New King James Version (NKJV)

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

1 Amaziahwastwenty-five years oldwhenhe became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s namewasJehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2 And he didwhatwasright in the sight of theLord,but not with a loyal heart.

3 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king.

4 However he did not execute their children, butdidasitiswritten in the Law in the Book of Moses, where theLordcommanded, saying,“The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin.”

The War Against Edom

5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, according totheirfathers’ houses, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered themfrom twenty years old and above, and found them to be three hundred thousand choicemen, ableto go to war, who could handle spear and shield.

6 He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for one hundred talents of silver.

7 But aman of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for theLordisnot with Israel—notwithany of the children of Ephraim.

8 But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle!Evenso,God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God haspower to help and to overthrow.”

9 Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “But whatshallwedo about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?”

# And the man of God answered,“TheLordis able to give you much more than this.”

10 So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, to go back home. Therefore their anger was greatly aroused against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.

11 Then Amaziah strengthened himself, and leading his people, he went tothe Valley of Salt and killed ten thousand of the people of Seir.

12 Also the children of Judah took captive ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were dashed in pieces.

13 But as for the soldiers of the army which Amaziah had discharged, so that they would not go with him to battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, killed three thousand in them, and took much spoil.

14 Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, thathe brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them uptobehis gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

15 Therefore the anger of theLordwas aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you soughtthe gods of the people, whichcould not rescue their own people from your hand?”

16 So it was, as he talked with him, thatthekingsaid to him, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?”

# Then the prophet ceased, and said, “I know that God hasdetermined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”

Israel Defeats Judah

17 NowAmaziah king of Judah asked advice and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one anotherinbattle.”

18 And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle thatwasin Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast thatwasin Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.

19 Indeed you say that you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart is lifted up toboast. Stay at home now; why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall—you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not heed, foritcamefrom God, that He might give them into the handoftheirenemies,because theysought the gods of Edom.

21 So Joash king of Israel went out; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another atBeth Shemesh, whichbelongsto Judah.

22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent.

23 Then Joash the king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son ofJehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—four hundred cubits.

24 Andhetookall the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of God withObed-Edom, the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

Death of Amaziah

25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, indeedarethey not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

27 After the time that Amaziah turned away from following theLord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there.

28 Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.

Uzziah Reigns in Judah

1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, whowassixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

2 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.

3 Uzziahwassixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

4 And he didwhatwasright in the sight of theLord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, whohad understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought theLord, God made himprosper.

6 Now he went out andmade war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built citiesaroundAshdod and among the Philistines.

7 God helped him againstthe Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites.

8 Also the Ammonitesbrought tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.

9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at theCorner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall; then he fortified them.

10 Also he built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains;healsohadfarmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved the soil.

11 Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies, according to the number on their roll as prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah,oneof the king’s captains.

12 The total number of chief officers of the mighty men of valorwastwo thousand six hundred.

13 And under their authoritywasan army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

14 Then Uzziah prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slingstocaststones.

15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented byskillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.

The Penalty for Uzziah’s Pride

16 Butwhen he was strong his heart waslifted up, tohisdestruction, for he transgressed against theLordhis Godby entering the temple of theLordto burn incense on the altar of incense.

17 SoAzariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of theLord—valiant men.

18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “Itis not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to theLord, but for thepriests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! Youshallhaveno honor from theLordGod.”

19 Then Uzziah became furious; and hehada censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests,leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of theLord, beside the incense altar.

20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, hewasleprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he alsohurried to get out, because theLordhad struck him.

21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in anisolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of theLord. Then Jotham his sonwasover the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last,the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote.

23 So Uzziah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial whichbelongedto the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Jotham Reigns in Judah

1 Jothamwastwenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s namewasJerushah the daughter of Zadok.

2 And he didwhatwasright in the sight of theLord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of theLord). But stillthe people acted corruptly.

3 He built the Upper Gate of the house of theLord, and he built extensively on the wall ofOphel.

4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers.

5 He also fought with the king of theAmmonites and defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also.

6 So Jotham became mighty,because he prepared his ways before theLordhis God.

7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, indeed theyarewritten in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

9 So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. ThenAhaz his son reigned in his place.

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

1 Ahazwastwenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not dowhatwasright in the sight of theLord, as his father Davidhaddone.

2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and mademolded images forthe Baals.

3 He burned incense inthe Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burnedhis children in thefire, according to the abominations of the nations whom theLordhadcast out before the children of Israel.

4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Syria and Israel Defeat Judah

5 ThereforetheLordhis God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. Theydefeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and broughtthemto Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.

