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§ Solomon’s gift of wisdom¤1 °1 Solomon, son of David, took firm
control of the Kingdom of Israel. Yahweh, his God, was with him and exalted
him greatly. °2 Solomon
then spoke to all Israel, to commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the
judges, and to all the princes of Israel, the heads of families. °3 Then
Solomon, and with him the whole assembly, went to the High place at Gibeon,
where God’s Tent of Meeting was, which Moses, the servant of God, had made in
the wilderness; °4 David,
however, had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-Jearim to the place he had
prepared for it, having set up a tent for it in Jerusalem. °5 The
bronze altar that Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, had made stood there in
front of the Holy Tent of Yahweh; Solomon, with the assembly, came to this
altar, looking for Yahweh’s presence. °6 Solomon went up to the bronze
altar that was by the Tent of Meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings
on it. °7 That
night, God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask what you would like me to give
you.”
°8 Solomon
replied to God, “You showed great kindness to David my father; and you have
made me king in his place. °9 Yahweh
God, the promise you made to David my father has now been fulfilled, since
you have made me king over a people who are so many that they cannot be
counted. °10 Therefore
now give me wisdom and knowledge to act as leader of this people, for who
could govern a people so great as yours?” °11 God said
to Solomon, “Since that is what you want, you have asked, not for riches,
treasure, honor, the lives of your enemies, or even for a long life, but for
wisdom and knowledge to govern my people of whom I have made you king; °12 therefore
wisdom and knowledge are granted you. I give you riches too, and treasures,
and honor such as none of the kings had that were before you, nor shall any
have that come after you.” °13 Solomon
left the High place and the Tent of Meeting at Gibeon and returned to
Jerusalem. °14 Solomon
built up a force of chariots and horses; he had one thousand four hundred
chariots and twelve thousand horses; these he stationed in the chariot towns
and with the king in Jerusalem. °15
During his reign, silver and gold became as common
in Jerusalem as stone, while cedar wood was as plentiful as the ordinary
sycamore trees in the foothills of Judah. °16 Solomon’s horses were imported
from Cilicia; the king’s agents took delivery of them from Cilicia at a fixed
rate. °17 They
imported chariots from Egypt for 600 pieces of silver each, and horses for
150 each. These men acted in the same way for all the kings of the Hittites
and the kings of Aram. °18 Solomon
decided to build a house for Yahweh’s Name and a palace for himself. § Solomon and Huram¤2 °1 He put 70,000 men to work
transporting materials, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600
supervisors in charge of them. °2 Solomon
then sent this message to Huram king of Tyre, “Deal with me as you dealt with
my father David when you sent him cedars to build a house to live in. °3 I am now building a house to
honor Yahweh, my God, to acknowledge his holiness by burning incense of
scented spices in his presence, by the loaves that are perpetually set out,
by offerings morning and evening, on the sabbath, New Moon, and the solemn
festivals of Yahweh our God – and this forever in Israel. °4 The house I am building will be
large, for our God is greater than all gods. °5 Yet no one can really build a
temple for God since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him. And I
cannot build him a house for anything more than to burn incense in his
presence. °6 So send
me a man skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, scarlet,
crimson, violet, and the art of engraving too; he is to work with the skilled
men whom my father David provided here in Judah and Jerusalem. °7 From
Lebanon send me cedar wood, juniper and algummim, since I know your servants
are experts in felling the trees of Lebanon. My servants will work with
yours. °8 They
will prepare wood in bulk for me, since the house I wish to build is to be of
astounding size. °9 For
the woodmen who are to fell the trees I assign twenty thousand kors of grain,
twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty
thousand baths of oil – this is for the maintenance of your servants.” °10 In a
letter sent to King Solomon, Huram king of Tyre replied, “Because Yahweh
loves his people he has made you king. °11 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of
Israel, who has made the heavens and the earth, and given King David a wise
son, full of understanding and skill, who is going to build a house for
Yahweh and a palace for himself and his court. °12 And I am also sending you a
skilled craftsman, Huram-Abi, °13 the
son of a Danite woman by a Tyrian father. He is skilled in the use of gold,
silver, bronze, iron, stone, wood, scarlet, violet, fine linen, crimson, in
engraving of all kinds, and in the execution of any design suggested to him.
Let him be put to work with your craftsmen and those of my lord David, your
father. °14 So
now let my lord send his servants the wheat, barley, oil and wine, as already
suggested. °15 For our
part, we will cut down all the cedar trees you need from Lebanon, and bring
them to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, and you will transport them to
Jerusalem.” °16 Solomon
took a count of all the foreigners living in the land of Israel, following
the census that David his father had taken; it was found there were a hundred
and fifty-three thousand six hundred. °17 He assigned seventy thousand of
these for carrying loads, eighty thousand as stonecutters in the hill
country, and three thousand six hundred as overseers to make sure the people
worked. § The building of Yahweh’s house¤3 °1 Solomon then began to build
Yahweh’s House in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where David his father had a vision.
It was the place prepared by David, the threshing floor of Ornan the
Jebusite. °2 Solomon
began building in the second month of the fourth year of his reign, on the
second day. °3 The
house which Solomon built was 90 feet long and 30 feet high. °4 The Hall
in front of the Great Room of the Temple was 30 cubits long across the width
of the house, and its height was 180 feet. He plated it on the inside with
pure gold. °5 The
Great Room he faced with juniper which he plated with pure gold, and on it set
palms and festoons. °6 He
adorned the building with precious stones of great beauty; the gold was gold
from Parvaim, °7 and
with this he faced the house, the beams, thresholds, walls and doors; on the
walls he carved cherubs. °8 He then
built the Holy of Holies; its length, across the width of the Great Room, was
30 feet, and its width 30 feet. He plated it with 25 tons of fine gold; °9 the gold
nails weighed 20 ounces. He also plated the upper rooms with gold. °10 In the
Holy of Holies he made two cherubs of wrought metal work and plated them with
gold. °11 The
total span of the cherubs’ wings was 30 feet, each being 7 ½ feet long, with
one wing touching the wall of the room, while the other touched that of the
other cherub. °12 One
wing of a cherub, 7 ½ feet long, touched the wall of the apartment; the
second, 7 ½ feet long, touched the wing of the other cherub. °13 The
spread of these cherubs’ wings was 30 feet. They stood on their feet, facing
the Hall. °14 He made
the Veil of violet, scarlet, crimson and fine linen; he worked cherubs on it. °15 In front
of the Great room he made two pillars 52 feet high, and on the top of each a
capital measuring 7 feet. °16 He
set festoons like in the Holy of holies, at the tops of the pillars, and a
hundred pomegranates which he placed on the festoons. °17 He set up
the pillars in front of the house, one on the right, the other on the left;
the one on the right he called Jachin, the one on the left Boaz. ¤4 °1 He made an altar of bronze, 30
feet long, 30 feet wide and ten high. °2 He made
the Sea of cast metal, 15 feet from rim to rim, circular in shape and 7 feet
high; a cord 44 feet long gave the measurement of its girth. °3 Under it
and completely encircling it were pomegranates; they went around the Sea over
a length of 44 feet; the pomegranates were in two rows, of one and the same
casting with the rest. °4 It
rested on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing
south, three facing east; on these, their hindquarters all turned inward,
stood the Sea. °5 It
was a hand’s breadth in thickness, and its rim was shaped like the rim of a
cup, like a flower. It could hold 15,000 gallons of water. °6 He made
ten basins, arranging five on the right side, five on the left, for washing
the victim for the burnt offering which was purified there; but the Sea was
for the priests to wash in. °7 He
made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed and placed them in the
Great room, five on the right and five on the left. °8 He made a
hundred golden sprinkling bowls. °9 He made
the court of the priests and the great court with its gates and plated the
gates with bronze. °10 He
placed the Sea some distance from the right-hand side, to the southeast. °11 Huram
also made the pots, the shovels and the bowls. Thus he
completed the work he had to do for King Solomon in the house of God: °12 the two
pillars; the two moldings of the capitals surmounting the pillars; the two
sets of filigree to cover the two moldings of the capitals surmounting the
pillars; °13 the
four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of filigree, with the pomegranates
of each filigree in two rows; °14 the
ten stands and the ten basins on the stands; °15 the Sea and the twelve oxen
beneath it; °16 the
pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their accessories made by Huram-Abi of
burnished bronze for King Solomon, for Yahweh’s House. °17 The king
made them by the process of sand casting, near the Jordan between Succoth and
Zeredah. °18 Solomon
made all these articles in such quantities, that the weight of bronze could
not be reckoned. °19 Solomon
placed all the furnishings he had made in the house of God: the golden altar
and the tables for the loaves of offering; °20 the lampstands of pure gold with
their lamps to burn, as prescribed, before the sanctuary, of pure gold; °21 the
floral work, the lamps, the extinguishers, of gold (and it was pure gold); °22 the
knives, the sprinkling bowls, incense boats, of fine gold; the door of the
Temple, the inner doors (for the Holy of Holies) and the Temple doors (for
the Hekal), of gold. § The ark is brought to the temple¤5 °1 So all the work that Solomon did
for Yahweh’s House was completed, and Solomon brought the dedicated offerings
of his father David, the silver and the gold and the vessels, and put them in
the Temple storerooms. °2 Then
Solomon called the leaders of the tribes and clans of Israel together in
Jerusalem to bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh up from the City of
David, which is Zion. °3 All
the men of Israel assembled around the king in the seventh month, at the time
of the feast. °4 All
the leaders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark °5 and the
Tent of Meeting with all the sacred vessels that were in it; the levitical
priests carried them. °6 King
Solomon, and all the community of Israel gathered with him in front of the
ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, countless, innumerable. °7 The
priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, in the place,
in the sanctuary of the house, that is, in the Holy of Holies, under the
cherubs’ wings. °8 For
there where the ark was placed the cherubs spread out their wings and
sheltered the ark and its poles. °9
The poles of the ark were long enough for their ends
to be seen from the Holy Place in front of the sanctuary, but not from
outside; °10 they
are still there today. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone
slabs that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where Yahweh had made a covenant
with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. °11 Finally,
the priests came out of the sanctuary. All the priests were present, for they
had purified themselves whatever group they belonged to. °12 All the
Levite musicians, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun with their sons and brothers,
were stationed to the east of the altar, robed in fine linen and playing
cymbals, harps, and lyres. A hundred and twenty priests accompanied them on
the trumpet. °13 All
those who played the trumpet, or who sang, united in giving praise and glory to
Yahweh. Lifting their voices to the sound of the trumpet and cymbal and
instruments of music, they gave praise to Yahweh. “For he is good, for his
love is everlasting.” Just then a cloud filled the sanctuary, the building of
Yahweh. °14 Because
of the cloud the priests could no longer perform their duties: for the Glory
of Yahweh filled the house of God. ¤6 °1 Then Solomon said: “Yahweh has
chosen to live in the thick cloud. Yes, I have built you a majestic temple, °2 a place
for you to live in forever.” °3 Then the
king turned and asked God’s blessing on the whole assembly of Israel, who
were standing there. °4 He
said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has spoken through the mouth
of David, my father and has now carried out by his hand what he said: °5 From the
day I brought my people out of Egypt until now I did not choose any city in
the land of Israel as the place to build a house where my Name would be, and
I did not choose anyone to be prince of my people Israel. °6 But now I
have chosen Jerusalem as the place where my Name will be, and you, David, to
rule my people.’ °7 My
father David had set his heart on building a house for the Name of Yahweh,
the God of Israel, °8 but
Yahweh said to him, ‘You have set your heart on building a temple for my
name, and in this you have done well; °9 and yet, you are not the man to
build the house; your son, born of your own body, shall build me a house.’ °10 Yahweh
has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and am seated
on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised; and now I have built a house for
the Name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, °11 and have placed in it the ark
containing the covenant that Yahweh made with the people of Israel.” § Solomon’s prayer°12 Then in
the presence of the whole assembly of Israel Solomon stood before the altar
of Yahweh and stretched out his hands. °13 Solomon had made a bronze
pedestal and had placed it in the middle of the court; it was 7 feet long, 7
feet wide and 7 feet high. Solomon mounted it, and knelt down on it in the
presence of the whole assembly of Israel; he stretched out his hands to
heaven. °14 and
said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, not in heaven nor on earth is there such a God
as you; you are true to your covenant and show graciousness toward your
servants when they live in wholehearted obedience to you. °15 You have
kept the promise you made to your servant David my father; what you promised
with your mouth, today you have carried out by your hand. °16 And now,
Yahweh, God of Israel, keep the promise you made your servant David when you
said, ‘You shall always have someone from your line to rule as king of
Israel, if only your sons are careful how they behave, following my Law as
you yourself have done.’ °17 So now,
God of Israel, let the words come true which you spoke to your servant David
my father. °18 Yet
will God really live with men and women on the earth? Why, the heavens and
their own heavens cannot contain you! How much less this house that I have
built! °19 Listen
to the prayer and grant the requests of your servant, Yahweh my God; listen
to the cry and to the prayer your servant makes to you. °20 Day and
night let your eyes watch over this house, where you have promised that your
Name would be. °21 Hear the
prayers of your servant and of Israel your people as they pray in this place.
