Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 Y’hoshafat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David, and Y’horam his son became king in his place.

2 He had brothers who were sons of Y’hoshafat — ‘Azaryah, Yechi’el, Z’kharyahu, ‘Azaryahu, Mikha’el and Sh’fatyahu; all these were sons of Y’hoshafat king of Isra’el.

3 Their father had given them lavish gifts of silver, gold and other items of value, as well as fortified cities in Y’hudah; but he had given the kingdom to Y’horam, because he was the firstborn.

4 But when Y’horam had taken control of his father’s kingdom and consolidated his rule, he put to the sword all his brothers and a number of the leading men in Isra’el.

5 He was thirty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled eight years in Yerushalayim.

6 He lived after the example of the kings of Isra’el, as did the house of Ach’av; because he had married Ach’av’s daughter; he did what was evil fromAdonai’s perspective.

7 However,Adonaiwas unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David; inasmuch as he had promised to give him and his children a lamp that would burn forever.

8 During his time Edom revolted against Y’hudah and set up its own king.

9 Then Y’horam crossed with his commanders and all his chariots. Under cover of night, he and his chariot commanders attacked and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him.

10 Nevertheless, since that day Edom has remained free of Y’hudah’s domination. Livnah revolted against him at the same time, because he had abandonedAdonaithe God of his ancestors.

11 Moreover, he built high places in the hills of Y’hudah, caused the people living in Yerushalayim to prostitute themselves and drew Y’hudah away.

12 A letter came to him from Eliyahu the prophet which said, “Here is whatAdonai, the God of David your ancestor, says: ‘You have not lived by the examples of Y’hoshafat your father or Asa king of Y’hudah.

13 Instead you have lived by the example of the kings of Isra’el and have caused Y’hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ach’av caused [Isra’el] to prostitute themselves. Moreover, you killed your brothers from your father’s house, men better than you.

14 Because of all this,Adonaiis going to strike your people with a terrible disease, also your children, your wives and everything you have.

15 You will be very ill from a disease in your intestines, until your intestines protrude, because of the effects of this disease, day after day.’”

16 ThenAdonaiaroused against Y’horam the spirit of the P’lishtim and of the Arabs near the Ethiopians;

17 and they came up to attack Y’hudah. They broke in and carried off all the personal property they could find in the royal palace, as well as his children and his wives; so that no son was left to him except Y’ho’achaz his youngest son.

18 After all this,Adonaistruck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

19 In time, after two years, his intestines protruded because of his disease, and he suffered a most painful death. His people kindled no fire for him, as had been done for his ancestors.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he began his reign, he ruled in Yerushalayim for eight years, and he left without joy. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

1 The people living in Yerushalayim made Achazyah his youngest son king in place of him, since the raiding party that had invaded the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older ones. So Achazyah the son of Y’horam king of Y’hudah reigned.

2 Achazyah was forty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for one year in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was ‘Atalyahu the daughter of ‘Omri.

3 He too lived after the example of the house of Ach’av, because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly.

4 So he did what was evil fromAdonai’s perspective, as had the house of Ach’av; because, to his destruction, they were his counselors after his father died;

5 and he lived his life by their advice.

With Y’horam the son of Ach’av, king of Isra’el, he went to war against Haza’el king of Aram at Ramot-Gil‘ad, where the Aramim wounded Yoram.

6 He returned to Yizre‘el to be healed of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah while fighting Haza’el king of Aram. Achazyah the son of Y’horam, king of Y’hudah, went down to visit Y’horam the son of Ach’av in Yizre‘el, because he was not feeling well.

7 Through Achazyah’s visit to Yoram, God brought about his downfall. After he arrived, he accompanied Yoram against Yehu the son of Nimshi, whomAdonaihad anointed to cut off the house of Ach’av.

8 But it happened that when Yehu was executing judgment on the house of Ach’av, he found the leading men of Y’hudah and Achazyah’s nephews in attendance on Achazyah and killed them.

9 Then he went searching for Achazyah; they caught him where he had been hiding in Shomron, brought him to Yehu and killed him. But [his subjects] buried him, because they said, “He was the [grand]son of Y’hoshafat, who soughtAdonaiwith all his heart.”