6 ForPekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men,because they had forsaken theLordGod of their fathers.

7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanahwhowassecond to the king.

8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of theirbrethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

Israel Returns the Captives

9 But aprophet of theLordwas there, whose namewasOded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: “Look,because theLordGod of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a ragethatreaches up to heaven.

10 And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be yourmale and female slaves;butareyou not also guilty before theLordyour God?

11 Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren,for the fierce wrath of theLordisupon you.”

12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war,

13 and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives here, for wealreadyhave offended theLord. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, andthereisfierce wrath against Israel.”

14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly.

15 Then the menwho were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals,gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho,the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

Assyria Refuses to Help Judah

16 At the same time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.

17 For again theEdomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away captives.

18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there.

19 For theLordbrought Judah low because of Ahaz king ofIsrael, for he hadencouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to theLord.

20 AlsoTiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him.

21 For Ahaz took partofthetreasuresfrom the house of theLord, from the house of the king, and from the leaders, and he gaveitto the king of Assyria; but he did not help him.

Apostasy and Death of Ahaz

22 Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to theLord. ThisisthatKing Ahaz.

23 Forhe sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to themthat they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

24 So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God,shut up the doors of the house of theLord, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25 And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger theLordGod of his fathers.

26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, indeed theyarewritten in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but theydid not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah

1 Hezekiahbecame kingwhenhewastwenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s namewasAbijah the daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he didwhatwasright in the sight of theLord, according to all that his father David had done.

Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, heopened the doors of the house of theLordand repaired them.

4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square,

5 and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves,sanctify the house of theLordGod of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holyplace.

6 For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of theLordour God; they have forsaken Him, haveturned their faces away from the dwelling place of theLord, and turnedtheirbacksonHim.

7 They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holyplaceto the God of Israel.

8 Therefore thewrath of theLordfell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He hasgiven them up to trouble, to desolation, and tojeering, as you see with youreyes.

9 For indeed, because of thisour fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wivesarein captivity.

10 “Nowitisin my heart to makea covenant with theLordGod of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.

11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for theLordhaschosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.”

12 Then these Levites arose:Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of theKohathites; of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;

13 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;

14 of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren,sanctified themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, at the words of theLord,to cleanse the house of theLord.

16 Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of theLordto cleanseit,and brought out all the debris that they found in the temple of theLordto the court of the house of theLord. And the Levites tookitout and carrieditto the BrookKidron.

17 Now they began to sanctify on the firstdayof the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of theLord. So they sanctified the house of theLordin eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed all the house of theLord, the altar of burnt offerings with all its articles, and the table of the showbread with all its articles.

19 Moreover all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign hadcast aside in his transgression we have prepared and sanctified; and there theyare,before the altar of theLord.”

Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship

20 Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of theLord.

21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for asin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offerthemon the altar of theLord.

22 So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood andsprinklediton the altar. Likewise they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

23 Then they brought out the male goatsforthe sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid theirhands on them.

24 And the priests killed them; and they presented their blood on the altar as a sin offeringto make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commandedthatthe burnt offering and the sin offeringbemadefor all Israel.

25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of theLordwith cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps,according to the commandment of David, ofGad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet;for thuswasthe commandment of theLordby His prophets.

26 The Levites stood with the instrumentsof David, and the priests withthe trumpets.

27 Then Hezekiah commandedthemto offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began,the song of theLordalsobegan, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.

28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; allthiscontinueduntil the burnt offering was finished.

29 And when they had finished offering,the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped.

30 Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to theLordwith the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Nowthatyou have consecrated yourselves to theLord, come near, and bring sacrifices andthank offerings into the house of theLord.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of awilling heartbroughtburnt offerings.

32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams,andtwo hundred lambs; all thesewerefor a burnt offering to theLord.

33 The consecrated thingsweresix hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; thereforetheir brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until theotherpriests had sanctified themselves,for the Levites weremore diligent insanctifying themselves than the priests.

35 Also the burnt offeringswerein abundance, withthe fat of the peace offerings andwiththe drink offerings foreveryburnt offering.

So the service of the house of theLordwas set in order.

36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.

Hezekiah Keeps the Passover

1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of theLordat Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to theLordGod of Israel.

2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the secondmonth.

3 For they could not keep itat the regular time,because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.

4 And the matter pleased the king and all the assembly.

5 So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to theLordGod of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not doneitfor a longtimein theprescribedmanner.

6 Then therunners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel,return to theLordGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand ofthe kings ofAssyria.

7 And do not belike your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against theLordGod of their fathers, so that Hegave them up todesolation, as you see.

