Book 2 of the Chronicles

Chapter 1

1 Solomon, son of David, was established in his kingdom; Yahweh, his God, was with him, and he exalted him to a very high degree.

2 Solomon gave orders to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges and to all the princes of all Israel, to the heads of families;
3 and Solomon went with the whole assembly to the high place which was at Gibeon. There was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the wilderness;
4 As for the ark of God, David had moved it from Cariathiarim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.
5 The bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made was located Also There, before the tabernacle of Yahweh, Solomon and the assembly sought Yahweh.
6 There, on the bronze altar that was before the Lord, near the tent of meeting, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.

7 The night next, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, »Ask what you want that I'll give it to you.« 
8 Solomon answered God, »You have shown great kindness to David my father, and you have made me king in his place.
9 Now, Yahweh God, let your word be fulfilled that you said to David, my father, since you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth!
10 Grant me wisdom and understanding, so that I may know how to conduct myself before your people. For who is able to judge your people? people So big?« 

11 God said to Solomon, »Because this is what is in your heart, and you have not asked for riches, possessions, glory, or the death of your enemies, nor have you even asked for long life, but have asked for yourself wisdom and understanding to govern my people over whom I have made you king,
12 Wisdom and understanding are given to you. I will give you furthermore riches, possessions, and glory, such as no one has ever had none king before you, and as will never be king none after you.« 
13 From the high place of Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, Solomon returned to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon assembled chariots and horsemen; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he placed in the cities where the chariots were stored, and near the king in Jerusalem.
15 The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as numerous as sycamores growing in the plain.
16 Solomon's horses came from Egypt; a caravan of the king's merchants would take them in droves at an agreed price;
17 A chariot was brought up and brought out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty centuries. They also brought them out in the same way, by themselves, for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria.

18 Solomon resolved to build a house for the name of Yahweh, and a royal house for himself.

Chapter 2

1 Solomon counted seventy thousand men to wear the burdens, eighty thousand to cut the stones in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to watch over them.

2 Solomon sent word to Hiram, king of Tyre: »Just as you did for David my father, to whom you sent cedars so that he could build himself a house to live in, Do the same for me.
3 Behold, I am building a house for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, to burn fragrant incense before him, to present continually the breads of suggestion And to offer the morning and evening burnt offerings, the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the feasts of Yahweh our God, depending on what is prescribed to Israel forever.
4 The house that I am going to build must be large, for our God is greater than all gods.
5 But who is able to build him a house, since heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him? And who am I to build him a house, except to burn incense before him?
6 And now send me a man skilled in working with gold and silver, bronze and iron, red, crimson and violet dye, and knowledgeable in the art of engraving, so that he can work with the skilled men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared.
7 Send me Also of Lebanon cedar, cypress, and sandalwood; for I know that your servants know how to cut down trees. Lebanon. My servants will be with your servants,
8 to prepare plenty of wood for myself, because the house I am going to build will be large and magnificent.
9 And behold, to the woodcutters who cut down the timber, to your servants, I will give for their food 20,000 kors of wheat, 20,000 kors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.« 

10 Hiram, king of Tyre, replied in a letter he sent to Solomon: »It is because Yahweh loves his people that he has made you king over them.« 
11 And Hiram said, »Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, because he has given King David a wise, prudent, and understanding son, who will build a house for Yahweh and a royal house for himself!”
12 And now I am sending you a skilled and intelligent man, Master Hiram,
13 sons of a woman from among the daughters of Dan and a Tyrian father, skilled in working with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, red purple, violet, and crimson dye, fine linen, in all kinds of engraving, and in executing any design that is proposed to him, concert with your skilled men and with the skilled men of my lord David, your father.
14 And now, let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, oil, and wine of which he has spoken.
15 And we will cut down trees from Lebanon, as much as you need; and we will send them to you by sea in rafts to Joppa, and you will bring them up to Jerusalem.