At this point there was no one in the house of Achazyah strong enough to rule the kingdom.

10 When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family of the house of Y’hudah.

11 But Y’hoshav‘at the daughter of the king took Yo’ash the son of Achazyah, stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered, and sequestered him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Y’hoshav‘at the daughter of King Y’horam, wife of Y’hoyada thecohenand sister of Achazyah, hid him from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed.

12 He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land.

1 In the seventh year Y’hoyada took courage and formed a conspiracy with certain captains of hundred-man platoons — ‘Azaryah the son of Yerocham, Yishma‘el the son of Y’hochanan, ‘Azaryah the son of ‘Oved, Ma‘aseiyahu the son of ‘Adayahu and Elishafat the son of Zikhri.

2 They canvassed Y’hudah and gathered theL’vi’imfrom all the cities of Y’hudah, together with the clan heads of Isra’el, and came to Yerushalayim.

3 The whole assembly made an agreement with the king in the house of God. [Y’hoyada] addressed them: “Here! The king’s son will reign, asAdonaisaid in regard to the descendants of David!

4 Here is what you are to do: of youcohanimandL’vi’imwho come on duty onShabbat, a third are to guard the gates,

5 a third the royal palace and a third the Gate of the Foundation; while all the people are to remain in the courtyards of the house ofAdonai.

6 No one is to enter the house ofAdonaiexcept thecohanimand thoseL’vi’imwho are actually performing the service. These may enter, because they are holy; but all the people are to observeAdonai’s order.

7 TheL’vi’imare to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he enters or leaves.”

8 TheL’vi’imand all Y’hudah did exactly as Y’hoyada thecohenordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty onShabbatand those going off duty onShabbat(for Y’hoyada thecohendid not dismiss the divisions).

9 Y’hoyada thecohenissued to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David’s and were kept in the house of God.

10 He then positioned all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.

11 Then they brought out the king’s son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king. Y’hoyada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, “Long live the king!”

12 When ‘Atalyah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she entered the house ofAdonaiwhere the people were,

13 looked and saw the king standing there on his platform at the entrance, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets; while the singers with their musical instruments were leading songs of praise. At this, ‘Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”

14 Y’hoyada thecohenbrought out the captains of hundreds who were in charge of the army and said to them, “Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, let him be put to the sword.” For thecohenhad said, “Do not put her to death in the house ofAdonai.”

15 So they took her by force and led her by the horses’ entry to the king’s palace, and there they put her to death.

16 Y’hoyada made a covenant between himself, all the people and the king, that they would beAdonai’s people.

17 Then all the people went to the house of Ba‘al and broke it down; they smashed his altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba‘al in front of the altars.

18 Y’hoyada appointed officers for the house ofAdonaiunder the supervision of thecohanimandL’vi’im, whom David had assigned turns of duty in the house ofAdonai, to offer the burnt offerings ofAdonai, as written in theTorahof Moshe, with rejoicing and singing in keeping with David’s orders.

19 He stationed guards at the gates of the house ofAdonai, so that no one who was unclean in any respect could enter.

20 He took the captains of hundreds, the men of rank, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house ofAdonai, going through the Upper Gate to the royal palace, and seated the king on the royal throne.

21 All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed ‘Atalyah with the sword.

1 Yo’ash was seven years old when he began his reign, and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Tzivyah, from Be’er-Sheva.

2 Yo’ash did what was right fromAdonai’s perspective throughout the lifetime of Y’hoyada thecohen.

3 Y’hoyada chose two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

4 Some time later, Yo’ash decided to restore the house ofAdonai.

5 He gathered thecohanimandL’vi’imand said to them, “Go out to the cities of Y’hudah, and collect money each year from all Isra’el to repair the house of your God. See that you do this promptly.” But when theL’vi’improcrastinated,

6 the king summoned Y’hoyada the chief and said to him, “Why haven’t you demanded that theL’vi’imbring in from Y’hudah and Yerushalayim the tax prescribed by Moshe the servant ofAdonaiand by the community of Isra’el, for the tent of the testimony?”

