Hezekiah's life lengthened.

BEFORE CHRIST 713.

713.

a 2 Chr. 32. 24, &c.

Is. 33.1, &c.

2 Heb. Give

charge concerning thine house.

2 Sam. 17. 23.

b Neh. 13.

22.

© Gen. 17. 1. 1 Kings 3.

6.

3 Heb. with

a great weeping. 4 Or, city.

d 1 Sam. 9. 16. & 10. 1. e ch. 19. 20. Ps. 65. 2.

f Ps. 39. 12. & 56. 8.

CHAPTER XX.

1 Hezekiah, having received a message of death, by prayer hath his life lengthened. 8 The sun goeth ten degrees backward for a sign of that promise. 12 Berodach-baladan sending to visit Hezekiah, because of the wonder, hath notice of his treasures. 14 Isaiah understanding thereof foretelleth the Babylonian captivity. 20 Manasseh succeedeth Hezekiah. IN & those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, 2Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

Babylonian captivity foretold.

BEFORE CHRIST 712.

12 At that time 2 Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard m Is. 39. 1, that Hezekiah had been sick.

4

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen 'thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the 8 ch. 19. 34. king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

b Is. 38. 21.

1 See Judges 6. 17, 37, 39. Is. 7. 11, 14. & 38. 22

k See Is. 33. 7, 8.

1 See

Josh. 10. 12, 14. Is. 39. 8. 6 Heb. degrees.

And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, 'What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and 'he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the 'dial

&C.

2 Or, Merodach-baladan.

2 Chr. 32.

27, 31. 3 Or,

spicery.

Or, jewels.

5 Heb. vessels.

15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in ver. 13. mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.

16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.

17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, Pshall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

p ch.24. 13. Jer. 27. 21,

& 25. 13.

22. & 52.17.

18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of 11. the king of Babylon.

19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

7

20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and "brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER XXI.

1 Manasseh's reign. 3 His great idolatry. 10 His wickedness causeth prophecies against Judah. 17 Amon succeedeth him. 19 Amon's wicked reign. 23 He being slain by his servants, and those murderers slain by the people, Josiah is made king.

MANASSEH was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in

q ch. 24. 12. 2 Chr. 33.

6 Fulfilled, Dan. 1. 3.

18.

1 Sam. 3. Job 1. 21.

Ps. 39. 9.

Or, Shall

there not be peace and

truth, &c.

12.

ever:

8 1Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.

9 But they hearkened not: and m Prov. 29. Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

2

Amon's wicked reign.

wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

15 Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 698.

? Heb. he

wipeth and upon the face

turneth it

thereof.

3 Heb.
to mouth.

from mouth

16 Moreover Manasseh shed in- ch. 24. 4. nocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem 3 from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 17 Now the rest of the acts of 2 Chr. 33. Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

11-19.

20.

18 And Manasseh slept with his 2 Chr. 33. fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

643.

21-23.

19 Amon was twenty and two 12 Chr. 33. years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

20 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fa- ver. 2, &c. ther Manasseh did.

21 And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:

22 And he forsook the LORD God 1 Kings of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.

a

641. a 2 Chr. 33.

23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the 24, 25. king in his own house.

24 And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

26 And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead. batt.1.10,

OSIAH & was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, Josh.15.39. the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

+ Deut. 5.32.

3 And it came to pass in the 2 Chr. 34. eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

e ch. 12. 4.

f ch. 12.9.

Ps. 84. 10. 2 Heb. threshold. 8 ch. 12. 11, 12, 14.

е

4 Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

5 And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,

6 Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. h ch. 12. 15. 7 Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

1 Deut. 31. 24, &c. 2 Chr. 34. 14, &c.

8 Heb. melted.

Abdon

2 Chr. 84. 20.

4 Or, Micah.

8 ¶ And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, 'I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.

10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe,

Huldah's prophecy.

all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

3

2

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 624.

1 Deut. 29. 27.

2 Chr.34.22. 2 or,

m Tikvath,

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of m Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college ;) and they communed with her. 15 ¶ And she said unto them, Thus Or, in the saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

17 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 kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

Hasrah. 3 Heb. garments.

