Amplified Bible (AMP)

Amaziah Succeeds Joash in Judah

1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2 He did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not wholeheartedly.

3 When his kingdom was firmly established, he killed his servants who had struck down his father the king.

4 But he did not kill their children; forhe didas it is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lordcommanded, “The fathers shall not die for the children, nor the children die for the fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Amaziah Defeats Edomites

5 Amaziah assembled [the men of] Judah and appointed them in accordance withtheirfathers’ (ancestors’) households under commanders of thousands and of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin. He numbered them from twenty years old and above and found there to be 300,000 choice men fit for war andable tohandle spear and shield.

6 He also hired 100,000 brave warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let this army of Israel go with you, for the Lordis not with Israelnor withany of the sons ofEphraim.

8 But if you do go [in spite of this warning], be strongandcourageous for battle; yet God will cause you to stumbleandfall before the enemy, for God has power to help and to causepeopleto stumble.”

9 Amaziah said to the man of God, “But whatshall wedo about the hundred talents which I gave to the troops of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lordis able to give you much more than this.”

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that came to him from Ephraim, to go home. So their anger was kindledandburned greatly against Judah, and they returned home in the heat of anger.

11 Now Amaziah took courage and led his people out to the Valley of Salt, and he struck down 10,000 of the men of Seir (Edom).

12 The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff. They threw them down from the top of the cliff and they were all crushed to pieces.

13 But the troops whom Amaziah sent back,thosenot allowed to go with him to battle, attackedandraided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 men and took a large amount of spoil.

Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry

14 After Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, bowed before them, and burned incense to them.

15 So the anger of the Lordburned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have youdesired the gods of the people who did not save their own people from your hand?”

16 As he was talking, the king said to him, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done this and have ignored my advice.”

Amaziah Defeated by Joash of Israel

17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sentwordto Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come [to battle], let us face each other.”

18 Then Joash king of Israel sentwordto Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The [little] thorn bush in Lebanon sentwordto the [great] cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild beast in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thorn bush.

19 You say, ‘See, I have struck downanddefeated Edom.’ Your heart lifts you up to boast [about your victory]. Now stay at home; why should you meddleandcourt disaster so that you, even you, will fall and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that He might hand Judah overto Joashbecause they had desired the gods of Edom.

21 So Joash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah.

22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled, every man to his tent.

23 Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz (Ahaziah), at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, 400cubits.

24 He tookall the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with [the doorkeeper] Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house (palace), and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from the first to the last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?

27 Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sentmenafter him to Lachish and killed him there.

28 Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of [David in] Judah.

Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king [Amaziah] slept with his fathers [in death].

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

4 He did right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father Amaziah had done.

5 He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understandingthrough the vision of God; and as long as he sought (inquired of, longing for) the Lord, God caused him to prosper.

Uzziah Succeeds in War

6 He went out and made war against the Philistines, and broke through the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities near Ashdod and [elsewhere] among the Philistines.

7 God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

8 The Ammonites paid tribute (money) to Uzziah, and his fame spread abroad, even as far as the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

9 Uzziah also built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress [of the wall], and fortified them.

10 He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had a great deal of livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plain.He also hadfarmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.

11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which went into combat by divisions according to the number of their muster as recorded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders.

12 The total number of the heads of the fathers’ households, of valiant men, was 2,600.

13 Under their command was an army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy.

14 Moreover, Uzziah prepared shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and sling stones for the entire army.

15 In Jerusalem he made machines of war invented by skillful men to be put on the towers and on the [corner] battlements for the purpose of shooting arrows and large stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Pride Is Uzziah’s Undoing

16 But when Uzziah became strong, he became so proud [of himself and his accomplishments] that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithfulandsinned against the Lordhis God, for he wentinto the temple of the Lordto burn incense on the altar of incense.

17 Then Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the Lord, men of courage.

18 They opposed King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who have been consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LordGod.”

19 Then Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to burn incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests,leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar.

20 As Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked toward him, behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he also hurried to get out because the Lordhad stricken him.

21 King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and, being a leper, he lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And his son Jotham took charge of the king’s household, judgingandgoverning the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from the first to the last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, has written.

23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field of the kings [outside the royal tombs], for they said, “He is a leper.” And his son Jotham became king in his place.

Jotham Succeeds Uzziah in Judah

1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.

2 He did right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father Uzziah had done; however, he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people continued behaving corruptly.