7 For the sons of that wicked ‘Atalyahu had broken up the house of God, and they had given all the consecrated things belonging to the house ofAdonaito theba‘alim.

8 Then, at the king’s order, they made a box and placed it outside the entrance to the house ofAdonai.

9 They proclaimed throughout Y’hudah and Yerushalayim that the tax Moshe the servant of God had imposed on Isra’el in the desert should be brought in forAdonai.

10 All the leaders and all the people were glad to bring in their contributions and put them in the box, until it was full.

11 When the box was brought to the king’s officials by theL’vi’im, and when they saw how much money there was, the king’s secretary and the chiefcohen’s official came and emptied the box; then they took it and returned it to its place. They did this daily, and they collected money in abundance.

12 The king and Y’hoyada gave it to those in charge of taking care of the house ofAdonai. They, in turn, hired stone-workers and carpenters to restore the house ofAdonai, also iron- and bronze-workers to repair the house ofAdonai.

13 The workers got on with their tasks, so that the restoration progressed well, until they had returned the house of God to its earlier condition and strengthened it.

14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Y’hoyada, and it was used to make equipment for the house ofAdonai—articles for ministry, buckets, fire pans, and utensils of gold and silver. So they offered burnt offerings in the house ofAdonairegularly throughout the time of Y’hoyada.

15 But Y’hoyada grew old; and when he was full of days, he died. He was 130 years old when he died.

16 They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had served Isra’el, God and his house well.

17 After Y’hoyada died, the leaders of Y’hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them;

18 and they abandoned the house ofAdonaithe God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God’s] anger fell on Y’hudah and Yerushalayim.

19 In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back toAdonai; they warned them, but they wouldn’t pay attention.

20 The Spirit of God covered Z’kharyah the son of Y’hoyada thecohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: “Thus says God: ‘Why are you transgressing themitzvotofAdonaiand courting disaster? Because you have abandonedAdonai, he has abandoned you.”

21 But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house ofAdonai.

22 Thus Yo’ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y’hoyada, [Z’kharyah’s] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, “MayAdonaisee this and take vengeance!”

23 The following spring, the army of Aram came up against him. They attacked Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, slaughtered all the people’s leaders and sent all their spoil to the king of Dammesek.

24 Although the army of Aram attacked with only a small company of men,Adonaihanded over a very great army to them, because they had abandonedAdonaithe God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment against Yo’ash.

25 After they had left him — and they left him seriously wounded — his own servants conspired against him because he had shed the blood of the sons of Y’hoyada thecohen; and they killed him in his own bed. After he died, they buried him in the City of David, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings.

26 Those who conspired against him were Zavad the son of Shim‘at the ‘Amonit and Y’hozavad the son of Shimrit the Mo’avit.

27 As for his sons, the heavy tribute imposed on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are recorded in the commentary of the Annals of the Kings. Then Amatzyahu his son took his place as king.

1 Amatzyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Y’ho‘adan, from Yerushalayim.

2 He did what was right fromAdonai’s perspective, but not wholeheartedly.

3 As soon as he had the kingdom firmly in his control, he put to death the servants of his who had assassinated the king his father.

4 But he did not put their children to death; rather, he acted according to what is written in theTorah, in the scroll of Moshe, asAdonaiordered when he said, “Fathers are not to die for the children, nor are the children to die for the fathers; every person will die for his own sin.”

5 Amatzyahu assembled Y’hudah together and put them in order by clans under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds — all Y’hudah and Binyamin. He registered everyone twenty years old and older, and found that there were 300,000 select troops able to go to war, capable of using spears and shields.

6 He also hired 100,000 strong, brave men from Isra’el for three-and-a-third tons of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him and said, “King, don’t let the army of Isra’el go with you; becauseAdonaiis not with Isra’el or with any of the people of Efrayim.

8 And if you do go, then no matter how fiercely you fight, God will cause you to fail before the enemy. For God has the power to help and to cause failure.”