20, &c.

18 But to P the king of Judah which 2 Chr. 34. sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard ;

19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

CHAPTER XXIII.

1 Josiah causeth the book to be read in a solemn assembly. 3 He reneweth the covenant of the Lord. 4 He destroyeth idolatry. 15 He burnt dead men's bones upon the altar of Beth-el, as was foreprophesied. 21 He kept a most solemn passover. 24 He put away witches, and all abomination. 26 God's final wrath against Judah. 29 Josiah, provoking Pharaoh-nechoh, is slain at Megiddo. Jehoahaz, succeeding him, is imprisoned by Pharaoh-nechoh, who made Jehoiakim king. 36 Jehoiakim's wicked reign.

BEFORE CHRIST 624.

He destroyeth idolatry.

small even unto great. b ch. 22. 8.

c ch. 11. 14, 17.

с

3 And the king stood by a pillar, 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 their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels d ch. 21.3,7. that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el. 5 And he put down the 'idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, Or, twelve and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

3 Heb. caused to cease. 4 Heb. Chemarim, Hos. 10. 5. Foretold, Zeph. 1. 4.

signs, or, constellations.

e ch. 21. 3.

f ch. 21. 7.

g 2 Chr. 34. 4.

blKings 14.

i Ezek. 16. 16.

• Heb. houses.

k 1 Kings 15. 22.

5

f

6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. 7 And he brake down the houses h of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, 'where the women wove hangings for the grove.

6

8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city. 9 'Nevertheless the priests of the 1 Sam. 2. high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.

1 Sec Ezek. 44. 10-14.

15 Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place "which "1 Kings 12. Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.

16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of 1 Kings 13. the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.

18 And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of Heb. to "the prophet that came out of Samaria.

19 And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to

escape. 1 Kings 13.

31.

a See 2 Chr.

34. 6, 7.

21 ¶ And the king commanded 42 Chr.34.5. all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

? Ex. 12. 3. Lev. 23. 5. Num. 9. 2. Deut. 16. 2.

18, 19.

22 Surely there was not holden Chr. 35. such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

cir. 623. His 18th year ending.

b ch. 21. 6.

3 Or, teraplum. Gen. 31. 19.

23 But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.

24 ¶ Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might Lev. 19.31. perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

& 20. 27. Deut. 18. 11.

27 And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as m ch. 17.18, m I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which n1 Kings 8. I said, "My name shall be there.

& 21. 13.

29. & 9. 3. ch. 21. 4, 7.

610.

p Zech. 12. 11.

2. Now the rest of the acts of Jo

siah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

29 In his days Pharaoh-nechoh 02Chr.35.20. king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him. 30And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought h him to Jerusalem, and buried 2 Chr. 36.1. him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the

q ch. 14. 8.

r 2 Chr. 35. 24.

Jehoiakim's wicked reign.

son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.

BEFORE CHRIST 610. 2 Called Shallum,

Jer. 22. 11.

31 2Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months 1Chr.3.15. in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughtert ch. 24.18. of Jeremiah of Libnah.

32 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

33 And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in bands "at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of sil-mulct upon ver, and a talent of gold.

34 And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.

35 And Jehoiakim gave b the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh : he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five sold when he began to reign; years and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

37 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

CHAPTER XXIV.

1 Jehoiakim, first subdued by Nebuchadnezzar, then rebelling against him, procureth his own ruin. 5 Jehoiachin succeedeth him. 7 The king of Egypt is vanquished by the king of Babylon. 8 Jehoiachin's evil reign. 10 Jerusalem is taken and carried captive into Babylon. 17 Zedekiah is made king, and reigneth ill unto the utter destruction of Judah. a his days

he reigned.

4 Heb. set a the land. 2 Chr. 36. 3.

x2Chr.36.4.

See ch. 24. Dan. 1.7.

17.

king

607.

606.

603.

600.

kim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

2 b And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, a for the