8 Now do not bestiff-necked, as your fatherswere, butyield yourselves to theLord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve theLordyour God,that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.

9 For if you return to theLord, your brethren and your childrenwillbetreatedwithcompassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for theLordyour Godisgracious and merciful, and will not turnHisface from you if youreturn to Him.”

10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; butthey laughed at them and mocked them.

11 Neverthelesssome from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

12 Alsothe hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders,at the word of theLord.

13 Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast ofUnleavened Bread in the second month.

14 They arose and took away thealtars thatwerein Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars and casttheminto the BrookKidron.

15 Then they slaughtered the Passoverlambson the fourteenthdayof the second month. The priests and the Levites wereashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of theLord.

16 They stood in theirplace according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the bloodreceivedfrom the hand of the Levites.

17 Forthereweremany in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves;therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passoverlambsfor everyonewhowasnot clean, to sanctifythemto theLord.

18 For a multitude of the people,many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves,yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the goodLordprovide atonement for everyone

19 whoprepares his heart to seek God, theLordGod of his fathers, thoughheisnotcleansedaccording to the purification of the sanctuary.”

20 And theLordlistened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem keptthe Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised theLordday by day,singingto theLord, accompanied by loud instruments.

22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Leviteswho taught the good knowledge of theLord; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings andmaking confession to theLordGod of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly agreed to keepthefeastanother seven days, and they kept itanotherseven days with gladness.

24 For Hezekiah king of Judahgave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the leaders gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priestssanctified themselves.

25 The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all the assembly that came from Israel, the sojournerswho came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah.

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time ofSolomon the son of David, king of Israel,therehadbeen nothing like this in Jerusalem.

27 Then the priests, the Levites, arose andblessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer cameuptoHis holy dwelling place, to heaven.

The Reforms of Hezekiah

1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah andbroke thesacredpillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.

2 And Hezekiah appointedthe divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levitesfor burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of theLord.

3 The king alsoappointeda portion of hispossessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, asitiswritten in theLaw of theLord.

4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contributesupport for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves tothe Law of theLord.

5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundancethe firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly thetithe of everything.

6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also thetithe of holy things which were consecrated to theLordtheir God they laid in heaps.

7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.

8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed theLordand His people Israel.

9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

10 And Azariah the chief priest, from thehouse of Zadok, answered him and said,“Sincethepeoplebegan to bring the offerings into the house of theLord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for theLordhas blessed His people; and what is leftisthis greatabundance.”

11 Now Hezekiah commandedthemtoprepare rooms in the house of theLord, and they prepared them.

12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things;Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brotherwasthe next.

13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiahwereoverseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah theruler of the house of God.

14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate,wasover thefreewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of theLordand the most holy things.

15 And under himwereEden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah,hisfaithful assistants inthe cities of the priests, to distributeallotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.

16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of theLordhis daily portion for the work of his service, by his division,

17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Levitesfrom twenty years old and up according to their work, by their divisions,

18 and to all who were written in the genealogy—their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them—for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.

19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests,whowereinthe fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city,thereweremen who weredesignated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites.

20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and hedid whatwasgood and right and true before theLordhis God.

21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he diditwith all his heart. So heprospered.

Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord

1 Afterthese deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.

2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem,

3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs whichwereoutside the city; and they helped him.

4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all thesprings and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”

5 Andhe strengthened himself,built up all the wall that was broken, raiseditup to the towers, andbuiltanother wall outside; also he repaired theMillointhe City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.

6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, andgave them encouragement, saying,

7 “Be strong and courageous;do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude thatiswith him; fortherearemore with us than with him.

8 With himisanarm of flesh; butwith usistheLordour God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with himlaidsiegeagainst Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah whowerein Jerusalem, saying,

10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: ‘In what do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?

11 Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying,“TheLordour God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”?

12 Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You shall worship before one altar and burn incense onit”?

13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples ofotherlands?Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand?

14 Whowasthereamong all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from myhand?

15 Now therefore,do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’ ”

16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against theLordGod and against His servant Hezekiah.

17 He also wrote letters to revile theLordGod of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying,“As the gods of the nations ofotherlands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from myhand.”

18 Then they called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem whowereon the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city.

19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth—the work of men’s hands.

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death

20 Now because of this King Hezekiah andthe prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.

21 Then theLordsent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returnedshamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.

22 Thus theLordsaved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of allothers,and guided them on every side.

23 And many brought gifts to theLordat Jerusalem, andpresents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he wasexalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

Hezekiah Humbles Himself

24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to theLord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.