9 Amatzyahu said to the man of God, “But what do we do about the three-and-a-third tons [of silver] I paid for Isra’el’s army?” The man of God answered, “Adonaican give you far more than that!”

10 Then Amatzyahu separated out the battalion that had come to him from Efrayim and told them to go back home — which made their anger burn hotly against Y’hudah, and they returned home enraged.

11 Amatzyahu took courage, led his people out and went to the Salt Valley, where he killed 10,000 of the people of Se‘ir.

12 The people of Y’hudah took another 10,000 away alive, brought them to the top of the Rock and threw them off the top of the Rock, so that they were all dashed to pieces.

13 Meanwhile, the men in the army that Amatzyahu had sent back and hadn’t allowed to join him in battle fell on the cities of Y’hudah, all the way from Shomron to Beit-Horon, killed 3,000 of them and took much spoil.

14 After Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people from Edom, he brought the gods of the people of Se‘ir and set them up as his own gods, prostrating himself before them and offering incense to them.

15 As a result, the anger ofAdonaiblazed up against Amatzyah, and he sent him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought out the gods of those people, when they couldn’t even rescue their own people from you?”

16 But as [the prophet] was speaking to him, he interrupted him: “Were you made an adviser to the king? You had better stop before you get yourself killed!” So the prophet stopped, but he added, “I know that God is planning to destroy you for having done this and for refusing to listen to my advice.”

17 Then, after taking counsel, Amatzyah king of Y’hudah sent a challenge to Yo’ash the son of Y’ho’achaz, the son of Yehu, king of Isra’el: “Come on, let’s have it out face-to-face.”

18 Yo’ash the king of Isra’el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y’hudah: “Once, in the L’vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it.

19 You say you defeated Edom, which is true; so you’re excited and itching for more glory. But now, stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y’hudah’s too?”

20 But Amatzyah wouldn’t listen. And this was from God, so that he could hand them over [to their enemies], because they had sought the gods of Edom.

21 So Yo’ash king of Isra’el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y’hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y’hudah.

22 Y’hudah was defeated by Isra’el, and every man fled to his tent.

23 Yo’ash king of Isra’el took Amatzyah king of Y’hudah, the son of Yo’ash the son of Y’ho’achaz, prisoner at Beit-Shemesh. Then he brought him to Yerushalayim and demolished the wall of Yerushalayim between the Gate of Efrayim and the Corner Gate, a section 600 feet long.

24 [He took] all the gold and silver, all the articles he could find in the house of God, with ‘Oved-Edom, and the treasures of the royal palace, together with hostages; then he returned to Shomron.

25 Amatzyahu the son of Yo’ash, king of Y’hudah, lived another fifteen years after the death of Yo’ash son of Y’ho’achaz king of Isra’el.

26 Other activities of Amatzyah, from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah and Isra’el.

27 From the time that Amatzyahu turned away from followingAdonai, they formed a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim. So he fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there.

28 They brought his body back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the City of Y’hudah.

1 Meanwhile, all the people of Y’hudah had taken ‘Uziyahu at the age of sixteen and made him king in place of his father Amatzyahu.

2 He recovered Eilot for Y’hudah and rebuilt it; it was after this that the king [Amatzyahu] slept with his ancestors.

3 ‘Uziyahu was sixteen years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Y’kholyahu, from Yerushalayim.

4 He did what was right fromAdonai’s perspective, following the example of everything his father Amatzyahu had done.

5 He consulted God during the lifetime of Z’kharyahu, who understood visions of God; and as long as he consultedAdonai, God gave him success.

6 He went out to fight the P’lishtim, breaking down the walls of Gat, Yavneh and Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the P’lishtim.

7 God helped him against the P’lishtim, against the Arabs living in Gur-Ba‘al, and against the Me‘unim.

8 The ‘Amonim brought tribute to ‘Uziyahu, and his fame spread abroad as far as the Egyptian frontier, since he kept growing stronger.

9 ‘Uziyahu built towers in Yerushalayim at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them.

10 He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock, likewise in the Sh’felah and the coastal plain. He had farmers and vineyard-workers in the hills and in the fertile lands, because he loved the soil.