16 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, according to the census that David his father had taken. They found one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.
17 And he took seventy thousand for burdens, eighty thousand for cutting the stones in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred as supervisors to make the people work.

Chapter 3

1 Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, which had been shown to David his father, at the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 He began to build the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

3 These are the foundations that Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length, in cubits of the old measure, was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.

4 The portico which was at the front of the length, corresponding to the width of the house, was twenty cubits long and one hundred and twenty cubits high; Solomon covered it with pure gold on the inside.

5 He covered the great house with cypress wood, he covered it with pure gold and had palm fronds and chains carved on it.
6 He adorned the house with precious stones to decorate it, and the gold was from Parvaim.
7 He overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, the walls and the doors with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 He made the house of the Holy of Holies; its length, corresponding to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with pure gold, for a value of six hundred talents;
9 and the weight of the gold for the nails was fifty shekels. He put on Also The upper rooms are made of gold.

10 He made two cherubim in the house of the Holy of Holies, the work of a sculptor, and they were clothed with gold.
11 The cherubs' wings had together twenty cubits long. One wing of the first, long five cubits long, it touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, long five cubits away, it touched the wing of the other cherub.
12. One wing of the second cherub, long five cubits long, it touched the wall of the house; and the other wing, long five cubits away, it joined the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubs, spread out, had twenty cubits. They were standing on their feet, facing towards the house.

14 Solomon He made a veil of purple, violet, red, crimson, and fine linen, and he embroidered cherubim on it.

15 He made two columns in front of the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on top of them was five cubits high.
16 He made chains, as in the sanctuary, and placed them on top of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates which he put in the chains.
17 He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right, the other on the left; he named the one on the right Jachin, and the one on the left Boaz.

Chapter 4

1 Solomon made a bronze altar; its length was twenty cubits, its width twenty cubits, and its height ten cubits.

2 He made the sea of’bronze cast. It was ten cubits from edge to edge, it was completely round; its height was five cubits, and a cord of thirty cubits measured its circumference.
3 Figures of oxen surrounded it below the edge, ten per cubit, going all around the sea, in two rows; the oxen were cast with it in one piece.
4 It was placed on twelve oxen, three of which faced north, three west, three south, and three east; the sea was upon them, and all the hindquarters of their bodies were hidden inside.
5 Its thickness was one palm, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a fleur-de-lis. It could hold three thousand baths.

6 He made ten basins, and in He placed five on the right and five on the left for washing; there they cleaned what was to be offered as a burnt offering. The sea was reserved for the purifications of the priests.

7 He made the ten golden lampstands according to the instructions given for them, and he THE He placed five on the right and five on the left in the Temple.

8 He made ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five on the right and five on the left. He made one hundred golden bowls.

9 He made the court of the priests and the great court, with the gates for the court; he overlaid their doors with bronze.

10 He placed the sea on the right side, to the east, towards the south.

11 Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. That's how...’Hiram finished the work he had done for King Solomon In the house of God:
12 the two columns, the moldings and the capitals which are on the top of the columns; the two trellises to cover the two moldings of the capitals which are on the top of the columns;
13 the four hundred grenades for the two trellises, two rows of grenades per trellis, to cover the two ridges of the capitals which are on the columns.
14 He made the foundations; he made the basins on the foundations;
15 the sea and the twelve oxen below it;
16 the pots, the shovels and the forks. Master Hiram made all these utensils for King Solomon, for the house of Yahweh; they were of polished bronze.
17 The king had them melted in the plain of the Jordan, in clay soil, between Sochot and Zareda.
18 Solomon made all these utensils in very large quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not checked.

19 Solomon did Again all the others utensils for the house of God: the golden altar; the tables on which the bread of the Presence was placed;
20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, so that, according to the law, they may be lit before the sanctuary;
21 the flowers, the lamps and the snuffers of gold, of very pure gold;
22 the knives, the cups, the bowls and the censers of pure gold, and the gold doors for the inner door of the house at the entrance to the Holy of Holies, and for the door of the house at the entrance to the temple.

