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Chapter 1
1And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom and
the LORD his God was with him and magnified him exceedingly. 2Then
Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of
hundreds and to the judges and to every governor in all Israel, the chief
of the fathers. 3So Solomon and all the congregation with him, went to
the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of the congregation
of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in
the wilderness was there. 4But David had brought the ark of God up from
Kirjathjearim to Jerusalem to the place which David had prepared for it:
for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5He also put the brazen
altar that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son
of Hur had made in front the tabernacle of the LORD at Gibeon and Solomon and the congregation
enquired at it. 6And
Solomon went up to the brazen altar before the LORD, which was
at the tabernacle of the congregation and offered a thousand burnt
offerings on it. 7In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him,
Ask what I shall give you. 8And Solomon said to God, You have shown
great mercy to David my father and have made me to reign in his place.
9Now, O LORD God, let your promise to David my father be
established: for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the
earth in multitude. 10Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go
out and come in before this people: for who can judge this your people,
who are so great? 11And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your
heart and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of
your enemies, neither have you yet asked long life; but have asked
wisdom and knowledge for yourself so that you may judge my people, over
whom I have made you king: 12Wisdom and knowledge is granted to you;
and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the
kings have had who were before you, neither shall any after you
have the same.
13Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem, from the presence of the tabernacle of the congregation
at the
high place at Gibeon and reigned over Israel. 14And Solomon gathered
chariots and horsemen: and he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand
horsemen, whom he placed in the chariot cities and with the king at
Jerusalem. 15And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem like stones
and he made cedar trees like the sycamore trees that
are in the vale for abundance. 16And Solomon had horses brought out of
Egypt and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a
price. 17And they imported and brought out of Egypt a chariot for
six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred fifty: and so they
brought out horses for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of
Syria, by their means.
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Chapter 2
1And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the
LORD and a house for his kingdom. 2And Solomon numbered
seventy thousand men to bear burdens and eighty thousand to hew in the
mountain and three thousand six hundred to oversee them. 3And
Solomon sent to Hiram the king of Tyre, saying, As you dealt with David
my father and sent him cedars to build a house to dwell in, even so deal
with me. 4Behold, I am building a house to the name of the LORD my
God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn sweet incense before him and for
the continual show bread and for the burnt offerings morning and
evening, on the sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn
feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
5And the house which I am building is great: for great is our God above
all gods. 6But who is able to build a house for him, seeing the heaven and
heaven of heavens cannot contain him? What am I then, that I should
build a house for him, except only to burn sacrifice before him? 7Send me
now therefore a man cunning to work in gold and in silver and in brass,
and in iron and in purple and crimson and blue and who has skill to
engrave with the cunning men who are with me in Judah and in
Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 8Send me also cedar trees,
fir trees and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that your servants
have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be
with your servants, 9Even to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the
house which I am about to build shall be wonderfully great. 10And,
behold, I will give to your servants, the hewers who cut timber, twenty
thousand measures of beaten wheat and twenty thousand measures of
barley and twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of
oil.
11Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to
Solomon, Because the LORD has loved his people, he has made you
king over them. 12Hiram also said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel,
who made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son,
endued with prudence and understanding, who might build a house for
the LORD and a house for his kingdom. 13And now I have sent a
cunning man of my father's, Hiram, he is endued with understanding, 14The
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 brass, in iron, in stone and
in timber, in purple, in blue and in fine linen and in crimson; also to
engrave any manner of engraving and to find out every device which
shall be put to him, with your cunning men and with the cunning men of
my lord David your father. 15Now therefore the wheat and the barley,
the oil and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his
servants: 16And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall
need and we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa and you shall
carry it up to Jerusalem. 17And Solomon numbered all the foreigners
who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his
father had numbered and they were found one hundred fifty three
thousand six hundred. 18And he set seventy thousand of them to be
bearers of burdens and eighty thousand to be hewers in the mountain,
and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people to work.
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Chapter 3
1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in
Mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared to David his father, in the
place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the
Jebusite. 2And he began to build in the second day of the second month,
in the fourth year of his reign. 3Now these are the things in which
Solomon was instructed for building the house of God. The length by
cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits and the breadth twenty
cubits. 4And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it
was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits and the height
was a hundred twenty: and he overlaid it inside with pure gold. 5And the
greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold,
and set on it palm trees and chains. 6And he garnished the house with
precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. 7He
overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts and its walls and its doors
with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls. 8And he made the most
holy house, the length which was according to the breadth of the house,
twenty cubits and the breadth of it twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with
fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. 9And the weight of the nails
was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10And in the most holy house he made two cherubs of image work,
and overlaid them with gold. 11And the wings of the cherubim were
twenty cubits long: one wing of 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. 12And 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. 13The
wings of the cherubim spread themselves to twenty cubits: and they
stood on their feet and their faces were inward. 14And he made the veil
of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen and worked cherubim
on it. 15Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty five cubits
high and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five
cubits. 16And he made chains, as in the oracle and put them on the
heads of the pillars; and made a hundred pomegranates and put them on
the chains. 17And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the
right hand and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the
right hand Jachin and the name of that on the left Boaz.
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Chapter 4
1 He also made an altar of brass, the length of it twenty cubits and
twenty cubits the breadth of it and the height of it ten cubits. 2Also he
made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass,
and five cubits the height of it; and a line of thirty cubits surrounded it
round about. 3And under it was the similitude of oxen, which
surrounded it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round
about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast. 4It stood on twelve
oxen, three looking toward the north and three looking toward the west,
and three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east:
and the sea was set above on them and all their hind parts were inward.
5And the thickness of it was a hand breadth and the brim of it like the
work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held
three thousand baths. 6He also made ten lavers and put five on the right
hand and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered
for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the
priests to wash in. 7And he made ten lamp stands of gold according to
their form and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on
the left. 8He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on
the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of
gold. 9Furthermore he made the court of the priests and the great court,
and doors for the court and overlaid the doors with brass. 10And he set
the sea on the right side of the east end, opposite the south.
11And Hiram 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; 12Which was, the two pillars and the pommels and the
chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars and the two wreaths to
cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the
pillars; 13And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows
of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the
chapiters which were on the pillars. 14He also made bases and he made
lavers on the bases; 15One sea and twelve oxen under it. 16The pots also,
and the shovels and the flesh hooks and Hiram his father made all their
instruments of bright brass, for king Solomon for the house of the
LORD. 17 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay
ground between Succoth and Zeredathah. 18Thus Solomon made all
these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be
found out. 19And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of
God, the golden altar also and the tables on which the show bread was
set; 20Also the lamp stands of pure gold with their lamps, that they should
burn after the manner before the oracle; 21And the flowers and the
lamps and the tongs, he made of gold, and that perfect gold; 22And the
snuffers and the basins and the spoons and the censers, of pure gold:
and the entry of the house, its inner doors for the most holy place,
and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.
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Chapter 5
1Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was
finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had
dedicated; and the silver and the gold and all the instruments, he put
among the treasures of the house of God. 2Then Solomon assembled the
elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of
the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of
the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3Therefore all the men
of Israel assembled themselves to the king in the feast which was in the
seventh month. 4And all the elders of Israel came and the Levites took
up the ark. 5And they brought up the ark and the tabernacle of the
congregation and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these
the priests and the Levites brought up. 6Also king Solomon and all the
congregation of Israel who were assembled to him before the ark,
sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for
multitude. 7And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the
LORD to its place, in the oracle of the house, into the most holy place,
under the wings of the cherubim: 8For the cherubim spread forth
their wings over the place of the ark and the cherubim covered above
the ark and its staves. 9And they drew out the staves of the ark, so that the
ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they
were not seen out side. And there it is to this day. 10There was nothing in
the ark except the two tables which Moses put in it at Horeb, when they came out
of Egypt when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel,.
11And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy
place: (for all the priests who were present were sanctified, and did not
then wait by course: 12Also the Levites who were the singers,
stood at the east end of the altar all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons
and their brothers, arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps,
and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13Then
the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound
to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and then they lifted up their voice
with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music and praised the LORD,
saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever: then the
house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14So that the
priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of
the LORD had filled the house of God.
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Chapter 6
1Then Solomon said , The LORD has said that he would dwell in the
thick darkness. 2But I have built a house of habitation for you and a
place for your dwelling for ever. 3And the king turned his face and
blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of
Israel stood. 4And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel,
who with his hands has fulfilled that which he spoke with his mouth to my father
David, saying, 5Since 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, that my name might be there; neither did I choose any man to
be a ruler over my people Israel: 6But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my
name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people
Israel. 7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for
the name of the LORD God of Israel. 8But the LORD said to David my
father, Forasmuch as it was in your heart to build a house for my name,
you did well that it was in your heart: 9But you shall not build the house;
but your son who shall come out of your loins, he shall build the
house for my name. 10The LORD therefore has performed his word that
he had spoken: for I am risen up in the room of my father David and I am
set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised and have built the
house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 11And in it I have put the
ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the
children of Israel.