From heaven where your dwelling is, hear; and, as you hear, forgive. °22 If anyone
sins against his neighbor, and the neighbor calls down a curse on him and
makes him swear an oath before your altar in this house, °23 hear from
heaven, and act; decide between your servants: punish the wicked one,
bringing his conduct down on his own head; and vindicate the innocent,
rewarding him as his innocence deserves. °24 If Israel
your people are defeated by the enemy because they have sinned against you,
but they return to you and praise your name and humbly pray to you for
forgiveness, in this house, °25 hear
from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to
the land you gave to them and to their ancestors. °26 When the
heavens are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you,
if they pray in this place and praise your name, having been humbled by you,
and repent of their sin, °27 hear
from heaven and forgive the sin of your servant and of your people Israel.
Teach them to do what is right; and send rain on your land which you have
given your people as an inheritance. °28 Should
there be famine in the land or epidemic or the crops are destroyed by
scorching winds or swarms of locusts, should this people’s enemies lay siege
to one of their cities, if there is any plague or sickness, °29 if any
person, or all Israel your people, should, out of heartfelt sorrow, pray,
stretching out his hands toward this house, °30 hear from heaven where your home
is. Forgive, and deal with each as his conduct deserves, for you know each
heart – you alone know the hearts of all humankind – °31 that they
may come to you and follow your ways as long as they live in the land you
gave to our ancestors. °32 And the
foreigner too, not belonging to your people Israel, if he comes from a
distant country for the sake of your Name and of your mighty hand and
outstretched arm, if he comes and prays in this house, °33 hear from
heaven where your home is, and grant all the foreigner asks, so that all the
peoples of the earth may come to know your name and, like your people Israel,
revere you, and know that your Name dwells in this house I have built. °34 If your people
go out to war against their enemies whatever way you send them, and if they
turn toward the city you have chosen and toward the house I have built for
your Name and pray to you, °35 hear
from heaven their prayer and give them victory. °36 If they
sin against you – for there is no one who does not sin – and you are angry
with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they are led away captive to a
land far or near, °37 if in the
land of their exile they come to themselves and repent, and in the country of
their captivity they pray to you saying, ‘We have sinned, we confess how
sinful and wicked we have been,’ °38
and if they turn again to you with all their heart
and soul in the country of their captivity to which they have been deported,
and pray, turning toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city
you have chosen, and toward the house I have built for your name, °39 hear from
heaven where your home is. Hear their prayer, be merciful to them, and
forgive your people the sins they have committed against you. °40 Now, O my
God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer offered in
this place. °41 And
now rise Yahweh God, come to your resting place, you and the ark of your
power. Let your priests, Yahweh God, be blessed in all they do, and your
faithful people rejoice in prosperity. °42 Yahweh
God, do not reject the face of your anointed king and remember David your
servant.” § Dedication of Yahweh’s house¤7 °1 When Solomon had finished his
prayer, fire came down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices that had been
offered; and the Glory of Yahweh filled the Temple. °2 The
priests could not enter the temple of Yahweh’s House because the glory of
Yahweh filled his house. °3 All
the people of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the Glory of God resting
on the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the earth; they
worshiped and gave praise to Yahweh, “for he is good, for his love is
everlasting.” °4 Then
the king and all the people offered sacrifice before Yahweh. °5 King
Solomon offered twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand
sheep in sacrifice; and so the king and all the people dedicated Yahweh’s
House. °6 The
priests stood in their places, and also the Levites who gave praise to Yahweh
on the instruments that David had made to accompany the canticles of Yahweh,
“for his love is everlasting.” They played and sang the hymns of praise that
David had composed. By their side were the priests sounding the trumpet,
while all Israel stood. °7 Solomon consecrated
the inside part of the court that is in front of Yahweh’s House; he offered
the burnt offering there and the fatty parts of the peace offerings since the
bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering, the grain
offering and the fatty part. °8 Solomon
then celebrated the feast for seven days. Enormous crowds of Israelites
gathered together with him from the Pass of Hamath to the border of Egypt. °9 On the
eighth day they held a closing celebration, for they had been seven days celebrating
the dedication of the altar. °10 On
the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon dismissed the people who
returned to their homes, rejoicing and with happy hearts for the goodness
Yahweh had shown to David, to Solomon and to his people Israel. °11 Solomon
finished Yahweh’s House and the royal palace and successfully concluded all
he had set himself to do in both of them. °12 Then Yahweh appeared to Solomon
in the night and said, “I have heard your prayer. I choose this house to be
the place where sacrifices are to be offered to me. °13 When I
close the skies and there is no rain, when I command the locust to devour the
land, when I send an epidemic among my people, °14 and my people who bear my name
humble themselves, and pray and look for me, and turn from their wicked ways
then I myself will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their
land. °15 From
now on, my eyes are open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is offered
in this place. °16 From
now on, I have chosen and consecrated this house as the place where my name
will be forever; my eyes and my heart will be there forever. °17 For your
part, if you serve me faithfully as David your father did, if you do all that
I order you and keep my statutes and my ordinances, °18 I will
make your royal throne secure, according to the promise I made to David your
father when I said: Israel will always be ruled by one of your descendants. °19 But if
you turn away from me and forsake the commandments and statutes I have set
before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, °20 then I
will cast the Israelites out from the land I have given them, and I will
reject this house that I have consecrated as the place where my Name would
be, so that it may be an example for all the nations. °21 All those
who pass by this place which is now so exalted, will be astounded; they will
whistle and say, ‘Why has Yahweh treated this country and this Temple like
this?’ °22 And
the answer will be, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,
who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, which
they worshiped and served; that is why he has brought all these disasters on
them.’” § Solomon’s works¤8 °1 Solomon spent twenty years in building
Yahweh’s House and his own palace. °2 Then he rebuilt the towns that
Huram had given him and settled Israelites in them. °3 He went
against Hamath of Zobah and conquered it: °4 he built Tadmor in the wilderness
and all the storing towns which he built in Hamath. °5 He
rebuilt Upper beth-Horon and
Lower Beth-Horon, fortified towns with walls and gates and bars, °6 also
Baalath and all the storing towns owned by Solomon, all the towns for his
chariots and horses, and all it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in
Lebanon and in all the countries subject to him. °7 Solomon employed for forced labor
all those who remained of the Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Hivite and
Jebusite peoples, that is the non-Israelites °8 whose descendants were left in
the country and had not been killed by the Israelites. Their descendants
continue to be slaves down to the present time. °9 Upon the Israelites, however,
Solomon did not impose slave labor; these served as fighting men; they were
officers of his chariots and commanders of horsemen. °10 Solomon
appointed two hundred and fifty overseers to make all these people work. °11 Solomon
brought Pharaoh’s daughter from the City of David up to the house he had
built for her. For he said, “I can’t let a woman live in the palace of David
king of Israel; these are holy places where the ark of Yahweh has been.” °12 Solomon
then offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on Yahweh’s altar which he had built
in front of the porch. °13 Observing
the daily rule for burnt offerings according to the requirements of Moses for
sabbaths, New Moon and the three annual feasts: the feast of Unleavened
Bread, the feast of Weeks and the feast of Tabernacles. °14 He
established the priestly orders in their duties according to the regulations
of his father David. He also enforced the rules affecting the Levites who
offered praise and served with the priests according to the daily ritual, and
the different orders of gatekeepers at each gate, for such had been the
commandments of David, the man of God. °15 They did not change anything of
the royal ordinances applying to the priests and the Levites, not even in the
matter of treasurership. °16 In
this way all of Solomon’s work was completed from the day when the foundations
of Yahweh’s House were laid, until the end – and so... Yahweh’s House was
finished. °17 Then
Solomon went as far as Eziongeber and Elath on the shores of the sea, in the
land of Edom. °18 Huram
sent him ships manned by his own men, who were experienced sailors. These men
went with Solomon’s men to Ophir and from there they brought back almost
sixteen tons of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon. § The Queen of Sheba¤9 °1 The fame of Solomon having
reached the queen of Sheba, she came to Jerusalem to test him with difficult
questions. She came with immense riches, camels loaded with spices, great
quantities of gold and precious stones. On coming to Solomon, she asked him
all the questions that she had in mind, °2 and Solomon had an answer for all
her questions, not one was too difficult for him to explain. °3 When the queen of Sheba saw the
wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, °4 the food at his table, the
accommodations for his officials, the organization of his staff and the way
they were dressed, his cupbearers and the burnt offerings he offered in the
Temple of Yahweh, it left her breathless; °5 and she said to the king, “What I
heard in my own country about you and your wisdom was true, then! °6 I could
not believe what they told me was not even half of your wisdom for the
reality surpasses what I heard. °7
How happy your wives are! How happy these servants
of yours who wait on you always and hear your wisdom! °8 Blessed
be Yahweh your God who loves you and made you king to rule in his name.
Because your God loves Israel and wants to preserve them forever, he has made
you their king to administer law and justice.” °9 And the
queen of Sheba gave King Solomon almost five tons of gold and great
quantities of spices and precious stones. There never were spices like those
the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. °10 Similarly the servants of Huram
and the servants of Solomon, who carried gold from Ophir, brought algummim
wood and precious stones. °11 Of
the algummim wood the king made floorboards for Yahweh’s House and for the
royal palace, and lyres and harps for the musicians; nothing like them had
ever been seen before in the land of Judah. °12 And King Solomon, in his turn,
gave the queen of Sheba everything she expressed any wish for, besides
returning what she had brought to the king. Then she went home, she and her
servants, to her own country. °13 The
weight of gold coming to Solomon in one year was over twenty-five tons, °14 not
counting the taxes paid by the traders and merchants; all the kings of Arabia
and the governors of the country also brought gold and silver to Solomon. °15 King
Solomon made two hundred great shields of beaten gold, and plated each shield
with about fifteen pounds of gold, °16 and also three hundred small shields
of beaten gold, and plated each of these with about eight pounds of gold; and
he put them in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon. °17 The king also made a great ivory
throne and plated it with purest gold. °18 The throne had six steps, with a platform
behind and arms at either side of the seat; two lions stood beside the arms, °19 and
twelve lions stood on either side of the six steps. No throne like this was
ever made in any other kingdom. °20 All King
Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the furnishings in the Hall
of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered
valuable in the time of Solomon. °21
And the king also had ships that went to Tarshish
with Huram’s men, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would come
back bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes and baboons. °22 King
Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king in the world. °23 All the
kings of the earth consulted Solomon to hear the wisdom God had given him, °24 and each
would bring his own present: gold vessels, silver vessels, robes, armor,
spices, horses and mules; and this went on year after year. °25 Solomon
had four thousand stalls for his horses and chariots, and twelve thousand
horses; these were stationed in the chariot towns and near the king in
Jerusalem. °26 Solomon
extended his power over all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the
Philistines and the Egyptian border. °27 In Jerusalem the king made silver
as common as stone, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamores of the Lowlands.
°28 Horses
were imported for Solomon from Cilicia and all the other countries too. °29 The rest
of the history of Solomon, from first to last, is recorded in the History of
Nathan the prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the Vision of
Iddo, the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. °30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over
all Israel for forty years. °31 Then
Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his
father; his son Rehoboam succeeded him. § The division of the kingdom¤10 °1 Rehoboam went to Shechem where
all the people of northern Israel had gone to proclaim him king. °2 As soon as Jeroboam son of Nebat
heard the news – he was still in Egypt where he had gone to escape from king
Solomon – he returned from Egypt. °3
The people of the northern tribes sent for him, and
he came with the whole assembly. And they said
this to Rehoboam, °4 “Your
father placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter for us,
we will serve you.” °5 He
said, “Come back to me in three days.” And the people went away. °6 King
Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served as advisers to his father
Solomon and asked them, “What reply do you advise me to give to this people?”