11 ‘Uziyahu had a standing army of fit soldiers divided into units according to the census taken by the secretary Ye‘i’el and the officer Ma‘aseiyah, under the direction of Hananyah, one of the king’s officials.

12 The total number of clan heads over these strong, brave men was 2,600.

13 They directed a trained army of 307,500 fighting men, a strong force supporting the king in war against the enemy.

14 ‘Uziyahu equipped them, the whole army, with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows and slingstones.

15 In Yerushalayim he built devices designed by experts for the towers and angles, from which to shoot arrows and lob large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was miraculously helped, until he became strong.

16 But when he was strong, he became arrogant, which caused him to become corrupt, so that he sinned againstAdonaihis God by going into the temple ofAdonaito burn incense on the incense altar.

17 ‘Azaryahu thecohenwent in after him, and with him were eighty ofAdonai’scohanim, brave men.

18 They stood up to ‘Uziyahu the king; they told him, “It isn’t your job, ‘Uziyahu, to burn incense toAdonai! The job of burning incense belongs to thecohanim, the descendants of Aharon, who have been consecrated. Get out of the sanctuary! You have trespassed, andAdonai, God, will not honor you for this.”

19 This made ‘Uziyahu angry as he stood there with a censer in his hand ready to burn incense; and in his anger at thecohanim,tzara‘atbroke out on his forehead right in front of thecohanimin the house ofAdonaibeside the altar for incense.

20 ‘Azaryahu the chiefcohenand all thecohanimstared at him — there he was, withtzara‘aton his forehead! Quickly they threw him out of there; and indeed, he himself hurried to get out, becauseAdonaihad struck him.

21 ‘Uziyahu the king hadtzara‘atuntil his dying day; he lived in a separate house because he hadtzara‘at, and was not allowed into the house ofAdonai. Meanwhile, Yotam the king’s son ran the king’s household and was regent over the people of the land.

22 Other activities of ‘Uziyahu, from beginning to end, were recorded by Yesha‘yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz.

23 So ‘Uziyahu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him with his ancestors in the graveyard belonging to the kings, because they said, “He hadtzara‘at.” Then Yotam his son took his place as king.

1 Yotam was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Yerushah the daughter of Tzadok.

2 He did what was right fromAdonai’s perspective, following the example of everything his father ‘Uziyah had done, except that he did not enter the temple ofAdonai. Nevertheless, the people acted corruptly.

3 He built the Upper Gate of the house ofAdonaiand added considerably to the wall of the ‘Ofel.

4 He built cities in the hills of Y’hudah, and in the wooded areas he built forts and towers.

5 He fought with the king of the people of ‘Amon and defeated them. That year the people of ‘Amon paid him tribute of three-and-a-third tons of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat and 50,000 [bushels] of barley. The people of ‘Amon paid him the same amount the second and third years also.

6 Thus Yotam became strong, because he prepared his ways [of doing things] beforeAdonaihis God.

7 Other activities of Yotam, all his wars and his ways [of doing things] are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el and Y’hudah.

8 He was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim.

9 Yotam slept with his ancestors and they buried him in the City of David. Then Achaz his son took his place as king.

1 Achaz was twenty years old when he began his reign, and he ruled sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective ofAdonai, as David his ancestor had done.

2 Rather, he lived in the manner of the kings of Isra’el and made cast metal images for theba‘alim.

3 Moreover, he made offerings in the Ben-Hinnom Valley and even burned up his own children as sacrifices, in keeping with the horrible practices of the pagans, whomAdonaihad thrown out ahead of the people of Isra’el.

4 He also sacrificed and offered on the high places, on the hills and under any green tree.

5 Because of this,Adonaihis God handed him over to the king of Aram; they attacked him and carried off from his people a great number of captives, bringing them to Dammesek.

In addition, he was handed over to the king of Isra’el, who inflicted on him a great massacre.

6 For Pekach the son of Remalyah killed in Y’hudah 120,000 men in one day, all of them brave men, because they had abandonedAdonai, the God of their ancestors.