12And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the
congregation of Israel and spread out his hands: 13For Solomon had
made a brazen scaffold, of five cubits long and five cubits broad and
three cubits high and had set it in the midst of the court: and he stood on
it and kneeled down on his knees before all the congregation of Israel,
and spread out his hands toward heaven, 14And said, O LORD God of
Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens, nor in the earth; who
keeps covenant and shows mercy to your servants, who walk before you
with all their hearts: 15You have kept that which you promised
and spoke with your mouth to David my father, your servant
and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.
16Now therefore, O
LORD God of Israel, keep with David my father your servant that which
you have promised him, saying, There shall not fail a man of you in my
sight to sit on the throne of Israel; if your children take heed to their way
to walk in my law, as you have walked before me. 17Now then, O LORD
God of Israel, let your word be verified, which you have spoken to your
servant David. 18But will God dwell with men on the earth in very deed?
behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how
much less this house which I have built! 19Have respect therefore to the
prayer of your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to
listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant prays before you:
20That your eyes may be open on this house day and night, to the place
where you said you would put your name; to listen to the
prayer which your servant prays toward this place. 21Listen therefore to
the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel, which they
shall make toward this place: hear you from your dwelling place,
from heaven; and when you hear, forgive. 22If a man sins against his
neighbor and an oath is laid on him to make him swear and the oath
comes before your altar in this house; 23Then hear from heaven and
do and judge your servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing
his way on his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him
according to his righteousness. 24And if your people Israel are put to the
worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; and shall
return and confess your name and pray and make supplication before
you in this house; 25Then hear from the heavens and forgive the sin of
your people Israel and bring them again to the land which you gave to
them and to their fathers. 26When the heaven is shut up and there is no
rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this
place and confess your name and turn from their sin when you afflict
them; 27Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and
your people Israel, when you have taught them the good way, in
which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have
given to your people for an inheritance. 28If there is famine in the land, if
there is disease, if there is blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars;
if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatever sore or
what ever sickness there is: 29Then whatever prayer or whatever
supplication shall be made of any man, or of all your people Israel, when
every one shall know his own sore and his own grief and shall spread
out his hands in this house: 30Then hear from heaven, your dwelling
place and forgive and render to every man according to all his ways,
whose heart you know; (for only you know the hearts of the children of
men:) 31So that they may fear you, to walk in your ways, so long as they
live in the land which you gave to our fathers. 32Also concerning the
foreigner, who 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; 33Then hear from the heavens,
your dwelling place and do according to all that the foreigner
calls to you; that all people of the earth may know your name and
fear you, as your people Israel do and may know that this house which I
have built is called by your name. 34If your people go out to war against
their enemies by the way that you shall send them and they pray to you
toward this city which you have chosen and the house which I have built
for your name; 35Then hear their prayer and their
supplication and maintain their cause from the heavens. 36If they sin against you, (for
there is no man who does not sin,) and you are angry with them and
deliver them over before their enemies and they carry them away
captives to a land far off or near; 37Still if they consider themselves in
the land where they are carried captive and turn and pray to you in the
land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss and
have dealt wickedly; 38If they return to you with all their heart and with
all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them
captives and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers and
toward the city which you have chosen and toward the house which I
have built for your name: 39Then hear their prayer from the heavens, your
dwelling place, and their supplications and maintain their
cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. 40Now, my
God, I beseech you, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to
the prayer that is made in this place. 41Now therefore arise, O LORD
God, into your resting place, you and the ark of your strength: let your
priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation and let your saints
rejoice in goodness. 42O LORD God, turn not away the face of your
anointed: remember the mercies of David your servant.
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Chapter 7
1Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from
heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the
glory of the LORD filled the house. 2And the priests could not enter into
the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the
LORD'S house. 3And 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 praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy
endures for ever. 4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices
before the LORD. 5And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty two
thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep: so the king and
all the people dedicated the house of God. 6And the priests waited on
their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD,
which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy
endures for ever, and when David praised by their ministry; and the priests
sounded trumpets before them all Israel stood. 7Solomon also
hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD:
for he offered there burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings,
because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to
receive the burnt offerings and the meat offerings and the fat. 8Also at
the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days and all Israel with him,
a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath to the river of
Egypt. 9And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly for they
kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.
10And on the twenty third day of the seventh month he sent the people
away to their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the
LORD had shown to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.
11Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house:
and he prospered all that came into Solomon's heart, to make in the
house of the LORD and in his own house.
12And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, I have
heard your prayer and have chosen this place to myself for a house of
sacrifice. 13If I shut up heaven that there is no rain, or if I command the
locusts to devour the land, or if I send disease among my people; 14If
my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear
from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15Now
my eyes shall be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is prayed in
this place. 16For I have now chosen and sanctified this house, that my
name may be there for ever: and my eyes and my heart shall be there
perpetually. 17And 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
shall observe my statutes and my judgments; 18Then I will establish the
throne of your kingdom, in the same way I covenanted with David your
father, saying, A man shall not fail from you as ruler in Israel.
19But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments,
which I have set before you and shall go and serve other gods and
worship them; 20Then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land
which I have given them; and I will cast this house which I have
sanctified for my name out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and
a byword among all nations.
21And this house, which is high, shall be an
astonishment to every one who passes it by; so that he shall say, Why has
the LORD done this to this land and to this house? 22And it shall be
answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who
brought them out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods,
and worshiped them and served them: therefore he has brought all this
evil on them.
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Chapter 8
1And it was at the end of twenty years, after Solomon
had built the house of the LORD and his own house, 2That the cities
which Hiram had restored to Solomon, Solomon rebuilt and
caused the children of Israel to dwell there. 3And Solomon went to
Hamathzobah and prevailed against it. 4And he built Tadmor in the
wilderness and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath. 5Also he
built Bethhoron the upper and Bethhoron the lower, fenced cities, with
walls, gates and bars; 6And Baalath and all the store cities that Solomon
had and all the chariot cities and the cities of the horsemen and all that
Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout
all the land of his dominion. 7As 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, 8But of the children, who were left
after them in the land, whom the children of Israel did not consume,
Solomon made them to pay tribute until this day. 9But Solomon made no
servants of the children of Israel for his work; but they were men of war,
and chief of his captains and captains of his chariots and horsemen.
10And these were the chief of two hundred fifty of king Solomon's officers,
who bore rule over the people. 11And Solomon brought the
daughter of Pharaoh up out of the city of David to the house that he had
built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David
king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the
LORD has come are holy.
12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of
the LORD, which he had built before the porch, 13Even after a certain
rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the
sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts, three times in
the year, in the feast of unleavened bread and in the feast of weeks,
and in the feast of tabernacles. 14And he appointed the courses of the priests to their service, according to the
order of David his father and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded. 15And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures. 16Now all the work
of Solomon was prepared for the day of the foundation of the house of the
LORD and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was
perfected. 17Then Solomon went to Eziongeber and to Eilat, at the sea side in the land of Edom. 18And Hiram sent ships to him by the hands of his servants and servants who had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir and took four
hundred fifty talents of gold from there and brought them to king Solomon.
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Chapter 9
1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she
came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, 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 communed
with him of all that was in her heart. 2And Solomon answered all her
questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he did not tell
her. 3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon,
and the house that he built, 4And the food of his table and the sitting
of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel; also his
cupbearers and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up
into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 5And she
said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of
your acts and of your wisdom: 6But I did not believe their words, until I
came and my eyes have seen: and, behold, the half of the
greatness of your wisdom was not told to me: for you exceed the fame
that I heard. 7Happy are your men and happy are these your servants,
who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom. 8Blessed be the
LORD your God, who delighted in you to set you on his throne, to be
king for the LORD your God: therefore he made you king over Israel to establish them
for ever, to do judgment and justice because your God loved Israel.
9And she gave the king one hundred twenty talents
of gold and a great abundance of spices and precious stones: neither
was there any other such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king
Solomon. 10And also the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon,
brought gold from Ophir, and algum trees and precious stones.
11And the king made terraces for the algum trees for the house of the
LORD and for the king's palace and harps and psalteries for singers:
and there were none seen like them before in the land of Judah. 12And king
Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, what ever she asked,
beside that which she had brought to the king. So she turned and went
away to her own land, she and her servants.
