2 Chronicles

1 ¶ Now ^aSolomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom. And ^bthe LORD his God was with him and ^cmagnified him exceedingly.

2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to ^dthe captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses.

3 So Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place that was at ^eGibeon, for there was the tabernacle of the assembly of God that Moses the servant of the LORD had ^fmade in the wilderness.

4 ^gBut David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

5 Moreover, the ^hbronze altar that ⁱBezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he placed before the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out.

6 And Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD that was at the tabernacle of the assembly. And he ^joffered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 ¶ ^kOn that night God appeared to Solomon. And He said to him, “Ask what I will give you.”

8 And Solomon said to God, “You have showed great ^lmercy to David my father and have made me to ^mreign in his place.

9 “Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, ⁿfor You have made me king over a people like the ^odust of the earth in multitude.

10 ^pGive me now wisdom and knowledge so that I may ^qgo out and come in before this people. For who can judge this Your people who is so great?”

11 ^rAnd God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart and you have not asked riches, wealth, honor, or the life of your enemies, nor have asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself so that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king,

12 “wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as ^snone of the kings have had that have been before you, nor those who will come after you.”

13 ¶ Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the assembly. And he reigned over Israel.

14 ^tThen Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen that he placed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

15 ^uAnd the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plentiful as stones. And he made cedar as plentiful as sycamores in the lowland.

16 ^vAnd Solomon had horses brought from Egypt and from Kue. The king’s traders procured them from Kue for a price.

17 And they brought out of Egypt a chariot for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. And by the same means they brought out horses for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria.

1 ¶ Now Solomon ^adetermined to build a house for the name of the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

2 And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 men to quarry stone in the mountains and 3,600 to supervise them.

3 ¶ Then ^bSolomon sent to Hiram the king of Tyre, saying, “^cAs you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, even so deal with me.

4 “Behold, ^dI am building a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him and ^eto burn before Him sweet incense, and ^ffor the continual showbread, and for the ^gburnt offerings morning and evening on the ^hSabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

5 “And the house that I am about to build is great, for great is ⁱour God above all gods.

6 “^jBut who is able to build Him a house since the heavens and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then that I should build Him a house, except only to burn sacrifice before Him?

7 “Therefore, send me a skilled man to work in gold and in silver and in bronze and in iron and in purple and crimson and blue, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled men whom I have in Judah and in Jerusalem, ^kwhom David my father provided.

8 “^lSend me also cedar trees, fir trees and algum trees out of Lebanon. For I know that your servants know how to cut timber from Lebanon. And behold, my servants will be with your servants,

9 “even to prepare for me timber in abundance. For the house that I am about to build will be great and wonderful.

10 “^mAnd behold, I will give to your servants, the hewers that cut timber, 20,000 measures of beaten wheat and 20,000 measures of barley and 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil.”

11 ¶ Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing that he sent to Solomon, “ⁿBecause the LORD has loved His people, He has made you king over them.”

12 Hiram further said, “^oBlessed is the LORD God of Israel ^pwho made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endued him with discretion and understanding so that he might build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

13 “And now I have sent a skillful man endued with understanding, Hiram, my master craftsman,

14 “^qthe son of a woman of the daughters of Dan. And his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone and in timber, in purple, in blue and in fine linen and in crimson. Who also knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design that may be assigned to him, to work with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father.

15 “Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine of which ^rmy lord has spoken, let him send to his servants.

16 “^sAnd we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you will need. And we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa. Then you will carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 ¶ ^tSo Solomon numbered all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering by which ^uDavid his father had numbered them. And there were found 153,600.

18 And he appointed ^v70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 to quarry stones in the mountains and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.

1 ¶ Then ^aSolomon began to build the house of the LORD at ^bJerusalem on Mount Moriah where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of ^cOrnan the Jebusite.

2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

3 ¶ Now these are the things in which ^dSolomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the old measure was sixty cubits and the width twenty cubits.

4 And the ^eporch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits. And the height was 120. And he overlaid the inside with pure gold.

5 ^fAnd the greater house he ^gpaneled with fir trees that he overlaid with fine gold. And he carved on it palm trees and chainworks.

6 And he adorned the house with precious stones for beauty. And the gold was gold from Parvaim.

7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts and its walls and its doors with gold. And he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 ¶ And he made the ^hmost holy house. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with fine gold amounting to 600 talents.

9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper ⁱchambers with gold.

10 ^jAnd in the most holy house he made two cherubim designed by carving and he overlaid them with gold.

11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long. One wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house. And the other wing was also five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house. And the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves twenty cubits. And they stood on their feet with their faces inward.

14 And he made the ^kveil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen. And he wove cherubim on it.

15 ¶ He also made before the house ^ltwo pillars thirty-five cubits high. And the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

16 And he made chains in the inner sanctuary and put them on the heads of the pillars. And he made ^mone hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains.

17 And he ⁿset up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left. And he called the name of the one on the right hand, Jachin, and the name of the one on the left, Boaz.

1 ¶ Furthermore, he made an ^aaltar of bronze twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.

2 ¶ ^bHe also made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in shape, and five cubits high. And its circumference was thirty cubits.

3 ^cAnd under it was the likeness of oxen that encircled it all around. Two rows of oxen were cast when it was cast.

4 It stood on twelve ^doxen, three looking toward the north and three looking toward the west and three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east. And the sea was set above and on them. And all their hinder parts were inward.

5 And its thickness was a handwidth. And its brim was like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies. It could hold 3,000 baths.

6 He made also ^eten lavers to wash in and put five on the right hand and five on the left. They washed in them the things that pertained to the burnt offering. But the sea was only for the ^fpriests to wash in.

7 ^gAnd he made ten candlesticks of gold ^haccording to their form and set them in the temple. Five were on the right hand and five on the left.

8 ⁱHe made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred ^jbasins of gold.

9 ¶ Furthermore, ^khe made the court of the priests and the ^lgreat court and doors for the court. And he overlaid their doors with bronze.

10 ^mAnd he set the sea on the right side of the east end, toward the south.

11 ¶ And ⁿHiram made the pots and the shovels and the basins. And Hiram finished the work that he was to make for King Solomon for the house of God.

12 These were the two pillars and the ^obowls, and the capitals that were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars,

13 ^pand 400 pomegranates on the two networks, two rows of pomegranates on each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars.

14 He also made the ^qbases and he made the basins on the bases,

15 one sea and twelve oxen under it.

16 ^rHiram his master made also for King Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright bronze the pots and the shovels and the fleshhooks and all their instruments.

17 The king cast them in the plain of Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

18 ^sThus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance. For the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

19 ¶ And ^tSolomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also and the tables on which the ^ushowbread was set.

20 Furthermore, he made the candlesticks of pure gold with their lamps that they should burn ^vaccording to the pattern in front of the inner sanctuary.

21 And he made of gold, that is purest gold, the flowers and the lamps and the tongs,

22 and the snuffers and the basins and the spoons and the censers of pure gold. And the entrance of the house, the inner doors for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple were of gold.

1 ¶ Thus ^aall the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished. Then Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold and all the instruments. And he put them among the treasures of the house of God.

2 ¶ ^bThen Solomon assembled to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, in order to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD ^cout of the city of David, that is Zion.

3 ^dThen all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king ^eat the feast that was in the seventh month.

4 And all the elders of Israel came. And the ^fLevites took up the ark.

5 So they brought up the ark and the tabernacle of the assembly and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle. These the priests and the Levites brought up.

6 Also King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel who were assembled to him before the ark sacrificed sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered.

7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the ^ginner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles.

9 And they extended the ^hpoles of the ark so that the ends of the poles of the ark were seen from the inner sanctuary. But they were not seen outside. And there it is to this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables that Moses ⁱput in it at Horeb when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt.

