Category: 2 Chronicles

Removal of Idolatry

1 When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altarsthroughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one.Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Offerings for Levites

2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisionsof the priests and Levites for the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for praise in the gates of the camp of theLord,each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites.

3 The king contributedfrom his own possessionsfor the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths, of the New Moons, and of the appointed feasts, as written in the law of theLord.

4 He told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give a contributionfor the priests and Levites so that they could devote their energy to the law of theLord.

5 When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the best of the grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenthof everything.

6 As for the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tenth of the cattle and sheep, and a tenth of the dedicated things that were consecrated to theLordtheir God.They gathered them into large piles.

7 In the third month they began building up the piles, and they finished in the seventh month.

8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the piles, they praised theLordand His people Israel.

9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles.

10 Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok,answered him, “Since they began bringing the offering to theLord’s temple, we eat and are satisfied and there is plenty left over because theLordhas blessed His people; this abundance is what is left over.”

11 Hezekiah told them to prepare chambersin theLord’s temple, and they prepared them.

12 The offering, the tenth, and the dedicated things were brought faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.

13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were deputies under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of God’s temple.

14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God to distribute the contribution to theLordand the consecrated things.

15 Eden,Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priestswere to faithfully distribute it under his authority to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small.

16 In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy threeyears old and above; to all who would enter theLord’s temple for their daily duty,for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions.

17 They distributed also to those recorded by genealogy of the priests by their ancestral families and the Levites 20 years old and above,by their responsibilities in their divisions;

18 to those registered by genealogy — with all their infants, wives, sons, and daughters — of the whole assembly (for they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy);

19 and to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, in the common fields of their cities,in each and every city. There were men who were registered by nameto distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite recorded by genealogy.

20 Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before theLordhis God.

21 He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

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Sennacherib’s Invasion

1 After these faithful deeds, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intendedto break into them.

2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he plannedwar on Jerusalem,

3 so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the waters of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him.

4 Many people gathered and stopped up all the springsand the stream that flowed through the land;they said, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water? ”

5 Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down walland heightening the towers and the other outside wall.He repaired the supporting terracesof the city of David, and made an abundance of weapons and shields.

6 He set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them,saying,

7 “Be strong and courageous!Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

8 He has only human strength,but we have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles.”So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib’s Servant’s Speech

9 After this,while Sennacherib king of Assyria with all his armed forces besiegedLachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,

10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

11 Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, “Yahweh our God will deliver us from the power of the king of Assyria”?

12 Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altarsand say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it”?

13 “ ‘Don’t you knowwhat I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to deliver their land from my power?

14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to deliver his people from my power, that your God should be able to do the same for you?

15 So now,don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my power or the power of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my power! ’ ”

16 His servants said more against theLordGod and against His servant Hezekiah.

17 He also wrote letters to mock Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying against Him:

Just like the national gods of the lands that did not deliver their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not deliver His people from my power.

18 Then they called out loudly in Hebrewto the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city.

19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands.

Deliverance from Sennacherib

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven,

21 and theLordsent an angel who annihilated every brave warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.

22 So theLordsaved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from the power of all others. He gave them reston every side.

23 Many were bringing an offering to theLordto Jerusalem and valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after that.

Hezekiah’s Illness and Pride

24 In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to theLord, and He spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.

25 However, because his heart was proud,Hezekiah didn’t respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.

26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart — he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem — so theLord’s wrath didn’t comeon them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.

Hezekiah’s Wealth and Works

27 Hezekiah had abundant riches and glory, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item.

28 He made warehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and pens for flocks.

29 He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him abundant possessions.

30 This same Hezekiah blocked the outlet of the water of the Upper Gihonand channeled it smoothly downward and westward to the city of David.Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.

31 When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulerswere sentto him to inquire about the miraculous signthat happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.

Hezekiah’s Death

32 As for the rest of the eventsof Hezekiah’s reign and his deeds of faithful love, note that they are written in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz,and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

33 Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the ascent to the tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.

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Judah’s King Manasseh

1 Manasseh was 12 years oldwhen he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.

2 He did what was evil in theLord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that theLordhad dispossessed before the Israelites.

3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn downand reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them.

4 He built altarsin theLord’s temple, where Yahweh had said, “Jerusalem is where My name will remain forever.”

5 He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyardsof theLord’s temple.

6 He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Hinnom.He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.He did a great deal of evil in theLord’s sight, provoking Him.