°7 They said,
“If you are kind to these people and listen to them and treat them fairly,
then they will serve you forever.” °8 But he rejected the advice given
him by the elders and consulted the bloody young men who had grown up with
him. °9 He
asked, “How do you advise us to answer these people who have said to me,
‘Lighten the burden your father put on us’?” °10 The bloody young men who had
grown up with him replied, “Give this answer to these people who have said,
‘Your father gave us a heavy burden to bear, you must lighten it for us.’ Say
this to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! °11 My father
made you bear a heavy burden, but I will make it heavier still! My father
beat you with whips; I am going to beat you with bullwhips!’ ” °12 Jeroboam
with all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day according to what the
king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.” °13 King Rehoboam, rejecting the
advice of the elders, gave them a harsh answer °14 and spoke to them as the bloody
young men had recommended, “My father made you bear a heavy burden, but I
will make it heavier still. My father beat you with whips; I am going to beat
you with bullwhips!” °15 The
king in fact paid no attention to the people’s wishes, and this was brought
about by God to carry out what Yahweh had spoken through Ahijah of Shiloh to
Jeroboam son of Nebat. °16 When
all Israel saw that the king paid no attention to their wishes, they gave him
this answer: “Down with David and his descendants! What have they ever done
for us? To your tents, men of Israel; let’s go home. From now on let Rehoboam
look out for himself!” °17 So the
people of Israel rebelled and Rehoboam was left with those people of Israel
who lived in the towns of Judah. °18
King Rehoboam sent Adoram who was in charge of
forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death; °19 whereupon
King Rehoboam was obliged to mount his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. And
the people of Israel have been in rebellion against the family of David until
the present day. ¤11 °1 Rehoboam went to Jerusalem and
called together the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty
thousand selected warriors, to fight the northern tribes of Israel and win
back the kingdom of Rehoboam. °2 But
the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Shemaiah, °3 “Say this to Rehoboam son of
Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin,
‘Yahweh says this: °4 Do not attack your fellow
Israelites; let everyone go home, for what has happened is my doing.’ ” °5 They obeyed
Yahweh’s command and went back, instead of fighting against Jeroboam. § Rehoboam
Rehoboam
lived in Jerusalem and built fortified towns in Judah. °6 He
rebuilt Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, °7
Bethzur, Soco, Adullam, °8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, °9 Adoraim,
Lachish, Azekah, °10 Zorah,
Aijalon, Hebron; these were fortified towns in Judah and Benjamin. °11 He
fortified them with walls and put commanders in them with stores of food, oil
and wine. °12 In
each of these towns were shields and spears. He made them very strong to keep
Judah and Benjamin under control. °13 From all
the territory of Israel, priests and Levites came south to Judah. °14 The
Levites, indeed, abandoned their pasture lands and their holdings, and came
to Judah and Jerusalem, since Jeroboam and his sons did not recognize them as
the only priests of Yahweh °15 and
had appointed priests of his own to serve at the High places to worship the
goats and the bullcalves he had made. °16 Members of all the tribes of
Israel, people who sincerely wanted to worship Yahweh the God of Israel,
followed them and came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their
ancestors. °17 These
Israelites added strength to the kingdom of Judah, and gave their support to
Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because during three years he
followed the example of David and Solomon. °18 Rehoboam
took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth, son of David and of Abihail,
daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse. °19
She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. °20 After her,
he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and
Shelomith. °21 Rehoboam
loved Maacah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his other wives and
concubines. He had in fact a total of eighteen wives and sixty concubines,
twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. °22 Rehoboam favored Abijah, Maacah’s
son over all his other children, choosing him as the one to succeed him as
king. °23 Rehoboam
ruled prudently by scattering his sons throughout Judah and Benjamin in the
fortified towns, where he provided them with generous provisions and many
wives. ¤12 °1 As soon as Rehoboam had
established his authority as king and had become powerful, he and all his
people abandoned the Law of Yahweh. °2 In the
fifth year of Rehoboam, Shishak the king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, since
it had been unfaithful to Yahweh. °3
With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand
horses and countless army of Libyans, Sukkiim and Ethiopians who came from
Egypt with him, °4 he
captured the fortified towns of Judah and reached Jerusalem. Rehoboam and the
Judaean captains, at the advance of Shishak, had gathered near Jerusalem; °5 to them
came Shemaiah the prophet and he said, “Yahweh says this: as you have
abandoned me, now I have abandoned you into the hands of Shishak. °6 Then the
Israelite captains and the king humbled themselves and said, “Yahweh is
just!” °7 When
Yahweh saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to
Shemaiah. “They have humbled themselves; because of this I will not destroy
them. In a little while I will grant them deliverance; my anger shall not
fall on Jerusalem through the power of Shishak. °8 Nevertheless they shall become
his slaves, so that they may come to understand the difference between
serving me and serving the kings of foreign countries.” °9 Shishak
the king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took all the treasures from the
Temple of Yahweh and from the royal palace. He took everything, including the
golden shields that Solomon had made; °10 in place of them King Rehoboam had
bronze shields made, entrusting them to the care of the officers of the guard
who guarded the king’s palace gate. °11 Whenever the king went to the
Temple of Yahweh, the guards would come out carrying them, and return them to
the guardroom afterward. °12 Since
he had submitted to Yahweh, the anger of Yahweh did not completely destroy
him. There was still something good in Judah. °13 King
Rehoboam was able to strengthen his position in Jerusalem and to govern. Now
Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king and he reigned for
seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city chosen by Yahweh out of all the tribes
of Israel, as the place where his Name would be. Rehoboam’s mother was
Naamah, the Ammonitess. °14 He
did evil, because he had not set his heart on seeking Yahweh. °15 The
history of Rehoboam, from first to last, is all recorded in the Annals of
Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer. There was constant warfare between
Rehoboam and Jeroboam. °16 Then
Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David; his son
Abijah succeeded him. § Abijah¤13 °1 In the eighteenth year of King
Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah °2 and reigned
for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel, from
Giveah. Abijah and Jeroboam were at war. °3 Abijah went into battle with an
army of brave fighters, four hundred thousand picked men, while Jeroboam drew
up his battle line against him with eight hundred thousand picked men, brave
soldiers. °4 Abijah
went up Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and cried, “Jeroboam
and all Israel, listen to me! °5 Do you know that Yahweh the God
of Israel has given the kingship of Israel to David forever? It is an
unbreakable covenant for him and for his sons. °6 Yet
Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, has rebelled
against his king; °7 worthless
men, scoundrels, have rallied to him and opposed Rehoboam, the son of
Solomon. Rehoboam, then a young man and timid, was unable to resist them. °8 Now you
propose to subdue the Kingdom of Yahweh that he gave to David’s descendants.
You stand here with a huge army, but you are bringing the golden calves that
Jeroboam made you for gods! °9 Have
you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites,
to make priests of your own like the peoples of foreign countries? Anyone who
comes with a bull and seven rams can ask to be consecrated and become priest
of what is no god at all! °10 As
for us, our God is Yahweh, and we have not abandoned him: the sons of Aaron
minister to Yahweh, and the Levites as well. °11 Every morning, every evening, we
burn burnt offerings to Yahweh our God, we have the incense of sweet spices,
the loaves set out in rows on the pure table, the golden lampstand with its
lamps that burn each evening; for we observe the ritual of Yahweh our God,
that you have abandoned. °12 See
how God is with us, at our head; see his priests with the trumpets, which
they will sound against you. People of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh,
the God of our ancestors, for you will not succeed.” °13 Jeroboam
outflanked the Judaeans by setting an ambush behind them; the Judaeans were
facing the Israelites with the ambush at their rear. °14 The
Judaeans, turning about, found themselves attacked from the front and the
rear. They called on Yahweh and while the priests sounded the trumpets, °15 the men
of Judah raised the war cry. And as they raised the war cry, God scattered
Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and the people of Judah. °16 The
Israelites fled before Judah and God delivered them into the power of the
Judaeans. °17 Abijah
and his army inflicted a crushing defeat on them: five hundred thousand of
Israel’s chosen men were killed. °18
And so the people of Israel were humbled and the
people of Judah were victorious because they relied on Yahweh, the God of
their ancestors. °19 Abijah
pursued Jeroboam’s army and captured towns from him: Bethel with its outlying
villages, Jeshanah with its outlying villages and Ephron with its outlying
villages. °20 So
in the lifetime of Abijah, Jeroboam could no longer maintain his power.
Yahweh struck him down, and he died. °21 But Abijah grew in strength; he
took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. °22 The rest
of the history of Abijah, his conduct and his deeds, is not all this recorded
in the commentary of the prophet Iddo? °23 Then Abijah rested with his
fathers and they buried him in the City of David; his son Asa succeeded him. In his time the
country was at peace for ten years. § Asa¤14 °1 Asa did what is good and right in
the eyes of Yahweh. °2 He
removed the altars of foreign worship and the High places. He broke down the
sacred stones and cut down the Asherah’s trunks. °3 He commanded the people of Judah
to do the will of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and to observe the Law
and its commands. °4 He
removed the High places and the altars of incense in every town of Judah. The
kingdom was at peace under his rule. °5 He rebuilt the fortified towns of
Judah, since the country was at peace, and there was no war during those
years, for Yahweh granted him peace. °6 He told
the people of Judah, “Let us rebuild these towns and surround them with walls
and towers, with gates and bars while we have control of this land, since we
have done the will of Yahweh our God; and he has protected us and given us
peace on every side.” °7 They
built and prospered. Asa had an army of three hundred thousand Judaeans armed
with buckler and spear, and two hundred eighty thousand Benjaminites bearing
shield and wielding the bow, all of them brave, well-trained men. °8 Zerah the
Cushite, with an army one million strong and three hundred chariots, made an incursion
which reached to Mareshah. °9 Asa marched against him and drew
up his battle line in the Valley of Zephathah, at Mareshah. °10 He called
on Yahweh, his God, “Yahweh, no one but you can stand up for the powerless against
the powerful. Come to our help, Yahweh our God! We rely on you, and fight
against this huge army in your name. Yahweh, you are our God. Let no one
defeat you.” °11 Yahweh
defeated the Cushites when Asa and the Judaean army attacked them. The Cushites
fled, °12 and
Asa pursued them with his army as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell even to the
last for they had been overpowered by Yahweh and his camp. They collected
great amounts of loot. °13 They
conquered all the towns in the area of Gerar, for the terror of Yahweh had
fallen on these towns and they plundered them all since they were full of
loot. °14 They
also attacked the camps of some shepherds and carried off great numbers of
sheep and camels; then they returned to Jerusalem. ¤15 °1 The spirit of God came on
Azariah, son of Obed; °2 he
went out to meet Asa and said, “Listen to me, Asa, and all you of Judah and
of Benjamin. Yahweh is with you so long as you are with him. When you look
for him, he lets you find him; when you turn away, he will abandon you. °3 For a long time Israel will be
without the true God, and without priest to teach the Law, °4 but when
trouble comes, they will turn to Yahweh, the God of Israel. They will look
for him and find him. °5 When that
time comes, there will be no peace for anyone, for many troubles will come
upon all the inhabitants of the earth. °6 One
nation will oppress another nation, and one city another city, because God
will bring trouble and distress on them. °7 But for your part, take courage,
and be strong, for your deeds will be rewarded.” °8 When Asa
heard these words and this prophecy, he was encouraged to do away with all
the idols throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin, and in the towns he had
captured in the highlands of Ephraim; he then repaired the altar of Yahweh
that stood in front of the Hall of Yahweh. °9 He gathered all Judah and
Benjamin together, and also the Ephraimites, Manassites and Simeonites who
had settled with them, since great numbers of Israelites had gone over to
Asa’s side when they saw that Yahweh was with him. °10 In the third month of the
fifteenth year of Asa they assembled in Jerusalem; °11 and they sacrificed to Yahweh
that day seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep out of the spoil they
had brought back. °12 They
made a covenant in which they agreed to seek Yahweh, the God of their
ancestors, with all their heart and soul; °13 anyone who would not seek Yahweh
the God of Israel was to be put to death, young or old, man or woman. °14 They
pledged their oath to Yahweh aloud with shouts to the sound of trumpet and
horn; °15 all
Judah rejoiced at the oath they had wholeheartedly taken. They sought Yahweh
so earnestly that he let them find him, and granted them peace on every side. °16 King Asa
took from his mother Maacah her title of queen mother, because she had made a
hideous idol for Asherah. Asa cut down the idol, and burned it at the Wadi
Kidron. °17 Though
the high places were not abolished in Israel, the heart of Asa was blameless
all his life. °18 He
deposited the offerings dedicated by his father and his own offerings too, in
the house of God, silver and gold and furnishings. °19 Up to the thirty-fifth year of
Asa’s reign there was no war. ¤16 °1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s
reign, Baasha king of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah to blockade
Asa king of Judah. °2 Asa
then took the silver and gold from the treasuries of Yahweh’s House and the
royal palace, and sent it with the following message to Ben-Hadad king of
Aram who lived in Damascus, °3 “Let
there be a covenant between myself and you, as between my father and your
father! With this I send you silver and gold. Come, break off your alliance
with Baasah king of Israel, so that he goes away from me. °4 Ben-Hadad
agreed, and sent his generals against the towns of Israel; he conquered Ijon,
Dan, Abelmaim and all the garrison towns of Naphtali. °5 When
Baasha heard this he stopped fortifying Ramah, abandoning this work. °6 King Asa
then brought all the people of Judah, who took away the stones and timber
with which Baasah had been fortifying Ramah, and the king used them to
fortify Geba and Mizpah. °7 It was
then that Hanani, the prophet, came to Asa king of Judah and said, “Since you
have relied on the king of Aram and not on Yahweh your God, the army of the
king of Aram will escape from you. °8 Did not the Cushites and Libyans
form a vast army with great numbers of chariots and horses? And were they not
delivered into your power because you relied on Yahweh? °9 Yahweh
keeps close watch over the whole world to give strength to those who are
