Jotham's good reign. howbeit, he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly. 3 He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. 4 Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. 5 He fought also with the king. of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year au hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, 25. 12, 15. & and ten thousand of barley. Sot Heb. This. 17. 6. Ezek. much did the children of Aminon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before Or, estathe LORD his God. 7 Now 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. 8 He was five and twenty years old when be began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. blished. cir. 742. 9 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the c 2 Kin. 15. city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. CHAPTER XXVIII. 1 Ahaz reigning very wickedly is greatly aflicted by the Syrians. 6 Judah being captivated by the Israelites is sent home by the counsel of Oded the prophet. 16 Ahaz sending for aid to Assyria is not helped thereby. 22 In his distress he groweth more idolatrous. 26 He dying, Hezekiah succeedeth him. 38. 2. 741. AHAZ was twenty years old when he began to reign, and a 2 Kin. 16. he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like, David his father: 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also bmolten images for c Baalim. b Ex. 34. 17. Lev. 19. 4. 11. Or, offered 3 Moreover, he il burnt incense in d the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the hea-sacrifice. then whom the LORD had cast out d 2 Kin. 23. before the children of Israel. 4 He sacrificed also and burnt e Lev. 18.21. incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 10. ch. 33. 6. 2 Kin. 16. 3. fIs. 7. 1. cir. 741. 2 Kings 5 Wherefore f the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great mul- 16. 5, 6. titude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the mesek. king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. 26. 2. Obad. 10, &c. Zech. 1. 15. 1 Ezra 9. 6. Rev. 18. 5. m Lev. 25. 39, 42, 43, 46. Ahaz's wicked reign. son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was † next to the king. 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven. 1 10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for m bond-men and bond-women unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God? hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your bre In Jam. 2. 13 thren: n for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you. o ver. 12. p2 Kings 6. 22. Prov, 25. 21, 22. Luke 6. 27. Rom. 12. 20. Deut. 34.3. Judg. 1. 16. eir. 741. r 2 Kan. 16. 7. Heb. a Heb. Dar-captivity. s Ezek. 16. 27, 57. 6 For Pekah the son of Re-h2 Kings maliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; be 15. 27. Heb. sons cause they had forsaken the LORD of valour. God of their fathers. 7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's t ch. 21. 2. u Ex. 32. 25. 11 12 Then 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 that came from the war, 13 And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. 15 And the men which were ex pressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to cat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, 9 the city of palm-trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria. 16 At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away † captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. 19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel: for he "made Judah naked. II. CHRONICLES. Before cir. 741. 20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him x 2 Kin. 15. not. 21 For 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 unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. 22 T And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz. 740. 29. & 16. 7, Before 726. e Jer. 2. 27. gch. 24. 18. Heb. motion. Hezekiah's good reign Jed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have e turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and † turned their backs. 7 f Also 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 unto the God of Israel. 8 Wherefore the 5 wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them com-tot trouble, to astonishment, and to h hissing, as ye see with your eyes. 9 For lo, four fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. y See ch. 25. Deut. 28. 25. 23 For y he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote 14, him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. z Jer. 44. 17, ch. 28. 5, 6, But they were the ruin of him, and 18. of all Israel. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the 8, 17. ch. 15. 12. Or, be not now deceived. 10 Now it is in mine heart to make k a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath 1 chosen you to stand before him, to serve house of God, a and shut up the a See ch. 29. Num. 3. 6. him, and that ye should minister doors of the house of the LORD, 3, 7. and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. to Or, to offer. 25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers. 26 Tb Now the rest of his acts b 2 Kin. 16. and of all his ways, first and last, 19, 20. behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. CHAPTER XXIX. 1 Hezekiah's good reign. 3 He restoreth religion. 5 He exhorteth the Levites. 12 They sanctify themselves, and cleanse the house of God. 20 Hezekiah offereth solemn sacrifices, wherein the Levites were more forward than the priests. HEZEKIAH a began to reign 3 T He, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, copened e See ch. 98. the doors of the house of the LORD, 24. ver. 1. and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the cast street, 5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; d Sanctify now your 1 Chr. 15. 6 For our fathers have trespass & 8. 14. & Or, offer m ver. 5. Or, in the business of the LORD, ch. 30. 12. 726. unto him, and burn incense. 12 Then 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: 13 And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah: 14 And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel. 15 And they gathered their brethren, and m sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. 16 And 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. 17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they 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 made an end. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shew-bread table, with all the vessels thereof. 19 Morcover all the vessels, which llo ch. 28. 24. king Ahaz in his reign did cast CHAPTER XXX. Before A solemn passover proclaimed ferings; and, as many as were of a Hezekiah's solemn sacrifices. 20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. 726. 21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for a P sin-offering for the kingdom, and p Lev. 4. 3, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the Bons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD. 22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and a sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. 4. 726. strengthen- 32 And the number of the burntofferings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to the LORD. 33 And the consecrated things, were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. 34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the e un. 35. 11. burnt-offerings: wherefore e their f ch. 30. 3. Lev. 8. 14, Ps. 7. 10. 23 And they brought forth the Heb. near. he-goats for the sin-offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands uponr Lev. 4. 15, them: 24. 24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, s to make Lev 14. 20. an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burntoffering and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel. 25 t And he set the Levites int 1 Chr. 16. the house of the LORD with cym- 4. & 25. 6. bals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of u 1 Chr. 23. David, and of Gad the king's 5. & 25. 1. scer, and Nathan the prophet: y for so was the commandment † of the LORD by his prophets. 26 And the Levites stood with the instruments 2 of David, and the priests with a the trumpets. ch. 8. 