7 Manassehset up a carved image of the idol he had made, in God’s temple,about which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “I will establish My name foreverin this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

8 I will never again remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed yourancestors,if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses — all the law, statutes, and judgments.”

9 So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations theLordhad destroyed before the Israelites.

Manasseh’s Repentance

10 TheLordspoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen.

11 So He brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

12 When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahweh his God and earnestly humbled himselfbefore the God of his ancestors.

13 He prayed to Him, so He heard his petition and granted his request,and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that Yahweh is God.

14 After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihonin the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate;he brought it around the Ophel,and he heightened it considerably. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 He removed the foreign gods and the idolfrom theLord’s temple, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of theLord’s temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.

16 He builtthe altar of theLordand offered fellowship and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.

17 However, the people still sacrificed at the high places,but only to Yahweh their God.

Manasseh’s Death

18 The rest of the eventsof Manasseh’s reign, along with his prayerto his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, are written in the Records of Israel’s Kings.

19 His prayer and how God granted his request, and all his sin and unfaithfulness and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and carved images before he humbled himself, they are written in the Records of Hozai.

20 Manasseh rested with his fathers, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

Judah’s King Amon

21 Amon was 22 years old when he became king and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

22 He did what was evil in theLord’s sight just as his father Manasseh had done.Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he served them.

23 But he did not humble himself before theLordlike his father Manasseh humbled himself;instead, Amon increased his guilt.

24 So his servants conspired against him and put him to deathin his own house.

25 Then the common peopleexecuted all those who conspired against King Amon and made his son Josiah king in his place.

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Judah’s King Josiah

1 Josiah was eight years oldwhen he became king and reigned 31 years in Jerusalem.

2 He did what was right in theLord’s sight and walked in the ways of his ancestor David;he did not turn aside to the right or the left.

Josiah’s Reform

3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David,and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved images,and the cast images.

4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he chopped down the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scatteredthem over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars.So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 He did the same in the citiesof Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and on their surrounding mountain shrines.

7 He tore down the altars, and he smashed the Asherah poles and the carved images to powder. He chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel and returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah’s Repair of the Temple

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign,in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, along with Maaseiah the governorof the city and the court historian Joah son of Joahaz, to repair the temple of theLordhis God.

9 So they went to Hilkiahthe high priest, and gave him the money brought into God’s temple. The Levites and the doorkeepers had collected money from Manasseh, Ephraim,and from the entire remnant of Israel, and from all Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 They put it into the hands of those doing the work — those who oversaw theLord’s temple. They gave it to the workmen who were working in theLord’s temple, to repair and restore the temple;

11 they gave it to the carpenters and builders and also used it to buy quarried stone and timbers — for joining and making beams — for the buildings that Judah’s kings had destroyed.

12 The men were doing the work with integrity. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the Merarites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites as supervisors. The Levites were all skilled with musical instruments.

13 They were also over the porters and were supervising all those doing the work task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.

The Recovery of the Book of the Law

14 When they brought out the money that had been deposited in theLord’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of theLordwritten by the hand of Moses.

15 Consequently,Hilkiah told Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the book of the law in theLord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan.

16 Shaphan took the book to the king, and also reported, “Your servants are doing all that was placed in their hands.

17 They have emptied out the money that was found in theLord’s temple and have put it into the hand of the overseers and the hand of those doing the work.”

18 Then Shaphan the court secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book,” and Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.

20 Then he commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the court secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah,

21 “Go. Ask Yahweh for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found. For great is theLord’s wrath that is poured out on usbecause our fathers have not kept the word of theLordin order to do everything written in this book.”

Huldah’s Prophecy of Judgment

22 So Hilkiah and those the king had designatedwent to the prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District. They spoke with her about this.

23 She said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to Me,

24 ‘This is what Yahweh says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants,fulfilling all the curses written in the book that they read in the presence of the king of Judah,

25 because they have abandoned Meand burned incense to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’

26 Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to ask Yahweh, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard,

27 becauseyour heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard’ — this is theLord’s declaration.

28 ‘I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants.’ ”

Then they reported to the king.

Affirmation of the Covenant by Josiah and the People

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

30 The king went up to theLord’s temple with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites — all the people from great to small. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in theLord’s temple.

31 Then the king stood at his postand made a covenant in theLord’s presenceto follow theLordand to keep His commands, His decrees, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soulin order to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.