3 He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and did extensive building on the wall of Ophel.

4 Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers.

5 He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them. As a result the Ammonites gave him during that year a hundred talents of silver and ten thousand measures each of wheat and of barley. The Ammonites also paid him that much in the second year and third year.

6 So Jotham grew powerful, because he directed his ways before the Lordhis God.

7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written 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 And Jotham slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in the City of David. Ahaz his son became king in his place.

Ahaz Succeeds Jotham in Judah

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do right in the sight of the Lord, as his father (forefather) Davidhad done.

2 Instead he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and even made cast images for the Baals.

3 And he burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons [as an offering], in accordance with the repulsive acts of the [pagan] nations whom the Lordhad driven out before the sons (descendants) of Israel.

4 He also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places [of pagan worship], on the hills and under every green tree.

Judah Is Invaded

5 Therefore the Lordhis God handed over Ahaz to the king of Aram (Syria), who defeated him and led away a great number [of the people] as captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck Judah with a great slaughter.

6 For Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah in one day, all courageous men, because they had abandoned (turned away from) the LordGod of their fathers.

7 And Zichri, a warrior of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah, who was second [in power] to the king.

8 And the sons of Israel led away captive 200,000 of their kinsmen [of Judah]–women, sons, and daughters–and they also took a great quantity of spoil from them and brought it to Samaria.

9 But a prophet of the Lordwas there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that was returning to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He handed them over to you; but you have killed them in a rage that has reached as far as heaven.

10 And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. But are you yourselves not guiltyof transgressionsagainst the Lordyour God?

11 Now therefore, hear me and return the captives whom you have captured from your brothers (fellow descendants of Israel, i.e. Jacob), for the burning anger of the Lordis against you.”

12 Then some of the heads of the Ephraimites (Israel)–Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai–took a stand against those who were returning from the battle,

13 and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here; for we are guilty before the Lordalready, andwhatyou intend todo willadd more to our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is so great that His burning anger is against Israel.”

14 So the armed men [of Israel] left the captives and the spoil [of Judah] before the officers and all the assembly.

15 Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all those who were naked; they clothed them and gave them sandals, and fed them and gave them [something to] drink, anointed them [with oil, as was a host’s duty], and led all the feeble ones on donkeys, and they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, to their brothers (fellow descendants of Israel, i.e. Jacob). Then they returned to Samaria.

Compromise with Assyria

16 At that time King Ahaz sentwordto the king of Assyria [to ask him] for help.

17 For the Edomites had come again and attacked Judah and led away captives.

18 The Philistines had also invaded the cities of the low country and of the Negev (the South country) of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with their villages, and also Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there.

19 For the Lordhumbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for Ahaz had allowed unrestrainedandundisciplined behavior in Judah and had been very unfaithful to the Lord.

20 So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and harassed him instead of strengtheningandsupporting him.

21 Although Ahaz took a portion [of treasure] from the house of the Lordand from the house (palace) of the king and from the leaders, and gave it [as tribute] to the king of Assyria, it did not help Ahaz.

22 In the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the Lord.

23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, and he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram (Syria) helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the ruinanddownfall of him and all of Israel.

24 Then Ahaz collected the utensils of the house of God and he cut them in pieces; and he shut the doors of the house of the Lordand made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.

25 In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his fathers.

26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.

Hezekiah Succeeds Ahaz in Judah

1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.

2 He did right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that David his father (forefather) had done.

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord[which his father had closed] and repaired them [and replaced the gold overlay].

4 He brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them into the square on the east.

Reforms Begun

5 Then he said to them, “Levites, listen to me! Now consecrate (dedicate) yourselves and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and get the filth [of idol worship] out of the Holy Place.

6 For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lordour God, and they have abandoned Him and have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and have turned their backs [toward Him].

7 They have also closed the doors of the [temple] porch and put out the lamps, and they have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel.

8 Therefore the wrath of the Lordhas been against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, just as you see with your own eyes.

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

10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant (solemn agreement) with the LordGod of Israel, so that His burning anger will turn away from us.

11 My sons, do not be negligentandcareless now, for the Lordhas chosen you to stand in His presence, to attend to His service, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”

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

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

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

15 They gathered their brothers (fellow Levites) together, consecrated themselves, and went in to cleanse the house of the Lord, as the king had commanded by the words of the Lord.

16 The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lordto cleanse it, and every unclean thing they found in the temple of the Lordthey brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’shouse. Then the Levites received it to take out to the Kidron Valley [for disposal].