7 And Zikhri, a champion from Efrayim, killed Ma‘aseiyah the king’s son, ‘Azrikam the administrator of the household and Elkanah, who was second only to the king.

8 The people of Isra’el took captive from their kinsmen 200,000 wives, sons and daughters; they also captured from them much spoil, which they brought to Shomron.

9 But a prophet ofAdonainamed ‘Oded was there; he went out to meet the army coming to Shomron and said to them, “Look, it’s becauseAdonaithe God of your fathers was angry with Y’hudah that he has handed them over to you, and you have slaughtered them in a fury that has reached up to heaven.

10 Now you intend to force the people from Y’hudah and Yerushalayim into subjection as your slaves; but haven’t you guilty deeds of your own that you committed againstAdonaiyour God?

11 Therefore listen to me now; and send the captives back, the people you have taken captive from your kinsmen; because the fierce anger ofAdonaiis on you.”

12 At this, some of the leaders of the people of Efrayim — ‘Azaryahu the son of Y’hochanan, Berekhyahu the son of Meshilemot, Y’chizkiyah the son of Shalum and ‘Amasa the son of Hadlai — protested against those who were returning from the war,

13 saying to them, “Don’t bring the captives here, because you intend to do something that will bring guilt on us againstAdonai. It will only add to our sins and guilt, for our guilt is great, and there is fierce anger against Isra’el.”

14 So the armed soldiers left the captives and the spoil there with the leaders and the whole community;

15 while the men named above took charge of the captives and from the spoil clothed those among them who were inadequately clothed, giving them garments and shoes, providing them food and drink and anointing them with oil. After placing all the weak among them on donkeys, they brought them to Yericho, the City of Date-Palms, to their kinsmen; only then did they return to Shomron.

16 It was at that time that King Achaz sent to the kings of Ashur to help him.

17 For again the people from Edom had come, attacking Y’hudah and carrying off captives.

18 The P’lishtim too had invaded the cities in the Sh’felah and in the Negev of Y’hudah; they had captured Beit-Shemesh, Ayalon, G’derot, Sokho with its villages, Timnah with its villages and Gimzo with its villages; and they settled there.

19 ForAdonaibrought Y’hudah low because of Achaz king of Isra’el, since he had caused disturbances in Y’hudah and acted very treacherously againstAdonai.

20 Tilgat-Piln’eser king of Ashur attacked and besieged Achaz instead of strengthening him —

21 even though Achaz had stripped the house ofAdonaiand the palaces of the king and princes and had given the plunder to the king of Ashur, it didn’t help him at all.

22 During his time of distress this same King Achaz added to his treachery againstAdonai

23 by sacrificing to the gods of Dammesek, who had attacked him, reasoning, “The gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, and then they’ll help me.” But they became the ruin of him and of all Isra’el.

24 Achaz collected the equipment from the house of God, broke to pieces the equipment from the house of God and sealed the doors of the house ofAdonai; then he made himself altars in every corner of Yerushalayim.

25 In every city of Y’hudah he made high places for offering to other gods, thus provokingAdonaithe God of his ancestors.

26 Other activities of Achaz and his ways [of doing things], from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah and Isra’el.

27 Achaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Yerushalayim; because they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Isra’el. Then Hizkiyahu his son took his place as king.

1 Hizkiyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Aviyah the daughter of Z’kharyah.

2 He did what was right fromAdonai’s perspective, following the example of everything David his ancestor had done.

3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the house ofAdonaiand repaired them.

4 Then he brought in thecohanimandL’vi’im, assembled them in the open space to the east,

5 and said to them, “Listen to me,L’vi’im: consecrate yourselves now, consecrate the house ofAdonaithe God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the Holy Place.

6 For our ancestors acted treacherously, they did what is evil from the perspective ofAdonaiour God, they abandoned him, they turned their faces away from whereAdonailives and turned their backs on him.

7 They sealed the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps and stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Isra’el.

8 “Because of this,Adonai’s anger has settled on Y’hudah and Yerushalayim; and he has made them an object of horror, astonishment and mocking — as you can see with your own eyes.