11 ¶ Now it came to pass when the priests came out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present were sanctified and did not then wait by ^jdivisions),

12 ^kand all the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being clothed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, ^lstood at the east end of the altar, and with them 120 priests sounding with trumpets,

13 indeed it came even to pass as the trumpeters and singers were in unison to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, ^m“For He is good, for His mercy endures forever,” that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD,

14 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud. ⁿFor the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

1 ¶ Then ^aSolomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the ^bdark darkness.

2 “But I have built a house of habitation for You and ^ca place for Your dwelling forever.”

3 ¶ Then the king turned his face and ^dblessed the whole assembly of Israel. And all the assembly of Israel stood.

4 And he said, “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel who has with His hands fulfilled what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, ^esaying,

5 ‘Since the day that I brought forth My people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in order that My name might be there. Neither did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel.

6 ‘^fBut I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and ^gI have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

7 “Now ^hit was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

8 “But the LORD said to David my father, ‘Forasmuch as it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart.

9 ‘Nevertheless, you will not build the house, but your son who will come forth out of your loins, he will build the house for My ⁱname.’

10 “The LORD therefore has performed His word that He has spoken, for I have risen in the place of my father David and ^jsit on the throne of Israel as the LORD promised. And I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

11 “And in it I have placed the ark ^kthat is the covenant of the LORD that He made with the children of Israel.”

12 ^lAnd he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands.

13 Now Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long and five cubits wide and three cubits high. And he had set it in the middle of the court. And he stood on it and kneeled down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel. And he spread forth his hands toward heaven

14 and said, “O LORD God of Israel, ^mthere is no God like You in the heaven nor on the earth who keeps Your ⁿcovenant and shows mercy to Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.

15 “^oYou who have kept with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him. And You spoke with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

16 “Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, ‘^pThere will not fail you a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if ^qonly your children take heed to their way to walk in My law as You have walked before Me.’

17 “Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let Your word come true that You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 ¶ “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? ^rBehold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house that I have built!

19 “Have respect therefore to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and the prayer that Your servant prays before You,

20 “so that Your eyes may be ^sopen on this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that You would put Your name, to hearken to the prayer that Your servant prays ^ttoward this place.

21 “Hearken therefore to the supplications of Your servant, and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from Your dwelling place, even from heaven. And when You hear, ^uforgive.

22 ¶ “If a man sin against his neighbor, and an ^voath be laid on him to make him swear, and the oath come before Your altar in this house,

23 “then hear from heaven and act, and judge Your servants by retribution on the wicked, by bringing his way on his own head, and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his ^wrighteousness.

24 ¶ “And if Your people Israel are defeated before an ^xenemy because they have sinned against You, and will return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house,

25 “then hear from the heavens and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them again to the land that You gave to them and to their fathers.

26 ¶ “When the ^yheavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, yet if they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You have afflicted them,

27 “then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel when You have taught them the good way, wherein they should walk, and send rain on Your land that You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

28 ¶ “If there ^zis famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land, whatever sore or whatever ^asickness there is,

29 “then what prayer or whatever supplication will be made by any man, or by all Your people Israel, when everyone will know his own sore and his own grief, and will spread forth his hands in this house,

30 “then hear from heaven Your dwelling place and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You only ^bknow the ^chearts of the children of men,

31 “that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways so long as they live in the land that You gave to our fathers.

32 ¶ “Moreover, concerning the foreigner ^dwho is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your mighty hand and Your stretched out arm, if they come and pray in this house,

33 “then hear from the heavens, even from Your dwelling place and do according to all that the foreigner calls to You so that all people of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and may know that this house that I have built is called by Your name.

34 ¶ “If Your people go out to war against their enemies by the way that You will send them, and they pray to You toward this city that You have chosen, and the house that I have built for Your name,

35 “then hear from the heavens their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause.

36 ¶ “If they sin against You (for there is ^eno man who does not sin), and You are angry with them and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away ^fcaptives to a land far off or near,

37 “yet if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive and turn and pray to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned. We have committed iniquity and have dealt wickedly,’

38 “if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land that You gave to their fathers, and toward the ^gcity that You have chosen, and toward the house that I have built for Your name,

39 “then hear from the heavens, even from Your dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

40 “Now, my God, let, I beseech You, Your eyes be ^hopen. And let Your ears attend to the prayer that is made in this place.

41 ¶ “ⁱNow therefore arise, O LORD God, to Your ^jresting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation and let Your saints ^krejoice in goodness.

42 “O LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed. ^lRemember the mercies of David Your servant.”

1 ¶ Now when ^aSolomon had finished praying, ^bfire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices. And the ^cglory of the LORD filled the house.

2 ^dAnd the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.

3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped. And they praised the LORD, saying, “^eFor He is good, for ^fHis mercy endures forever.”

4 ¶ ^gThen the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.

5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6 ^hAnd the priests stood according to their services, the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD that David the king had made to praise the LORD because His mercy endures forever, when David praised by their ministry. And the ⁱpriests sounded trumpets before them and all Israel stood.

7 ¶ Furthermore, ^jSolomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar that Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offerings and the grain offerings and the fat.

8 ¶ ^kAlso at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly who came ^lfrom the entrance of Hamath to ^mthe brook of Egypt.

9 And on the eighth day they made a ⁿsolemn assembly. For they kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.

10 ^oAnd on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed to David and to Solomon and to Israel His people.

11 Thus ^pSolomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house. And he successfully completed all that came into his heart to make in the house of the LORD and in his own house.

12 ¶ And the LORD ^qappeared to Solomon by night. And He said to him, “I have heard your prayer and ^rhave chosen this ^splace for Myself for a house of sacrifice.

13 “^tIf I shut up heaven so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people;

14 “and if My people who are ^ucalled by My name will ^vhumble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, ^wthen I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

15 “Now ^xMy eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

16 “For now ^yI have chosen and sanctified this house so that My name may be there forever. And My eyes and My heart will be there continually.

17 “^zAnd as for you, if you will walk before Me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will observe My statutes and My judgments,

18 “then I will establish the throne of your kingdom according as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘^aThere will not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.’

19 ¶ “^bBut if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments that I have set before you, and will go and serve other gods and worship them,

20 “^cthen I will pluck them up by the roots out of My land that I have given them, and this house that I have sanctified for My name, I will cast out of My sight and will make it a proverb and a ^dbyword among all nations.

21 “And ^ethis house that is high will be an ^fastonishment to everyone who passes by it, so that he will say, ‘^gWhy has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’

22 “And it will be answered, ‘Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt and they laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore, He has brought all this calamity on them.’”

1 ¶ Now it ^acame to pass at the end of the ^btwenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house,

2 that he built the cities that Hiram had given to him. And he settled the sons of Israel there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and captured it.

4 ^cAnd he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities that he built in ^dHamath.

5 He also built upper Beth Horon and ^elower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars;

6 and Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had and all the chariot cities and the cities of the horsemen and all that Solomon ^fdesired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7 ¶ ^gAs for all the people who were left of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites who were not of Israel,

8 but of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon raised as forced laborers to this day.

9 But of the children of Israel Solomon made no servants for his work. But they were men of war and chief of his captains and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of King Solomon’s officers, even ^h250 who ruled over the people.

11 ¶ And Solomon ⁱbrought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife will not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy to which the ark of the LORD has come.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD that he had built before the porch,

13 according to the ^jdaily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts, ^kthree times in the year, even on the ^lfeast of unleavened bread and on the feast of weeks and on the feast of tabernacles.

14 And he appointed according to the order of David his father the ^mdivisions of the priests to their service and the ⁿLevites to their duties, to praise and minister before the priests as the duty of every day required, and the ^ogatekeepers also by their divisions at every gate. For David the man of God had so commanded.

15 And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the ^ptreasuries.

16 ¶ Now all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

17 ¶ Then Solomon went to ^qEzion Geber and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18 ^rAnd Hiram sent him ships by the hands of his servants, and servants who had knowledge of the sea. And they went with the servants of Solomon to ^sOphir and took from there 450 talents of gold. And they brought them to King Solomon.