17 Now they began the consecration on the first [day] of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of the Lord. Then for eight days theyconsecrated the house of the Lord, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

18 Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the entire house (temple) of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all its utensils.

19 Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness; and behold, they are in front of the altar of the Lord.”

Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship

20 Then King Hezekiah arose early and assembled the officials of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.

21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. He commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.

22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They also slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

23 Then they brought the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them [to symbolize the transference of their sin].

24 The priests slaughtered them and cleansed the altar from sin with their blood to atone for all Israel, because the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offeringbe madefor all Israel.

25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the Lordwith cymbals, with harps, and with lyres, in accordance with the command of David [his ancestor] and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the Lordthrough His prophets.

26 The Levites stood with themusicalinstruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

27 Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lordalso began with the trumpetsaccompaniedby the instruments of David, king of Israel.

28 The entire congregation worshiped, the singers also sang, and the trumpets sounded; all thiscontinueduntil the burnt offering was finished.

29 When the burnt offerings were completed, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped [God].

30 Also King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to exclaim praises to the Lordwith the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they exclaimed praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; approach and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were willingbroughtburnt offerings.

32 The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.

33 The consecrated things were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep.

34 But there were too few priests and they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; so until theotherpriests had consecrated themselves, their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was done. For the Levites were more upright in heartandmore conscientious than the priests in consecrating themselves.

35 There were also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the Lordwas established again.

36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had prepared for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

All Israel Invited to the Passover

1 Hezekiah sentwordto all Israel and to Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the house of the Lordat Jerusalem to celebrate the PassoverFeastto the LordGod of Israel.

2 For the king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in thesecond month,

3 since they could not celebrate it at that time because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people assembled at Jerusalem.

4 Thus the [decision to set a] new time pleased the king and the entire assembly.

5 So they decided to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people were to come to celebrate the Passover to the LordGod of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was prescribed [for a long time].

6 So the runners went throughout Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his officials, in accordance with the command of the king, saying, “O sons (descendants) of Israel, return to the LordGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), so that He will return to those of you who escaped and are left from the hand (power) of the kings of Assyria.

7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the LordGod of their fathers, so that He made them a horror (lifeless, desolate), just as you see.

8 Now do not stiffen your neck [becoming obstinate] like your fathers, but yield to the Lordand come to His sanctuary which He has sanctifiedandset apart forever, and serve the Lordyour God, so that His burning anger will turn away from you.

9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers (relatives) and your children will find compassion in the presence of those who led them away captive and will return to this land. For the Lordyour God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

10 So the runners (couriers) passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but the people laughed at them with scorn and mocked them.

11 Yetsome ofthe men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them one heart to do that which the king and the officials had commanded by the word of the Lord.

Passover Reinstituted

13 Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it was a very large assembly.

14 They took action and removed the [pagan] altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Brook Kidron [the dumping place for the ashes of such repulsive things].

15 Then they slaughtered the Passoverlambson the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord.

16 They stood at their accustomed stations, in accordance with the Law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] from the hand of the Levites [on the altar].

17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves [that is, become ceremonially clean and free from all sin]; so the Levites had to slaughter the Passoverlambsfor everyone who was not clean, in order to make them holy for the Lord.

18 For the majority of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, and yet they ate the Passover contrary to what had been prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lordpardon

19 everyone who sets his heart to seek God–the LordGod of his fathers–even though it is not in accordance with the [ceremonial] purification [rules] of the sanctuary.”

20 So the Lordlistened to Hezekiah and healed the people [of their uncleanness].

21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lordday after day,singingto the Lordwith loud instruments.

22 Hezekiah spokeencouragingly to all the Levites who showed good understandingin the thingsof the Lord. So the people ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LordGod of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate [the feast] for another seven days; and they celebrated itanotherseven days with joy.

24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the officials gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And a large number of priests consecrated themselves [for service].

25 All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners (resident aliens, foreigners) who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah.

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.

27 Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

Idols Are Destroyed

1 Now when all of this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, and smashed the [pagan] pillars (obelisks, memorial stones) in pieces, cut down the Asherim (wooden symbols of a female deity), and tore down the high places and the altars [of idolatry] throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons (descendants) of Israel returned to their own cities, each to his own property.

2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests, and the Levites by their divisions, each in accordance with his service, both the priests and Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.