14. y ch. 30. 12. 5 27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt-offering upon the altar. And † when the burnt-offer-5. ing began, bthe song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. 28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the † singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt-offering was finished. 29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. 30 Moreover, Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. 8, 10. 1 Chr. 15. 24. & 16. or 6. h Lev. 3. 16. Heb. in the Heb. was Heb.hands eyes of the + Heb. song. ch. 20. 18. found. Heb. 31 Then Hezekiah answered and the hand. 35 And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with h the fat of the peace-offerings, and i the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. 36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and pre all the people, that God had pared the people: for the thing was done suddenly. CHAPTER XXX. 1 Hezekiah proclaimeth a solemn passover on the second month for Judah and Israel. 13 The assembly, having destroyed the altars of idolatry, keep the feast fourteen days. 27 The priests and Levites bless the people. ND Hezekiah sent to all Israel 3 For they could not keep it bat that time, because the priests had themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. 4 And the thing t pleased the king and all the congregation. to 5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. 6 So the posts went with the let Heb. from ters † from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, d turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you that are escaped e 2 Kings 15. out of the hand of e the kings of Assyria. 19, 20. The altars of idolatry destroyed. of their fathers, who therefore # gave) them up to desolation, as ye see. 8 Now † be ye not h stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, i that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. II. CHRONICLES. Before CHRIST 726. Before CHRIST 726. Heb. ch. 99. 8. necks. h Deut. 10. 16. Heb. give the hand: See 1 Chr. 10:19. & 13. 6. struments of strength. t Heb. to 29. 24. Ezra all, &c. i ch. 29. 10. The people's forwardness 21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept 2 the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with floud instruments unto the LORD. 22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites a that the heart of taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers. a ch. 17. 9. Deut. 33. 10. 9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find k compassion before them that lead them cap-k Ps. 106. 46. & 35. 3. tive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and 1 Ex. 34. 6. will not turn away his face from you, if ye m return unto him. m Is. 55. 7. 10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them❘n ch. 36. 16. to scorn, and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, o divers of Asher o So ch. 11. and Manasseh and of Zebulun 16. ver. 18, humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. 21. 12 Also in Judah p the hand of p Phil. 2. 13. God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king b Ezra 10. 11. 23 And the whole assembly took e See 1 Kin. counsel to keep other seven days: 8. 65. and they kept other seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah Heb. lifted†d did give to the congregation a up, or, thousand bullocks and seven thouofered. sand sheep; and the princes gave ch. 35. 7, to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests e sancti fied themselves. 8. e ch. 29. 34. 25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation and of the princes, 9 by the word of q ch. 29. 25. ver. 11, 18. f that came out of Israel, and the the LORD. place after their manner, according standing. to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites hadt ch. 29. 34. the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD. 18 For a multitude of the people, eren many of Ephraim, and Ma-u ver. 11. nasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet x Ex. 12. 43, did they eat the passover otherwise &c. than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one 19 That Y prepareth his heart to y ch. 19. 3. seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. 20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. The people is forward in destroying idolatry. 2 Hezekiah ordereth the courses of the priests and Levites, and provideth for their work and maintenance. 5 The people's forwardness in offerings and tithes. 1 Hezekiah appointeth officers to dispose of the tithes. 20 The sincerity of Hezekiah. NOW when all this was finish ed, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Jua 2 Kings 18. dah, and a brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, † until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt-offer- CHRIST ings, and the burnt-offerings for the sabbaths, and for the newmoons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the dlaw of the d Num. 28, LORD. 4 Moreover, he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the e portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. & 23. e Num. 18. 8, &c. Neh. f Mal. 2. 7. 13. 10. 5 T And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the chil-Heb. brake dren of Israel brought in abun- forth. bance g the first-fruits of corn, wine,g Ex. 22. 29. and oil, and honey, and of all the Neh. 13. 12. increase of the field; and the tithe i Or, dates. of all things brought they in abundantly. 6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the b tithe of holy things h Lev. 27. which were consecrated unto the 30. Deut. 14. LORD their God, and laid them † by 28. heaps. 7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 Aud when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered Heb.heaps, heaps. him, and said, iSince the people i Mal. 3. 10 11 Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare || chambers in the house | Or, storeof the LORD; and they prepared houses. them, 12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully: k over which Co-k Neh. 13. noniah the Levite was ruler, and 13. Shimei his brother was the next. 13 And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Isma chiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Heb. at the 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the free-will-offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the most holy things. 15 And 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 Before Sennacherib invadeth Judah. brethren by courses, as well to the CHRIST great as to the small: 796. 16 Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses; 17 Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fam 1 Chr. 23. thers, and the Levites m from twen24, 27. ty years old and upward, in their charges, by their courses; 1 Or, trust. In Lev. 25.34. 18 And 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: 19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, the men that were expressed by name, to give over. 12, 13, portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites. 14, 15. 20 T And thus did Hezekiah 2 Kings 20. throughout all Judah, and Pwrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. 713. a 2 Kings 18. 13, &c. Is. 36. 1, &c. + Heb. to break them up. t Heb. his face was to war. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. CHAPTER XXXII. 1 Sennacherib invading Judah, Hezekiah fortifieth himself, and encourageth his people. 9 Against the blasphemies of Sennacherib, by message and letters, Hezekiah and Isaiah pray. 21 An angel destroyeth the host of the Assyri ans, to the glory of Hezekiah. 24 Heze kiah praying in his sickness, God giveth him a sign of recovery. 25 He waring proud is humbled by God. 27 His wealth and works. 31 His error in the ambassage of Babylon. 32 He dying, Manasseh succeedeth him. AFTER these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that the was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, 3 He took counsel with his prinees and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. 4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that Heb. over-tran through the midst of the land, fowed. saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? |