Destruction of

II. CHRONICLES. Jerusalem foretold.

9 And when they came to Hilkiah] 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, the high priest, they delivered the and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and money that was brought into the Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan house of God, which the Levites that the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the kept the doors had gathered of the king's, saying, hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remuant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they re turned to Jerusalem.

10 And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD,to repair and mend the house:

11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the nouse which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12 And the men did the work faith fully and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sous of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Ko hathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of music.

13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

14 T And 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.

15 And 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.

16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was com mitted to thy servants, they do it. 17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.

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

19 And it came to pass, when the king ad heard the words of the law, that at his clothes.

21 Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book. 22 And Hilkish, and they that the king had appointed, went to Holdah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tik vath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe: (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the cllege :) and they spake to her to that effect. 23 T And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to ine, 24 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

26 And as for the king of Judah,who sent you to inquire of the LORD, SO shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard:

27 Because thy heart was tender,and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, ana weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

29 T Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and

Jerusalem.

Josiah keepeth

CHAP. XXXV.

a solemn passover. 30 And the king went up into the 7 And Josiah gave to the people, of house of the LORD, and all the men of the flock, lambs, and kids, all for the Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusa-passover-offerings, for all that were lem, and the priests, and the Levites, present, to the number of thirty thou and all the people, great and small: sand, and three thousand bullocks: and he read in their ears all the words these were of the king's substance. of the book of the covenant that was 8 And his princes give willingly unfound in the house of the LORD. to the people, to the priests, and to the 31 And the king stood in his place, Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and and made a covenant before the LORD, Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, to walk after the LORD, and to keep gave unto the priests for the passoverhis commandments, and his testimo-offerings two thousand and six hun nies, and his statutes, with all his heart, dred small cattle, and three hundred and with all his soul, to perform the oxen.

words of the covenant which are writ- 9 Conaish also, and Shemaiah, and ten in this book. Nethaneel, his brethren, and ashabi32 And he caused all that were presah, and Jehiel, and Jozobad, chief of ent in Jerusalem and Benjamin to the Levites, give unto the Levites,for stand to it. And the inhabitants of passover offerings five thousand small Jerusalem did according to the cove-cattle, and five hundred oxen. nant of God, the God of their fathers. 10 So the service was prepared, and 33 And Josiah took away all the the priests stood in their place, and the abominations out of all the countries Levites in their courses, according to that pertained to the children of Israel, the king's comandment.

and made all that were present in 1s 11 And they killed the passover,and rael to serve, even to serve the LORD the priests sprinkled the blood from their God. And all his days they de-their hands, and the Levites flayed. parted not from following the LORD, them. the God of their fathers."

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12 And they removed the burnt-offer CHAP. XXXV. fings,that they might give according to [OREOVER Josiah kept a pass the divisions of the families of the peoover unto the LORD in Jerusa-ple, to offer unto the LORD, as it is lem: and they killed the passover on written in the book of Moses. And so the fourteenth day of the first month. did they with the oxen. 2 And he set the priests in their char ges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lond,

3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God,and his people Israel,

4.And prepare yourselves by the hous es of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing

13And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offeringa sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans,and divided them speedily among all the people.

14 And 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 lat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. 15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, 5 And stand in the holy place aerord-and Henan, and Jeduthun the king's ing to the divisions of the families of seer; and the porters waited at every the fathers of your brethren the peo gate; they might not depart from their ple, and after the division of the fami-service; for their brethren the Levites lies of the Levites. prepared for them.

of Solomon his son,

6 So kill the passover, and sanctify 16 So all the service of the LORD yourselves, and prepare your brethren, was prepared the same day, to keep thattheymay do according to the word the passover, and to offer burnt-offer of the LORD by the hand of Moses. lings upon the altar of the LORD, ac

Josiah is slain.

II. CHRONICLES.

Jehonhaz's reign.

CHAP. XXXVI.

cording to the commandment of king Josiah.

THEN the people of the land took

Jo and the children of Israel that Tabazing son of Josid, and were present kept the passover at that made him king in his father's stead in time, and the feast of unleavened Jerusalem.

bread seven days.