Reforms Continued

3 Hezekiah alsoappointedthe king’s [personal] portion of his goods: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and for the New Moons and for the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord.

4 He also told (ordered) the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion that was due to the priests and Levites, so that they might [be free to] devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.

5 As soon as theking’sorder spread, the Israelites gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, [olive] oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in the tithe of everything abundantly.

6 The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of sacred gifts which were consecrated to the Lordtheir God, and placed them in heaps.

7 In the third month [at the end of wheat harvest] they began to make the heaps, and they finished them in the seventh month.

8 When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lordand His people Israel.

9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps.

10 Azariah the high priest of the house of Zadok answered him, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the Lordhas blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.”

11 Then Hezekiah told them to prepare rooms [for storage] in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them.

12 They faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the sacred (dedicated) things. Conaniah the Levite was in charge of them, and Shimei his brother was second [in authority].

13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers directed by Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah was thechiefofficer of the house of God.

14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the voluntary offerings to God, to apportion the contributions for the Lordand the most holy things.

15 Under his authority were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfullytheir portionsto their brothers (relatives) by divisions, whether great or small,

16 without regard to their genealogical registration, to the males from thirty years old and upward–everyone who entered the house of the Lordfor his daily obligations–for their service in accordance with their duties by their divisions;

17 as well as the priests who were registered genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, by their duties and by their divisions.

18 The genealogical registrationincludedall their little children, their wives, and their sons and daughters, for the whole assembly, because they consecrated themselves faithfully in holiness.

19 Also for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the pasture lands of their cities or in each and every city, there were men who were designated by name to give portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically registered among the Levites.

20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah; and he did what was good, right, and true before the Lordhis God.

21 Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in keeping with the law and the commandment, seekingandinquiring of his God [and longing for Him], he did with all his heart and prospered.

Sennacherib Invades Judah

1 After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, intending to take them for himself.

2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to go to war against Jerusalem,

3 he decided, together with his officers and his soldiers, to stop up the water [supply] from the springs which were outside the city [by enclosing them with masonry and concealing them], and they helped him.

4 So many people came together, and they stopped up all the springs and the brook which flowed [underground] through the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find an abundance of water?”

5 Also Hezekiah resolutely set to work and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down, and erected towers on it, andhe builtanother wall outside and strengthened the Millo (fortification) in the City of David, and made a great number of weapons and shields.

6 He also appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spokeencouragingly to them, saying,

7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the army that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him.

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

Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah

9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, while he was at Lachish [besieging it] with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,

10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘In what do you trust that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege?

11 ~‘Is not Hezekiah misleading you in order to let you die by famine and thirst,whilesaying, “The Lordour God will rescue us from the hand of the king of Assyria?”

12 ~‘Has the same Hezekiah not taken awayhis [Baal’s] high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before [only] one altar and burn incense on it”?

13 ~‘Do you not know what I and my fathers (ancestors) have done to all the peoples of the [other] lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able to rescue their lands from my hand at all?

14 ~‘Who [was there] among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed who was able to rescue his people from my hand, that your God should be able to rescue you from my hand?

15 ~‘So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God rescue you from my hand!’”

16 And his servants saidevenmore against the LordGod and against His servant Hezekiah.

17 The Assyrian king also wrote letters insultingandtaunting the LordGod of Israel, and speaking against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of other lands have not rescued their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not rescue His people from my hand.”

18 They shouted it loudly in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city [without a long siege].

19 They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as [they spoke of] the gods of the peoples of the earth, [which are only] the work of the hands of men.

Hezekiah’s Prayer Is Answered

20 But Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven [for help].

21 And the Lordsent an angel who destroyed every brave warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king returned to his own land in shame. And when he entered the house (temple) of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword.

22 Thus the Lordsaved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of allothers,and He gave them rest on every side.

23 And many brought gifts to the Lordat Jerusalem and valuable presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; so from then on he was exalted in the sight of all nations.

24 In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and He answered him and gave him a [miraculous] sign.

25 But Hezekiah did nothing [for the Lord] in return for the benefitbestowedon him, because his heart had become proud; thereforeGod’swrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

26 However, Hezekiah humbled his proud heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lorddid not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.

27 Now Hezekiah had immense wealth and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of delightful articles,

28 and storehouses for the produce of grain, new wine, and [olive] oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds for the flocks.

29 Moreover, he made cities for himself andacquiredan abundance of flocks and herds, for God gave him very many possessions.

