sin shall die.
5 And Amaziah gathered Judah together, and appointed them by their ancestral houses as rulers of thousands and as rulers of hundreds, for all Judah and Benjamin,—and he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found them three hundred thousand choice men able to go forth to war, who could grasp spear and shield.
6 And he hired out of Israel a hundred thousand heroes of valour for a hundred talents of silver.
7 But a man of God came unto him, saying, O king! let not the host of Israel come with thee,—for Yahweh is not with Israel, [with] any of the sons of Ephraim.
8 But if thou art going do be strong for the battle,—God will cause thee to fall before the enemy, for there is strength in God to help or to cause to fall.
9 And Amaziah said unto the man of God, What then shall be done as to the hundred talents, which I have given to the company of Israel? Then said the man of God, Yahweh is able to give thee much more than this.
10 So Amaziah separated them, [appointing] unto the company which had come unto him out of Ephraim, to depart unto their own place,—wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, so they returned to their own place in a heat of anger.
11 And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people and went to the valley of salt,—and smote of the sons of Seir ten thousand;
12 and the sons of Judah took captive ten thousand alive, and brought to the top of the crag,—and cast them down from the top of the crag and all of them were torn asunder.
13 But as for the sons of the company which Amaziah sent back from going with him to the war they spread themselves out against the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon,—and smote of them three thousand, and took great plunder.
14 And so it was after Amaziah came in from smiting the Edomites that he brought in the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up for himself as gods,—and before them used he to bow himself down and unto them used he to burn a perfume.
15 Then was kindled the anger of Yahweh against Amaziah,—and he sent unto him a prophet, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou sought the gods of the people, which delivered not their own people out of thy hand?
16 And it came to pass as he spake unto him that he said to him, To be counsellor to the king have we appointed thee? forbear thou, wherefore should they smite thee? So the prophet forbare and said—I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel, and sent unto Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, saying,—Come, let us look one another in the face!
18 And Joash king of Israel sent unto Amaziah king of Judah, saying, A thistle that was in Lebanon sent unto a cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Come! give thy daughter unto my son to wife,—but there passed by a beast of the field that was in Lebanon, and trampled down the thistle.
19 Thou hast said—Lo! thou hast smitten the Edomites, and thy heart hath lifted thee up to display honour,—Now abide in thine own house, wherefore shouldst thou engage in strife with Misfortune, and fall thou and Judah with thee?
20 But Amaziah hearkened not, because from God it was, to the end he might deliver them up into [their enemies’] hand,—because they had sought the gods of Edom.
21 So Joash king of Israel came up and they looked one another in the face, he and Amaziah king of Judah,—in Beth-shemesh which belongeth unto Judah.
22 Then was Judah defeated before Israel,—and they fled every man to his own home;
23 and Amaziah king of Judah son of Joash son of Jehoahaz was taken by Joash king of Israel in Beth-shemesh,—and he brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim as far as the corner-gate, four hundred cubits;
24 and all the gold and the silver and all the utensils that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom and the treasures of the house of the king, and hostages [he took],—and returned to Samaria.
25 And Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived, after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel,—fifteen years.
26 Now the rest of the story of Amaziah, first and last lo! it is written in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
27 And after the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh they made against him a conspiracy in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish,—but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
28 And they brought him on horses,—and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.
26 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, when he was sixteen years old,—and made him king, instead of his father Amaziah.
2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah,—after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and fifty-two years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.
4 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—according to all that Amaziah his father had done.
5 And it came to pass that he set himself to seek God, in the days of Zechariah who gave understanding in the seeing of God,—and throughout the days of his seeking Yahweh God prospered him.
6 So he went forth and made war against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod,—and built cities in Ashdod and among the Philistines.
7 And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gur-baal and the Meunim.
8 And the Ammonites gave a present to Uzziah,—and his name went forth as far as the entering in of Egypt, for he shewed exceeding great strength.
9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, over the corner-gate and over the valley-gate and over the angle,—and he made them strong.
10 And he built towers in the desert and digged many wells, for much cattle had he both in the lowland and in the plain,—husbandmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in the fruitful field, for a lover of the soil was he.
11 And it came to pass that Uzziah had a force ready to make war to go forth as a host in company by the number of their reckoning, under the direction of Jeiel the scribe, and Maaseiah the officer,—under the direction of Hananiah, from among the captains of the king.
12 The whole number of the ancestral chiefs pertaining to the heroes of valour was two thousand and six hundred;
13 and under their direction was the force of a host three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, ready to make war with the strength of a force,—for helping the king against an enemy.
14 And Uzziah prepared for them for all the host bucklers and spears and helmets, and coats of mail and bows,—and yea even sling-stones.
15 And he made in Jerusalem inventions invented of the inventor to be upon the towers and upon the turrets, for throwing with arrows, and with great stones,—so that his name went forth afar, for he was marvellously helped until that he was strong.