32 He had all those present in Jerusalem and Benjamin agreeto it. So all the inhabitants of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

33 So Josiah removed everything that was detestable from all the lands belonging to the Israelites,and he required all who were present in Israel to serve theLordtheir God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

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Josiah’s Passover Observance

1 Josiah observed theLord’s Passoverand slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2 He appointed the priests to their responsibilities and encouraged them to serve in theLord’s temple.

3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israelthe holy things of theLord, “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. Since you do not have to carry it on your shoulders,now serve Yahweh your God and His people Israel.

4 “Organize your ancestral houses by your divisionsaccording to the written instruction of David king of Israel and that of his son Solomon.

5 Serve in the holy place by the divisions of the ancestral houses for your brothers, the lay people,and the distribution of the tribal household of the Levites.

6 Slaughter the Passover lambs,consecrate yourselves,and make preparations for your brothers to carry out the word of theLordthrough Moses.”

7 Then Josiah donated 30,000 sheep, lambs, and young goats, plus 3,000 bulls from his own possessions, for the Passover sacrifices for all the lay peoplewho were present.

8 His officials also donated willingly for the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, chief officials of God’s temple, gave 2,600 Passover sacrifices and 300 bulls for the priests.

9 Conaniahand his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, donated 5,000 Passover sacrifices for the Levites, plus 500 bulls.

10 So the service was established; the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command.

11 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs, and while the Levites were skinning the animals,the priests sprinkled the bloodthey had been given.

12 They removed the burnt offerings so that they might be given to the divisions of the ancestral houses of the lay peopleto offer to theLord, according to what is written in the book of Moses; they did the same with the bulls.

13 They roasted the Passover lambs with fire according to regulation.They boiled the holy sacrifices in pots, kettles, and bowls; and they quickly brought them to the lay people.

14 Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were busy offering up burnt offerings and fat until night. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

15 The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer.Also, the gatekeepers were at each gate.None of them left their tasks because their Levite brothers had made preparations for them.

16 So all the service of theLordwas established that day for observing the Passover and for offering burnt offerings on the altar of theLord, according to the command of King Josiah.

17 The Israelites who were present in Judah also observed the Passover at that time and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.

18 No Passover had been observedlike it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present in Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed.

Josiah’s Last Deeds and Death

20 After all thisthat Josiah had prepared for the temple, Neco king of Egyptmarched up to fight at Carchemishby the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to confront him.

21 But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, king of Judah?I have not come against you todaybut I am fighting another dynasty.God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God who is with me; don’t make Him destroy you! ”

22 But Josiah did not turn away from him; instead, in order to fight with him he disguised himself.He did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God, but went to the Valley of Megiddoto fight.

23 The archers shot King Josiah, and he said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded! ”

24 So his servants took him out of the war chariot, carried him in his second chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he died, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mournedfor Josiah.

25 Jeremiah chanted a dirgeover Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women still speak of Josiah in their dirges to this very day. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Dirges.

26 The rest of the eventsof Josiah’s reign, along with his deeds of faithful love according to what is written in the law of theLord,

27 and his words, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

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Judah’s King Jehoahaz

1 Thenthe common peopletook Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

2 Jehoahazwas 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem.

3 The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land 7,500 poundsof silver and 75 poundsof gold.

Judah’s King Jehoiakim

4 Then Neco king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahazand brought him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of theLordhis God.

6 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked himand bound him in bronzeshackles to take him to Babylon.

7 Also Nebuchadnezzar took some of the utensils of theLord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon.

8 The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim,the detestable things he did, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

9 Jehoiachin was 18years oldwhen he became king and reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in theLord’s sight.

10 In the springNebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable utensils of theLord’s temple. Then he made Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Judah’s King Zedekiah

11 Zedekiah was 21 years oldwhen he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem.

12 He did what was evil in the sight of theLordhis God and did not humble himselfbefore Jeremiah the prophet at theLord’s command.

13 He also rebelled againstKing Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinateand hardened his heart against returning to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

14 All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled theLord’s temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

15 But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again,for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

16 But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers,despising His words,and scoffing at His prophets, until theLord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy.

17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,who killed their choice young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; He handed them all over to him.

18 He took everything to Babylon — all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of theLord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials.

19 Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple.They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles.

20 He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persiankingdom.

21 This fulfilled the word of theLordthrough Jeremiahand the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolationuntil 70 years were fulfilled.

The Decree of Cyrus

22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,the word of theLordspoken throughJeremiahwas fulfilled. TheLordput it into the mind of King Cyrusof Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

23 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: TheLord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you of His people may go up, and may theLordhis God be with him.

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