13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred sixty six talents of gold; 14Beside what explorers and
merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the
country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15And king Solomon made
two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold
went to one target. 16Andhe made three hundred shields of beaten gold:
three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them
in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 17Also the king made a great
throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 18And there were six steps
to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which was fastened to the throne,
and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the
stays: 19And twelve lions stood there on each side of the six steps. There was not
the like made in any kingdom. 20And all the
drinking vessels of king Solomon were gold and all the vessels of the
house of the forest of Lebanon were pure gold: none were silver; it
was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon. 21For the king's
ships went to Carthage with the servants of Hiram: the ships of Carthage came once every three
years bringing gold and silver, ivory and
apes and peacocks. 22And king Solomon surpassed all the kings of the
earth in riches and wisdom. 23And all the kings of the earth sought the
presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.
24And every man brought his present, vessels of silver and vessels
of gold and raiment, spices and harness, horses and mules, a rate year
by year. 25And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,
and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king
at Jerusalem. 26And he reigned over all the kings from
the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
27And the king made silver in Jerusalem like stones and he made cedar trees in
abundance like the sycamore trees that are in the low plains. 28And
they brought horses to Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands. 29Now
the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the
book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite
and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30And Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel. 31And
Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his
father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
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Chapter 10
1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to
Shechem to make him king. 2And when Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of
Solomon the king, heard that, then Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3And
they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to
Rehoboam, saying, 4Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease
somewhat the grievous servitude of your father and his heavy yoke
that he put on us and we will serve you. 5And he said to them, Come
again to me after three days. And the people departed. 6And king
Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon
his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel do you give me to
return an answer to this people? 7And 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 for ever. 8But he forsook the counsel which
the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who stood before him, who were brought
up with him. 9And he said to them, What
advice do you give that we may give an answer to this people, who have
spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that your father put on
us? 10And the young men who were brought up with him spoke to him,
saying, Thus shall you answer the people who spoke to you, saying,
Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it somewhat lighter for us;
thus you shall say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my
father's thigh. 11For as my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will put
more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will
chastise you with scorpions.
12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day,
just as the king asked, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 13And the
king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of
the old men, 14And answered them after the advice of the young men,
saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it: my father
chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15So the
king did not listen to the people: for the cause was of God, that the
LORD might perform his word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah
the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16And when all Israel saw
that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king,
saying, What portion have we in David? and we have no inheritance in
the son of Jesse, O Israel every man to your tents and now, David, see
to your own house. So all Israel went to their tents. 17But as for the
children of Israel who dwelled in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned
over them. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram who was over the
tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died.
But king Rehoboam hurried to go up to his chariot, to flee to
Jerusalem. 19And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.
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Chapter 11
1And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered from the house of
Judah and Benjamin one hundred eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, so that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. 2But the word of the LORD
came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3Speak to Rehoboam the son of
Solomon, king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4Thus says the LORD, you shall not go up, nor fight against your
brothers: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And
they obeyed the words of the LORD and returned from going against
Jeroboam. 5And Rehoboam dwelled in Jerusalem and built cities for
defense in Judah. 6He fortified even Bethlehem and Etam and Tekoa, 7And
Bethzur and Shoco and Adullam, 8And Gath and Mareshah and Ziph,
9And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah, 10And Zorah and Aijalon and
Hebron, which are fenced cities in Judah and in Benjamin. 11And he
fortified the strong holds and put captains in them and store of victuals,
and of oil and wine. 12And in every several city he put shields and
spears and made them exceedingly strong, having Judah and Benjamin
on his side.
13And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel cameto him out of all their coasts. 14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office to the LORD: 15And he ordained priests for himself for the high places and for the demons,
and for the calves which he had made. 16And beside them such as set their hearts to
seek the LORD God of Israel out of all the tribes of Israel
came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17So
they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of
Solomon strong for three years and for three years they walked in the way of
David and Solomon. 18And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter
of Jerimoth the son of David as a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab
the son of Jesse; 19Who bore him children; Jeush and Shamariah and
Zaham. 20And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; who
bore him Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith. 21And Rehoboam
loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his
concubines: (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; and sired
twenty eight sons and sixty daughters.) 22And Rehoboam made Abijah
the son of Maachah the chief ruler among his brothers: for he
thought to make him king. 23And he dealt wisely and dispersed all his
children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, to every
fenced city: and he gave them supplies in abundance. And he desired
many wives.
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Chapter 12
1And when Rehoboam had established the kingdom,
and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD and all
Israel with him. 2And because they had transgressed against the
LORD, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, 3With twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen: and the
people were without number who
came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims and the
Ethiopians. 4And he took the fenced cities which were of Judah and
came to Jerusalem. 5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and
the princes of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem
because of Shishak and said to them, Thus says the LORD, you have
forsaken me and therefore I have also left you in the hand of Shishak.
6Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and
they said, The LORD is righteous. 7And when the LORD saw that they
humbled themselves, the word 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 anger shall not be poured out
on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8But they shall be his servants; so
that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the
countries. 9So 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
which Solomon had made. 10Instead of them king Rehoboam made
shields of brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the
guard, who kept the entrance of the king's house. 11And when the king
entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and brought them,
and returned them again into the guard chamber. 12And when he humbled
himself, the anger of the LORD turned from him, so that he did not
destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.
13So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned:
for Rehoboam was forty one years old when he began to reign and he
reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had
chosen to put his name there out of all the tribes of Israel. And his
mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. 14And he did evil, because
he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. 15Now the acts of
Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah
the prophet and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there
were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16And
Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David and Abijah his son
reigned in his place.
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Chapter 13
1Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam Abijah began to reign
over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name
also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war
between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3And Abijah set the battle in array with
an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men:
Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred
thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor. 4And Abijah stood up
on Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim and said, Hear me,
Jeroboam and all Israel; 5Should you not know that the LORD God of
Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to
his sons by a covenant of salt? 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the
servant of Solomon the son of David, has risen up and has rebelled
against his lord. 7And there are vain men gathered to him of the children
of Belial and had strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son
of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could
not withstand them. 8And now do you think to withstand the kingdom of
the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great
multitude and there are golden calves with you, which Jeroboam made gods for
you. 9Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of
Aaron and the Levites and have made priests after the manner of
the nations of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself
with a young bullock and seven rams, may be a priest for those
who are no gods. 10But as for us, the LORD is our God and we have not
forsaken him; and the priests, who minister to the LORD, are the sons of
Aaron, and the Levites wait on their business: 11And they burn burnt
sacrifices and sweet incense to the LORD every morning and every
evening: also they set in order the show bread on the pure table; and the
lamp stand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the
charge of the LORD our God; but you have forsaken him. 12And, behold,
God himself is with us for our captain and his 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 shall not prosper.
13But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they
were before Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14And when Judah
looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried to
the LORD and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15Then the men of
Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam
and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16And
the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into
their hand. 17And Abijah and his people killed them with a great
slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen
men. 18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and
the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God
of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities
from him, Bethel with its towns and Jeshanah with its towns and
Ephrain with its towns. 20Jeroboam did not recover strength again in
the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him and he died. 21But Abijah
grew mighty and married fourteen wives and was the father of twenty
two sons and sixteen daughters. 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah and
his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
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Chapter 14
1So Abijah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of
David: and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was
quiet ten years. 2And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes
of the LORD his God: 3For he took away the altars of the foreign gods,
and the high places and broke down the images and cut down the
groves: 4And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers,
and to do the law and the commandments. 5Also he took away the high
places and the images out of all the cities of Judah: and the kingdom was
quiet before him. 6And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had
rest and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him
rest. 7Therefore he said to Judah, Let us build these cities and make
walls about them and towers, gates and bars, while the land is yet
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.
8And Asa had an army of men who bore targets and spears, out of Judah
three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, who bore shields and
drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of
valor.
9And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with a host of
one million and three hundred chariots; and came to Mareshah. 10Then
Asa went out against him and they set the battle in array in the valley of
Zephathah at Mareshah. 11And Asa cried to the LORD his God and said,
LORD, it is nothing with you to help, whether with many, or with those
who have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on you and
we go against this multitude in your name. O LORD, you are our God;
let not man prevail against you. 12So the LORD struck the Ethiopians
before Asa and Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13And Asa and
the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and the Ethiopians
were overthrown, so that they could not recover themselves; for they
were destroyed before the LORD and before his host; and they carried
away very much spoil. 14And they struck all the cities around
Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came on them: and they spoiled all the
cities; for there was an exceedingly great spoil in them. 15They also struck
the tents of cattle and carried away sheep and camels in abundance
and returned to Jerusalem.