16 But when he became strong uplifted was his heart unto ruin, for he acted unfaithfully against Yahweh his God,—and entered into the temple of Yahweh, to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 Then entered after him Azariah the priest,—and with him eighty priests of Yahweh sons of valour;
18 and they took their stand against Uzziah the king and said unto him—It is not for thee O Uzziah, to burn incense unto Yahweh, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are hallowed to burn incense. Go forth out of the sanctuary for thou hast acted unfaithfully, and not to thee for an honour [shall it be] from Yahweh Elohim.
19 Then was Uzziah wroth, and in his hand was a censer to burn incense,—and when he was wroth with the priests a leprosy shot forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, from off the altar of incense.
20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned towards him lo! he was leprous in his forehead, so they hastened him from thence,—yea even he himself hurried to go out, because Yahweh had smitten him.
21 And it came to pass that Uzziah the king was a leper until the day of his death and dwelt in a house apart—a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh,—and Jotham his son was over the house of the king, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the story of Uzziah, first and last hath Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet written.
23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial that pertained unto the kings, for they said, A leper he is. And Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
27 Twenty-five years old was Jotham when he began to reign, and sixteen years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Jerushah, daughter of Zadok.
2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh according to all that Uzziah his father had done, only he entered not into the temple of Yahweh,—though still were the people acting corruptly.
3 He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh,—and on the wall of Ophel built he extensively.
4 Cities also built he in the hill country of Judah,—and in the thick woods built he fortresses and towers.
5 He also made war against the king of the sons of Ammon and prevailed against them, and the sons of Ammon gave him during that year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and of barley ten thousand,—this did the sons of Ammon render him, both in the second year and the third.
6 So Jotham strengthened himself,—for he fixed his ways before Yahweh his God.
7 But the rest of the story of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways lo! there they are written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
8 Twenty-five years old was he when he began to reign,—and sixteen years reigned he in Jerusalem.
9 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David,—and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
28 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and sixteen years reigned he in Jerusalem,—but he did not that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh like David his father;
2 but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel,—yea even molten images made he to the Baalim;
3 and he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom,—and burnt his sons in the fire, according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places and upon the hills,—and under every green tree.
5 Wherefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, who smote him and carried away captive from him a large body of captives, and brought them into Damascus,—yea even into the hand of the king of Israel was he delivered, who smote him with a great smiting.
6 And Pekah son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all sons of valour,—because they had forsaken Yahweh, God of their fathers.
7 And Zichri a hero of Ephraim slew Maaseiah son of the king, and Azrikam chief ruler of the house,—and Elkanah that was next unto the king.
8 And the sons of Israel carried away captive from among their brethren two hundred thousand, wives, sons and daughters, moreover also of much spoil did they plunder them,—and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 But in that place was a prophet unto Yahweh, Oded his name, so he went out to meet the host that was coming unto Samaria, and said unto them, Lo! in the wrath of Yahweh, God of your fathers, against Judah hath he delivered them into your hand,—and ye have slain them in a rage, until to the heavens it hath reached.
10 Now therefore ye are thinking to tread down the children of Judah and Jerusalem as servants and as handmaids for yourselves. But is it not so—that ye yourselves are altogether guilty against Yahweh your God?
11 Now therefore hearken unto me, and restore the captives whom ye have taken captive from among your brethren,—for the glow of the anger of Yahweh is over you.
12 Then rose up certain of the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah son of Shallum and Amasa son of Hadlai,—against them who were coming in from the army;
13 and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither, for with guilt against Yahweh already upon us ye are thinking to add unto our sins and unto our guilt,—for great is the guilt we have, and fierce is the anger over Israel.
14 So the armed men left the captives and the plunder, before the rulers and all the convocation.
15 Then rose up the men who have been expressed by name—and took the captives and all who were naked among them clothed they out of the spoil, and arrayed them and sandalled them and gave them to eat and to drink and anointed them and conducted them with asses for every one that was exhausted, and brought them to Jericho the city of palm-trees near unto their brethren,—and then returned to Samaria.
16 At that time sent King Ahaz unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
17 For again had the Edomites come and smitten Judah and carried away captives;
18 and the Philistines had spread themselves out against the cities of the lowland and of the south pertaining to Judah, and had captured Beth-shemesh and Aijalon and Gederoth and Soco with its villages and Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages,—and dwelt there.
19 For Yahweh had brought Judah low, because of Ahaz king of Israel,—for he had given the rein in Judah, and been grievously unfaithful with Yahweh.
20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him,—and distressed him but strengthened him not.
21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yahweh, and out of the house of the king and the rulers,—and gave unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not.
22 And in the time of his distress he yet further acted unfaithfully with Yahweh,—he King Ahaz!
23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus who had smitten him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria are helping them unto them will I sacrifice that they may help me. But they served to seduce him and all Israel.