1 ¶ Now ^awhen the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem. She came with a very great company and camels that bore spices and gold in abundance and precious stones. And when she had come to Solomon she discussed with him about all that was in her heart.

2 So Solomon answered all her questions. And there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built,

4 and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his ^bcupbearers also and their apparel, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

5 ¶ And she said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land about your acts and about your wisdom.

6 “Nevertheless, I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes have seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. For you exceed the fame that I heard.

7 “Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.

8 “Blessed be the LORD your God who delights in you to set you on His throne, to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God ^cloved Israel in order to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do judgment and justice.”

9 And she gave the king 120 talents of gold and a great amount of spices and precious stones. There had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 ¶ And the servants also of Hiram, and the servants of Solomon ^dwho brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers. And there was nothing as this seen before in the land of Judah.

12 ¶ And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, beside what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

13 ¶ ^eNow the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

14 besides that which traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 And King Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of beaten gold went into one shield.

16 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels of gold went into one shield. And the king put them in the ^fhouse of the forest of Lebanon.

17 ¶ Furthermore, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 And there were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the arms.

19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any kingdom.

20 And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold. And all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king’s ships went to ^gTarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

22 ¶ And King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.

24 And every man brought his present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold and clothing, ^harmor and spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

25 And Solomon ⁱhad 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 ¶ ^jAnd he reigned over all the kings ^kfrom the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 ^lAnd the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones. And he made cedar trees as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 ⁿAnd they brought to Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands.

29 ¶ ^oNow the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of ^pAhijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of ^qIddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And ^rSolomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Then ^aRehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2 Now it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt ^bwhere he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 “Your father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore lighten the hard servitude of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 And he said to them, “Return to me after three days.” And the people departed.

6 ¶ Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he still lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer this people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 ^cBut he forsook the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him and stood before him.

9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Ease somewhat the yoke that your father put on us’?”

10 And the young men who were brought up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus will you answer the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it somewhat lighter for us.’ Thus you will say to them, ‘My little finger will be thicker than my father’s waist.

11 ‘For whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add more to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

12 ¶ So ^dJeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

13 Then the king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men.

14 And he answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

15 So the king did not hearken to the people, ^efor it was brought about by God so that the LORD might perform His ^fword that He spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 ¶ Now when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What share have we in David? And we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel. And now, David, see to your own house.” So all Israel went to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram who was over the revenue. But the children of Israel stoned him with stones so that he died. Then King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot in order to flee to Jerusalem.

19 ^gThen Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.

1 ¶ Now ^awhen Rehoboam had returned to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin 180,000 chosen men who were warriors in order to fight against Israel so that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2 ¶ But the word of the LORD came ^bto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4 ‘Thus says the LORD, “You will not go up, nor fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” And they obeyed the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 ¶ So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built cities for the defence in Judah.

6 He built Bethlehem and Etam and Tekoa

7 and Bethzur and Shoco and Adullam

8 and Gath and Mareshah and Ziph

9 and Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah

10 and Zorah and Aijalon and Hebron, that are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.

11 And he fortified the strongholds and put captains in them, and stored food and oil and wine.

12 And in every city he put shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

13 ¶ And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him.

14 For the Levites left ^ctheir pasture lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for ^dJeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD.

15 ^eHe ordained for himself priests for the high places and for the ^fdemons, and for the ^gcalf idols that he had made.

16 ^hAnd those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel ⁱfollowed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.

17 So they ^jstrengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years. For three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

18 ¶ And Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abihail the daughter of ^kEliab the son of Jesse,

19 who bore him children: Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham.

20 Then after her he took ^lMaachah the daughter of ^mAbsalom who bore him ⁿAbijah and Atta and Ziza and Shelomith.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his ^owives and his concubines. For he took eighteen wives, sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 And Rehoboam ^pmade ^qAbijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren, for he intended to make him king.

23 And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, to all the ^rfortified cities. And he gave them food in abundance. And he sought for them many wives.

1 ¶ Now ^ait came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, ^bhe forsook the law of the LORD and all Israel with him.

2 ^cThen it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had trespassed against the LORD.

3 He came with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people out of Egypt could not be numbered, the ^dLubims, the Sukkiims and the Ethiopians.

4 And he took the fortified cities of Judah. Then he came to Jerusalem.

5 ¶ Then ^eShemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah who were gathered together at Jerusalem because of Shishak. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You have forsaken Me, therefore I have also left you in the hand of Shishak.’”

6 So the princes of Israel and the king ^fhumbled themselves. And they said, “^gThe LORD is righteous.”

7 Now when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the ^hword of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves. Therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. And My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

8 “Nevertheless, ⁱthey will be his servants so that they may know ^jMy service and the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

9 ¶ ^kSo Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house. He took all. He carried away also the shields of gold that Solomon had ^lmade.

10 Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them ^mto the hands of the chief of the guard who kept the entrance of the king’s house.

11 And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them. And he brought them again into the guard’s chamber.

12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him so that He would not completely destroy him. And also in Judah things went well.

13 ¶ So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned, for ⁿRehoboam was forty-one years when he began to reign. And he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, ^othe city that the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in order to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an ^pAmmonitess.

14 And he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.

15 ¶ Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of ^qIddo the seer concerning genealogies? ^rAnd there were wars continually between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

16 Then Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and ^sAbijah his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Now in the ^aeighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over ^bJudah.

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even 400,000 chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with 800,000 chosen men who were mighty men of valor.

4 ¶ And Abijah stood up on Mount ^cZemaraim, that is in Mount Ephraim. And he said, “Hear me, Jeroboam, and all Israel.

5 “Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel ^dgave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons ^eby a covenant of salt?

6 “Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and has ^frebelled against his lord.

7 “And there are gathered to him ^gworthless men, the children of rebellion. And they have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was ^hyoung and timid, and could not withstand them.

8 “And now you think to stand against the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David. And you are a great multitude and there are with you golden calves that Jeroboam ⁱmade you for gods.

9 “^jHave you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made for yourselves priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? ^kWhoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may be a priest of ^lthose that are not gods.

10 “But as for us, the LORD is our ^mGod and we have not forsaken him. And the priests who minister to the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their work.

11 “ⁿAnd they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense. They also set in order the ^oshowbread on the clean table, and the candlestick of gold with its lamps is ready ^pto burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him.

12 “And behold, God Himself is with us as our ^qcaptain and ^rHis priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not prosper.”

13 ¶ But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them. So they were before Judah and the ambush was behind them.

14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind. And they ^scried out to the LORD and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout. And as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God ^tstruck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 So the children of Israel fled before Judah. And God delivered them into their hand.

17 Then Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter. So there fell down slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men.

18 Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed ^ubecause they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.

19 Then Abijah pursued after Jeroboam. And he took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and ^vEphrain with its towns.

20 Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah. And the LORD ^wstruck him and ^xhe died.

21 ¶ But Abijah waxed mighty and married fourteen wives and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the ^yannals of the prophet Iddo.

1 ¶ So Abijah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David. And ^aAsa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was at peace for ten years.

2 ¶ And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

3 For he took away the altars of the foreign gods and the ^bhigh places, and ^cbroke down the images and ^dcut down the wooden images.

4 And he commanded Judah to ^eseek the LORD God of their fathers and to do the law and the commandment.

5 He also took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images. And the kingdom was at peace under him.

6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had peace. And he had no war in those years because the LORD had given him ^frest.

7 Therefore, he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them and towers, gates and bars, while the land is still before us, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

8 Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and drew ^gbows. All these were mighty men of ^hvalor.

9 ¶ ⁱAnd there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million men and 300 chariots. And he came to ^jMareshah.

10 Then Asa went out against him. And they set the battle in array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

11 And Asa ^kcried out to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, it is ^lnothing with You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power. Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You and ^min Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Let no man prevail against You.”