devoted to him wholeheartedly. You have acted foolishly in this matter, for
from now on you will have wars.” °10 Asa was
very angry with the prophet and had him put in chains in prison, for he was
angry because of these words. At the same time Asa treated some others
harshly too. °11 The
history of Asa, from first to last, is recorded in the Book of the Kings of
Judah and Israel. °12 A
disease attacked Asa from head to foot in the thirty-ninth year of his reign;
and, what is more, he turned in his sickness, not to Yahweh, but to doctors. °13 Then Asa
rested with his fathers in the forty-first year of his reign. °14 They
buried him in the tomb he had ordered to be dug for himself in the City of
David. They laid him on a couch entirely covered with spices and varied
ointments, products of the perfumer’s skill, and lit a huge fire for him. § Jehoshaphat¤17 °1 His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him
and strengthened his position against Israel. °2 He put troops in all the fortified
towns in Judah, and appointed governors in the land of Judah and in all the
towns of Ephraim captured by his father Asa. °3 Yahweh
blessed Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of David his father and
did not worship Baal; °4 he
served the God of his father, following his commandments and not following
the example of Israel. °5 So
Yahweh made the kingship secure in his hands; all the people of Judah brought
gifts to Jehoshaphat, and ample riches and honor were his. °6 He took
pride in serving Yahweh and destroyed all the High places and Asherah’s
trunks in Judah. °7 In the
third year of his reign he sent his officers: Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah,
Nethanel and Micaiah, to give instruction in the towns of Judah. °8 With them
went the Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asaherel, Shemiramoth,
Jehonathan, Adonijah and Tobijah, the Levites, together with the priests,
Elishama and Jehoram. °9 They
gave instruction in Judah, having with them the book of the Law of Yahweh,
and went around all the towns of Judah instructing the people. °10 The fear
of Yahweh came upon all the kingdoms surrounding Judah, so that they did not
war against Jehoshaphat. °11 Some
of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver in tribute; the Arabs
themselves brought him, in small stock, seven thousand seven hundred rams and
seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. °12 Jehoshaphat became more and more
powerful. Throughout Judah he built fortresses and towns with storage places. °13 He had
many workers in the towns of Judah and a garrison of outstanding officers in
Jerusalem. °14 This
was their disposition by families: for Judah, commanders of thousands; Adnah,
the commanding officer, with three hundred thousand outstanding officers
under his command, °15 Jehohanan
with two hundred and eighty thousand; °16 Amasiah son of Zichri, who had
volunteered for Yahweh’s service, with two hundred thousand valiant warriors. °17 From
Benjamin: the valiant warrior Eliada with two hundred thousand, armed with
bow and shield: °18 under
his command, Jehozabad with a hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war. °19 These
were the men who served the king, not counting those the king had put in the
fortified towns throughout Judah. § Jehoshaphat and Ahab¤18 °1 Jehoshaphat, then, enjoyed great
wealth and honor and allied himself by marriage to Ahab. °2 After some years he went to visit
Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered for him and for his retinue great numbers
of sheep and oxen; then urged him to attack Ramoth-Gilead. °3 And he
asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you come with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” Jehoshaphat
answered the king of Israel, “I am with you, my men are yours, and we will
fight together.” °4 Jehoshaphat,
however, said to the king of Israel, “First, please consult the word of
Yahweh.” °5 So
the king of Israel called the prophets who were four hundred men, and asked
them, “Should we march to attack Ramoth-Gilead, or should I refrain?” They
replied, “Go, because Yahweh will deliver it into your power.” °6 But
Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here for us to
consult?” °7 The
king of Israel answered, “There is one more man through whom we can consult
Yahweh, but I hate him because he never tells me good things but only
discouraging words. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The king
should not say such things.” °8 Accordingly
the king of Israel summoned one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son
of Imlah immediately.” °9 The king
of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were both sitting on their thrones in
royal garments; they sat at the threshing-floor outside the gate of Samaria,
with all the prophets raving in front of them. °10 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had
made himself iron horns and said, “Yahweh says this: You will gore the
Arameans till you make an end of them.” °11 And all the prophets prophesied
the same saying, “March to Ramoth-Gilead, for you will succeed. Yahweh will
deliver it into the power of the king.” °12 In the
meantime the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “All the
prophets as one man are foretelling victory to the king. Try to speak like
one of them and foretell success.” °13 But Micaiah answered, “As Yahweh
lives, what my God says, that will I utter!” °14 When he came to the king, the
king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to attack Ramoth-Gilead, or should I
refrain?” He answered, “Go and you will succeed. They will be delivered into
your power.” °15 But
the king said, “How often must I beg you to tell me nothing but the truth in
the name of Yahweh?” °16 Then
Micaiah said, “I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep
without a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no master, let each one go
home in peace.’ ” °17 At this
the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never
foretells me good things, but only what is discouraging?” °18 Micaiah
went on. “Listen to the word of Yahweh. I have seen Yahweh seated on his
throne; all the array of heaven stood to his right and to his left. °19 Yahweh
said, ‘Who will trick Ahab king of Israel so that he goes and falls at
Ramoth-Gilead?’ At which some answered one way, and some another. °20 Then a
spirit stepped forward, approached Yahweh and said, ‘I will trick him.’
Yahweh asked, ‘How?’ °21 He
replied, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his
prophets.’ Yahweh said, ‘You shall trick him and succeed. Go and do it.’ °22 So Yahweh
has put a lying spirit into the mouths of your prophets here because he
himself wants you to meet with disaster!” °23 Then Zedekiah,
son of Chenaanah came up and slapped Michaiah’s face, and he asked, “When did
the spirit of Yahweh leave me, to talk to you?” °24 Micaiah replied, “This is what
you will find out the day you flee from house to house to hide.” °25 The king
of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and hand him over to Amon, governor of the
city, and to Prince Joash, °26 and
say: This is the king’s order: Put this man in prison and feed him on nothing
but bread and water until I come back safe and sound.” °27 Micaiah
said, “If you come back safe and sound, Yahweh has not spoken through me.” °28 The king
of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in
Gilead. °29 The
king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself as we go into battle,
but I want you to wear your royal clothes.” °30 The king of Aram had given his
chariot commanders the following order: “Do not attack anyone of whatever
rank, except the king of Israel.” °31
When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they
thought he was the king of Israel. And they wheeled to the attack. But
Jehoshaphat gave a shout and Yahweh came to his help, God rescued him and
turned the attack away from him. °32
The chariot commanders realized that he was not the
king of Israel and called off their pursuit. °33 By
chance, however, one of the soldiers shot an arrow which struck the king of
Israel between the joints of his armor. The king said to his charioteer,
“Turn around and get me out of the battle; I have been hurt.” °34 But the
battle grew fiercer so that they held the king upright in his chariot facing
the Aramaeans until evening, and at sunset he died. ¤19 °1 Jehoshaphat came back safe and
sound to Jerusalem. °2 Jehu,
son of Hanani the prophet, went to meet him and said to king Jehoshaphat,
“Should a man give help to the wicked? Should you love those who hate Yahweh?
Because of this you have brought his anger on you! °3 There
is some good in you, however, since you have removed from your land Asherah’s
trunks and have set your heart on seeking God.” °4 Jehoshaphat
stayed for a time in Jerusalem. After that he would again visit his people
regularly, from Beersheba to the highlands of Ephraim to bring them back to
Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. °5 He appointed judges in the
country in every one of all the fortified towns of Judah. °6 He said
to these judges, “Give due thought to your duties, since you are not judging
in people’s name but in the name of Yahweh, who is with you whenever you
pronounce sentence. °7 May
the fear of Yahweh now be on you. Keep the Law, apply it, for Yahweh our God
does not tolerate fraud or partiality or the taking of bribes.” °8 In
addition, Jehoshaphat appointed priests, Levites and heads of Israelite
families in Jerusalem as judges in cases involving a violation of the Law or
legal disputes between people living in the city. They lived in Jerusalem °9 and
Jehoshaphat gave them the following instructions, “You are to perform these
duties in the fear of Yahweh, as upright and honest men. °10 Whatever
dispute comes before you from your brothers living in their towns: either
about crimes or questions of the Law, you are to teach them the commandments,
statutes or ordinances, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against
Yahweh, lest his anger come on you and your brothers. Do this and you will
not be guilty. °11 Amariah,
the chief priest, will have final authority over you in all religious
matters, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, governor of Judah, in all matters
affecting the king. The Levites will serve as your scribes. Be courageous,
carry out these instructions, and Yahweh will be there to bring success.” ¤20 °1 After this the Moabites and
Ammonites with some of the Meunites started to make war on Jehoshaphat. °2 Jehoshaphat
received the following message, “A large army is advancing against you from
Edom, from the other side of the sea; they are already at Hazaaon-Tamar, that
is, Engedi.” °3 Jehoshaphat
was frightened and prayed to Yahweh for guidance. Then he ordered that a fast
be observed throughout the country. °4 Judah assembled to seek help from
Yahweh; they came seeking Yahweh’s guidance from every single town in Judah. °5 Then
Jehoshaphat stood before this assembly of the people of Judah and Jerusalem
in Yahweh’s House, before the new court °6 and said, “Yahweh, God of our
ancestors, are you not the God who dwells in heaven? Do you not rule over all
the kingdoms of the world? Such power and might are in your hands that no one
can oppose you. °7 Are
you not our God, you who drove out the people who were living here before
your people Israel and gave the land to the descendants of your friend
Abraham forever? °8 They
have settled in it and built a sanctuary in it for your name, °9 saying,
‘Should disaster strike us, or war, punishment, epidemic, or famine, then we
shall stand before this house and before you, for your Name rests on this
house. From the depths of our distress we shall cry to you, and you will hear
and save us.’ °10 Here now
are the Ammonites and Moab and the folk of Seir. When Israel came out of the
land of Egypt you would not let Israel invade them; instead, Israel turned
away from them and did not destroy them, °11 and this is how they reward us,
by coming to drive us out of the possessions you have given us as our
inheritance. °12 Will
you, our God, not punish them, since we are helpless in the face of this
large army that attacks us? We ourselves do not know what to do; but we look
to you.” °13 All the
men of Judah, even down to their youngest children and their wives, stood
there at the House. °14 In
the middle of the assembly the spirit of Yahweh came on Jahaziel son of
Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah the Levite, one of
the sons of Asaph. °15 And
he cried, “Listen all you people of Judah and you who live in Jerusalem, and
you, King Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says this to you: You must not be discouraged
or afraid to face this large army; this battle is not yours but God’s. °16 March out
against them tomorrow; they are coming up by the Slope of Ziz and you will
come on them in the Valley of Soph, near the wilderness of Jeruel. °17 You will
not need to fight there, but only take up your position, stand firm, and see
what salvation Yahweh has in store for you. Judah and Jerusalem, be fearless,
be dauntless; go out to battle tomorrow and Yahweh will be with you.” °18 Jehoshaphat
bent his head, his face to the ground, and all Judah with those who lived in
Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping him. °19 Then the Levites – Kohathites and
Korahites – began praising Yahweh the God of Israel at the top of their
voices. °20 They rose
early in the morning and left for the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were
setting out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me Judah and all who live
in Jerusalem! Put your trust in Yahweh your God and you will stand your
ground; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” °21 Then,
having held a conference with the people, he ordered some musicians to put on
the robes they wore on sacred occasions and to march at the head of the army,
to sing praises to him: “Give praise to Yahweh, for his love is everlasting.”
°22 As
they began to sing their joy and their praise, Yahweh threw the invading
armies into a panic and completely destroyed them. The Moabites and the
Ammonites struck the people of Seir and there was a disaster. °23 For the
Ammonites and Moabites turned on the mountain folk of Seir in savage fighting
and after they had destroyed them, they began to kill one another. °24 When the
men of Judah reached the spot that looks out on the wilderness and turned to
face the enemy, they found only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had
escaped. °25 Jehoshaphat
came with his troops to plunder them, and found quantities of cattle, goods,
clothing and valuables; they collected more than they could take away; the
loot was so plentiful that they were three days gathering it. °26 On the
fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah; and there they did indeed
praise Yahweh for all he had done. Because of this, this Valley was named the
Valley of Beracah which it is still called. °27 Then all the men of Judah and
Benjamin, with Jehoshaphat at their head, went back joyfully to Jerusalem,
for Yahweh had filled them with joy at the expense of their enemies. °28 To the
music of harp and lyre and trumpet they came to Jerusalem and to Yahweh’s
House. °29 When
the kingdoms of foreign countries heard how Yahweh had defeated Israel’s
enemies, they were all terrified. °30
In the meantime, the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was
calm, and God granted him peace on every side. °31 Jehoshaphat
reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he
reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, daughter
of Shilhi. °32 He
followed the example of his father Asa without wavering, doing what is right
in the eyes of Yahweh. °33 The
High places however, were not destroyed; the people had still not turned
their hearts to the God of their ancestors. °34 The rest of the history of
Jehoshaphat, from first to last, is recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of
Hanani which have been transcribed into the Book of the Kings of Israel. °35 After
this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel,
who led him into evil ways. °36 He combined with him to build big
ships that would sail to Tarshish. These were built at Eziongeber. °37 Eliezer,
son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, then made a prophecy against Jehoshaphat,
“Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed your
plans.” In fact the ships broke up and were never fit to sail to Tarshish. § Jehoram¤21 °1 Jehoshaphat rested with his
ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Jehoram succeeded him. °2 Jehoram
had six brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu,
Michael and Shepatiah; these were all the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
°3 Their
father had made them many gifts of silver, gold and jewels, and of fortified
towns in Judah, but he made Jehoram his successor since he was the firstborn.