24 And Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God and brake away the fittings of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Yahweh,—and made for himself altars at every corner in Jerusalem;
25 and in every several city of Judah made he high places, for burning incense unto other gods,—and provoked Yahweh, God of his fathers.
26 But the rest of his story and all his ways, first and last there they are written in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city in Jerusalem, but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel,—and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
29 And Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and twenty-nine years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.
2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—according to all that David his father had done.
3 He in the first year of his reign in the first month opened the doors of the house of Yahweh and repaired them.
4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites,—and gathered them together in the broadway on the east;
5 and said unto them, Hear me, O Levites! Now hallow yourselves and hallow the house of Yahweh, God of your fathers, and take forth the impure thing out of the holy place.
6 For our fathers have acted unfaithfully and done the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh our God and have forsaken him,—and have turned round their faces from the habitation of Yahweh and have offered their backs.
7 Moreover they have shut up the doors of the porch and have quenched the lamps, and incense have they not burned,—and ascending-sacrifice have they not caused to go up in the holy place, unto the God of Israel.
8 Thus hath it come to pass that the wrath of Yahweh hath been upon Judah and Jerusalem,—and he hath delivered them up as a terror and as an astonishment and as hissing, even as ye can see with your own eyes.
9 And lo! our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10 Now is it near my heart, to solemnise a covenant unto Yahweh, God of Israel,—that he may turn from him the glow of his anger.
11 My sons! now do not be faulty,—for of you hath Yahweh made choice to stand before him and to wait upon him, and to be his attendants and burners of incense.
12 Then arose the Levites—Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah of the sons of the Kohathites, and of the sons of Merari Kish son of Abdi, and Azariah son of Jehallelel,—and of the Gershonites Joah son of Zimmah, and Eden son of Joah;
13 and of the sons of Elizaphan Shimri and Jeiel,—and of the sons of Asaph Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 and of the sons of Heman Jehiel and Shimei,—and of the sons of Jeduthun Shemaiah and Uzziel;
15 and they gathered together their brethren who hallowed themselves, and came in according to the command of the king in the things of Yahweh,—to purify the house of Yahweh.
16 So the priests entered into the inner part of the house of Yahweh to make purification, and they brought out every unclean thing which they found in the temple of Yahweh, into the court of the house of Yahweh,—where the Levites received it to carry it forth to the Kidron ravine outside.
17 And they began on the first of the first month to hallow,—and on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of Yahweh, so they hallowed the house of Yahweh in eight days,—and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18 Then came they in unto Hezekiah the king, and said, We have purified all the house of Yahweh,—the altar of ascending-sacrifice and all the utensils thereof, and the table for setting in array and all the utensils thereof.
19 And all the utensils which King Ahaz in his reign rejected when he acted unfaithfully have we made ready and hallowed,—and there they are before the altar of Yahweh.
20 So Hezekiah the king rose up early, and gathered together the rulers of the city,—and went up to the house of Yahweh.
21 And they brought in seven bullocks and seven rams and seven young sheep and seven he-goats for bearing sin, for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah,—and he bade the sons of Aaron the priests, cause them to ascend upon the altar of Yahweh.
22 So they slaughtered the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and dashed it against the altar,—and they slaughtered the rams and dashed the blood against the altar, and slaughtered the young sheep and dashed the blood against the altar.
23 And they brought near the he-goats for bearing sin, before the king and the convocation,—and they leaned their hands upon them;
24 and the priests slaughtered them, and sin-cleansed with their blood the altar, to put a propitiatory-covering over all Israel,—because for all Israel did the king appoint the ascending-sacrifice and the offering for bearing sin.
25 And he caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh with cymbals and with harps and with lyres, by the commandment of David and of Gad the seer of the king and of Nathan the prophet,—for by the hand of Yahweh came the commandment by the hand of his prophets.
26 So the Levites took their stand with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Hezekiah gave word, to cause the ascending-sacrifice to go up on the altar,—and when the ascending-sacrifice began the singing unto Yahweh began and the trumpets, even under the direction of the instruments of David, king of Israel.
28 And all the convocation were bowing themselves in prostration, and the song was resounding and the trumpets were blowing,—the whole until the completing of the ascending-sacrifice.
29 And when the offering was complete the king knelt down and all who were present with him and bowed themselves in prostration.
30 And Hezekiah the king and the rulers gave word to the Levites, to offer praise unto Yahweh in the words of David and of Asaph the seer,—so they offered praise right joyfully, and bent their heads and bowed themselves in prostration.
31 Then responded Hezekiah and said—Now have ye consecrated yourselves unto Yahweh. Draw near and bring in sacrifices and thank-offerings unto the house of Yahweh,—So the convocation brought sacrifices and thank-offerings, and everyone of a willing heart [brought] ascending-sacrifices.