12 ¶ So the LORD ⁿstruck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah. And the Ethiopians fled.

13 And Asa and the people who were with him ^ppursued them to ^oGerar. And the Ethiopians were overthrown so that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away much spoil.

14 Then they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the ^pfear of the LORD came on them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was an exceeding amount of spoil in them.

15 They struck also the tents of cattle and carried away sheep and camels in abundance. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

1 ¶ Then the ^aSpirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded.

2 And he went out to meet Asa. And he said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. ^bThe LORD is with you while you are with Him. And ^cif you seek Him, He will let you find Him. But ^dif you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

3 “^eNow for a long season Israel was without the true God, and without a ^fteaching priest, and without ^glaw.

4 “But ^hwhen they in their trouble turned to the LORD God of Israel and sought Him, He was found by them.

5 “And in those times there was no peace for him who went out, nor to him who came in. But great afflictions were on all the inhabitants of the countries.

6 “ⁱAnd nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city. For God afflicted them with all adversity.

7 “Be strong therefore, and do not let your hands be weak, for your work will be rewarded.”

8 ¶ And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities ^jthat he had taken from Mount Ephraim. And he renewed the altar of the LORD that was before the porch of the LORD.

9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the foreigners with ^kthose from Ephraim and Manasseh and from Simeon, for they defected to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

10 ¶ So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

11 ^lAnd they offered to the LORD that day of the spoil that they had brought, 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep.

12 And they ^mentered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

13 ⁿthat whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel ^oshould be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

14 And they swore to the LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with rams’ horns.

15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath. For they had sworn with all their heart and ^psought Him with their whole desire. And He was found by them. And the LORD gave them ^qrest all around.

16 ¶ Now also concerning ^rMaachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa cut down her idol and crushed it and burned it at the Brook Kidron.

17 But the ^shigh places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.

18 ¶ And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and what he himself had dedicated, silver and gold and vessels.

19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

1 ¶ In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, ^aBaasha king of Israel came up against Judah. And he built ^bRamah to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the LORD and from the king’s house. And he sent to Benhadad king of Syria who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

3 “Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he may depart from me.”

4 So Benhadad hearkened to King Asa. And he sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. And they struck Ijon and Dan and Abelmaim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

5 Now it came to pass when Baasha heard this that he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease.

6 Then Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with what Baasha was building. And he built Geba and Mizpah with it.

7 ¶ And at that time ^cHanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah. And he said to him, “^dBecause you have relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of your hand.

8 “Were not the ^eEthiopians and the ^fLubims a great army, with many chariots and horsemen? But because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your ^ghand.

9 “^hFor the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole world, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. Herein ⁱyou have done foolishly. Therefore from now on ^jyou will have wars.”

10 Then Asa was angry with the seer. And he ^kput him in a prison house, for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

11 ¶ ^lAnd behold, the acts of Asa, from first to last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 And Asa in the thirty-ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceedingly great. Yet in his disease ^mhe did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.

13 ¶ ⁿSo Asa slept with his fathers and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in his own tomb that he had made for himself in the city of David. And they laid him in the bed that was filled ^owith spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. And they made a ^pvery great burning for him.

1 ¶ Then ^aJehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. And he strengthened himself against Israel.

2 And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of ^bJudah and in the cities of Ephraim ^cthat Asa his father had taken.

3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and did not seek the Baals.

4 But he sought the God of his father and walked in His commandments. He did not do according to the ^dacts of Israel.

5 Therefore, the LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah ^ebrought gifts to Jehoshaphat. ^fAnd he had riches and honor in abundance.

6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD. Furthermore, he ^gtook away the high places and the wooden images out of Judah.

7 ¶ Also in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Benhail and Obadiah and Zechariah and Nethaneel and Michaiah to ^hteach in the cities of Judah.

8 And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites. And with them he sent Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

9 ⁱAnd they taught in Judah and had the book of the law of the LORD with them. And they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

10 ¶ So the ^jfear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were all around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

11 Some of the Philistines ^kbrought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute of silver. And the Arabians brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

12 ¶ And Jehoshaphat became exceedingly great. And he built in Judah fortresses and storage cities.

13 And he had much business in the cities of Judah. And the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.

14 And these are their numbers according to the house of their fathers: of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valor, 300,000.

15 And next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him 280,000.

16 And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, ^lwho willingly offered himself to the LORD, and with him 200,000 mighty men of valor.

17 And of Benjamin, Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men with bow and shield, 200,000.

18 And next him was Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 prepared for the war.

19 These waited on the king, beside ^mthose whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

1 ¶ Now Jehoshaphat ^ahad riches and honor in abundance. And he ^ballied himself by marriage with ^cAhab.

2 ^dAnd after some years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people whom he had with him. And he persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

3 Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are and my people as your people. So we will be with you in the war.”

4 ¶ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ^e“Please inquire first for the word of the LORD today.”

5 Therefore, the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets and said to them, “Will we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle or will I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

6 ¶ But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of the LORD that we might inquire of ^fhim?”

7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Do not let the king say such things.”

8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.”

9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in their robes. And they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them.

10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made for himself ^ghorns of iron. And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you will push Syria until they are consumed.’”

11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

12 ¶ And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one accord. Therefore, please let your word be like one of theirs, and speak good.”

13 And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, even ^hwhat my God says that I will speak.”

14 And when he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, will we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or I will refrain?” And he said, “Go up and prosper, and they will be delivered into your hand.”

15 And the king said to him, “How many times will I adjure you that you say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?”

16 Then he said, “I did see all Israel ⁱscattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no ^jshepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master, let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.’”

17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me, but evil?”

18 ¶ Again he said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His ^kthrone and all the army of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.

19 “Then the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And one spoke saying after this manner and another saying after that manner.

20 “Then there came out a ^lspirit and stood before the LORD. And he said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’

21 “And he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You will entice him, and you will also prevail. Go out and do so.’

22 “Now therefore, behold, ^mthe LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the LORD has spoken evil against you.”

23 ¶ Then Zedekiah the son of Che-naanah came near and ⁿstruck Micaiah on the cheek. And he said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?”

24 Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you will go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.”

25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son,

26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, ^o“Put this fellow in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace.”’”

27 And Micaiah said, “If you indeed return in peace, then the LORD has not spoken by ^pme.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people.”

28 ¶ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will ^qdisguise myself and will go into the battle. But you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, except only with the king of Israel.”

31 Now it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel.” Therefore, they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat ^rcried out and the LORD helped him. And God moved them to depart from him.

32 For it came to pass when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.

33 And a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore, he said to his chariot man, “Turn around so that you may carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

34 And the battle increased that day. And the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Syrians until the evening. And about the time the sun went down he died.

1 ¶ Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the ^aseer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the ungodly and ^blove those who hate the LORD? For this reason there is ^cwrath on you from before the LORD.

3 “Nevertheless, there are ^dgood things found in you, in that you have taken away the wooden images out of the land and have ^eprepared your heart to seek God.”

4 ¶ So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim. And he brought them back to the LORD God of their ^ffathers.

5 And he set ^gjudges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.

6 And he said to the judges, “Take heed to what you do. ^hFor you do not judge for man but for the LORD ⁱwho is with you in the judgment.

7 “Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Take heed and do it, for ^jthere is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor ^krespect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

8 ¶ Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat ^lappointed some of the Levites and the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

9 And he charged them saying, “Thus you will do ^min the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly.

10 “ⁿAnd whatever cause will come to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you will warn them so that they may not be guilty before the LORD, and ^owrath may not come on ^pyou and your brethren. Thus you will do and you will not be guilty.

11 “And behold, ^qAmariah the chief priest is over you ^rin all matters of the LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters. The Levites also will be officers before you. Deal courageously and the LORD will be ^swith the good.”