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Chapter 15
1And the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded: 2And he
went out to meet Asa and said to him, Hear me, Asa and all Judah and
Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while you are with him; and if you
seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake
you. 3Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God and
without a teaching priest and without law. 4But when they in their
trouble turned to the LORD God of Israel and sought him, he was found
by them. 5And in those times there was no peace to him who went out,
nor to him who came in, but great vexations were on all the inhabitants
of the countries. 6And nation was destroyed of nation and city of city:
for God vexed them with all adversity. 7Be strong therefore and do not let
your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
8And 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 which he had taken
from Mount Ephraim and renewed the altar of the LORD, which was
before the porch of the LORD. 9And he gathered all Judah and
Benjamin, and the foreigners with them, out of Ephraim and Manasseh,
and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when
they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10So they gathered
themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year
of the reign of Asa. 11And they offered to the LORD at the same time seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep, from the spoil which they had brought.
12And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD
God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13That
whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death,
whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14And they swore to the
LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with
cornets. 15And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all
their heart and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of
them: and the LORD gave them rest round about. 16And also concerning
Maachah 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
stamped it and burnt it at the brook Kidron. 17But the high places were
not taken away out of Israel: but the heart of Asa was perfect all his
days. 18And he brought the things that his father
had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated into the house of God, silver and gold and
vessels. 19And there was no war to the thirty fifth year of the reign
of Asa.
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Chapter 16
1In the thirty sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came
up against Judah and built Ramah, so that he might let no one
go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2Then Asa brought out silver and
gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's
house and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, who dwelled at Damascus,
saying, 3There is a league between me and you, as there was between
my father and your father: behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go,
break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from
me. 4And Benhadad listened to king Asa and sent the captains of his
armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon and Dan and
Abelmaim and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5And when Baasha
heard it, he left off building Ramah and let his work
cease. 6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the
stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha was building and he
built Geba and Mizpah with it.
7And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to
him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the
LORD your God, therefore the host of the king of Syria is escaped out of
your hand. 8Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with
very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because you relied on the LORD,
he delivered them into your hand. 9For the eyes of the LORD run to and
fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of
those whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly:
therefore from now on you shall have wars. 10Then Asa was angry with
the seer and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him
because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same
time. 11And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in
the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12And Asa was diseased in his
feet in the thirty ninth year of his reign, until his disease was
exceedingly great: yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the
physicians. 13And Asa slept with his fathers and died in the forty first
year of his reign. 14And they buried him in his own sepulcher, which he
had made for himself in the city of David and laid him in the bed which
was filled with sweet odors and different kinds of spices prepared by the
apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.
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Chapter 17
1And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened
himself against Israel. 2And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of
Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of
Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. 3And the LORD was with
Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David and
did not seek Baalim; 4But sought the God of his father and walked in
his commandments and not after the practices of Israel. 5Therefore the
LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought
presents to Jehoshaphat and he had riches and honor in abundance.
6And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: he also took away
the high places and groves out of Judah. 7Also in the third year of his
reign he sent his princes: to Benhail and to Obadiah and to
Zechariah and to Nethaneel and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of
Judah. 8And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah and Nethaniah,
and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan and
Adonijah and Tobijah and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them, priests:
Elishama and Jehoram. 9And they taught in Judah and had the
book of the law of the LORD with them and went about throughout all
the cities of Judah and taught the people.
10And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that
were round about Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
11Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and tribute
silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven
hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats. 12And
Jehoshaphat grew exceedingly great; and he built castles and store cities in
Judah. 13And he had large business in the cities of Judah: and the
men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.
14And these are the
numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Judah, the
captains of thousands; Adnah the chief and with him mighty men of
valor three hundred thousand. 15And next to him was Jehohanan the
captain and with him two hundred eighty thousand. 16And next him was
Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the LORD;
and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. 17And of
Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valor and with him armed men with
bow and shield two hundred thousand. 18And next him was Jehozabad,
and with him one hundred eighty thousand ready prepared for war.
19These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced
cities throughout all Judah.
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Chapter 18
1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance and made an
affinity with Ahab. 2And after certain 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 persuaded him to go up with him
to Ramothgilead. 3And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of
Judah, will you go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I
am as you are and my people as your people; and we will be with you in
the war.
4And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I beseech you, Inquire at
the word of the LORD today. 5Therefore the king of Israel gathered
together four hundred men of the prophets and said to them, Shall we go to
Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God
will deliver it into the king's hand. 6But Jehoshaphat said,
Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we might inquire of him?
7And 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
prophesied good to me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of
Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 8And the king of
Israel called for one of his officers and said, Bring quickly Micaiah the
son of Imla. 9And both the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat
on their thrones clothed in their robes and they sat in a void
place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets
prophesied before them. 10And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had
made horns of iron and said, Thus says the LORD, With these you
shall push Syria until they are consumed. 11And all the prophets
prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper: for the
LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 12And the messenger
who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the
prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let your word
therefore, I beseech you, be like one of theirs and speak good. 13And
Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, even what my God says, that will I
speak. 14And when he had come to the king, the king said to him,
Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And
he said, Go up and prosper and they shall be delivered into your hand.
15And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you that you
say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD? 16Then he
said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep who have no
shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return
every man to his house in peace. 17And the king of Israel said
to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me,
but evil? 18Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw
the LORD sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven standing on
his right hand and on his left. 19And the LORD said, Who shall entice
Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And
one spoke saying after this manner and another saying after that manner.
20Then a spirit came out and stood before the LORD and said, I
will entice him. And the LORD said to him, With what? 21And he said, I
will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the
LORD said, You shall entice him and you shall also prevail: go out and
do so. 22Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in
the mouth of these your prophets and the LORD has spoken evil against
you. 23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck
Micaiah on the cheek and said, Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go
from me to speak to you? 24And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on
the day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.
25Then 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; 26And say,
Thus says the king, Put this man in the prison and feed him with bread
of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. 27And
Micaiah said, If you certainly return in peace, then the LORD has not
spoken by me. And he said, Hear this all you people.
28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to
Ramothgilead. 29And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will
disguise myself and will go to the battle; but you put on your robes. So
the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. 30Now
the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were
with him, saying, Do not fight with small or great, except only with the
king of Israel. 31And when the captains of the chariots
saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they
surrounded him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD
helped him; and God moved them to leave him. 32For
when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the
king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him. 33And a
certain man drew a bow at a venture and struck the king of Israel
between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man,
Turn your hand, that you may carry me out of the host; for I am
wounded. 34And the battle increased that day: but the king of Israel
stood up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening: and
about the time of the sun going down he died.
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Chapter 19
1And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to Jerusalem to his house in peace. 2And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him,
and said to king Jehoshaphat, Should you help the ungodly and love
those who hate the LORD? therefore anger is on you from before the
LORD. 3But there are good things found in you, in that you have taken
away the groves out of the land and have prepared your heart to seek
God. 4And Jehoshaphat dwelled at Jerusalem: and he went out again
through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them
back to the LORD God of their fathers.
5And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of
Judah, city by city, 6And said to the judges, Take heed what you do: for
you do not judge for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the
judgment. 7Therefore now let the fear of the LORD be on you; take
heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor
respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 8Also, when they returned to Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat set the Levites and the priests and the chief of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the LORD and for controversies in Jerusalem. 9And he charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in the fear
of the LORD, faithfully and with a perfect heart. 10And whatever cause
shall come to you of your brothers who dwell in their cities, between
blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and
judgments, you shall even warn them so that they do not trespass against
the LORD and anger come on you and on your brothers: this do and
you shall not trespass. 11And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over
you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the
ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites
shall be officers before you. Deal courageously and the LORD shall be with the good.
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Chapter 20
1It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab and the
children of Ammon and with them others beside the Ammonites, came
to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2Then some came who told
Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude is coming against you from
beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and, behold, they are in
Hazazon Tamar, which is Engedi. 3And Jehoshaphat was afraid and set
himself to seek the LORD and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help from the LORD: they
came to seek the LORD even out of all the cities of Judah. 5And
Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the
house of the LORD, before the new court, 6And said, O LORD God of
our fathers, are not you God in heaven? and do you not rule over all the
kingdoms of the heathen? and in your hand is there not power and might,
so that no one is able to withstand you? 7Are you not our God, who drove
out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it to
the seed of Abraham your friend for ever? 8And they dwelled in it and
have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying, 9If evil
comes on us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine and we
stand before this house and in your presence, (for your name is in this
house,) and cry to you in our affliction, then you will hear and help.