32 And it came to pass that the number of ascending-sacrifices which the convocation brought was—seventy bullocks, and a hundred rams and two hundred young sheep,—as an ascending-sacrifice unto Yahweh all these.
33 But the hallowed beasts were six hundred bullocks, and three thousand sheep.
34 Only the priests were too few, and were unable to flay all the ascending-sacrifices,—so their brethren the Levites strengthened them until the work was complete and until the priests had hallowed themselves, for the Levites were more upright in heart to hallow themselves than the priests.
35 Moreover also the ascending-sacrifices were in abundance with the fat portions of the peace-offerings and with the drink-offerings to every ascending-sacrifice,—thus was established the service of the house of Yahweh.
36 And Hezekiah rejoiced and all the people, because God had established it for the people,—for suddenly had the thing come about.
30 Then sent Hezekiah unto all Israel and Judah moreover also letters wrote he unto Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come unto the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem,—to keep a passover unto Yahweh, God of Israel.
2 Yea, the king and his rulers and all the convocation in Jerusalem had taken counsel,—to keep the passover in the second month.
3 For they were unable to keep it at that time,—because the priests had not hallowed themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people had not gathered themselves unto Jerusalem.
4 And the thing was right in the eyes of the king,—and in the eyes of all the convocation.
5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel from Beer-sheba even unto Dan, that they should come in to keep a passover unto Yahweh the God of Israel in Jerusalem,—for not for a long time had they kept it as written.
6 The runners therefore went with letters from the hand of the king and his rulers throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying,—Ye sons of Israel, return ye unto Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and he will return unto the remnant that which is left to you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 And be not ye like your fathers or like your brethren, who acted unfaithfully with Yahweh, God of your fathers,—who therefore delivered them up for an astonishment, as ye yourselves can see.
8 Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers,—stretch forth the hand unto Yahweh and enter into his sanctuary which he hath hallowed unto times age-abiding, and serve Yahweh your God that he may turn from you the glow of his anger.
9 For by your returning unto Yahweh your brethren and your children shall find compassion before their captors, so as to return unto this land. For gracious and compassionate is Yahweh your God, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye will return unto him.
10 So the runners were passing from city to city throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun,—but they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking them.
11 Howbeit some out of Asher and Manasseh and out of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12 Also upon Judah came the hand of God, to give them one heart,—to keep the commandment of the king and the rulers as the word of Yahweh.
13 And there gathered themselves unto Jerusalem much people, to keep the festival of unleavened cakes in the second month,—an exceeding large convocation.
14 Then rose they up, and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem,—and all the censers removed they, and cast them into the Kidron ravine.
15 Then slaughtered they the passover, on the fourteenth of the second month,—and the priests and the Levites were put to shame and hallowed themselves, and brought in the ascending-sacrifices of the house of Yahweh.
16 And they stood in their place according to their regulation, according to the law of Moses the man of God,—the priests dashing the blood, [which they received] at the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the convocation who had not hallowed themselves,—but the Levites were over the slaughtering of the passover-lambs for every one who was not pure, to hallow him unto Yahweh.
18 For the multitude of the people many out of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, for they did eat the passover otherwise than as was written,—for Hezekiah prayed for them saying, May Yahweh the Good put a propitiatory-covering about
19 every one who hath prepared his heart to seek God, even Yahweh, God of his fathers,—though not according to the purification of the sanctuary!
20 And Yahweh hearkened unto Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21 And so the sons of Israel who were found in Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days with great rejoicing,—and the Levites and the priests were offering praise unto Yahweh day by day with loud instruments unto Yahweh.
22 And Hezekiah spake unto the heart of all the Levites who were giving good instruction respecting Yahweh,—and they did eat the appointed feast seven days, sacrificing the peace-offerings and offering praise unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.
23 Then all the convocation took counsel, to keep seven days more,—and they kept seven days with rejoicing.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah presented to the convocation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep, and the rulers presented to the convocation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep,—and priests in great numbers hallowed themselves.
25 So all the convocation of Judah and the priests and the Levites and all the convocation that came in out of Israel rejoiced,—also the sojourners who were coming in out of the land of Israel, and the dwellers in Judah.
26 Thus was there great rejoicing in Jerusalem,—for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had not been the like of this in Jerusalem.
27 Then rose up the priests the Levites and blessed the people, and there was a hearkening unto their voice,—and their prayer entered into his holy dwelling-place, even into the heavens.
31 Now when all this was finished all Israel who were present went forth unto the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars—and cut down the Sacred Stems—and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin—and throughout Ephraim and Manasseh until they had made an end,—then all the sons of Israel returned every man to his own possession unto their own cities.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites over their courses every man according to the requirements of his service both priests and Levites, for ascending-sacrifice and for peace-offerings,—to be in attendance and to give thanks and to offer praise, in the gates of the camps of Yahweh;
3 also the portion of the king out of his own substance for the ascending-sacrifices—[even] for the ascending-sacrifices of the morning and of the evening, and the ascending-sacrifices for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the appointed feasts,—as written in the law of Yahweh.