25 But Hezekiahdid not repay according to the favorshownhim, forhis heart was lifted up;therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.

26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of theLorddid not come upon themin the days of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah’s Wealth and Honor

27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;

28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.

29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; forGod had given him very much property.

30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiahprospered in all his works.

31 However,regardingthe ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom theysent to him to inquire about the wonder that wasdonein the land, God withdrew from him, in order totest him, that He might know allthatwasin his heart.

Death of Hezekiah

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, indeed theyarewritten inthe vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz,andin thebook of the kings of Judah and Israel.

33 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalemhonored him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

Manasseh Reigns in Judah

1 Manassehwastwelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 But he did evil in the sight of theLord, according to theabominations of the nations whom theLordhad cast out before the children of Israel.

3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father hadbroken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, andmade wooden images; and he worshipedall the host of heaven and served them.

4 He also built altars in the house of theLord, of which theLordhad said,“In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.”

5 And he built altars for all the host of heavenin the two courts of the house of theLord.

6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practicedsoothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, andconsulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of theLord, to provoke Him to anger.

7 He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son,“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;

8 and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.”

9 So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom theLordhad destroyed before the children of Israel.

Manasseh Restored After Repentance

10 And theLordspoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.

11 Therefore theLordbrought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks,bound him with bronzefetters,and carried him off to Babylon.

12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored theLordhis God, andhumbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

13 and prayed to Him; and Hereceived his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manassehknew that theLordwasGod.

14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side ofGihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; anditenclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 He took awaythe foreign gods and the idol from the house of theLord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of theLordand in Jerusalem; and he castthemout of the city.

16 He also repaired the altar of theLord, sacrificed peace offerings andthank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve theLordGod of Israel.

17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places,butonly to theLordtheir God.

Death of Manasseh

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words ofthe seers who spoke to him in the name of theLordGod of Israel, indeed theyarewrittenin the book of the kings of Israel.

19 Also his prayer andhowGodreceived his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed theyarewritten among the sayings of Hozai.

20 So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.

Amon’s Reign and Death

21 Amonwastwenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

22 But he did evil in the sight of theLord, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them.

23 And he did not humble himself before theLord,as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

24 Then his servants conspired against him, andkilled him in his own house.

25 But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.

Josiah Reigns in Judah

1 Josiahwaseight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2 And he didwhatwasright in the sight of theLord, and walked in the ways of his father David;hedidnotturn aside to the right hand or to the left.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was stillyoung, he began toseek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he beganto purge Judah and Jerusalemof the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.

4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars whichwereabove them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of themand scatterediton the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5 He alsoburned the bones of the priests on theiraltars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 Andsohedidin the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes.

7 When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, hadbeaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the temple, he sentShaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah thegovernor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of theLordhis God.

9 When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they deliveredthe money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all theremnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, andwhichthey had brought back to Jerusalem.

10 Then they putitin the hand of the foremen who had the oversight of the house of theLord; and they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of theLord, to repair and restore the house.

11 They gaveitto the craftsmen and builders to buy hewn stone and timber for beams, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12 And the men did the work faithfully. Their overseerswereJahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to supervise.Othersofthe Levites, all of whom were skillful with instruments of music,

13 wereover the burden bearers andwereoverseers of all who did work in any kind of service.Andsomeof the Leviteswerescribes, officers, and gatekeepers.

14 Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of theLord, Hilkiah the priestfound the Book of the Law of theLordgivenby Moses.

15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of theLord.” And Hilkiah gave thebook to Shaphan.

16 So Shaphan carried the book to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing.

17 And they have gathered the money that was found in the house of theLord, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.”

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

19 Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes.

20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah,Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,

21 “Go, inquire of theLordfor me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for greatisthe wrath of theLordthat is poured out on us, because our fathers have notkept the word of theLord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

22 So Hilkiah and those the kinghadappointedwent to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke to her to thateffect.

23 Then she answered them, “Thus says theLordGod of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me,

24 “Thus says theLord: ‘Behold, I willbring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in thebook which they have read before the king of Judah,

25 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.’ ” ’

26 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of theLord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says theLordGod of Israel: “Concerningthe words which you have heard—

27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heardyou,” says theLord.

28 “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” ’ ” So they brought back word to the king.

Josiah Restores True Worship

29 Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30 The king went up to the house of theLord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And heread in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of theLord.

31 Then the kingstood inhis place and made acovenant before theLord, to follow theLord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32 And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33 Thus Josiah removed all theabominations from all the country thatbelongedto the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve theLordtheir God.All his days they did not depart from following theLordGod of their fathers.