10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir,
whom you would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of
Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them; 11Behold how they
reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession,
which you have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will you not judge
them? for we have no might against this great company that comes
against us; neither do we know what to do: but our eyes are on you.
13And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their
wives and their children.
14Then the Spirit of the LORD came 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, in the midst of the congregation; 15And he said, Listen, all
Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem and you king Jehoshaphat, Thus
says the LORD to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed by reason of this
great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16Tomorrow go
down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and you
shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand still and
see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear
not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will
be with you. 18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the
ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the
LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19And 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.
20And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness
of Tekoa: and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O
Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God,
so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper.
21And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to
the LORD and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went
out before the army and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endures
for ever. 22And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set
ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who
were come against Judah; and they were struck. 23For the children of
Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly
to kill and destroy them: and when they had finished the inhabitants of
Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24And when Judah came
toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked to the multitude,
and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and no one
escaped. 25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away
their spoil, they found among them both riches in abundance with the
dead bodies and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves,
more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering
the spoil, it was so much. 26And on the fourth day they assembled
themselves in the valley of Nlessing; for there they blessed the LORD:
therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of
Berachah, to this day. 27Then they returned, every man of Judah and
Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem
with joy; for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets to
the house of the LORD. 29And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms
of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against
the enemies of Israel. 30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his
God gave him rest round about.
31And Jehoshaphat 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. 32And he
walked in the way of Asa his father and did not depart from it, doing that
which was right in the sight of the LORD. 33But the high places were not
taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the
God of their fathers. 34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and
last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who
is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel. 35And after this
Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel,
who did very wickedly: 36And he joined himself with him to make ships
to go to Carthage: and they made the ships in Eziongeber. 37Then 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 ships were broken, so that they were not able to go
to Carthage.
(Note: How would the ships get from Aqabah to the Red Sea and on to Carthage? see Herodotus 2:158)see also JFB
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Chapter 21
1Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
2And 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. 3And their father gave them great
gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fenced cities in
Judah: but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram; because he was the
firstborn. 4Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father,
he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword and
others also of the princes of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty two years old
when he began to reign and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6And
he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like the house of Ahab did:
for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife: and he worked that which was
evil in the eyes of the LORD. 7But the LORD would not destroy the
house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David,
and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever. 8In his
days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah and made
themselves a king. 9Then Jehoram went out with his princes and all his
chariots with him: and he rose up at night and struck the Edomites who
surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10So the Edomites
revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. The same time also
Libnah revolted from under his hand; because he had forsaken the
LORD God of his fathers. 11Also he made high places in the mountains
of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication,
and compelled Judah to do so.
12And there came a writing 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, 13But have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and
have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go whoring, like the
whoredom of the house of Ahab and also have killed your brothers of
your father's house, who were better than yourself: 14Behold, the LORD
will strike your people with a great plague and your children and your
wives and all your goods: 15And you shall have great sickness by
disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the
sickness day by day. 16Also the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the
spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians, who were near the
Ethiopians: 17And they came up into Judah and broke into it and carried
away all the substance that was found in the king's house and his sons
also and his wives; so that there was not one son left to him, except
Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. 18And after all this the LORD struck
him in his bowels with an incurable disease. 19And it came to pass, that
in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by
reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made
no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers. 20He was thirty two
years old when he began to reign and he reigned in Jerusalem eight
years and departed without being desired. But they buried him in the
city of David, but not in the sepulchers of the kings.
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Chapter 22
1And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son
king in his place: for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the
camp had killed all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of
Judah reigned. 2Ahaziah was forty two years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was
Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3He also walked in the ways of the house
of Ahab: for his mother was his counselor to act wickedly. 4Therefore he
did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were
his counselors to his destruction after the death of his father. 5He walked
also after their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of
Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead: and the
Syrians struck Joram. 6And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because
of the wounds which were given 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. 7And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram:
for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of
Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment on the
house of Ahab and found the princes of Judah and the sons of the
brothers of Ahaziah, who ministered to Ahaziah, he killed them. 9And he
sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hidden in Samaria,)
and brought him to Jehu: and when they had killed him, they buried him:
Because, they said, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD
with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to still keep the
kingdom.
10But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was
dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
11But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of
Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons who were killed and
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 kill him. 12And he
was with them hidden in the house of God six years: and Athaliah
reigned over the land.
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Chapter 23
1And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the
captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham and Ishmael the son
of Jehohanan and Azariah the son of Obed and Maaseiah the son of
Adaiah and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. 2And
they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of
Judah and the chief of the fathers of Israel and they came to Jerusalem.
3And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of
God. And he said to them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the
LORD has said of the sons of David. 4This is the thing that you shall do;
A third part of you, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors entering on the
sabbath; 5And a third part shall be at the
king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the
people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. 6But let no one
come into the house of the LORD, save the priests and those of the
Levites who minister; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the
people shall keep the watch of the LORD. 7And the Levites shall
compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand;
and whoever else comes into the house, he shall be put to death: but you
will be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out. 8So the
Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest
had commanded and took every man his men who were to come in on
the sabbath, with them who were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada
the priest did not dismiss the courses. 9Also Jehoiada the priest delivered
spears and bucklers and shields to the captains of hundreds, that had
been king David's, which were in the house of God. 10And he set all the
people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of
the temple to the left side of the temple by the king round about, along
side the altar and the temple,. 11Then they brought out the king's son,
and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony and made him
king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, God save the
king.
12Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and
praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:
13And she looked and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering
in 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 and such as were taught to sing praise. Then
Athaliah tore her clothes and said, Treason, Treason. 14Then Jehoiada
the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the
host and said to them, Take her out of the ranges: and whoever follows
her, let him be killed with the sword. For the priest said, Do not kill her
in the house of the LORD. 15So they laid hands on her; and when she
was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they
killed her there. 16And Jehoiada made a covenant between him and
between all the people and between the king, that they should be the
LORD'S people. 17Then all the people went to the house of Baal and
broke it down and broke his altars and his images in pieces and killed
Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18Also Jehoiada appointed the
offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites,
whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt
offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with
rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. 19And he set
the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was
unclean in any thing would enter in. 20And 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. 21And all the people of the
land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after they had killed Athaliah with
the sword.
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Chapter 24
1Joash was seven years old when he began to reign and he reigned
forty years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's namewas Zibiah of
Beersheba. 2And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD
all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3And Jehoiada took two wives for
him; and sons and daughters were born to him. 4And it came to pass after
this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD. 5And he
gathered together the priests and the Levites and said to them, Go out to
the cities of Judah and gather money from all Israel to repair the house of
your God from year to year and see that you hurry the matter. But the
Levites did not hurry.. 6And the king called for Jehoiada the chief and
said to him, Why have you not required of the Levites to bring in out of
Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the
commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD and of the
congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness? 7For the sons of
Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also
all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD they bestowed on
Baalim. 8And at the king's commandment they made a chest and set it
outside at the gate of the house of the LORD. 9And they made a
proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the
collection that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.
10And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought in and cast
into the chest, until they had made an end. 11Now it came to pass, that at
the time the chest was brought to the king's office by the hand of the
Levites and when they saw that there was much money, the king's
scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest and took
it and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day and
gathered money in abundance. 12And the king and Jehoiada gave it to
those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD and
hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD and also
those who worked iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD. 13So
the workmen worked and the work was perfected by them and they set
the house of God in its state and strengthened it. 14And when they had
finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and
Jehoiada, from which vessels were made for the house of the LORD,
even vessels to minister and to offer 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.
15But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days when he died; he was one
hundred thirty years old when he died. 16And 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. 17Now after the death of Jehoiada the
princes of Judah came and bowed to the king. Then the king listened to
them. 18And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers and
served groves and idols: and anger came on Judah and Jerusalem for
their trespass. 19Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them to the LORD again; and they testified against them: but they would not listen. 20And
the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who
stood above the people and said to them, Thus says God, Why do you
transgress the commandments of the LORD? so that you cannot prosper.
Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you. 21And
they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the
commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. 22Thus
Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father
had done to him, but killed his son. And when he died, he said, The
LORD look on it and require it. 23And it came to pass at the end of the
year, that the host 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 sent all the spoil from them to the king of Damascus.