4 And he bade the people who were dwelling in Jerusalem give the portion of the priests and the Levites,—to the end they might persevere in the law of Yahweh.
5 And as soon as the thing spread abroad the sons of Israel caused to abound the firstfruit of corn, new wine and oil and honey, and all the increase of the field,—yea the tithe of all—in abundance brought they in.
6 And as for the sons of Israel and Judah who were dwelling in the cities of Judah even they a tithe of oxen and sheep, and a tithe of hallowed things, which had been hallowed unto Yahweh their God did bring in and pile up—heaps, heaps.
7 In the third month began they the heaps at the foundation,—and in the seventh they finished.
8 And Hezekiah and the rulers came, and saw the heaps,—and blessed Yahweh and his people Israel.
9 Then applied Hezekiah unto the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok spake unto him,—and said—From the time of beginning to bring in the heave-offering into the house of Yahweh—to eat and to be full there hath still been left even to this abundance. For Yahweh hath blessed his people, and that which is left is this great plenty.
11 Then Hezekiah gave word to prepare chambers in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them;
12 and brought in the heave-offering and the tithe and the hallowed things faithfully,—and over them as chief ruler was Cononiah the Levite, and Shimei his brother next;
13 and Jehiel and Azaziah and Nahath and Asahel and Jerimoth and Jozabad and Eliel and Ismachiah, and Mahath and Benaiah,—overseers under the direction of Cononiah and Shemei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief ruler of the house of God.
14 And Kore son of Imnah the Levite the door-keeper on the east was over the freewill offerings of God,—to give the heave-offering of Yahweh, and the most holy things.
15 And under his direction were Eden and Miniamin and Jeshua and Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests in trust to give unto their brethren by courses, as the great so the small;
16 besides registering them by males from three years old and upward, unto every one that entered into the house of Yahweh in the need of a day upon its day,—by their service, in their watches according to their courses:
17 both the registering of the priests by their ancestral houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward,—in their watches in their courses;
18 even to the registering of all their little ones, their wives and their sons and their daughters unto all the convocation,—for in their trust they hallowed themselves in holiness;
19 also unto the sons of Aaron the priests in the fields of the pasture land of their cities in every several city, men who were expressed by name,—to give portions to every male among the priests, and to all registered among the Levites.
20 And Hezekiah did thus throughout all Judah,—and he did that which was good and right and faithful, before Yahweh his God.
21 And in all the work which he began in the service of the house of God—and in the law—and in the commandment, to seek unto his God with all his heart he wrought and prospered.
32 After these things done in faithfulness came Sennacherib king of Assyria,—and entered into Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come,—and that his face was—to war against Jerusalem
3 he took counsel with his captains and his heroes, to stop the waters of the fountains, which were outside the city,—and they helped him.
4 And there were gathered together much people, so they stopped all the fountains and the torrent that flowed through the midst of the land, saying,—Wherefore should the kings of Assyria come, and find many waters?
5 And he took courage and built all the wall that was broken down and carried up thereon towers and on the outside another wall, and strengthened Millo, the city of David,—and made weapons in abundance and bucklers
6 and set captains of war over the people,—and gathered them together unto him in the broadway of the gate of the city, and spake unto their heart, saying,—
7 Be strong and bold, do not fear neither be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude that is with him,—for with us is One greater than with him:
8 with him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people leaned upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants towards Jerusalem, himself being near Lachish and all his imperial might with him,—unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that was in Jerusalem, saying:
10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria,—Upon what are ye trusting, that ye are awaiting the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Is not Hezekiah persuading you, so as to deliver you up to die with hunger and with thirst, saying,—Yahweh our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Is it not the same Hezekiah who hath removed his high places and his altars,—and hath given word to Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar shall ye bow yourselves down and thereupon shall ye burn incense?
13 Will ye not take note what I have done, I and my fathers, to all the peoples of the countries? Have the gods of the nations of the countries been at all able to deliver their country out of my hand?
14 Who among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers devoted to destruction hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand,—that your god should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
15 Now therefore do not let Hezekiah beguile you nor persuade you thus neither do ye believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand or out of the hand of my fathers,—how much less shall your gods deliver you out of my hand?
16 And yet more spake his servants, against Yahweh God,—and against Hezekiah his servant.
17 Letters also wrote he, to scoff at Yahweh God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, Like the gods of the nations of the countries who delivered not their people out of my hand so shall the god of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.
18 Then cried they out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language unto the people of Jerusalem who were upon the wall, to affright them and to terrify them,—to the end they might capture the city.
19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem,—as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of the hands of men.