1 ¶ Now it came to pass after this that the children of ^aMoab and the children of ^bAmmon, and others with them, besides the ^cAmmonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2 Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “There comes a great multitude against you from beyond the sea on this side of Syria. And behold, they are in ^dHazazon Tamar which is ^eEngedi.”

3 And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to ^fseek the LORD. And he ^gproclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 Then Judah gathered themselves together to ask ^hhelp from the LORD. Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5 ¶ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court.

6 And he said, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not ⁱGod in heaven? And ^jdo You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And ^kin Your hand is there not power and might so that no one is able to stand against You?

7 “Are You not ^lour God who ^mdrove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham ⁿYour friend forever?

8 “And they dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

9 ^o‘If calamity comes on us as the sword, judgment or pestilence or famine, we will stand before this house and in Your presence (for Your ^pname is in this house), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and help.’

10 “And now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You ^qwould not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but ^rthey turned from them and did not destroy them,

11 “behold, they reward us ^sby coming to cast us out of Your possession that You have given us to inherit.

12 “O our God, will You not ^tjudge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. Neither do we know what to do. However, ^uour eyes are on You.”

13 And all Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, their wives and their children.

14 ¶ Then on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the ^vSpirit of the LORD in the middle of the assembly.

15 And he said, “Hearken all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. Thus says the LORD to you, ‘^wDo not be afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, ^xfor the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16 ‘Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 ‘^yYou will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves and stand. And you will see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, ^zfor the LORD will be with you.”

18 And Jehoshaphat ^abowed his head with his face to the ground. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

19 And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 ¶ Then they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. ^bBelieve in the LORD your God so that you will be established. Believe His prophets and you will prosper.”

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to the LORD so that they ^cshould praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, “^dPraise the LORD ^efor His mercy that endures forever.”

22 ¶ And when they began to sing and to praise, ^fthe LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir who had come against Judah. And they were smitten.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly slay and destroy them. And when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, ^geveryone helped to destroy one another.

24 Now when Judah came toward the lookout in the wilderness, they looked to the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth. And no one escaped.

25 ¶ Then when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies and precious jewels that they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. And they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore, the name of the same place was called to this day, The Valley of Berachah.

27 Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in front of them, returned to go again to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had ^hmade them rejoice over their enemies.

28 Then they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets to the house of the LORD.

29 And the ⁱfear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was at peace. For his ^jGod gave him rest all around.

31 ¶ And ^kJehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

32 And he walked in the way of ^lAsa his father, and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD.

33 However, the ^mhigh places were not taken away. The people had not yet ⁿdirected their hearts to the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani ^owho is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 ¶ Then after this ^pJehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, ^qwho did very ^rwickedly.

36 And he joined himself with him ^sto make ships to go to Tarshish. And they made the ships in Ezion Geber.

37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has broken your works.” And the ^tships were broken so that they were not able to go ^uto Tarshish.

1 ¶ Now ^aJehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

2 And he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah and Jehiel and Zechariah and Azariah and Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

4 ¶ Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself. And he slew all his brothers with the sword and also many of the princes of Israel.

5 ^bJehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign. And he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel just as the house of ^cAhab. For he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife. And he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

7 However, the LORD would not destroy the house of David because of the ^dcovenant that He had made with David, and because He promised to give a light to him and to his ^esons forever.

8 ¶ ^fIn his days the Edomites revolted against the rule of Judah and made themselves a king.

9 Then Jehoram went forth with his princes and all his chariots with him. And he rose up by night and struck the Edomites who were surrounding him and the captains of the chariots.

10 So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. At the same time also Libnah revolted because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

11 Furthermore, he made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^gto play the harlot. And he led Judah astray.

12 ¶ And there came a letter to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of David your father, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

13 ‘but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have ^hmade Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ⁱto play the harlot, like the ^jwhoredoms of the house of Ahab, and have also ^kslain your brothers of your father’s house who were better than yourself,

14 ‘behold, with a great plague the LORD will smite your people and your children and your wives and all your goods.

15 ‘And you will have great sickness by ^ldisease of your intestines until your intestines fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.’”

16 ¶ Then the ^mLORD ⁿstirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the ^oArabians who were near the Ethiopians.

17 And they came up into Judah and broke into it. And they carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house and ^phis sons also and his wives, so that there was never a son left to him, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 ¶ Then after all this the LORD struck him ^qin his intestines with an incurable disease.

19 Now it came to pass in the course of time after the end of two years, his intestines fell out by reason of his sickness. So he died of severe pain. And his people made no burning for him like ^rthe burning for his fathers.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign. And he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and departed without anyone’s regret. However, they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

1 ¶ Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made ^aAhaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the raiding parties who came with the ^bArabians to the camp had slain all the ^colder sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was ^dAthaliah the daughter of Omri.

3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

4 Therefore, he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.

5 He walked also after their counsel and went with Jehoram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram.

6 ^eThen he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds that were inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.

7 ¶ Now the downfall of Ahaziah ^fwas from God by his going to Joram. For when he came ^ghe went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, ^hwhom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

8 Now it came to pass when Jehu was ⁱexecuting judgment on the house of Ahab, and he ^jfound the princes of Judah and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah who ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

9 ^kThen he sought Ahaziah. And they caught him (for he was hid in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu. And when they had slain him, they buried him. For they said, “He is the son of ^lJehoshaphat who ^msought the LORD with all his heart.” So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume the power of the kingdom.

10 ¶ ⁿNow when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took ^oJoash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain. And she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not slay him.

12 Now he was with them hid in the house of God for six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

1 ¶ Now in the ^aseventh year, ^bJehoiada strengthened himself and took into covenant with himself the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of ^cObed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri.

2 And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the ^dchief fathers of Israel. And they came to Jerusalem.

3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son will reign as the LORD has ^esaid of the sons of David.

4 “This is the thing that you will do: one third of you, of the priests and Levites who ^fcome in on the Sabbath, will be gatekeepers,

5 “and one third will be at the king’s house, and one third at the gate of the foundation. And all the people will be in the courts of the house of the LORD.

6 “But let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and ^gthose who minister of the Levites. They will go in, for they are holy. But all the people will keep the watch of the LORD.

7 “And the Levites will surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. And whoever comes into the house, he will be put to death. But you be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 ¶ So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded. And every man took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of ^hthe divisions.

9 Furthermore, Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small ⁱshields that had been King David’s, that were in the house of God.

10 Then he set all the people all around the king, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.

11 Then they brought out the king’s son and put on him the crown. And he ^jgave him the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king.”

12 ¶ Now when ^kAthaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD.

13 And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the princes and the trumpets by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music ^lleading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “^mTreason, Treason.”

14 ¶ Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army. And he said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks. And whoever follows her, put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not slay her in the house of the LORD.”

15 So they laid hands on her. And when she had come to the ⁿentrance of the Horse Gate by the king’s house, they slew her there.

16 ¶ Then Jehoiada made a ^ocovenant between him and between all the people and between the king that they should be the LORD’S people.

17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down. And they broke his altars and his images in pieces. And they ^pslew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites whom David had ^qassigned over the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the ^rlaw of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing as it was ordered by David.

19 And he set the ^sgatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD so that no one who was unclean in any thing should enter.

20 ^tThen he took the captains of hundreds and the nobles and the governors of the people and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD. And they came through the High Gate into the king’s house and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.

21 Then all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city had peace after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

1 ¶ Joash was a seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2 And Joash ^bdid what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

3 And Jehoiada took for himself two wives, and he begot sons and daughters.

4 ¶ Now it came to pass after this that Joash decided to repair the house of the LORD.

5 So he gathered together the priests and the Levites. And he said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and ^cgather from all Israel money to repair annually the house of your God, and see that you do this quickly.” However, the Levites did not do it quickly.