24For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men and
the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had
forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment
against Joash. 25And when they were departed from him, (for they left
him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him because
of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest and killed him on his bed,
and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not
bury him in the sepulchers of the kings. 26And these are those who
conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess and
Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess. 27Now concerning his sons,
and the greatness of the burdens laid on him and the repairing of the
house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the
kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
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Chapter 25
1Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he
reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was
Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2And he did that which was right in the sight of
the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. 3Now it came to pass, when the
kingdom was established to him, that he killed his servants who had
killed his father the king. 4But he did not kill their children, but did as it
is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD
commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither
shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own
sin. 5Also 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 from
twenty years old and above and found them three hundred thousand
choice men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield.
6He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel
for one hundred talents of silver. 7But a man of God came there to him,
saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with you; for the LORD is
not with Israel, that is, with all the children of Ephraim. 8But if you will
go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make you fall before the
enemy: for God has power to help and to cast down. 9And Amaziah said
to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I
have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The
LORD is able to give you much more than this. 10Then Amaziah
separated them, even, the army that was 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. 11And Amaziah strengthened
himself and led his people out and went to the valley of salt and
struck ten thousand of the children of Seir. 12And the children of Judah
carried away captive, another ten thousand who were left alive and
brought them to the top of the rock and cast them down from the top of
the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces. 13But the soldiers of the
army who Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle,
fell on the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Bethhoron and struck
three thousand of them and took much spoil.
14Now it came to pass, after Amaziah was come from the slaughter
of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir and set
them up to be his gods and bowed down himself before them and
burned incense to them. 15Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Amaziah and he sent a prophet to him, who said to him, Why
have you sought after the gods of the people, who could not deliver their
own people out of your hand? 16And it came to pass, as he talked with
him, that the king said to him, are you made of the king's counsel?
forbear; why should you be struck? Then the prophet forbear and said, I
know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done
this and have not listened to my counsel.
17Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice and sent to Joash, the son of
Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one
another in the face. 18And 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 to my son to wife: and there
passed by a wild animal that was in Lebanon and trod down the thistle.
19You say, Lo, you have struck the Edomites; and your heart lifts you up
to boast: abide now at home; why should you meddle to your hurt, that
you should fall, even you and Judah with you? 20But Amaziah would not
hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their
enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. 21So Joash the king
of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and
Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22And
Judah was put to the worse before Israel and they fled every man to his
tent. 23And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son
of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh and brought him to
Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of
Ephraim four hundred cubits to the corner gate. 24And he took all the
gold and the silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of
God with Obededom and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages
also and returned to Samaria. 25And Amaziah the son of Joash king of
Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen
years. 26Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are
they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27Now after
the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD they made
a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they
sent to Lachish after him and killed him there. 28And they brought him
on horses and buried him with his fathers in a city of Judah.
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Chapter 26
1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old,
and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. 2He built Elath,
and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzziah was sixteen
years old when he began to reign and he reigned fifty two
years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
4And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to
all that his father Amaziah did. 5And he sought God in the days of
Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as
he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper. 6And he went forth and
warred against the Philistines and broke down the wall of Gath and the
wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod and built cities about Ashdod,
and among the Philistines. 7And God helped him against the Philistines,
and against the Arabians who dwelled in Gurbaal and the Mehunims.
8And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad
even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
9Also Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate and at the
valley gate and at the turning of the wall and fortified them. 10Also he
built towers in the desert and dug many wells: for he had much cattle,
both in the low country and in the plains: husbandmen also and vine
dressers in the mountains and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
11Also Uzziah had a host of fighting men, who went out to war by bands,
according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe
and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's
captains. 12The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty
men of valor were two thousand six hundred. 13And under their hand was
an army, three hundred seven thousand five hundred, who made war
with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14And Uzziah
prepared shields and spears for them throughout all the host and
helmets and habergeons and bows and slings to cast stones. 15And he
made engines in Jerusalem, invented by cunning men, to be on the
towers and on the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his
name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was
strong.
16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction:
for he transgressed against the LORD his God and went into the temple
of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17And Azariah the
priest went in after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, who
were valiant men: 18And they withstood Uzziah the king and said to him,
It does not pertains to you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but to
the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense: go
out of the sanctuary; for you have trespassed; neither shall it be for your
honor from the LORD God. 19Then Uzziah was angry and had a censer
in his hand to burn incense: and while he was angry with the priests, the
leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the
LORD, from beside the incense altar. 20And Azariah the chief priest and
all the priests, looked on him and, behold, he was leprous in his
forehead and they thrust him out from there; yes, he hurried himself also
to go out, because the LORD had struck him. 21And Uzziah the king was
a leper to the day of his death and dwelled in a separate house, being 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. 22Now the
rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of
Amoz, wrote. 23So Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him
with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for
they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his place.
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Chapter 27
1Jotham was twenty five years old when he began to reign and he
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's name was
Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. 2And he did that which was right in the
sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: but he
entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people still acted
corruptly. 3He built the high gate of the house of the LORD and he built
much on the wall of Ophel. 4Also he built cities in the mountains of
Judah and in the forests he built castles and towers. 5He fought also with
the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. And the children
of Ammon gave him a hundred talents of silver the same year and ten
thousand measures of wheat and ten thousand of barley. So much the
children of Ammon paid to him, both the second year and the third.
6So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the
LORD his God. 7Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all his wars,
and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah. 8He was twenty five years old when he began to reign and
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9And Jotham slept with his fathers,
and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his
place.
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Chapter 28
1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign and he reigned
sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not do that which was right in the
sight of the LORD, like David his father: 2For he walked in the ways of
the kings of Israel and also made molten images for Baalim. 3Also he
burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom and burned his
children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the
LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 4He also sacrificed and
burned incense in the high places and on the hills and under every
green tree. 5Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of
the king of Syria; and they struck him and carried away captives, a great
multitude of them 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.
6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand
in Judah in one day, who were all valiant men; because they had
forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 7And Zichri, a mighty man of
Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son and Azrikam the governor of
the house and Elkanah who was next to the king. 8And the children of
Israel carried away captive from their brothers two hundred thousand,
women, sons and daughters and also took away much spoil from them,
and brought the spoil to Samaria. 9But a prophet of the LORD was there,
whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host who came to
Samaria and said to them, Behold, because the LORD God of your
fathers was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand and
you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10And now you
purpose to hold down the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen
and bondwomen to you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins
against the LORD your God? 11Now hear me therefore and deliver the
captives again, who you have taken captive from your brothers: for the
fierce anger of the LORD is on you. 12Then certain 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 them who came from the war, 13And said to
them, you shall not bring in the captives here: for as we have offended
against the LORD already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our
trespass: for our trespass is great and there is fierce anger against Israel.
14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and
all the congregation. 15And the men who were expressed by name rose
up and took the captives and with the spoil clothed all who were naked
among them and arrayed them and shod them and gave them to eat and
to drink and anointed them and carried all the feeble of them on asses,
and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers: then
they returned to Samaria.
16At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 17For the Edomites had come again and struck Judah and carried away
captives. 18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country,
and of the south of Judah and had taken Bethshemesh and Ajalon and
Gederoth and Shocho with their villages and Timnah with its villages,
Gimzo also and its villages: and they dwelled there. 19For the LORD
brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah
naked and transgressed sore against the LORD. 20And Tilgathpilneser
king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, but did not
strengthen him. 21For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the
LORD and out of the house of the king and of the princes and gave it
to the king of Assyria: but he did not help him. 22And in the time of his
distress he trespassed yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
23For he 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, so that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him
and of all Israel. 24And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house
of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God and shut up
the doors of the house of the LORD and he made altars in every corner
of Jerusalem. 25And he made high places in every separate city of Judah to
burn incense to other gods and provoked the LORD God of his fathers
to anger . 26Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last,
behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27And Ahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city, even
in Jerusalem: but they did not bring him into the sepulchers of the kings
of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
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Chapter 29
1Hezekiah began 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. 2And he did that which was right in
the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
3He opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them in
the first month of the first year of his reign,. 4And he brought in the
priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the east street,
5And said to them, Hear me, you Levites, sanctify yourselves now and
sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers and carry out the
filthiness out of the holy place. 6For our fathers have trespassed and
done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and have
forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of
the LORD and turned their backs. 7Also they have shut up the doors of
the porch and put out the lamps and have not burned incense nor
offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. 8Therefore
the anger of the LORD was on Judah and Jerusalem and he has
delivered them to trouble, to astonishment and to hissing, as you see
with your eyes. 9For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword and our
sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 10Now it is
in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his
fierce anger may turn away from us. 11My sons, now do not be negligent:
for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to serve him and that
you should minister to him and burn incense.
12Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son
of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish
the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the
Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah: 13And
of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph;
Zechariah and Mattaniah: 14And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel and
Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15And they
gathered their brothers and sanctified themselves and came, according
to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse
the house of the LORD. 16And the priests went into the inner part of the
house of the LORD, to cleanse it and brought out all the uncleanness
that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of
the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook
Kidron. 17Now 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 18Then 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 show
bread table, with all its vessels. 19Also we have prepared and sanctified
all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign cast away in his
transgression, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.
20Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the rulers of the
city and went up to the house of the LORD. 21And they brought seven
bullocks and seven rams and seven lambs and seven male goats, for a
sin 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. 22So they killed the bullocks and the priests received the
blood and sprinkled 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. 23And they brought forth the
male goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and
they laid their hands on them: 24And the priests killed them and they
made reconciliation with their blood on the altar, to make an atonement
for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin
offering should be made for all Israel. 25And he set the Levites in the
house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries and with harps,
according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king's seer,
and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by
his prophets. 26And the Levites stood with the instruments of David,
and the priests with the trumpets. 27And Hezekiah commanded to offer
the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the
song of the LORD began also with the trumpets and with the
instruments ordained by David king of Israel. 28And all the
congregation worshiped and the singers sang and the trumpeters
sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were
present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30Also 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. 31Then
Hezekiah answered and said, Now you have consecrated yourselves to
the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the
house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and
thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart offered burnt
offerings. 32And the number of the burnt offerings the
congregation brought, was seventy bullocks, one hundred rams, and two
hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. 33And
the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.
34But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt
offerings: therefore their brothers the Levites helped them, till the work
was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the
Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the
priests. 35And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of
the peace offerings and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So
the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. 36And Hezekiah
and all the people rejoiced, for the thing was done suddenly, for God had
prepared the people:.
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Chapter 30
1And 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. 2For the
king had taken counsel and his princes and all the congregation in
Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. 3For they could not
keep it at the time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves
sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to
Jerusalem. 4And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. 5So
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 done it for a
long time in such sort as it was written. 6So the posts went with the
letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah and
according to the commandment of the king, saying, you children of
Israel, turn again to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel and
he will return to the remnant of you, who are escaped out of the hand of
the kings of Assyria. 7And do not be like your fathers and like your
brothers, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who
therefore gave them up to desolation, as you see. 8Now do not be stiff
necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and
enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever: and serve the
LORD your God, that the fierceness of his anger may turn away from
you. 9For if you turn again to the LORD, your brothers and your
children shall find compassion before them who lead them captive, so
that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is
gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if you
return to him. 10So the posts passed from city to city through the country
of Ephraim and Manasseh even to Zebulun: but they laughed them to
scorn and mocked them. 11But divers of Asher and Manasseh and of
Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12Also in Judah
the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of
the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.
13And there assembled at Jerusalem a very great congregation of many
people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month,. 14And
they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem and they took
away all the altars for incense and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second
month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified
themselves and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the
LORD. 16And they stood in their place after their manner, according to
the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which
they received of the hand of the Levites. 17For there were many in the
congregation who were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the
charge of the killing of the passovers to sanctify them to the LORD for
every one who was not clean,. 18For a multitude of the people, even many
of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed
themselves, yet they ate the passover other than it was written. But
Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
19Who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers,
though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
20And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21And the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the
feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the
Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud
instruments to the LORD. 22And Hezekiah spoke comfortably to all the
Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they ate
throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making
confession to the LORD God of their fathers. 23And the whole assembly
took counsel to keep another seven days: and they kept another seven
days with gladness. 24For Hezekiah king of Judah gave a thousand
bullocks and seven thousand sheep to the congregation; and the princes
gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep:
and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. 25And all the
congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites and all the
congregation who came out of Israel and the foreigners who came out of
the land of Israel and who dwelled in Judah, rejoiced. 26So there was
great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David
king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. 27Then the priests the
Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard and
their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even to heaven.
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Chapter 31
1Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out
to the cities of Judah and broke the images in pieces and cut down the
groves and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah
and Benjamin and in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly
destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to
his possession, into their own cities. 2And Hezekiah appointed the
courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man
according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and
for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the
gates of the tents of the LORD. 3He appointed also the king's portion of
his substance for the burnt offerings, that is, 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 law of the LORD.
4Also he commanded the people who dwelled in Jerusalem to give the
portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in
the law of the LORD. 5And as soon as the commandment came abroad,
the children of Israel brought in the abundance of the first fruits of corn,
wine and oil and honey and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe
of all things they brought in abundantly. 6And concerning the children
of Israel and Judah, who dwelled in the cities of Judah, they also brought
in the tithe of oxen and sheep and the tithe of holy things which were
consecrated to the LORD their God and laid them by heaps. 7In the
third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps and finished
them in the seventh month. 8And when Hezekiah and the princes came
and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. 9Then
Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the
heaps. 10And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered
him and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the
house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have left plenty: for
the LORD has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great
store.
11Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the
LORD; and they prepared them, 12And brought in the offerings and the
tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the
Levite was ruler and Shimei his brother was the next. 13And Jehiel and
Azaziah and Nahath and Asahel and Jerimoth and Jozabad and Eliel,
and Ismachiah and Mahath and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand
of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah
the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. 14And Kore the son
of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill
offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD and the most
holy things. 15And next him were Eden and Miniamin and Jeshua and
Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their
set office, to give to their brothers by courses, to the great as well as to
the small: 16Beside the genealogy of males, from three years old and
upward, even to every one who enters into the house of the LORD, his
daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
17Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers and
the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their
courses; 18And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives and
their sons and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their
set office they sanctified themselves in holiness: 19Also of the sons of
Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in
every several city, the men who were expressed by name, to give
portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were reckoned
by genealogies among the Levites. 20And thus Hezekiah did throughout
all Judah and did that which was good and right and truth before the
LORD his God. 21And 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 prospered.
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Chapter 32
1After these things and the establishment of it, Sennacherib king of
Assyria came and entered into Judah and camped against the fenced
cities and thought to win them for himself. 2And when Hezekiah saw
that Sennacherib had come and that he purposed to fight against
Jerusalem, 3He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop
the waters of the fountains which were outside the city: and they helped
him. 4So many people was gathered together there, who stopped all the
fountains and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying,
Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?
5Also he
strengthened himself and built up all the wall that was broken and
raised it up to the towers and another wall outside and repaired Millo in
the city of David and made darts and shields in abundance. 6And he set
captains of war over the people and gathered them together to him in the
street of the gate of the city and spoke comfortably to them, saying, 7Be
strong and courageous, Do not be afraid nor dismayed for the king of
Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there are more
with us than with him: 8With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the
LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested
themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem,
(but he himself laid siege against Lachish and all his power with him,)
to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem,
saying, 10Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, On what do you trust,
that you abide in the siege in Jerusalem? 11Does not Hezekiah persuade
you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The
LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars,
and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, you shall worship before
one altar and burn incense on it? 13Do you not know you what I and my
fathers have done to all the people of other lands? were the gods of the
nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my
hand? 14What was there among all the gods of those nations that my
fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand,
that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? 15Now
therefore do not let Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this
manner, nor 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 shall your God deliver you out of my hand?
16And his servants spoke yet more against the LORD God and against
his servant Hezekiah. 17He also wrote letters to reproach the LORD God
of Israel and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of
other lands have not delivered their people out of my hand, so the God of
Hezekiah shall not deliver his people out of my hand. 18Then they cried
with a loud voice in the Jews' speech to the people of Jerusalem who
were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them so that they might
take the city. 19And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against
the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of
man. 20And for this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah the
son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
21And the LORD sent an
angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and
captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame
of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his
god, they who came out of his own bowels killed him there with the
sword. 22Thus 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 guided them on every side. 23And many
brought gifts to the LORD to Jerusalem and presents to Hezekiah king
of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from then
on.
24In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death and prayed to the
LORD: and he spoke to him and he gave him a sign. 25But Hezekiah did
not render again according to the benefit done to him; for his heart was
lifted up: therefore there was anger on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
26Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart,
both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the anger of the LORD
did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah. 27And Hezekiah had
exceedingly many riches and honors: and he made himself treasuries for
silver and for gold and for precious stones and for spices and for
shields and for all manner of pleasant jewels; 28Store houses also for the
increase of corn and wine and oil; and stalls for all manner of animals,
and cotes for flocks. 29Also he provided cities and possessions of flocks
and herds in abundance: for God had given him very much substance.
30This 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 prospered in all his works. 31But in the business of the
ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the
wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might
know all that was in his heart. 32Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah,
and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the
prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and
Israel. 33And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the
chiefest of the sepulchers of the sons of David: and all Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And Manasseh his
son reigned in his place.