20 And Hezekiah the king and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet prayed concerning this,—and made outcry unto the heavens.
21 So Yahweh sent a messenger, who cut off every hero of valour and chief ruler and captain, in the camp of the king of Assyria,—and he returned with shame of face to his own land and when he entered the house of his god then the issue of his own body—there caused him to fall by the sword.
22 Thus did Yahweh save Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and out of the hand of every one,—and gave them rest on every side.
23 And many were bringing in a present unto Yahweh to Jerusalem, and precious things unto Hezekiah king of Judah,—so that he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations from thenceforth.
24 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death,—and when he prayed unto Yahweh he was entreated of him and a wonderful token he gave him.
25 But not according to the benefit done unto him did Hezekiah make return, for uplifted was his heart,—and so there came upon him wrath, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the uplifting of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,—so that the wrath of Yahweh came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 And it came to pass that Hezekiah had riches and honour in great abundance,—and treasuries made he for himself—for silver and for gold and for costly stones and for spices and for precious things, and for all utensils to be coveted;
28 storehouses also, for the increase of corn and new wine and oil,—and cribs for every kind of beast, and cribs for the flocks;
29 and cities made he for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance,—for God had given him exceeding great wealth.
30 And the same Hezekiah stopped up the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down the west side of the city of David,—and Hezekiah prospered in all his work.
31 Yet verily with regard to the ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire concerning the wonderful token which came to pass in the land God left him,—to prove him, to take note of all that was in his heart.
32 But the rest of the story of Hezekiah and his lovingkindnesses there they are written in the visions of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour in his death,—and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
33 Twelve years old was Manasseh when he began to reign,—and fifty-five years reigned he in Jerusalem.
2 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,—according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.
3 And he again built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had thrown down,—and set up altars to the Baalim and made Sacred Stems, and bowed in prostration unto all the army of the heavens, and served them;
4 and built altars in the house of Yahweh,—as to which Yahweh had said, In Jerusalem shall be my Name unto times age-abiding.
5 Yea he built altars unto all the army of the heavens,—in the two courts of the house of Yahweh.
6 And he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom and practised hidden arts and used divination and practised sorcery, and appointed a necromancer and a wizard,—he exceeded in doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh to provoke him to anger;
7 and he set a resemblance-image which he had made,—in the house of God as to which God had said unto David and unto Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel will I put my Name unto times age-abiding.
8 So will I not again remove the foot of Israel away from the soil which I appointed for their fathers. Only they must observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the regulations by the hand of Moses.
9 And so Manasseh led astray Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,—to commit wickedness beyond the nations which Yahweh had destroyed from before the sons of Israel.
10 And Yahweh spake unto Manasseh and unto his people but they did not give ear.
11 So Yahweh brought in upon them the captains of the army that belonged to the king of Assyria, and they captured Manasseh with hooks,—and bound him captive with a pair of bronze fetters, and took him away to Babylon.
12 But in his distress he appeased the face of Yahweh his God,—and humbled himself greatly, before the God of his fathers;
13 and when he prayed unto him then was he entreated of him and hearkened unto his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem unto his own kingdom, and so Manasseh came to know, that Yahweh is God.
14 And after this he built an outer wall to the city of David on the west of the Gihon in the ravine even to the entering in through the fish-gate and went round to Ophel, and carried it up very high,—and put captains of valour in all the fortified cities throughout Judah.
15 And he removed the gods of the foreigner and the image out of the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem,—and he cast them forth outside the city.
16 And he built the altar of Yahweh, and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings and thanksgiving sacrifices,—and gave word to Judah to serve Yahweh, God of Israel.
17 Howbeit still were the people sacrificing in the high places,—only unto Yahweh their God.
18 But the rest of the story of Manasseh and his prayer unto his God, and the story of the seers who spake unto him in the name of Yahweh God of Israel there they are in the story of the kings of Israel:
19 both his prayer and how [God] was entreated of him—and all his sin and his treacherous act, and the sites whereon he built high places and set up the Sacred Stems and the images, before he humbled himself there they are written in the story of the seers.
20 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the garden of his own house,—and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
21 Twenty-two years old was Amon when he began to reign,—and two years reigned he in Jerusalem.
22 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done,—and unto all the images which Manasseh his father had made Amon offered sacrifice and did serve them.
23 But he did not humble himself before Yahweh as Manasseh his father humbled himself,—for he Amon made guilt abound.
24 And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
25 But the people of the land smote all the conspirators against King Amon,—and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
34 Eight years old was Josiah when he began to reign,—and thirty-one years reigned he in Jerusalem.
2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
3 And in the eighth year of his reign he being yet a boy he began to seek unto the God of David his father,—and in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the Sacred Stems and the carved images and the molten images.