°4 When
Jehoram was in firm control of the kingdom, he had all his brothers killed,
as well as some Israelite officials. °5 Jehoram
was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years
in Jerusalem. °6 He
followed the wicked example of the kings of Israel and did as the family of
Ahab had done, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters; and he did what
was evil in the eyes of Yahweh. °7
Yahweh however did not intend to destroy the
descendants of David, because of the covenant he had made with David, when he
promised to leave a lamp for him and his sons forever. °8 In his
time Edom revolted against Judah and set up a king for itself. °9 Jehoram
invaded Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. He rose during the night
and broke through and escaped from the Edomites encircling him and his
chariot commanders. °10 Thus
Edom became independent of Judah, and has remained free to the present day.
Libnah also revolted against Jehoram at the same time for he had deserted Yahweh,
the God of his ancestors. °11 He
also set up High places in the highlands of Judah and caused the people
living in Jerusalem and Judah to sin against Yahweh. °12 Then
something written by the prophet Elijah came into his hand. It ran, “This is
the word of Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor. You have not followed the
example of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah, °13 but the
wicked example of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the people
living in Jerusalem to sin against Yahweh, just as Ahab and his successors
did. You have also murdered your brothers, your own family, better men than
yourself. °14 Because
of this Yahweh will strike you with a great calamity, which will come upon
your people, your descendants, your wives and all your property. °15 You
yourself will suffer a painful intestinal disease that will grow worse day by
day.” °16 Yahweh
stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines and the Arabs bordering on the
Cushites. °17 They
attacked Judah and invaded it, carrying off all they found in the king’s
palace, including his sons and his wives; the only son left him was Ahaziah,
the youngest of them. °18 And
after all this, Yahweh brought on him a painful disease of the intestines. °19 It lasted
for more than one year, and when the two years were over and his last hour
had come, he died in great pain. The people did not light a bonfire in
mourning for him as they had for his father. °20 He was
thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.
He passed away with no one to regret him, and they buried him in the City of
David, though not in the tombs of the kings. § Ahaziah and his policy
¤22 °1 The people of Jerusalem proclaimed
his youngest son, Ahaziah, king in place of him, since the armed band that
had broken into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the elder sons. So
Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. °2 Ahaziah
was forty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in
Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. °3 He too
followed the example of Ahab’s family, since his mother gave him wicked
advice. °4 He
sinned against Yahweh as Ahab’s family had done, for they were his advisers
after his father’s death, and they led him to his downfall. °5 He also
put their policies into practice and went with Jeroham son of Ahab, king of
Israel, to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-Gilead. But the
Aramaeans wounded Jeroham, °6 who
returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that he had received at
Ramoth, fighting against Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son of
Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit Jehoram son of Ahab
because he was ill. °7 Yahweh
used this visit to Jeroham to bring about Ahaziah’s downfall. On his arrival
he went out with Jeroham against Jehu son of Nimshi whom Yahweh had chosen to
destroy the family of Ahab. °8 While
Jehu was busy carrying out God’s sentence against Ahab’s family, he came across
the officials of Judah and the kinsmen of Ahaziah who were in the king’s
service and killed them. °9 He
then went in search of Ahaziah who was captured while he tried to hide in
Samaria. He was taken to Jehu who put him to death. But they gave him burial,
for they said, “This was a son of Jehoshaphat who sought Yahweh with all his
heart.” § Athaliah°10 There was
no one left in the royal family of Ahaziah strong enough to reign. As soon as
Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, learned that her son was dead, she promptly
gave orders for all the members of the royal family of Judah to be killed. °11 But
Jehosheba, daughter of king Joram, secretly rescued Joash, her brother’s son,
from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and put him with his
nurse in the sleeping quarters; in this way Jehosheba the daughter of King
Joram and wife of Jehoiada the priest (a sister, too, of Ahaziah) hid him
from Athaliah, and prevented her from killing him. °12 He stayed with them for six
years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah governed the country. ¤23 °1 After waiting six years Jehoiada
the priest decided to take action. He sent for the commanders of hundreds:
Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed,
Maaseiah son of Adaiah and Elishaphat son of Zichri, and made a pact with
them. °2 They
went through Judah, gathering the Levites from all the towns of Judah, and
the heads of the Israelite families. They came to Jerusalem, °3 and this
whole assembly made a pact with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada told
them, “Here is the son of the king, let him rule as king as Yahweh has
promised regarding the descendants of David! °4 This is what you must do: one
third of you, priests, Levites and keepers of the gate, must come in for the
sabbath, °5 one
third must be at the royal palace, one third at the Gate of Foundation, and
all the people will be in the court of Yahweh’s House. °6 No one is
to enter Yahweh’s House except the priests and the Levites on duty, since
they are consecrated and may enter. The people must all obey Yahweh’s
instructions and stay outside. °7 The
Levites must surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; anyone who
tries to enter the Temple is to be put to death. Stay with the king wherever
he goes.” °8 The
Levites and all Judah carried out all the orders of Jehoiada the priest.
Every commander summoned both those who went off duty on the Sabbath, and
those coming on duty, because Jehoiada did not except anyone. °9 Then
Jehoiada the priest provided the commanders of hundreds with King David’s
spears and large and small shields, which were in the house of God. °10 He
stationed the men from the west wing to the east wing, between the House and
the altar, each with spear in hand, to protect the king. °11 Then they
brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put on him the ornaments, and
they proclaimed him king. Jehoiada and his sons then anointed him and
shouted, “Long live the king!” °12 Athaliah,
on hearing the shouts of the people who were rushing to the king and
acclaiming him, went to Yahweh’s House where the people were. °13 When she
saw the king standing there at the entrance beside the pillar, with the
captains and trumpeters at his side, and all the people from the countryside
rejoicing and sounding trumpets, and the cantors with their musical
instruments leading the hymns, Athaliah tore her clothes in distress and
shouted, “Treason, treason!” °14 Then
Jehoiada the priest called out the military officers and ordered them, “Take
her outside the Temple, and kill anyone who follows her.” And he also said,
“You must not put her to death in Yahweh’s House.” °15 They seized her, and when she had
reached the palace at the entry to the Gate of the Horses, they put her to
death there. °16 Jehoiada
made a covenant between the king and all the people, by which they would be
the people of Yahweh. °17 All
the people then went to the house of Baal and tore it down; they smashed his
altars and his images and killed Mattan, priest of Baal, in front of the
altars. °18 Jehoiada
posted sentries to guard Yahweh’s House under the authority of the levitical
priests. David had appointed them in Yahweh’s House to offer the burnt
offerings of Yahweh according to the Law of Moses, and to sing joyfully the
songs of David. °19 He
stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Temple of Yahweh so that no one who
was in any way unclean might enter. °20 Then taking the commanders of
hundreds, the notables, the ranking officials, and all the people from the
countryside, he brought the king in procession from the House to the palace.
They entered the royal palace through the main gate and seated the king on
the royal throne. °21 All
the people from the countryside were delighted, and the city was quiet.
Athaliah was put to death. § Joash¤24 °1 Joash was seven years old when he
became king and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was
Zibiah of Beersheba. °2 Joash
did what is pleasing to Yahweh throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the
priest. °3 Jehoiada
found him two wives and he had sons and daughters. °4 After
that Joash decided to repair Yahweh’s House. °5 Calling
the priests and the Levites together, he said, “Go out to the towns of Judah,
and collect enough money from all the Israelites to make possible annual repairs
on the house of God. Do this quickly.” But the Levites were in no hurry, °6 so the
king called Jehoiada for he was their head, and said, “Why have you not
insisted on the Levites collecting from Judah and Jerusalem the tax which
Moses, the servant of Yahweh, required the people to pay for the maintenance
of the Tent of the Meeting? °7 Athaliah
and her sons, whom she perverted, damaged the house of God and even used many
of the sacred objects in the worship of Baal.” °8 So the king ordered them to make
a chest and to place it outside the gate of Yahweh’s House. °9 And they
announced throughout Judah and Jerusalem that they had to bring to Yahweh the
tax Moses, that servant of God, had required in the wilderness. °10 All the
officials and all the people came joyfully with their contribution, dropping
it into the chest until all was paid. °11 The chest
was taken to the royal office of control by the Levites whenever they saw
that there was a great amount of money in it. The king’s secretary then came
with representatives of the chief priest to take the chest, empty it of money
and later return it to its place. They did this every day, and collected a
large sum of money. °12 The
king and Jehoiada gave the money to those who were in charge of repairing the
House, and they hired men, masons and carpenters, who set about restoring
Yahweh’s House; craftsmen in iron and bronze also worked on the repairing of
it. °13 The
supervisors having once made a start, the repairs went ahead; they rebuilt
the house of God as it was before, as solid as ever. °14 When they
had finished, they brought the balance of the money to the king and Jehoiada,
and from this, furnishings were made for Yahweh’s House, vessels for the
liturgy and for the burnt offerings, incense boats and objects of gold and
silver. So, for as long
as Jehoiada lived they offered sacrifices regularly in Yahweh’s House. °15 Then
Jehoiada, growing old, had his fill of days and died. He died at the age of a
hundred and thirty years, °16 and
they buried him with the kings in the City of David because he had served
Israel well and also God and his house. °17 After the
death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and
the king now turned to them for advice. °18 The Judaeans abandoned the house
of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, for the worship of sacred trunks and
idols and God’s anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem because of their guilt. °19 He sent
them prophets to bring them back to Yahweh, but when the prophets spoke, they
would not listen. °20 The
spirit of God took control of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood
up before the people and said, “God says this: Why are you disobeying the
commandments of Yahweh? You cannot prosper. You have abandoned Yahweh and he
will abandon you.” °21 They then plotted against him and
by order of the king stoned him in the court of Yahweh’s House. °22 King
Joash forgot the kindness of Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, and killed
Jehoiada’s son who cried out as he died, “Let Yahweh see and do justice!” °23 When a
year had gone by, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. They reached Judah and
Jerusalem, and killed all the officials among the people, sending back to the
king of Damascus all that they had plundered from them. °24 Though
the Aramaean army was small, Yahweh delivered into its power an army of great
size for they had abandoned him, the God of their ancestors. °25 The
Aramaeans wounded Joash and when they withdrew they left him a very sick man;
and his officers, plotting against him to avenge the death of the son of
Jehoiada the priest, murdered him in his bed. So he died, and they buried him
in the City of David, though not in the tombs of the king. °26 These
were the conspirators: Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite woman, and
Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess. °27 As regard his sons, the heavy
tribute he demanded, and the restoration of the house of God, this is all
recorded in the commentary on the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah
succeeded him. § Amaziah¤25 °1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old
when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His
mother was Hehoassan of Jerusalem. °2 He did what is pleasing to
Yahweh, though not steadily. °3 As soon as he was firmly in power,
he killed those of his officers who had murdered the king his father. °4 But he
did not put their sons to death, in obedience to what is written in the Law,
in the book of Moses, where Yahweh has ordered, “Fathers must not be put to
death for sons, nor sons for fathers; but everyone will pay for his own
crime.” °5 Amaziah
called the people of Judah together and organized them in families with
commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He
counted those who were twenty years old or older, and found there were three
hundred thousand of selected warriors fit for military service, and for
handling spear and shield. °6 Next,
he enrolled one hundred thousand from Israel as mercenaries, for about four
tons of silver. °7 A
man of God then came to him and said, “O king, don’t take these Israelite
soldiers with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel or with any of the
Ephraimites. °8 If
they come, whatever be the number of your men, God will still bring you down
before your enemies, for God’s is the power to uphold or to throw down.” °9 Amaziah
answered the man of God, “And what about the four tons of silver I have given
the Israelite soldiers?” The man of God replied, “Yahweh can give you far
more than that.” °10 At
this, Amaziah dismissed from his army the troops that had come to him from
Ephraim and sent them home; these men were furious with Judah and went home
in great anger. °11 Amaziah
led his army to Salt Valley and defeated ten thousand Edomite soldiers. °12 The men
of Judah took ten thousand captives alive and, taking them to the top of the
cliff, threw them off the top; they were all dashed to pieces. °13 Then the
Israelite troops which Amaziah had dismissed and not allowed to fight with
him raided the towns of Judah, from Samaria as far as Bethhoron, but they
were defeated by a troop of three thousand men who recovered great quantities
of plunder. °14 On
returning from his defeat of the Edomites, Amaziah brought the gods of the
Edomites with him and set these up as gods for himself, bowing down before
them and burning incense to them. °15
Then Yahweh became angry with Amaziah and he sent
him a prophet, who said, “Why have you looked to this people’s gods, who
could not save their own people from your power?” °16 He was still speaking when Amaziah
interrupted him, “Have we appointed you a royal counselor? If you do not want
to be hurt, be quiet!” The prophet paused; then he said, “Now I know that God
has decided to destroy you, since after having acted like this, you refuse to
listen to me.” °17 After
consulting his advisers, Amaziah king of Judah sent a message to Joash son of
Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, challenging him to fight. °18 Joash
king of Israel sent back word to Amaziah king of Judah, “The thornbush of
Lebanon sent a message to the cedar of Lebanon, saying, ‘Give my son your
daughter in marriage’; but the wild animals of Lebanon trampled the thornbush
down as they passed. You are very proud because you have defeated the
Edomites – Boast on but stay at home. °19 Why stir up trouble that will
only bring disaster on you and your people?” °20 But
Amaziah would not listen. It was God’s will for him to be defeated, because
he had worshiped the Edomite idols. °21 And at Bethshemesh Judah, they made
their trial of strength, Joash and Amaziah king of Judah. °22 Judah was
defeated by Israel, and everyone fled to his tent. °23 The king
of Judah, Amaziah son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, was taken prisoner at
Bethshemesh by Joash, king of Israel who led him off to Jerusalem, where
Joash tore down the city wall from the Gate of Ephraim to the Gate of the
Corner, a distance of two hundred yards. °24 He took all the gold and silver,
all the furnishings to be found with Obed-Edom in the House of God, the treasures
of the royal palace, and hostages besides, and then returned to Samaria. °25 Amaziah
son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash
son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. °26 The rest of
the history of Amaziah, from first to last, is all recorded in the Book of
the Kings of Judah and Israel. °27
After the time when Amaziah rebelled against Yahweh,
there had been a plot against him in Jerusalem; he fled to Lachish; but he
was followed to Lachish and put to death there. °28 He was
brought back by horse, and buried with his ancestors in the City of David. § Uzziah¤26 °1 All the people of Judah took
Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and, made him king in place of his father
Amaziah. °2 He
rebuilt Elath and recovered it for Judah, after the death of Amaziah. °3 Uzziah
was sixteen years old when he became king and he reigned for fifty-two years
in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem. °4 He did
what is pleasing to Yahweh, just as his father Amaziah had done; °5 he sought
God in the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him the fear of God. And for as
long as he sought Yahweh, God gave him prosperity. °6 He went
out to fight the Philistines, tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod,
then rebuilt the towns in the area of Ashdod and in Philistine territory. °7 God
helped him defeat the Philistines, the Arabs, the inhabitants of Gurbaal and
the Meunites. °8 The
Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the border of Egypt,
since he had become very powerful indeed. °9 Uzziah
built towers in Jerusalem, at the Gate of the Corner, at the Gate of the
Valley and at the Angle; and he fortified these. °10 He built towers in the wilderness
too, and dug a great many cisterns, for he had large herds in the lowlands
and on the tableland; and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and on
the fertile lands; he was fond of agriculture. °11 Uzziah
had an army ready for battle. They set out for war by turns, according to the
census carried out by the scribe Jeiel and the registrar Maaseiah. Their
commander was Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. °12 The total
number of heads of families among these valiant warriors was two thousand six
hundred. °13 Under
their command was a trained army of three hundred and seven thousand five
hundred fighting men, a powerful force to support the king against the enemy.