9 Here, our ancestors have fallen by the sword; and on this account our sons, daughters and wives have gone into captivity.

10 “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant withAdonaithe God of Isra’el, so that his furious anger will turn away from us.

11 My sons, now is not a time for being negligent; for you are the onesAdonaichose to stand before him and serve him as his ministers, offering him incense.”

12 Then theL’vi’imset about the task — Machat the son of ‘Amasai and Yo’el the son of ‘Azaryahu from the descendants of the K’hati; of the sons of M’rari, Kish the son of ‘Avdi and ‘Azaryahu the son of Yehallel’el; of the Gershuni, Yo’ach the son of Zimah and ‘Eden the son of Yo’ach;

13 of the descendants of Elitzafan, Shimri and Ye‘i’el; of the descendants of Asaf, Z’kharyahu and Matanyahu;

14 of the descendants of Heman, Yechi’el and Shim‘i; and of the descendants of Y’dutun, Sh’ma‘yah and ‘Uzi’el.

15 They gathered their kinsmen, consecrated themselves and, in keeping with the king’s order andAdonai’s words, went in to cleanse the house ofAdonai.

16 Thecohanimwent in to cleanse the inner part of the house ofAdonai; all the unclean things they found in the sanctuary ofAdonaithey brought out into the courtyard of the house ofAdonai, where theL’vi’imtook and carried them out toVadiKidron.

17 They began consecrating on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the vestibule ofAdonai.Then they consecrated the house ofAdonaiin eight more days; so that on the sixteenth day of the first month, they had finished.

18 Then they went to Hizkiyahu the king in [the palace] and said, “We have cleansed all the house ofAdonai, including the altar for burnt offerings, with all its equipment, and the table for the showbread, with all its equipment.

19 Moreover, we have reconditioned and consecrated all the articles that King Achaz threw out during his reign, when he was sinning; and they are there, in front of the altar ofAdonai.”

20 Next morning, Hizkiyahu the king got up early, gathered the leading men of the city and went up to the house ofAdonai.

21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Y’hudah; and he ordered thecohanimto offer them on the altar ofAdonai.

22 After slaughtering the bulls, thecohanimtook the blood and splashed it against the altar. Next, they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood against the altar and also slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood against the altar.

23 After bringing the male goats for the sin offering close to the king and the assembly and laying their hands on them,

24 thecohanimslaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar to make atonement for all Isra’el; for the king had ordered that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be for all Isra’el.

25 He stationed theL’vi’imin the house ofAdonaiwith cymbals, lyres and lutes, in keeping with the order of David, Gad the king’s seer and Natan the prophet; for themitzvahhad come fromAdonaithrough his prophets.

26 TheL’vi’imstood with the instruments of David and thecohanimwith the trumpets.

27 Hizkiyahu ordered that the burnt offering should be offered on the altar. The moment the burnt offering began, the song ofAdonaialso began, accompanied by the trumpets and the instruments of David king of Isra’el.

28 The whole assembly prostrated themselves, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

29 When the offering was over, the king and everyone present with him bowed down and prostrated themselves.

30 Then Hizkiyahu the king and the leaders ordered theL’vi’imto sing praises toAdonai, using the words of David and of Asaf the seer. They sang praises until they were filled with joy, and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

31 Hizkiyahu responded by saying, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves toAdonai, come close, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house ofAdonai. So the community brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were willing volunteered burnt offerings.

32 In all, the burnt offerings brought by the congregation totaled 70 bulls, 100 rams and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering toAdonai.

33 The consecrated gifts amounted to 600 oxen and 3,000 sheep.

34 Only there weren’t enoughcohanimto skin and butcher all the burnt offerings, so their colleagues theL’vi’imassisted them until the work was finished and thecohanimhad consecrated themselves (for theL’vi’imhad been more diligent to consecrate themselves than thecohanim).

35 Besides the abundance of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings and drink offerings for each burnt offering.

Thus the service of the house ofAdonaiwas restored.