4 And they threw down before him, the altars of the Baalim and the sun-pillars which were on high above them he hewed down,—and the Sacred Stems and the carved images and the molten images brake he in pieces and ground to dust, and tossed over the face of the graves of them who had been sacrificing unto them.
5 And the bones of the priests burned he upon their altars,—and so purified Judah and Jerusalem:
6 also throughout the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon even as far as Naphtali,—searched he their houses round about.
7 And when he had thrown down the altars and the Sacred Stems and the images he had beaten to powder, and the sun-pillars he had hewn down throughout all the land of Israel then returned he to Jerusalem.
8 And in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purified the land and the house he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.
9 So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin,—and returned to Jerusalem.
10 And the overseers in the house of Yahweh delivered it into the hand of the doer of the work,—yea they delivered it to the doers of the work because they were working in the house of Yahweh, in searching and repairing the house:
11 yea they delivered it to the artificers and to the builders, to buy carved stones and timbers for the joinings,—and to build up the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 Now the men were working faithfully in the work and over them as overseers were—Jahath and Obadiah Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites to preside,—and Levites, all who had understanding in instruments of song;
13 also over the burden-bearers and such as took the lead for everyone who was working in any manner of service,—and of the Levites were scribes and officers and doorkeepers.
14 Now as they were taking out the silver which had been brought into the house of Yahweh Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.
15 Then spake up Hilkiah and said unto Shaphan the scribe, The Book of the Law have I found in the house of Yahweh,—and Hilkiah gave the book unto Shaphan.
16 Then Shaphan took in the book unto the king, and returned yet further unto the king a message, saying,—All that was delivered into the hand of thy servants they are doing;
17 and they have poured out the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the doers of the work.
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, A book hath Hilkiah the priest given to me. And Shaphan read therein before the king.
19 And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the law that he rent his clothes.
20 Then did the king command Hilkiah—and Ahikam son of Shaphan—and Abdon son of Micah—and Shaphan the scribe—and Asaiah servant of the king, saying:
21 Go, enquire of Yahweh for me and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which hath been found,—for great is the wrath of Yahweh which hath been poured out upon us, because our fathers kept not the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.
22 So Hilkiah and they whom the king had named went into Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe, she having her dwelling in Jerusalem in the new city,—and they spake unto her accordingly.
23 And she said unto them, Thus saith Yahweh God of Israel,—Say ye unto the man who hath sent you unto me:
24 Thus saith Yahweh, Behold me bringing in calamity upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof,—even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
25 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense unto other gods, so as to provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands therefore hath my wrath been poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.
26 But unto the king of Judah who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh thus shall ye say unto him,—Thus saith Yahweh God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:
27 Because tender was thy heart and thou didst humble thyself before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and didst humble thyself before me and didst rend thy clothes and weep before me therefore I also have heard, Is the declaration of Yahweh.
28 Behold me! gathering thee unto thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered unto thy sepulchres in peace, and thine eyes shall not look upon all the calamity which I am bringing in upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof. And they returned unto the king the message.
29 Then the king sent,—and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 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 great even unto the small,—and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.
31 And the king stood in his place and solemnised the 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 perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book.
32 And he caused to take a stand all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin,—and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 And Josiah removed all the abominations out of all the lands which belonged to the sons of Israel, and caused all that were present in Jerusalem to serve, yea to serve Yahweh their God,—all his days turned they not aside from following Yahweh, God of their fathers.
35 And Josiah kept in Jerusalem a passover unto Yahweh,—and they slaughtered the passover, on the fourteenth of the first month.
2 And he set the priests over their charges,—and encouraged them unto the service of the house of Yahweh;
3 and said to the Levites who gave instruction to all Israel as to the things which were hallowed unto Yahweh, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David king of Israel did build, it is not yours as a burden on the shoulder,—Now serve ye Yahweh your God, and his people Israel;
4 and prepare yourselves by your ancestral houses according to your courses,—by the writing of David king of Israel, and by what hath been written by Solomon his son;
5 and stand ye in the holy place by the divisions of the ancestral house, for your brethren, the sons of the people, and the partitioning of an ancestral house for the Levites.
6 So slaughter ye the passover,—and hallow yourselves and prepare for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.
7 And Josiah presented to the sons of the people—of flocks young sheep and the young of the goats, the whole for the passover offerings, for all present to the number of thirty thousand and of bullocks three thousand,—these out of the substance of the king.
8 And his rulers willingly to the people and to the priests and to the Levites presented,—Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel chief rulers of the house of God, unto the priests did give for passover offerings two thousand and six hundred, and of bullocks three hundred;
9 and Conaniah and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brethren and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad rulers of the Levites presented to the Levites for passover offerings five thousand, and of bullocks five hundred.
10 Thus was the service prepared,—and the priests stood in their place and the Levites in their courses according to the commandment of the king.
11 So they slaughtered the passover, and the priests dashed [the blood received] at their hand, and the Levites were flaying [the offerings].