°14 Uzziah
provided them with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and sling
stones, for each battle. °15 In
Jerusalem he constructed engines, invented by experts, which were mounted on
the towers and at the corners to fire arrows and great stones. His fame
spread far and wide; for he was extraordinary in getting help until he was
strong. °16 But, as
his power increased, he became so proud that he lost what he had gained. He
defied Yahweh his God by going into the House to burn incense on the altar of
incense. °17 Azariah
the priest followed King Uzziah in, with eighty brave priests of Yahweh, °18 to resist
him. They said to him, “Uzziah, it is not for you to burn incense to Yahweh,
but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, consecrated for the purpose. Leave
the sanctuary; you have offended Yahweh God and you no longer have his
blessing.” °19 Uzziah,
censer in hand for the burning incense, became angry with the priests and
immediately, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the
priests, in Yahweh’s House, there by the altar of incense. °20 Azariah
the chief priest and all the other priests turned toward him and saw the
leprosy on his forehead. They quickly hurried him out, and he himself was
anxious to go, since Yahweh had punished him. °21 King
Uzziah was a leper till his dying day. He lived in an isolated house, a
leper, excluded from Yahweh’s House. Jotham, his son, was master of the
palace, and ruled the people of the country. °22 The rest
of the history of Uzziah, from first to last, has been written by the prophet
Isaiah son of Amoz. °23 Then
Uzziah rested with his ancestors and they buried him in the ground where the
tomb of the kings is, for they said, “He is a leper.” His son Jotham
succeeded him. § Jotham¤27 °1 Jotham was twenty-five years old
when he became king and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother
was Jerushah, daughter of Zadok. °2
He did what is pleasing to Yahweh, just as his
father Uzziah had done. But he did not enter the sanctuary of Yahweh. As for
the people, they went on sinning. °3 He built
the Upper Gate of Yahweh’s House and carried out considerable work on the
wall of the Ophel. °4 He built towns in the highlands
of Judah, and fortified places and towers in the fertile lands. °5 He fought
against the king of the Ammonites. He defeated them, and that year the Ammonites
gave him four tons of silver, fifty thousand bushels of wheat and ten
thousand of barley. And they had to pay him the same for the second and third
years. °6 Jotham
became powerful because he faithfully obeyed Yahweh his God. °7 The rest
of the deeds of Jotham, all his wars and his policy, are recorded in the Book
of the Kings of Israel and Judah. °8
He was twenty-five years old when he became king and
he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. °9 Then Jotham rested with his
ancestors and they buried him in the City of David; his son Ahaz succeeded
him. § Ahaz¤28 °1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he
became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do
what is pleasing to Yahweh, as his ancestor David had done. °2 He
followed the example of the kings of Israel, and even had Baal’s idols made
of metal. °3 He
offered incense in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and even sacrificed his own sons
as burnt offerings to disgusting idols, copying the shameful practice of the
people whom Yahweh had driven out of the land he would give to the
Israelites. °4 He
offered sacrifices and incense at the High places, on the hills and under
every spreading tree. °5 Yahweh
his God let the King of the Aramaeans defeat him and take great numbers of
his people captive, carrying them off to Damascus. He was also delivered into
the power of the king of Israel, who defeated him. °6 In a
single day, Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand in
Judah, all brave fighting men; this was because they had abandoned Yahweh,
the God of their ancestors. °7 Zichri,
an Ephraimite champion, killed Maaseiah, son of the king, Azrikam the
controller of the palace, and Elkanah the king’s second-in-command. °8 The
Israelites took two hundred thousand of their Judaean brothers captive, with
wives, sons, and daughters; they also took quantities of loot, carrying
everything off to Samaria. °9 A prophet
of Yahweh, named Oded, was there and he went out to meet the troops returning
to Samaria and said, “Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah
and so he delivered them into your power, but you have slaughtered with such
fury as reaches to heaven. °10 And
you intended to make the men and women of Jerusalem and Judah your slaves.
But you yourselves are also guilty before Yahweh your God. °11 Now
listen to me: release the prisoners you have taken of your brothers, or
Yahweh will punish you in his anger.” °12 Some of
the Ephraimite chieftains then stood up in opposition to those who returned
from the war: Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth,
Jehizkiah son of Shallum and Amasa son of Hadlai. °13 They said, “You must not bring
the captives in here for we are guilty enough before Yahweh. Will you add to
our sins and to our guilt? But our guilt is already heavy and the fierce
anger of Yahweh is hanging over Israel.” °14 So in the presence of the
officials and of the whole assembly, the army gave up the captives and the
loot. °15 Four
men were appointed to provide the prisoners with clothing. From the loot they
clothed all those who were naked; they gave them clothing and sandals,
provided them with food and drink, and washed them. Those who were too weak
to walk they put on donkeys and took them back to their kinsmen at Jericho,
the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria. °16 It was
then that King Ahaz sent asking the kings of Assyria to come to his
assistance, °17 for
the Edomites once again invaded and defeated Judah, and carried off
prisoners. °18 The
Philistines were raiding the towns in the lowlands and in the Negeb of Judah.
They took Bethshemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its outlying
villages, Timnah with its outlying villages, Gimzo with its outlying
villages, and they settled in them. °19 Yahweh
humbled Judah on account of Ahaz, king of Israel, who let Judah go its own
way and was not faithful to Yahweh. °20 Tiglath-Pileser
king of Assyria attacked and besieged him but could not defeat him. °21 Ahaz
however had to take part of the goods in Yahweh’s House and in the palaces of
the king and princes, to hand over to the king of Assyria, yet he received no
help from him. °22 During
the time Jerusalem was under siege, King Ahaz sinned against Yahweh more than
ever, °23 by
offering sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him. He said,
“Since the gods of the kings of Aram have been of help to them, I will
sacrifice to them so that they may be of help to me.” But they proved to be
his downfall and that of Israel. °24 Ahaz then
took implements of the House and broke them in pieces; he closed the doors of
Yahweh’s House and put up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem; °25 he set up
High places in every town of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and so
brought on himself the anger of Yahweh, the God of his ancestors. °26 The rest
of his history, his whole policy, from first to last, is recorded in the Book
of the Kings of Judah and Israel. °27
Then Ahaz rested with his ancestors and they buried
him in the city, in Jerusalem, though he was not taken into the tombs of the
kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah succeeded him. § Hezekiah¤29 °1 Hezekiah became king when he was
twenty-five years old and reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His
mother was Abijah, daugther Zechariah. °2 He did
what is pleasing to Yahweh, just as his ancestor David had done. °3 In the
first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the gates of Yahweh’s
House and repaired them. °4 Then
he brought the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the eastern square, °5 and said
to them: “Listen to me,
Levites! Sanctify yourselves now and consecrate the house of Yahweh, the God
of our ancestors, and remove from the House everything that defiles it. °6 Your
ancestors have been unfaithful and have done what is displeasing to Yahweh our
God. They have abandoned him; they have turned their faces away from the
place Yahweh has made his home, they have turned their backs on him. °7 They have
even closed the doors of the Vestibule, they have put out the lamps and
offered neither incense nor burnt offerings to the God of Israel in the
Sanctuary. °8 So
the anger of Yahweh has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; and what he has done
to them has shocked and frightened everyone, as you can see for yourselves. °9 This is
why our ancestors have fallen by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and
our wives have been taken captive. °10 But now I
have decided to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, so that his
fierce anger may be turned away from us. °11 My people, be negligent no
longer, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand in his presence and serve him, to
worship him, and offer him incense.” °12 The
Levites set to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah, of the
Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel of the Merarites;
Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah of the Gershonites; °13 Shimri
and Jeuel of the sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah of the sons of
Asaph; °14 Jehiel
and Shimei of the sons of Heman; and Shemaiah and Uzziel of the sons of
Jeduthun. °15 They
gathered their fellow Levites together, purified them, and in obedience to
the king’s order and in accordance with the words of Yahweh, they began
consecrating in the Temple of Yahweh. °16 The
priests went inside the house of Yahweh to make it clean. They brought
everything unclean they found in the sanctuary of Yahweh, out into the court
of Yahweh’s House, and the Levites collected it and carried it outside, into
the Kidron Valley. °17 They
began this consecration on the first day of the first month, and were able to
enter the Hall of Yahweh on the eight of the month; they then took eight days
to consecrate Yahweh’s House, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first
month. °18 They then
went into the palace of King Hezekiah and said, “We have purified the whole
Temple of Yahweh, the altar for burnt offerings with all its furnishings, and
the table on which the rows of bread are set with all its furnishings. °19 All the
furnishings King Ahaz took away during those years he was unfaithful to
Yahweh we have put back and consecrated; they are now in front of the altar
of Yahweh.” °20 King
Hezekiah lost no time but called the officials of the city together and went
up to Yahweh’s House. °21 They
brought seven bulls, seven rams and seven lambs, with seven he-goats as a
sacrifice for sin on behalf of the royal house, of the sanctuary, and of
Judah. The king then told the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer the burnt
offering on the altar of Yahweh. °22
They slaughtered the bulls and the priests took up
the blood and poured it on the altar. They then slaughtered the rams and
poured their blood on the altar. °23
Then they brought the he-goats, the sacrifice for
sin, before the king and the assembly who laid their hands on them. °24 The
priests slaughtered them, and with their blood on the altar offered a
sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people – since the king had ordered
the burnt offering and the sacrifice for sin on behalf of all Israel. °25 He then
ordered the Levites to stand in Yahweh’s House with cymbals, harps and lyres,
in accordance with the ordinances of David, of Gad the king’s prophet and of
Nathan the prophet; the order had in fact come from Yahweh through his
prophets. °26 When
the Levites had taken their places with David’s musical instruments, and the
priests with their trumpets, °27 Hezekiah
ordered the burnt offering to begin, the hymns of Yahweh began too, and the
trumpets sounded, to the accompaniment of the instruments of David king of
Israel. °28 The
whole assembly worshiped, cantors singing, trumpets sounding, until the
holocaust was over. °29 When the
offering was at an end, the king and all there with him fell to their knees
and worshiped. °30 Then
King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to Yahweh in
the words of David and of Asaph the prophet; they sang praises till their joy
was full and then they fell down and worshiped. °31 Hezekiah spoke again, “Now you
are dedicated to the service of Yahweh. Come forward, bring sacrifices and
thanksgiving offerings into Yahweh’s House.” The assembly brought sacrifices
and thanksgiving offerings: all the generous people brought burnt offerings. °32 The
number of victims for these burnt offerings was seventy bulls, a hundred rams
and two hundred lambs, all as burnt offerings for Yahweh; °33 six
hundred bulls and three hundred sheep were sacrificed. °34 The
priests were too few, however, and could not slaughter all these animals, so
the Levites helped them until the work was done and the other priests were
sanctified; for the Levites were more educated than the priests regarding the
requirements of purification. °35 There were indeed many burnt
offerings besides the fat of the peace offerings which was to be burnt
together with the drink offerings. So was completed the consecration of
Yahweh’s House. °36 Hezekiah
and all the people rejoiced that God had
helped the people to act so promptly. § The great Passover¤30 °1 Hezekiah sent messengers to all
Judah and Israel (for he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh), inviting
them to come to Yahweh’s House in Jerusalem to celebrate a Passover in honor
of Yahweh, the God of Israel. °2 The
king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to
celebrate it in the second month, °3
being unable to celebrate it at the proper time,
since the priests had not purified themselves in sufficient numbers, and the
people had not assembled in Jerusalem. °4 The king and all the assembly
were pleased with their plan. °5 They
issued a decree to be proclaimed throughout Israel, from Dan to Beer-Sheba,
calling all the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate a Passover in honor
of Yahweh, the God of Israel, for they had not celebrated it for a long time.