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Chapter 33
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign and he
reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem: 2But did that which was evil in the
sight of the LORD, just like the abominations of the heathen, whom the
LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 3For he built again the
high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down and he reared
up altars for Baalim and made groves and worshiped all the host of
heaven and served them. 4Also he built altars in the house of the
LORD, of which the LORD had said, My name shall be in Jerusalem for
ever. 5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of
the house of the LORD. 6And he caused his children to pass through the
fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times and used
enchantments and used witchcraft and dealt with a familiar spirit and
with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke
him to anger. 7And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in
the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his
son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the
tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever: 8Neither will I any more
remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which 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. 9So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had
destroyed before the children of Israel. 10And the LORD spoke to
Manasseh and to his people: but they would not listen.
11Wherefore the LORD brought on them the captains of the host of the
king of Assyria, who took Manasseh among the thorns and bound him
with fetters and carried him to Babylon. 12And when he was in
affliction, he besought the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly
before the God of his fathers, 13And prayed to him: and he was entreated
of him and heard his supplication and he brought him again to Jerusalem
into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. 14Now
after this he built a wall outside the city of David, on the west side of
Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate and
surrounded Ophel and raised it up to a very great height and put
captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. 15And he took away the
foreign gods and the idol out of the house of the LORD and all the
altars that he had built in the Mount of the house of the LORD and in
Jerusalem and cast them out of the city. 16And he repaired the altar of
the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it and
commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. 17But the people still
sacrificed in the high places, to the LORD their God only. 18Now
the rest of the acts of Manasseh and his prayer to his God and the
words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of
Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. 19His
prayer also and how God was entreated of him and all his sin and his
trespass and the places in which he built high places and set up groves
and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written
among the sayings of the seers. 20So Manasseh slept with his fathers,
and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his
place.
21Amon was twenty years two old when he began to reign and
reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22But he did that which was evil in the
sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father did: for Amon sacrificed to
all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made and served
them; 23And did not humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his
father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. 24And
his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house.
25But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against
king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his
place.
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Chapter 34
1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and he reigned thirty one years in
Jerusalem. 2And he did that which was right in the sight
of the LORD and walked in the ways of David his father and declined
neither to the right hand, nor to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his
reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David
his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem
from the high places and the groves and the carved images and the
molten images. 4And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his
presence; and he cut down the images that were on high above them and
the groves and the carved images and the molten images, he broke in
pieces and made dust of them and strewed it on the graves of them who
had sacrificed to them. 5And he burnt the bones of the priests on their
altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6And he did so in the cities of
Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their
mattocks round about. 7And when he had broken down the altars and the
groves and had beaten the graven images into powder and cut down all
the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the
land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah and Maaseiah
the governor of the city and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to
repair the house of the LORD his God.
9And when they came to Hilkiah
the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house
of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had gathered of the hand
of Manasseh and Ephraim and of all the remnant of Israel and of all
Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem. 10And 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 repair and amend the house: 11 they gave it, even to the
artificers and builders to buy hewn stone and timber for couplings and
to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12And the
men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and
Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and
Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of
the Levites, all who had skill with instruments of music. 13Also they were
over the bearers of burdens and were overseers of all who worked the
work in any manner of service: and there were scribes and officers and
porters of the Levites.
14And when they brought out the money that was brought into the
house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the
LORD given by Moses. 15And 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 book to Shaphan. 16And Shaphan carried the
book to the king and brought the king word back again, saying, All that
was committed to your servants, they do it. 17And they have gathered
together the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have
delivered it into the hand of the overseers and to the hand of the
workmen. 18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the
priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 19And
it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he
tore his clothes. 20And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahikam the son
of Shaphan and Abdon the son of Micah and Shaphan the scribe and
Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, 21Go, 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 anger of the LORD that
is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the
LORD, to do after all that is written in this book. 22And Hilkiah and they
who the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of
Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe;
(now she dwelled in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spoke to her to
that effect. 23And she answered them, Thus says the LORD God of
Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, 24Thus says the LORD, Behold,
I will bring evil on this place and on the inhabitants of it, even all the
curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king
of Judah: 25Because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to
other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of
their hands; therefore my anger shall be poured out on this place and
shall not be quenched. 26And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to
inquire of the LORD, you shall say thus to him, Thus says the LORD God
of Israel concerning the words which you have heard; 27Because your
heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard
his words against this place and against the inhabitants of it and
humbled yourself before me and tore your clothes and wept before me;
I have even heard you also, says the LORD. 28Behold, I will gather you
to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither
shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this place and on the
inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and
Jerusalem. 30And 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 read in their ears
all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of
the LORD. 31And the king stood in his place and made a covenant
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 which are
written in this book. 32And he caused all who were present in Jerusalem
and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did
according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33And Josiah
took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to
the children of Israel and made all who were present in Israel to serve,
even to serve the LORD their God. And in all his days they did not
depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
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Chapter 35
1Also Josiah kept a passover to the LORD in Jerusalem: and they
killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2And he set
the priests in their charges and encouraged them to the service of the
house of the LORD, 3And said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who
were holy to the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the
son of David king of Israel built; it shall not be a burden on your
shoulders: serve now the LORD your God and his people Israel, 4And
prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses,
according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the
writing of Solomon his son. 5And stand in the holy place according to the
divisions of the families of the fathers of your brothers the people and
after the division of the families of the Levites. 6So kill the passover,
and sanctify yourselves and prepare your brothers, that they may do
according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 7And Josiah
gave to the people, from the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover
offerings, for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand and
three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. 8And his
princes gave willingly to the people, to the priests and to the Levites:
Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the
priests for the passover offerings two thousand six hundred small cattle,
and three hundred oxen. 9Conaniah also and Shemaiah and Nethaneel,
his brothers and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites,
gave to the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle and
five hundred oxen. 10So the service was prepared and the priests stood
in their place and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's
commandment. 11And they killed the passover and the priests sprinkled
the blood from their hands and the Levites flayed them. 12And they
removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the
divisions of the families of the people, to offer to the LORD, as it is
written in the book of Moses. And they did so with the oxen. 13And they
roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but they sod in
pots the other holy offerings and in caldrons and in pans and divided
them speedily among all the people. 14And afterward they made ready
for themselves and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron
were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night;
therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the
sons of Aaron. 15And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place,
according to the commandment of David and Asaph and Heman and
Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might
not depart from their service; for their brothers the Levites prepared for
them. 16So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to
keep the passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD,
according to the commandment of king Josiah. 17And the children of
Israel who were present kept the passover at that time and the feast of
unleavened bread seven days. 18And there was no passover like to that
kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the
kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept and the priests and
the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were present and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 This passover was kept in the eighteenth
year of the reign of Josiah .
20After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of
Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah
went out against him. 21But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What
have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I have not come against you
this day, but against the house with which I have war: for God
commanded me to hurry: forbear you from meddling with God, who is
with me, so that he does not destroy you. 22But Josiah would not turn his
face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him and
did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God and came to
fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and
the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.
24His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the
second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem and he
died and was buried in one of the sepulchers of his fathers. And all
Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25And Jeremiah lamented for
Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in
their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel: and,
behold, they are written in the lamentations. 26Now the rest of the acts of
Josiah and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law
of the LORD, 27And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in
the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
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Chapter 36
1Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and
made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. 2Jehoahaz was twenty
three years old when he began to reign and he reigned three months in
Jerusalem. 3And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem and
condemned the land to one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and
Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz
his brother and carried him to Egypt. 5Jehoiakim was twenty five years
old when he began to reign and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem:
and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
6Against him Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up and bound him
in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the
vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple
at Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and his abominations
which he did and that which was found in him, behold, they are written
in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son
reigned in his place. 9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to
reign and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 10And when the year was
expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with
the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD and made Zedekiah his
brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he began to reign and
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12And he did that which was evil in
the sight of the LORD his God, and he did not humble himself before
Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. 13And he
also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by
God: but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to
the LORD God of Israel. 14Also all the chief of the priests and the
people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen;
and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in
Jerusalem. 15And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his
messengers, rising up frequently and sending; because he had
compassion on his people and on his dwelling place: 16But they
mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his
prophets, until the anger of the LORD arose against his people, till there
was no remedy. 17Therefore he brought on them the king of the
Chaldees, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of
their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or maiden, old
man, or him who stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. 18And
all the vessels of the house of God, great and small and the treasures of
the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king and of his princes;
all these he brought to Babylon. 19And they burnt the house of God and
broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burnt all its palaces with fire and
destroyed all its goodly vessel 20And those who escaped from the sword
he carried away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his
sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21To fulfill the word of the
LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her
sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill
seventy years.