6 ^dThen the king called for Jehoiada the chief. And he said to him, “Why have you not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the contribution fixed by ^eMoses the servant of the LORD on the assembly of Israel for the ^ftabernacle of the testimony?”

7 For the ^gsons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had used all the ^hdedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

8 ¶ So the king commanded and ⁱthey made a chest. And they set it outside the gate of the house of the LORD.

9 Then they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the LORD the ^jcontribution that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.

10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced. And they brought in and cast into the chest until they had finished.

11 Now it came to pass when the chest was brought to the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and ^kwhen they saw that there was much treasure, the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest. And they took it and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and collected treasure in abundance.

12 Then the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD. And they hired masons and carpenters to ^lrepair the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD.

13 So the workmen worked, and the work was completed by them. And they set up the house of God in its original state and reinforced it.

14 Now when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the treasure before the king and Jehoiada. ^mThey made from it vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels for ministering and offering and spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 ¶ But Jehoiada became old and was full of days when he died. He was 130 years old when he died.

16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward his house.

17 ¶ Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah. And they bowed down to the king. Then the king hearkened to them.

18 But they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers and served the ⁿwooden images and idols. And ^owrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for their trespass.

19 Yet He ^psent prophets to them in order to bring them again to the LORD. And they testified against them. But they would not listen.

20 And the Spirit of God came on ^qZechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest who stood above the people. And he said to them, “Thus says God, ‘^rWhy do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? ^sBecause you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.’”

21 So they conspired against him. And at the commandment of the king, they ^tstoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD.

22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada his father had done to him. But he slew his son. And when he died, he said, “May the LORD see and ^urepay!”

23 ¶ Now it came to pass at the end of the year that the ^varmy of Syria came up against him. And they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people. And they sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.

24 Now the army of the Syrians ^wcame with a small company of men. But the LORD ^xdelivered a very great army into their hand because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they ^yexecuted judgment against Joash.

25 Now when they had departed from him (for they left him severely wounded), ^zhis own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest. And they slew him on his bed and he died. And they buried him in the city of David. But they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

26 ¶ Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.

27 Now concerning his sons and the ^amany oracles against him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And ^bAmaziah his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Amaziah was a twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem.

2 Now he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, ^bbut not with a whole heart.

3 ¶ ^cSo it came to pass when the kingdom was established for him that he slew his servants who had killed the king his father.

4 However, he did not slay their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses where the LORD commanded, saying, “^dThe fathers will not die for the children, nor will the children die for the fathers, but every man will die for his own sin.”

5 ¶ Furthermore, Amaziah gathered Judah together and made captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers throughout all Judah and Benjamin. And he numbered them ^efrom twenty years old and above. And he found 300,000 choice men able to go forth to war and could handle spear and shield.

6 He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver.

7 But there came a ^fman of God to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.

8 “But if you do go, do it. Be strong for the battle. God will make you fall before the enemy, for God has ^gpower to help and to cast down.”

9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what will we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” And the man of God answered, ^h“The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”

10 Then Amaziah dismissed them, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore, their anger was greatly kindled against Judah and they returned home in great anger.

11 ¶ Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led forth his people. And he went to the ⁱValley of Salt and struck 10,000 of the children of Seir.

12 Then the sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff so that they were all dashed to pieces.

13 ¶ But the soldiers of the army that Amaziah sent back in order that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Bethhoron. And they struck 3,000 of them and took much spoil.

14 ¶ Now it came to pass later when Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites that ^jhe brought the gods of the children of Seir. And he set them up to be ^khis gods and bowed down himself before them. And he burned incense to them.

15 Therefore, the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah. And He sent to him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you gone after ^lthe gods of the people that ^mcould not deliver their own people out of your hand?”

16 Now it came to pass as he talked with him that the king said to him, “Are you appointed for the king’s counsel? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has ⁿdetermined to destroy you because you have done this, and you have not hearkened to my counsel.”

17 ¶ Then ^oAmaziah king of Judah took counsel. And he sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us see one another in the face.”

18 And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter for my son as a wife.’ And there passed by a wild animal that was in Lebanon and trampled down the thistle.

19 “You say, ‘Lo, you have smitten the Edomites.’ And your heart has lifted you up to ^pboast. Stay now at home. Why should you meddle to your harm so that you should fall, even you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for ^qit came from God that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies because they ^rwent after the gods of Edom.

21 So Joash the king of Israel went up. And they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah at ^sBethshemesh that belongs to Judah.

22 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and every man fled to his tent.

23 Then Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of ^tJehoahaz, at Bethshemesh. And he brought him to Jerusalem. And he broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits.

24 And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with ^uObededom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also. Then he returned to Samaria.

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

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

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 sent to Lachish after him and slew him there.

28 And they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

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

2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah. After this the king slept with his fathers.

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.

4 And he did what was ^aright in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

5 ^bAnd he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who ^chad understanding in the visions of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God made him ^dprosper.

6 ¶ And he went forth and ^efought against the Philistines. And he broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod. And he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines.

7 And God helped him against the ^fPhilistines and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.

8 And the Ammonites ^ggave tribute to Uzziah. And his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

9 Uzziah also built towers in Jerusalem at the ^hCorner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress. And he fortified them.

10 He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had many cattle, both in the low country and in the plains. He had also tenant farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved farming.

11 ¶ Uzziah also had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies, according to the number of their divisions by the reckoning of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.

12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valor was 2,600.

13 And under their direction was an army, 307,500 who made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.

14 And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields and spears and helmets and body armor and bows and slings to cast stones.

15 And he made in Jerusalem machines for war, invented by ⁱskillful men to be set on the towers and on the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad for he was marvellously helped until he was strong.

16 ¶ But ^jwhen he was strong, his heart was ^klifted up to his own destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God and ^lwent into the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

17 And ^mAzariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the LORD who were valiant men.

18 Now they opposed Uzziah the king. And they said to him, ⁿ“It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the ^opriests the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed. You will have no honor from the LORD God.”

19 Then Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was angry. And while he was angry with the priests, the ^pleprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.

20 Then Azariah the chief priest and all the priests, looked on him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead. And they threw him out from there. And he himself also ^qhastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him.

21 So ^rUzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death. And he dwelt in a ^sseparate house as a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

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

23 So ^uUzziah slept with his fathers. And they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Jotham was a twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.

2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did. However, he did not enter into the temple of the LORD. But the ^bpeople continued acting corruptly.

3 He built the High Gate of the house of the LORD and he built extensively the Wall of ^cOphel.

4 He also built cities in the mountains of Judah and in the forests he built fortresses and watchtowers.

5 He fought also with the king of the ^dAmmonites and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver and 10,000 measures of wheat, and 10,000 of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also.

6 So Jotham became mighty ^ebecause he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

7 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

9 ^fThen Jotham slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David. And ^gAhaz his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Ahaz was a twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD like David his father.

2 But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made also ^bmolten images for the ^cBaals.

3 He also burnt incense in the ^dValley of the Son of Hinnom. And he burned ^ehis children in the ^ffire after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had ^gcast out before the children of Israel.

4 He sacrificed also and burned incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 ¶ Therefore, the ^hLORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. And they ⁱstruck him and carried away a great multitude of them captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel who struck him with a great slaughter.

6 For ^jPekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day who were all valiant men, ^kbecause they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

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

8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their ^lbrethren 200,000, women, sons and daughters. And they took away also much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.

9 ¶ But a ^mprophet of the LORD was there whose name was Oded. And he went out before the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, ⁿbecause the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand and you have slain them in a rage that ^oreaches up to heaven.

10 “Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for ^pmale and female slaves. But are there not even with you sins of your own against the LORD your God?

11 “Now hear Me, therefore, and return the captives that you have taken captive of your brethren, ^qfor the fierce wrath of the LORD is on you.”

12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war.

13 And they said to them, “You will not bring in the captives here. For what you purpose will bring on us a trespass against the LORD, to add to our sins and to our trespass, for our trespass is great and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.