°6 Messengers
went out with letters from the hands of the king and his officials for every
part of Israel and Judah. They had orders from the king to say, “People of
Israel, come back to Yahweh the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Israel, and he
will come back to those of you who are left and have escaped the grasp of the
kings of Assyria. °7 Do not be like your fathers and
brothers who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and whom
he punished severely as you can see. °8 Do not harden your hearts as your
ancestors did, but reconcile with Yahweh and come to his house which he has
consecrated forever. Serve Yahweh your God and he will turn his fierce anger
from you. °9 If
you come back sincerely to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will win the
mercy of their conquerors and return to this land, for Yahweh your God is
gracious and merciful. If you come back to him, he will not turn his face
from you.” °10 The
messengers went from town to town through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh,
but the people laughed at them and made fun of them, °11 though a
few men from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun were humble enough to come to
Jerusalem. °12 But
in Judah, the hand of God was upon the people and made them of one mind to
obey the order of the king and the officials according to the word of Yahweh.
°13 A
great number of people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of
Unleavened Bread in the second month. A very great assembly °14 set to
work removing the altars that had been used in Jerusalem and all the altars for
burning incense, and throwing them into the wadi Kidron. °15 They
killed the lambs for the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the
second month. The priests and the Levites felt ashamed; so they sanctified themselves
and were able to bring burnt offerings into Yahweh’s House. °16 Then they
took up their places in the House according to the instructions in the Law of
Moses, the man of God. The priests poured out the blood handed to them by the
Levites, °17 since
there were many people in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; so
the Levites were to slaughter the Passover lambs on behalf of those who
lacked the requisite purity in order to consecrate them to Yahweh. °18 For many
people, especially from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not
purified themselves and so had eaten the Passover without observing the
regulations. But Hezekiah
interceded for them, saying, °19 “Yahweh,
God of our ancestors, in your goodness forgive those who seek you with all
their heart, even though they are not clean.” °20 Yahweh heard Hezekiah and left
the people unharmed. °21 For seven
days the Israelites rejoiced and celebrated in Jerusalem the feast of
Unleavened Bread, while each day the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh
with all their might. °22 At the end Hezekiah encouraged
the Levites who had shown themselves skilled in the worship of Yahweh. °23 Then all
the assembly agreed to continue the celebrations for a further seven days
which they made seven days of rejoicing. °24 Hezekiah king of Judah had
provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the
officials another thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep, and now the priests
were ready in great numbers. °25 So
the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, the priests too, and the Levites, and
all who had come from Israel, the refugees of Israel living in Judah and the
people of Judah. °26 There
was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon son of David,
king of Israel, nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem. °27 The
levitical priests began to bless the people. Their voices were heard and
their prayer received in heaven, His holy dwelling place. ¤31 °1 When all this was over, all the
Israelites who were there set off for the towns of Judah to smash the pillar,
cut down the sacred trunks and wreck the High places and the altars. So they
did throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh and did away with them.
Then all the Israelites returned to their towns, each man to his home. °2 Hezekiah
reestablished the priestly and levitical orders, each man in his proper order
according to his duties, whether priest or Levite, whether for burnt
offering, peace offering, liturgical service, thanksgiving or praise, within
the gates of the camp of Yahweh. °3 The king set aside a portion of
his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the
burnt offerings of sabbath, New Moon, and solemn feast, as laid down in the
Law of Yahweh. °4 He
then told the people of Jerusalem to give the priests and the Levites their
share so that they might devote themselves to the Law of Yahweh. °5 As soon
as the order had been published, the Israelites gathered in the first fruits
of corn, wine, oil, honey, and all agricultural produce, and brought in a
generous gift of everything. °6 The
Israelites and Judaeans living in the towns of Judah also brought in the
tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the holy things dedicated to
Yahweh their God, piling them up, heap after heap. °7 They
began making these heaps in the third month and finished them in the seventh. °8 When
Hezekiah and his officials saw how much had been given, they praised Yahweh
and praised his people Israel. °9 Hezekiah
questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps, °10 and
Azariah, the chief priest, of the family of Zadok, answered him, “Since the
contributions were first brought to Yahweh’s House, we have had enough to eat
and still have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed his people; this huge
pile is what is left.” °11 Hezekiah
then ordered them to have storerooms prepared in Yahweh’s House. They did
this, °12 and
then brought in the contributions, tithes and consecrated things, to keep
them in a safe place. Conaniah the Levite was officer-in-charge of them, with
Shimei his brother as his assistant. °13 Jehiel,
Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahat, and
Benaiah were appointed supervisors under the command of Conaiah and his
brother Shimei, by order of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the High Priest. °14 Kore, son
of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the eastern gate, was made responsible for the
voluntary offerings to God; he provided the portion set aside for Yahweh and
the most holy offerings. °15 Under
his command he had Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah,
who resided permanently in the towns of the priests to distribute these gifts
to their kinsmen great or small according to their orders. °16 In
addition to this, there was the organization by related groups of all those
men thirty years old or older who went to Yahweh’s House, by daily rotation,
to perform the ritual duties appropriate to their orders. °17 There was
also the organization of priests by families; as also that of Levites twenty
years old or older, by duties and orders. °18 There was also the organization
of all their families for the whole assembly, since they were busy with the
holy ministry. °19 As
regards the priests, the sons of Aaron, who lived in the pasture lands
belonging to their towns, or in the towns themselves, appointed men,
distributed the food to every male among the priests and also to the
inscribed Levites who were enrolled. °20 Hezekiah
enforced these arrangements throughout Judah. He did what is good and right
and loyal before Yahweh his God. °21 He was successful, because
everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did as one
seeking God with all his heart. § Invasion of Sennacherib¤32 °1 After Hezekiah had faithfully done
all this, Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded Judah. He pitched camp before
the fortified towns and gave orders for his army to break their way through
the walls. °2 Hezekiah
realized that Sennacherib intended to attack Jerusalem also, °3 so he
summoned his officers and champions and they decided to cut off the water
supply from the springs situated outside the city. °4 So a large number of people
banded together to block all the springs and cut off the watercourse flowing
through the fields. They said, “Why should the king of Assyria find plenty of
water when he arrives?” °5 Hezekiah
strengthened his defenses: he had the broken parts of the wall repaired,
built towers on it, constructed a second wall on the outer side, strengthened
the Millo of the City of David and made quantities of spears and shields. °6 He then
appointed generals to command the people, had them assemble in the square by
the city gate and spoke as follows to encourage them, °7 “Be
strong and stand firm; be fearless, be confident when you face the king of
Assyria and the whole army he brings with him, since he that is with us is
stronger than he that is with him. °8 He has only an arm of flesh, but
we have Yahweh our God to help us and fight our battles.” The people were
encouraged by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. °9 Next,
Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was then outside Lachish with all his army,
sent his servants to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all the
Judaeans who were in Jerusalem. They said, °10 “Hear the message from
Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘What gives you the confidence to stay in
Jerusalem under siege? °11 Is
not Hezekiah deceiving you? Is he not condemning you to die of hunger and
thirst when he says: Yahweh our God will save us from the king of Assyria? °12 Is not
Hezekiah the very man who has destroyed the High places and the altars of
Yahweh, and given the order to Judah and to Jerusalem: Before one altar only
are you to worship, and on that alone offer incense? °13 Do you
not know what I have done, I and my ancestors, to all the peoples of other
countries? Have the gods of any nation in those countries ever been able to
save them from me? °14 Who
among all the gods of those nations was able to save his people from me? °15 Do not
let Hezekiah deceive you. Do not let him mislead you like this. Do not
believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his
people from me or from my ancestors. No more will your god be able to save
you from me.” °16 His
officials were still speaking against Yahweh God, and his servant Hezekiah, °17 when
Sennacherib wrote a letter insulting Yahweh the God of Israel. This is what
he said about him, “Just as the gods of the nations in other countries have
failed to save their peoples from me, so will the god of Hezekiah fail to
save his people.” °18 They
shouted this out in the language of Judah, to the people of Jerusalem who
were on the city wall, to confuse and frighten them, and so that they might
capture the city: °19 they
spoke of the God of Jerusalem in the same way they talked of the gods of the
peoples of the world, the work of human hands. °20 Then King
Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed and cried out to heaven. °21 And
Yahweh sent an angel who made all the mighty warriors, commanders and
officers die in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the emperor went back to
Assyria very ashamed. And as he came into the temple of his god, some of his
own sons struck him with their swords. °22 So Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the
people of Jerusalem from the power of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from
everyone else, and he gave them peace on every side. °23 Many
people brought grain offerings to Yahweh in Jerusalem and gifts for Hezekiah
king of Judah; since then all the nations held Hezekiah in honor. °24 In those
days, Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to Yahweh,
who heard him and granted him a sign. °25 But Hezekiah did not show
gratitude for what Yahweh had done for him; his heart grew proud and Judah
and Jerusalem suffered for it. °26
Finally, however, Hezekiah and the people of
Jerusalem humbled themselves, and so Yahweh did not punish the people until
after Hezekiah’s death. °27 Hezekiah
enjoyed immense riches and honor. He built himself storerooms for gold,
silver, precious stones, spices, gems and every sort of valuable. °28 He had
storehouses for his returns of corn, wine and oil, buildings for his
different sorts of cattle, and sheep runs for his sheep, °29 and,
further, acquired donkeys and enormous herds and flocks. God had indeed given
him very great riches. °30 It was
Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of Gihon Spring and channeled the water
down to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in all he
undertook. °31 However,
when the authorities in Babylon sent to him to inquire about the
extraordinary thing that had taken place in the country, God abandoned him
only to test him, and to discover the secrets of his heart. °32 The rest
of the history of Hezekiah, and his deed of piety, are recorded in the Vision
of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and
Israel. °33 Then
Hezekiah rested with his fathers and they buried him on the slope going up to
the tombs of the sons of David. At his death, all of Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor. His son Manasseh succeeded him. § Manasseh¤33 °1 Manasseh was twelve years old
when he came to the throne and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. °2 He did
what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and followed the disgusting practices of
the nations that Yahweh had removed from the land before giving it to Israel,
°3 He
rebuilt the High places his father Hezekiah had wrecked; he set up altars to
the Baals and made sacred trunks. He worshiped the whole array of heaven and
served it. °4 He
built altars in Yahweh’s House of which Yahweh had said, “In Jerusalem shall
my Name be forever.” °5 He built
altars to the whole array of heaven in the two courts of Yahweh’s House. °6 He caused
his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of Benhinnom. He practiced
soothsaying, magic and witchcraft, and introduced necromancers and wizards.