30 This same Hezekiah also stopped up the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and channeled them down to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything that he did.

31 And soin the matter ofthe envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left himalone onlyto test him, in order to know everything that was in his heart.

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his godly achievements, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

33 So Hezekiah slept with his fathers [in death] and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the descendants of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.

Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah in Judah

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the repulsive acts of the [pagan] nations whom the Lorddispossessed before the sons (descendants) of Israel.

3 For he rebuilt the [idolatrous] high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down; and he set up altars for the Baals and made theAsherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven [the sun, the moon, stars and planets] and served them.

4 He built [pagan] altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lordhad said, “My Name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”

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

6 He made his sons pass through the fire [as an offering to his gods] in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.

7 Then he set the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name [and the symbol of my Presence] forever;

8 and I will not again remove Israel from the land which I appointed for your fathers, if they will only be careful to do everything that I have commanded them in regard to all the law, the statutes, and the ordinancesgiventhrough Moses.”

9 So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to sin, by doing more evil than the [pagan] nations whom the Lordhad destroyed before the sons of Israel.

Manasseh’s Idolatry Rebuked

10 Now the Lordspoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

11 So the Lordbrought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks [through his nose or cheeks] and bound him with bronze [chains] and took him to Babylon.

12 But when he was in distress, he sought the Lordhis God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

13 When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his pleading, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lordis God.

14 After this he built an outer wall for the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the river valley, to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled theOphelwith itand made it very high. Then he put military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lordand in Jerusalem; and he threw them outside the city.

16 Then he set up the altar of the Lordand sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LordGod of Israel.

17 Yet the people still sacrificed on the high places,butonly to the Lordtheir God.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LordGod of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel.

19 His prayer also and how God heard him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of theHozai.

20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in [the garden of] his own house. And his son Amon became king in his place.

Amon Becomes King in Judah

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem.

22 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them.

23 Further, he did not humble himself before the Lordas his father Manasseh [finally] had done, but Amon multiplied his guiltandhis sin.

24 And his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house (palace).

25 But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

Josiah Succeeds Amon in Judah

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father (forefather) and did not turn aside either to the right or to the left.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young (sixteen), he began to seek afterandinquire of the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and cast images.

4 They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were high above them; he also smashed the Asherim and the carved images and the cast images to pieces, and ground them to dust and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5 Then Josiah burned the bones of the [pagan] priests on their altars and purgedandcleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins,

7 he tore down the altars and beatandcrushed the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

8 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, when he had purged the land and the [Lord’s] house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder (secretary), to repair the house of the Lordhis God.

9 When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, who guarded the doors, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 Then they gave it to the workmen who were appointed over the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the house of the Lordgave it [to others] to repair and restore the house (temple).

11 They in turn gave it to the carpenters and builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings (trusses, braces) and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin.

12 The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to superviseandinspect [their work]: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments.

13 They werealso in charge of the burden bearers [who carried heavy loads], and supervised all the workmen in any kind of service; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Discovers Lost Book of the Law

14 When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lordgivenby Moses.

15 Hilkiah told Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And he gave the book to Shaphan.

16 Shaphan brought the book to the king, but [first] reported further to him, “Your servants are doing everything that was entrusted to them.

17 They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hands of the overseers and the workmen.”

18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.

20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,

21 “Go, inquire of the Lordfor me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah in regard to the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lordwhich has been poured out on us because our fathers have not keptandobeyed the word of the Lord, to act in accordance with everything that is written in this book.”

Huldah, the Prophetess, Speaks

22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her about this.

23 And she answered them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,

24 thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.

25 Because they have abandoned (rejected) Me and have burned incense to other gods, in order to provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands,My wrath will be poured out on this place and it will not be extinguished.”’

26 But you shall say the following to King Josiah of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord: ‘Thus says the LordGod of Israel,concerningthe words which you have heard,

27 “Because your heart was gentleandpenitent and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me, and tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” declares the Lord.

28 “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers [in death], and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I am going to bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” So they brought back word to the king.

29 Then the king sentwordand gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30 And the king went up to the house of the Lordwith all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read aloud so they could hear all the words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.

Josiah’s Good Reign

31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord–to walk after (obey) the Lord, and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book.

32 Further, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand [with him, in confirmation of it]. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33 Josiah removed all the [pagan] repulsive things from all the lands belonging to the sons (descendants) of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lordtheir God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the LordGod of their fathers.