15 Then the men ^rwho were designated by name rose up and took the captives. And with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. And they dressed them and put shoes on them, and ^sgave them food to eat and water to drink. And they anointed them and carried all the feeble ones on donkeys and brought them to Jericho, ^tthe city of palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria.

16 ¶ ^uAt that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help.

17 For again the ^vEdomites came and struck Judah, and carried away captives.

18 ^wThe Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and the Negev of Judah. And they had taken Bethshemesh and Ajalon and Gederoth and Shocho with their villages, and Timnah with their villages, Gimzo also and their villages. And they dwelt there.

19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of ^xIsrael, for he had ^yencouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the LORD.

20 And ^zTilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria, came to him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him.

21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the house of the king and from the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria. But he did not help him.

22 ¶ And in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.

23 For ^ahe sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who struck him. And he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore I will sacrifice to them ^bso that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

24 Then Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God. And he ^cshut up the doors of the house of the LORD and he made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.

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

26 ¶ ^dNow the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem. But they ^edid not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Hezekiah ^abegan to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

3 ¶ In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he ^bopened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.

4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the East Square.

5 And he said to them, “Listen to me, O Levites. Sanctify yourselves and ^csanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry the rubbish out of the holy place.

6 “For our fathers have trespassed and done what was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God. And they have forsaken Him and have ^dturned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.

7 “^eThey have also shut up the doors of the porch and put out the lamps. And they have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

8 “Therefore, the ^fwrath of the LORD was on Judah and Jerusalem. And He has ^gdelivered them to trouble, to desolation and to ^hjeering, as you see with your ⁱeyes.

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

10 “Now it is in my heart to make a ^kcovenant with the LORD God of Israel so that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.

11 “My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has ^lchosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.”

12 ¶ Then the Levites arose, mMahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the ⁿKohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; and from the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;

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

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

15 And they gathered their brethren and ^osanctified themselves. And they came according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, ^pto cleanse the house of the LORD.

16 Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it. And they brought out all the rubbish that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And then the Levites took it in order to carry it out to the ^qBrook Kidron.

17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify. And on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of the LORD. So they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and in the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels and the showbread table, with all its vessels.

19 Furthermore, all the vessels that King Ahaz in his reign ^rdiscarded during his transgression, we have prepared and sanctified. And behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

20 ¶ Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the rulers of the city. And they went up to the house of the LORD.

21 And they brought seven bulls and seven rams and seven lambs and seven male goats for a ^ssin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

22 So they killed the bull, and the priests received the blood and ^tsprinkled it on the altar. Likewise, when they had killed the rams they sprinkled the blood on the altar. They killed also the lambs and they sprinkled the blood on the altar.

23 Then they brought forth the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly. And they laid their ^uhands on them.

24 Then the priests killed them and they made reconciliation with their blood on the altar, ^vto make an atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25 ¶ ^wAnd he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries and with harps ^xaccording to the commandment of David and of ^yGad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet. ^zFor this was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets.

26 And the Levites stood with the instruments ^aof David, and the priests with ^bthe trumpets.

27 Then Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, ^cthe song of the LORD began also with the trumpets and with the instruments commissioned by David king of Israel.

28 Then all the assembly worshiped and the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded. And all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

29 And when they had finished the offering, ^dthe king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.

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

31 ¶ Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and ^ethank offerings into the house of the LORD.” And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were ^fwilling brought burnt offerings.

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

33 And the consecrated things were 600 oxen and 3,000 sheep.

34 But the priests were too few so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore, their ^gbrethren the Levites helped them until the work was finished, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves. ^hFor the Levites were ⁱmore upright in heart ^jto sanctify themselves than the priests.

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

36 And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

1 ¶ Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel.

2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second ^amonth,

3 for they could not keep it ^bat that time ^cbecause the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, nor had the people gathered themselves together at Jerusalem.

4 Now the thing pleased the king and all the assembly.

5 So they established a decree to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was written.

6 So the ^drunners went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah. And according to the commandment of the king, it said, “Children of Israel ^ereturn to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. And He will return to the remnant who have escaped out of the hand of ^fthe kings of ^gAssyria.

7 “Do not be like your fathers and ^hlike your brethren who transgressed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore ⁱgave them up to ^jdesolation, as you see.

8 “Now do not be ^kstiffnecked as your fathers, but give yourselves to the LORD and enter into His sanctuary that He has sanctified forever. And serve the LORD your God so ^lthat the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.

9 “For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will find ^mcompassion before those who lead them captive, so that they will come again into this land. For the LORD your God is ⁿgracious and merciful. And He will not turn away His face from you if you ^oreturn to Him.”

10 ¶ So the runners passed from city to city throughout the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even to Zebulun. But they ^plaughed them to scorn and mocked them.

11 Nevertheless ^qmany of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

12 Also on Judah came the ^rhand of God to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes ^sby the word of the Lord.

13 ¶ And there assembled at Jerusalem many people to keep the feast of ^tunleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

14 And they arose and took away the ^ualtars that were in Jerusalem. And all the altars for incense they took away and cast them into the ^vBrook Kidron.

15 Then they killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed. And they sanctified themselves and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

16 Then they stood in their ^xplace after their manner according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites.

17 For there were many in the assembly who were not sanctified. ^yTherefore, the Levites had the charge of killing the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.

18 For a multitude of the people, even ^zmany from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. However, ^athey ate the Passover lamb contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone

19 “who ^bprepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.”

20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 ¶ Now the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the ^cfeast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. And the Levites and the priests sang praises to the LORD daily, and played their instruments.

22 And Hezekiah spoke comfortably to all the Levites ^dwho taught the good knowledge of the LORD. And they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and ^emaking confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

23 ¶ And the whole assembly agreed to continue ^fanother seven days. So they continued another seven days with gladness.

24 For Hezekiah king of Judah ^ggave to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep. And the princes gave to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And a great number of priests ^hsanctified themselves.

25 Then all the assembly of Judah rejoiced with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that came out of Israel, and the aliens ⁱwho came out of the land of Israel and who dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem. For there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of ^jSolomon the son of David, king of Israel.

27 Then the priests, the Levites, arose and ^kblessed the people. And their voice was heard and their prayer came up to ^lHis holy dwelling place, even to heaven.

1 ¶ Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and ^abroke the images in pieces and cut down the wooden images and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, to their own cities.

2 ¶ Then Hezekiah appointed the ^bdivisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites ^cfor burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.

3 He appointed also the king’s portion of ^dhis substance for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons and for the set feasts, as it is written in the ^elaw of the LORD.

4 He also commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to give the ^fportion of the priests and the Levites so that they might be encouraged in the ^glaw of the LORD.

5 ¶ And as soon as the commandment was spread, the children of Israel brought in abundance the ^hfirstfruits of grain, wine and oil and honey, and of all the increase of the field. And they brought in abundantly the ⁱtithe of all.

6 Now concerning the children of Israel and Judah who dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the ^jtithe of holy things that were consecrated to the LORD their God. And they laid them by heaps.

7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps. And they finished in the seventh month.

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

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

10 And Azariah the chief priest of the ^khouse of Zadok answered him and said, “^lSince the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left. For the LORD has blessed His people and what is left is this ^mgreat store.”

11 ¶ Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare ⁿrooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them.

12 And they faithfully brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things. And ^oConaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.

13 And Jehiel and Azaziah and Nahath and Asahel and Jerimoth and Jozabad and Eliel and Ismachiah and Mahath and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah. And Azariah was the ^pchief officer of the house of God.

14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper on the east, was over the ^qfreewill offerings of God, to distribute the contributions for the LORD and the most holy things.

15 And under him were ^rEden and Miniamin and Jeshua and Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, in the ^scities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by ^tallotments, as well as to the great as to the small,

16 without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from thirty years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their duties according to their divisions;

17 both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from ^utwenty years old and upward, in their duties by their divisions.