He did many things displeasing to Yahweh, thus provoking his anger. °7 He placed
the idol he had made in the house of which God had said to David and to his
son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the
tribes of Israel, I will give my Name a home forever. °8 I will no
longer turn Israel’s footsteps away from the land I assigned to their
ancestors, provided they observe all I have ordered them in accordance with
the whole Law, the statutes and the ordinances, given through Moses.” °9 Manasseh
led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil
than those nations Yahweh had destroyed before the Israelites. °10 Yahweh
spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. °11 Then
Yahweh sent the generals of the king of Assyria against them, who captured
Manasseh with hooks, put him in chains and led him away to Babylon. °12 In his
distress he sought to appease Yahweh his God. Humbling himself deeply before
the God of his ancestors, he prayed to him, °13 and God changed his mind. Hearing
his plea he allowed him to come back to Jerusalem and reign again. Manasseh
realised then that Yahweh is God. °14
After that he rebuilt the outer wall of the Citadel
of David, west of Gihon in the wadi, as far as the Fish Gate; it encircled
the Ophel, and he increased its height very considerably. He stationed
military governors in all the fortified towns of Judah. °15 He
removed the alien gods and the idol from Yahweh’s House and all the altars he
had built on the mountain of Yahweh’s House and in Jerusalem, and threw them
out of the city. °16 He
rebuilt the altar of Yahweh and offered peace offerings and praise offerings
on it, and ordered Judah to serve Yahweh the God of Israel; °17 however,
the people continued to sacrifice on the High places, although only to Yahweh
their God. °18 The rest of
the history of Manasseh, his prayer to God, and the words of the seers who
spoke to him in the name of Yahweh the God of Israel, can be found in the
Annals of the Kings of Israel. °19
His prayer and how God heard his prayer, all his
sins, his unfaithfulness, the sites where he built High places and set up
sacred trunks and idols before he humbled himself are recorded in the Annals
of Hozai. °20 Then
Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace. His son Amon
succeeded him. °21 Amon was twenty-two
years old when he became king and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. °22 He did
what is displeasing to Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon offered
sacrifice and worship to all the idols Manasseh his father had made, °23 but he
did not humble himself before Yahweh like Manasseh his father had done;
instead he made the guilt of Judah worse. °24 His
officers plotted against him and killed him in his palace. °25 But the
people of the nation struck down all those who had plotted against King Amon
and proclaimed his son Josiah as his successor. § Josiah¤34 °1 Josiah was eight years old when
he became king and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. °2 He did
what is pleasing to Yahweh, and walked in the ways of his father David, without
turning aside. °3 In the
eighth year of his reign, when he was still a youth, he began to seek the God
of his father David. In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and
Jerusalem of the High places, the sacred trunks and the molten idols. °4 He looked
on while they smashed the altars of Baal, and he himself tore down the
incense altars near them. He reduced to dust the symbols of Asherah and the
other idols and then threw the dust over the graves of those who had
sacrificed to them. °5 He
burned the bones of their priests on their altars, and so purified Judah and
Jerusalem. °6 He
did the same in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as
Naphtali, and in the devastated areas around them. °7 There too he destroyed the altars
and symbols of the goddess, smashed the sacred trunks and the idols and
ground them to powder, and tore down all the altars of incense throughout the
land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. °8 In the
eighteenth year of his reign, with the object of purifying land and Temple,
he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah governor of the city and the herald
Joah son of Joahaz, to repair the house of Yahweh his God. °9 These men
went to the high priest Hilkiah and handed over to him the money that had
been brought to the house of God. The Levite gatekeepers had collected this
money from Manasseh, Ephraim and all the rest of Israel, and from all the
Judaeans and Benjaminites and from the people living in Jerusalem. °10 They
handed it over to the masters of works of Yahweh’s House and these men used
it for the repair and restoration of the House. °11 They gave it to the carpenters
and builders for buying the stones and timber for the beams and framework of
the buildings which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. °12 The men
worked conscientiously. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the
sons of Merari; together with Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of Kohath,
as supervisors. These Levites were all skilled liturgical musicians; °13 but they
also directed the carriers and the masters of works of the various jobs.
Other Levites were scribes, clerks and gatekeepers. § The book of the law discovered°14 When they
were taking out the money that had been brought to Yahweh’s House, Hilkiah
the high priest found the book of the Law given through Moses. °15 At once
Hilkiah told Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the book of the Law in
Yahweh’s House.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. °16 Shaphan
took the book to the king, and reported to him, “Your servants are carrying
out the commands you gave them: °17
they have melted down the silver which was in
Yahweh’s House and have handed it over to the supervisors and masters of
works.” °18 After
which Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given
me a book”; and Shaphan read from it in the king’s presence. °19 When the
king heard the book being read, he tore his garments, °20 and gave
the following order to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah,
Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s minister, °21 “Go and
consult Yahweh, for me and for the people who still remain in Israel and
Judah, about the words of the book that has been found. Great indeed must be
the anger of Yahweh to be poured down on us because our ancestors did not
observe the word of Yahweh nor do according to what is written in this book.” °22 Hilkiah
and the king’s men went to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of
Tokhath, son of Hasrah, the keeper of the Temple robes; she lived in
Jerusalem in the new town. They spoke to her about this, °23 and she
answered, “This is the word of Yahweh for the man who sent you to me: °24 I am
going to punish Jerusalem and all its people, carrying out all the curses written
in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah, °25 because
they have abandoned me and have burned incense to other gods, stirring up my
anger by everything they have done. Because of this my anger is aroused
against Jerusalem, and it will not die down. °26 And you
will tell the king of Judah who sent you to consult Yahweh, that thus answers
Yahweh, the God of Israel, regarding the words you have heard: °27 Since
your heart has been touched and you have humbled yourself before God on
hearing what he has threatened against Jerusalem and those who live in it,
since you have humbled yourself before me and torn your garments and wept
before me, I for my part have heard – this is Yahweh’s word. °28 The
punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after
your death. I will let you die in peace.” They took this answer to the king. °29 The king
then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned, °30 and the
king went up to Yahweh’s House, with all the people of Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, Levites and all the people, great and
small alike. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the
book of the covenant found in Yahweh’s House. °31 The king stood beside the pillar,
and in the presence of Yahweh he made a covenant to follow Yahweh and to keep
his laws and commands with all his heart and soul, as written in that book. °32 He
committed everyone there in Jerusalem or in Benjamin to obey the requirements
of the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. °33 Josiah
removed all the disgusting idols throughout the territories belonging to the
people of Israel. For the rest of his life he made sure that every member of
Israel served their God. They did not fail to follow Yahweh, the God of their
ancestors. § The Passover of Josiah¤35 °1 Josiah then celebrated a Passover
in honor of Yahweh in Jerusalem and they killed the passover lamb on the
fourteenth day of the first month. °2 He appointed certain functions to
the priests and let them discharge the duties of Yahweh’s House. °3 Then he
said to the Levites, who were to instruct all Israel and who were consecrated
to Yahweh, “The holy ark has been put in the house built by Solomon son of
David, king of Israel, and it is no longer a burden for your shoulders. So
you shall serve Yahweh your God and Israel your people in this way. °4 Stand in
the holy place by families and orders, according to the written decree of
David king of Israel and his son Solomon, °5 and let some be available to help
each family of the people of Israel; for the Levites are to have a portion in
each family. °6 Kill
the animals for the festival, sanctify yourselves, and be at the disposal of
your brothers in acting in accordance with the word of Yahweh which was
spoken through Moses.” °7 Josiah
then provided for the use of the people, lambs and kids from the flocks to
the number of thirty thousand, all as Passover offerings for all who were
present, and three thousand bulls as well; all these animals came from the
king’s possessions. °8 His
officials, for their part, made provision for what the people, the priests
and the Levites would use. The senior officials of the house of God, Hilkiah,
Zechariah and Jehiel, also gave the priests two thousand six hundred lambs
and kids and three hundred bulls as Passover victims. °9 The heads
of the Levites, Conaniah, Shemaiah and his brothers Nathanel, Hashabiah,
Jeiel and Jozabad, provided five thousand lambs and kids and five hundred
bulls as Passover victims for the Levites. °10 When
everything for the Passover had been prepared, the priests took their posts,
and the Levites also in their orders as commanded by the king. °11 They
killed the lambs and goats, and while the priests sprinkled the blood they
received, the Levites cut up the victims. °12 They put aside the animals for
the burnt offering and distributed to family groupings of the lay people,
giving to each his offering to Yahweh, as is written in the Book of Moses;
they did the same with the bulls. °13
They roasted the passover, as ordained, and boiled
the sacred foods in pots, dishes, and pans, carrying them speedily to the
people. °14 Afterward
they prepared the passover for themselves and for the priests. Because the
priests, the sons of Aaron, had been busy till nightfall offering the burnt
offering and the fatty parts, the Levites prepared the passover for
themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. °15 The musicians, the sons of Asaph,
were at their places, in accordance with the ordinances of David; neither
Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun the king’s prophet, nor the keepers of each gate had
to leave their duties, since their brothers the Levites made all the
preparations for them. °16 So the
whole service of Yahweh was prepared that day to celebrate the Passover and
to offer burnt offerings on the altar of Yahweh, in accordance with the
ordinances of King Josiah. °17 The
Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover and, for seven days, the
feast of Unleavened Bread. °18 No
Passover like this one had ever been celebrated in Israel since the days of
the prophet Samuel; no king of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover like the
one celebrated by Josiah with the priests, the Levites, all of Judah and of
Israel who were present, and the people of Jerusalem. § The tragic end of the reign°19 This
Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. °20 After all
this, when Josiah had already repaired the House, Neco king of Egypt came up
to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates and Josiah marched out to stop him. °21 Neco sent
him messengers to say, “There is no quarrel between me and you, king of
Judah. I have not come today to attack you, but to fight my enemies, and God
has told me to hurry. Do not oppose God who is with me, lest he destroy you.” °22 But
Josiah continued to challenge him for he was determined to fight him, and
would not listen to what God was saying through Neco. So he went out to fight
in the plain of Megiddo. °23 Egyptian
arrows struck King Josiah, and the king said to his followers, “Take me away;
I am badly wounded.” °24 His
servants lifted him out of his own chariot, transferred him to another one
and took him back to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of
his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. °25 Jeremiah
composed a lament for Josiah which all the women singers use when speaking of
Josiah in their laments to this day; this has become a custom in Israel; the
song is found in the collection of laments. °26 The rest
of the history of Josiah and all his good deeds according to the Law, °29 and his
acts from the first to last, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel
and Judah. § The last kings¤36 °1 The
people of the nation took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah and made him king in
Jerusalem in succession to his father. °2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years
old when he became king and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. °3 The king
of Egypt took him prisoner and made the people of Judah pay 7,500 pounds of
silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute. °4 The king of Egypt then made
Eliakim, brother of Jehoahaz, king of Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his
name to Jehoiakim. Neco took his brother Jehoahaz to Egypt. °5 Jehoiakim
was twenty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for eleven years
in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh his God. °6 Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon attacked him, put him in chains and carried him off to
Babylon. °7 Nebuchadnezzar
also carried off to Babylon some of the treasures of the House and put them
in his palace at Babylon. °8 The
rest of the history of Jehoiakim, the disgusting things he did and those
discovered to his discredit, these are recorded in the Book of Kings of
Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiakim succeeded him. °9 Jehoiakim
was eight years old when he became King and he reigned for three months and
ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh. °10 When
spring came, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and had him taken to Babylon as
a prisoner, with the treasures of the temple and made Zedekiah, his brother,
king of Judah and Jerusalem in his place. °11 Zedekiah
was twenty-one years old when he became king and he reigned for eleven years
in Jerusalem. °12 He
did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh his God. He did not listen humbly to
the prophet Jeremiah, accredited by Yahweh himself. °13 He also
rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had forced him to swear in God’s
name that he would be loyal. He became stubborn, and obstinately refused to
return to Yahweh the God of Israel. § Conclusion
°14 Furthermore,
all the heads of the priesthood, and the people, too, were exceedingly
unfaithful, following the disgusting example of the nations around them, and
so they defiled the house which Yahweh himself had made holy. °15 Yahweh,
the God of their ancestors, continued to send prophets to warn his people,
since he had compassion on them and on his dwelling place. °16 But they
mocked the messengers of God, ignored his words, and laughed at his prophets,
until at last the anger of Yahweh rose so high against his people that there
was no further remedy. °17 Then he
brought against them the king of the Chaldeans who killed with the sword the
young men of Judah even in the House; he spared neither youth nor virgin,
neither old man nor aged cripple: God handed them all over to him. °18 All the
furnishings of the house of God, large and small, the treasures of Yahweh’s
House, the treasures of the king and his officials, he carried off to
Babylon. °19 They
burned down the house of God, broke down the walls of Jerusalem, set fire to
all its palaces, and destroyed everything of value in it. °20 The
survivors were deported by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon; they were to serve him
and his descendants as slaves until the kingdom of Persia came to power. °21 This is
how the work of Yahweh was fulfilled that he spoke through Jeremiah, “The
land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for its Sabbath rests
that have not been observed.” 22 And in
the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill what he had said through
the prophet Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to
issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere
in his kingdom: °23 “Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of heaven, who
has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has ordered me to build him a
house in Jerusalem, in Judah. Now, all of you who belong to his people, go
there and may Yahweh your God be with you.” The End. |