2 Jehoalaz was twenty and three 13 And there was no passover like years old when he began to reign,and to that kept in Israel from the days of he reigned three months in Jerusalem. Samuel the prophet; neither did all 3 And the king of Egypt put him the kings of Israel keep such a pass down at Jerusalem, and condemned over as Josiah kept, and the priests, the land in a hundred talents of silver and the Levites, and all Judah and Is- and a talent of gold. rael that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept. 20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Car chemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem,and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. 5 Jehoiakim teas twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and be did that which was evil in 21 But he sent ambassadors to him, the sight of the LORD his God. saying, What have I to do with thee, 6 Against him came up Nebuchad thou king of Judah? I come not against nezzar king of Babylon, and bound thee this day, but against the house him in fetters, to carry him to Baby wherewith I have war: for God com-lon. manded ine to make haste; forbear 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the thee from meddling with God, who is vessels of the house of the LORD to with me, that he destroy thee not. Babylon, and put them in his temple 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not at Babylon. tura his face from him, but disguised 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoia. himself, that he might fight with him, kim, and his abominations which he and hearkened not unto the words of did, and that which was found in him, Necho from the mouth of God, and beliold, they are written in the book came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. of the kings of Israel and Jumlah and 23 And the archers shot at king Jo-Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. siah; and the king said to his servants, 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old Have me away; for I am sore wounded. when he began to reign, and he reign 24 His servants therefore took himed three months and ten days in Jeru out of that chariot, and put him in the salem: and he did that which was second chariot that he had; and they evil in the sight of the LORD. brought him to Jerusalem, and he dierl, 10 And when the year was expired, and was buried in one of the sepul kingNebuchadnezzer sent, and brought chres of his fathers. And all Judah him to Babylon, with the goodly ves and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. sels of the house of the LORD, and 25 T And Jeremiah lamented for Jo-made Zedekiah his brother king over Biah; and all the singing-men and the Judah and Jerusalem. singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel; and, behold, they are written in the Lamen tations.

11 Zedekiah was one and twerty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusdem. 12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and 26 Now the rest of the arts of Jo-humbled not himself before Jeremiah sish, and his goodness, according to the prophet speaking from the mouth that which was written in the law of of the LORD. the LORD,

27 And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

13 and he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from

turning unto the LORD God of Israel, 14 T Moreover, 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.

15 Aud the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by nis messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

proclamation. and brake down the wall of Jerusa lem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Baby lon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:

21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long 16 But they mocked the messengers as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to of God, and despised his words, and fulfil threescore and ten years. misused his prophets, until the wrath 22 Now in the first year of Cyrus of the LORD arose against his people, king of Persia, (that the word of the till there was no remedy.

Loun, spoken by the mouth of Jeremi ah, might be accomplished,) the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chokdees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, for age; he gave them all into his hand. All the kingdoms of the earth hath the 18 And all the vessels of the house of LORD God of heaven given me; and God, great and small, and the treasures he hath charged me to build him a of the house of the LORD, and the treas-house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ures of the king, and of his princes; Who is there among you of all his peoall these he brought to Babylon. ple? the LORD his God be with him, 19 And they burnt the house of God, and let him go up.

CHAP. I.

TEZRA.

for the house of God that is in Jerusa

the year of Cyrus lem.

Ning of Persin, (that the word of 5 Then rose up the chief of the fa

the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah thers of Judah and Benjamin, and the might be fulfilled,) the LORD stirred up priests, and the Levites, with all them the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that whose spirit God had raised, to go up be made a proclamation throughout to build the house of the LORD which all his kingdom, and put it also in is in Jerusalem, writing, saying,,

2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (he is the God) which is m Jerusalem.

6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. 7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia 4 And whosoever remaineth in any bring forth by the hand of Mithredath place where he sojourneth, let the men the treasurer, and numbered them unto of his place help him with silver, and Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. with gold, and with goods, and with 9 And this is the number of them beasts, besides the free will offering thirty charges of gold, a thou

EZRA.

from Babylon chargers of silver, nine and twenty, 19 The children of Hashum, two knives, hundred twenty and three.

14 The children of Bigvai, two thou-children of Shalium, the children of sand fifty and six.

15 The children of Adin four hundren of Akkub, the children of Hatita, dred fifty and four.