12 Then they removed the ascending-sacrifice that they might give them—by the divisions of each ancestral house—unto the sons of the people, to offer unto Yahweh as it is written in the Book of Moses,—and in like manner with the bullocks.
13 And they cooked the passover with fire according to the regulation,—but the hallowed things cooked they in cauldrons and in pots and in bowls, and then took quickly unto all the sons of the people.
14 And afterwards prepared they for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron had been engaged in offering up the ascending-sacrifice and the fat pieces, until night,—the Levites therefore prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
15 The singers also, the sons of Asaph were in their place according to the commandment of David and Asaph, and Heman and Jeduthun the seer of the king, and the doorkeepers were at the several doors,—there was no need for them to remove from their service, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
16 Thus was all the service of Yahweh prepared on that day; to keep the passover, and to offer up the ascending-sacrifice upon the altar of Yahweh,—according to the commandment of King Josiah.
17 So the sons of Israel who were present kept the passover at that time,—and the festival of unleavened cakes seven days.
18 And there had not been kept a passover like it in Israel, since the days of Samuel the prophet,—yea none of the kings of Israel had kept such a passover as was kept by Josiah and the priests and the Levites and all Judah and Israel that were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was kept this passover.
20 After all this—when Josiah had prepared the house Neco king of Egypt came up,—to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates,—and Josiah went forth against him.
21 But he sent unto him messengers, saying—What have I to do with thee, O king of Judah? not against thee [have I come] this day but against the house wherewith I have war, and God hath given word to speed me,—cease thou from [provoking] God who is with me lest he destroy thee.
22 Howbeit Josiah turned not his face from him for to fight against him he had disguised himself, and he hearkened not unto the words of Neco from the mouth of God,—so he came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
23 And the archers shot at King Josiah,—and the king said unto his servants, Take me away, for I am sore wounded.
24 So his servants took him away out of the war-chariot and conveyed him in a second chariot which he had, and carried him to Jerusalem, and he died and was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers,—and all Judah and Jerusalem were mourning over Josiah.
25 And Jeremiah chanted a dirge over Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women in their dirges have spoken concerning Josiah until this day, and they appointed them by statute for Israel,—and there they are written among the dirges.
26 But the rest of the story of Josiah and his lovingkindness,—according to that which is written in the law of Yahweh:
27 even his story first and last there it is written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
36 And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah,—and made him king instead of his father in Jerusalem.
2 Twenty-three years old was Joahaz when he began to reign,—and three months reigned he in Jerusalem.
3 And the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem,—and condemned the land, in a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 And 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 carried him to Egypt.
5 Twenty-five years old was Jehoiakim when he began to reign, and eleven years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh his God.
6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,—and bound him in fetters of bronze, to carry him to Babylon.
7 And some of the utensils of the house of Yahweh did Nebuchadnezzar carry to Babylon,—and put them in his own temple in Babylon.
8 But the rest of the story of Jehoiakim and his abominations which he made and that which was found upon him there they are written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah,—and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
9 Eight years old was Jehoiachin when he began to reign, and three months and ten days reigned he in Jerusalem, and he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh;
10 and when the year came round King Nebuchadnezzar sent, and carried him to Babylon, with the precious utensils of the house of Yahweh,—and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 Twenty-one years old was Zedekiah when he began to reign,—and eleven years reigned he in Jerusalem.
12 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh his God,—he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet from the mouth of Yahweh.
13 Moreover also against King Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled, who had made him swear by God,—and he stiffened his neck and emboldened his heart, from turning unto Yahweh, God of Israel.
14 Also all the rulers of the priests and of the people abounded in committing treachery, according to all the abominable ways of the nations,—and polluted the house of Yahweh, which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15 And though Yahweh God of their fathers sent unto them through his messengers zealously sending them,—because he had compassion upon his people and upon his habitation
16 yet became they mockers of the messengers of God, and despisers of his words and mimics of his prophets,—until the mounting up of the wrath of Yahweh against his people until there was no healing.
17 So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, elder or ancient,—all delivered he into his hand.
18 And all the utensils of the house of God both great and small, and the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king and of his rulers the whole carried he to Babylon;
19 and they burned the house of God, and threw down the wall of Jerusalem,—and all the palaces thereof burned they with fire, and all the precious vessels thereof he destroyed;
20 and he exiled the remnant left from the sword into Babylon,—where they became his and his sons as servants, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
21 to fulfil the word of God by the mouth of Jeremiah until the land had paid off her sabbaths,—all the days of her lying desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil seventy years.
22 But in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to accomplish the word of God by the mouth of Jeremiah Yahweh aroused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made proclamation throughout all his kingdom, moreover also in writing, saying:
23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Yahweh God of the heavens given unto me, and he himself hath laid charge upon me to build to him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people with whom is Yahweh his God? Then let him go up.