18 And the genealogy included all their little ones, their wives and their sons and their daughters, throughout all the assembly. For in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.

19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests who were in the ^vfields of the pasture lands of their cities, in every city, there were men who were ^wdesignated by name to give portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were enrolled by genealogies among the Levites.

20 ¶ And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah. And he ^xdid what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.

21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart and ^yprospered.

1 ¶ After ^athese things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah. And he camped against the fortified cities and thought to win them for himself.

2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was determined to fight against Jerusalem,

3 he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains that were outside the city. And they helped him.

4 So there was gathered many people together. And they stopped all the ^bsprings and the brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”

5 He also strengthened himself and ^dbuilt up all the wall that was broken. And he raised it up to the towers and another outside wall. And he repaired ^eMillo in the city of David and made weapons and shields in abundance.

6 Then he set captains of war over the people. And he gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city and ^fspoke encouragingly to them, saying,

7 “^gBe strong and courageous. ^hDo not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him. ⁱFor there are more with us than with him.

8 “With him is an ^jarm of flesh, but ^kwith us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles.” And the people trusted in the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 ¶ ^lAfter this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,

10 “^mThus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what do you trust that you are to remain in Jerusalem under siege?

11 ‘Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, “ⁿThe LORD our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria”?

12 ‘^oHas not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You will worship before one altar and burn incense on ^pit”?

13 ‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the people of other lands? ^qWere the gods of the nations of those lands able to deliver their lands out of my hand?

14 ‘Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my ^rhand?

15 ‘Now therefore, ^sdo not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you in this manner. And do not believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand?’”

16 ¶ Then his servants spoke yet more against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.

17 He also wrote letters to revile the LORD God of Israel and to speak against Him, saying, “^tAs the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my ^uhand.”

18 ^vThen they cried out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them so that they might take the city.

19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth who were the ^wwork of the hands of man.

20 ¶ ^xAnd for this reason Hezekiah the king and the ^yprophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.

21 ^zThen the LORD sent an angel that cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned ^ashamefaced to his own land. And when he had come into the house of his god, some of his own children slew him there with the sword.

22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others. And He guided them on every side.

23 And many brought ^bgifts to the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was ^cexalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

24 ¶ ^dIn those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And he prayed to the LORD. And He spoke to him and He gave him a sign.

25 But Hezekiah ^edid not repay according to the benefit done to him, for ^fhis heart was lifted up. ^gTherefore, there was wrath on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

26 ^hHowever, Hezekiah humbled himself from the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them ⁱin the days of Hezekiah.

27 ¶ Now Hezekiah had great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver and for gold and for precious stones and for spices and for shields and for all kinds of valuable jewels,

28 storehouses also for the increase of grain and wine and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock and folds for flocks.

29 He also provided for himself cities and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, ^jfor God had given him great wealth.

30 ^kThis same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah ^lprospered in all his works.

31 ¶ However, concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon who ^msent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him in order ⁿto test him so that He might know all that was in his heart.

32 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his goodness, behold, they are written in the ^ovision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the ^pbook of the kings of Judah and Israel.

33 ^qThen Hezekiah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^rhonored him at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

1 ¶ Manasseh was a twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the ^aabominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

3 For he built again the high places that Hezekiah his father had ^bbroken down. And he erected altars for the Baals and ^cmade wooden images. And he worshiped ^dall the hosts of heaven and served them.

4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD about which the LORD had said, “^eIn Jerusalem My name will be forever.”

5 And he built altars for all the hosts of heaven ^fin the two courts of the house of the LORD.

6 ^gAnd he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He also observed times and ^hpracticed soothsaying. And he used witchcraft and sorcery, and ⁱconsulted mediums and spiritists. He worked much evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger.

7 ^jThen he set a carved image, the idol that he had made, in the house of God, about which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “^kIn this house and in Jerusalem that I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;

8 and ^lI will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land that I have appointed for your fathers, so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.”

9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10 ¶ And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people. But they would not hearken.

11 ^mTherefore, the LORD brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria who took Manasseh with hooks and ⁿbound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon.

12 And when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God. And he ^ohumbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

13 And he prayed to Him. And He was ^pmoved by him and heard his supplication. And He brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh ^qknew that the LORD was God.

14 ¶ Now after this he built a wall outside the city of David, on the west side of ^rGihon in the valley, even to the entrance at the Fish Gate. And he ^senclosed Ophel and raised it up to a great height. And he put captains of war in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 Then he took away the ^tforeign gods and the idol out of the house of the LORD. And all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, he cast them out of the city.

16 And he repaired the altar of the LORD and sacrificed on it peace offerings and ^uthank offerings. And he commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

17 ^vNevertheless, the people continued to sacrifice on the high places, although only to the LORD their God.

18 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and his prayer to his God, and the words of the ^wseers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

19 His prayer also, and how God was moved by him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places and set up the wooden images and carved images before he was humbled, behold, they are written among the sayings of Hozai.

20 ^xSo Manasseh slept with his fathers and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son reigned in his place.

21 ¶ ^yAmon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

22 But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father, for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that Manasseh his father had made and served them.

23 And he did not humble himself before the LORD as Manasseh his father had humbled himself. But Amon transgressed more and more.

24 ^zAnd his servants conspired against him and ^aslew him in his own house.

25 But the people of the land slew all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

1 ¶ Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.

2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of David his father. And he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still ^ayoung, he began to ^bseek after the God of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began ^cto purge Judah and Jerusalem ^dfrom the high places and the wooden images and the carved images and the molten images.

4 ^eAnd they broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence. And the images that were on high above them, he cut down. And the wooden images and the carved images and the molten images, he broke in pieces. And he made powder of them and ^fscattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5 And he ^gburned the bones of the priests on their ^haltars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 And he did the same in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, and their surrounding areas.

7 And when he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, and had ⁱbeaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

8 ¶ ^jNow in the eighteenth year of his reign when he had purged the land and the house, he sent ^kShaphan the son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ^lgovernor of the city and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

9 And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest they delivered ^mthe money that was brought into the house of God that the Levites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the ⁿremnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin. And they returned to Jerusalem.

10 Then they put it in the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD. And they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of the LORD to restore and repair the house.

11 They gave it to the carpenters and builders to buy cut stone and timber for beams, and to make floors for the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12 And the men did the work faithfully. And their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments.

13 They were ^oover the bearers of burdens and were supervisors over all who did the work in any kind of service. ^pAnd of the Levites there were scribes and officers and gatekeepers.

14 ¶ And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest ^qfound a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.

15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah delivered the ^rbook to Shaphan.

16 Then Shaphan carried the book to the king. And he brought the king word back again, saying, “They are doing all that was committed to your servants.

17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have delivered it into the hand of the supervisors and to the hand of the workmen.”

18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

19 ¶ Now it came to pass when the king had heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes.

20 And the king commanded Hilkiah and ^sAhikam the son of Shaphan and Abdon the son of Micah and Shaphan the scribe and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,

21 “Go. Inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us because our fathers have not ^tkept the word of the LORD to do after all that is written in this book.”

22 ¶ And Hilkiah and those whom the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. Now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter. And they spoke to her regarding this.

23 Then she answered them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel. ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me,

24 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, ^uI will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the ^vbook that they have read before the king of Judah.

25 Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods so that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it will not be quenched.’”’

26 And as for the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so will you say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the words that you have heard,

27 Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me and tore your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you also,” says the ^wLORD.

28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. And your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’” So they brought the king word again.

29 ¶ ^xThen the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30 Then the king went up into the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people, great and small. And he ^yread in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

31 Then the king ^zstood in his place and made a ^acovenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32 And he caused all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33 Then Josiah took away all the ^babominations out of all the country that belonged to the children of Israel. And he made all who were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And ^call his days they did not depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.