36 Hizkiyahu and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, since it had all happened so suddenly.

1 Then Hizkiyahu sent to all Isra’el and Y’hudah, and wrote letters also to Efrayim and M’nasheh, summoning them to the house ofAdonaiin Yerushalayim, to keep thePesachtoAdonaithe God of Isra’el.

2 For the king, his officials and the entire Yerushalayim community had agreed to keep thePesachin the second month.

3 They had not been able to observe it at the proper time because thecohanimhad not consecrated themselves in sufficient number; also the people had not assembled in Yerushalayim.

4 The idea had seemed right to the king and to the whole community;

5 so they issued a decree that it should be proclaimed throughout all Isra’el, from Be’er-Sheva to Dan, that they should come to keep thePesachtoAdonaithe God of Isra’el at Yerushalayim; for only a few had been observing it as prescribed.

6 So runners went with the letters from the king and his officers throughout all Isra’el and Y’hudah. They conveyed the king’s order: “People of Isra’el! Turn back toAdonai, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov! Then he will return to those of you who remain, who escaped capture by the kings of Ashur.

7 Don’t be like your ancestors, or like your kinsmen who sinned againstAdonaithe God of their ancestors, with the result that he allowed them to become an object of horror, as you see.

8 Don’t be stiffnecked now, as your ancestors were. Instead, yield yourselves toAdonai; enter his sanctuary, which he has made holy forever; and serveAdonaiyour God; so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.

9 For if you turn back toAdonai, your kinsmen and children will find that those who took them captive will have compassion on them, and they will come back to this land.Adonaiyour God is compassionate and merciful; he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”

10 So the runners passed from city to city through the territory of Efrayim and M’nasheh, as far as Z’vulun; but the people laughed at them and made fun of them.

11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, M’nasheh and Z’vulun were humble enough to come to Yerushalayim.

12 Also in Y’hudah the hand of God was at work, uniting their hearts to do what the king and the leaders had ordered in accordance with the word ofAdonai.

13 Thus, many people assembled in Yerushalayim to keep the festival ofMatzotin the second month, a huge crowd.

14 First they set about removing the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and they also removed all the altars for incense and threw them inVadiKidron.

15 Then they slaughtered thePesachlamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. Ashamed of themselves, thecohanimandL’vi’imhad consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house ofAdonai.

16 Now they stood at their stations, as prescribed in theTorahof Moshe the man of God; thecohanimsplashed the blood given to them by theL’vi’im.

17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore theL’vi’imwere responsible for slaughtering thePesachlambs and consecrating them toAdonaion behalf of everyone who was not clean.

18 For a large number of the people, especially from Efrayim, M’nasheh, Yissakhar and Z’vulun, had not cleansed themselves but ate thePesachlamb anyway, despite what is written. For Hizkiyahu had prayed for them, “MayAdonai, who is good, pardon

19 everyone who sets his heart on seeking God,Adonai, the God of his ancestors, even if he hasn’t undergone the purification prescribed in connection with holy things.”

20 Adonaiheard Hizkiyahu and healed the people.

21 The people of Isra’el there in Yerushalayim observed the festival ofMatzotfor seven days with great joy; while every day theL’vi’imandcohanimpraisedAdonai, singing toAdonaiwith the accompaniment of loud instruments.

22 Hizkiyahu spoke encouragingly to all theL’vi’imwho were well skilled in the service ofAdonai. Thus they ate throughout the festival for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and giving thanks toAdonai, the God of their ancestors.

23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate for yet another seven days, and they observed those seven days too with joy.

24 For Hizkiyahu king of Y’hudah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, while the leaders gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and great numbers ofcohanimconsecrated themselves.

25 All the people who had assembled from Y’hudah rejoiced, as did thecohanimandL’vi’im, those assembled from Isra’el, and the foreigners who had come from the territory of Isra’el or who lived in Y’hudah.

26 So there was great joy in Yerushalayim; for since the time of Shlomo the son of David, king of Isra’el, there had been nothing like it in Yerushalayim.

27 Then thecohanim, who wereL’vi’im, stood up and blessed the people; [Adonai] heard their voice, and their prayer came up to the holy place where he lives, heaven.