Chapter 5

1 Thus was finished all the work that Solomon did in the house of the Lord. And Solomon brought what David his father had consecrated, as well as the silver, the gold, and all the vessels, And He deposited them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 Then Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the families of the children of Israel, to bring up from the city of David, that is, from Zion, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.
3 All the men of Israel gathered around the king for the festival, which took place the seventh month.

4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the sons of Levi carried the ark.
5 They carried the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the sacred utensils that were in the tent; the Levite priests carried them.
6 King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel who had gathered around him, were standing in front of the ark. They sacrificed sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered because of their multitude.
7 The priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the sanctuary of the house, into the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the Cherubim;
8 and the Cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the Cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above.
9 The bars were of such a length that their ends could be seen from a distance of the ark in front of the sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. The ark has been there until this day.
10 There were only the two tablets in the ark that Moses y had placed at Horeb, when Yahweh did alliance with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt.

11 When the priests came out of the Holy Place—for all the priests present had sanctified themselves without observing the order of classes,
12 and all the Levites who were singers, Asaph, Heman, Idithun, their sons and their brothers, clothed in fine linen, stood at the east of the altar with cymbals, lyres, and harps, having Beside them were one hundred and twenty priests who were sounding trumpets, —
13 And as soon as those who sounded the trumpets and those who sang, united in one accord to celebrate and praise Yahweh, sounded the trumpets, the cymbals, and the others musical instruments, and they praised Yahweh, saying "For he is good, for his mercy endures forever!"» Right now The house, the house of Yahweh, was filled with a cloud.
14 The priests could not y to remain to do the service, because of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of God.

Chapter 6

1 Then Solomon said, »The Lord wants to dwell in darkness!”
2 And I have built a house which will be your dwelling place, and a place for you y reside forever.« 

3 Then the king turned his face and blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel stood.
4 And he said, »Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke by his mouth to David my father, and who accomplished by his hands what he had declared, saying:
5 From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from among all the tribes of Israel to build a house there in which to dwell my name, nor have I chosen a man to be leader over my people Israel;
6 But I have chosen Jerusalem so that my name may dwell there, and I have chosen David to reign over my people Israel.
7 David, my father, intended to build a house in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel;
8 But Yahweh said to David my father, “Since you have it in your heart to build a house for my name, you have done well in having this intention.”.
9 But you will not be the one to build the house; your son, who will come from your own body, will build the house for my name.
10 Yahweh has fulfilled the word that he had spoken: I have succeeded David my father, and I have sat on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh had said, and I have built the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
11 And I placed there the ark in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with the children of Israel.« 

12 Solomon He stood before the altar of Yahweh, in front of all the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands.
13 For Solomon had made a bronze platform and set it up in the middle of the court; its length was five cubits, its width five cubits, and its height three cubits. He went up onto it and, kneeling before all the assembly of Israel, he stretched out his hands toward heaven,
14 and said: »Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth; to you, who keep the alliance and mercy towards your servants who walk wholeheartedly before you;
15 Just as you have kept for your servant David my father what you told him, and what you declared with your mouth, you have fulfilled with your hand, as we see it in today.
16 Now, Yahweh, God of Israel, observe, in favor of your servant David, my father, what you have said to him, in these words: »You shall never lack a descendant to sit before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your sons take heed to their way, walking in my law as you have walked before me.
17 And now, Yahweh, God of Israel, let the word that you spoke to your servant David be fulfilled!

18 But does God really dwell with man on earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
19 However, Yahweh, my God, give attention to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, listening to the joyful cry and the prayer that your servant utters before you,
20 keeping your eyes open day and night on this house, on the place of which you said you would put your name, listening to the prayer that your servant makes in this place.
21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray in this place. Hear from your dwelling place, from heaven, hear and forgive.

22 If anyone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, if he comes and swears before your altar in this house,
23 Hear from heaven, act, and judge your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down their conduct on their own head, declaring the innocent righteous, and rewarding them according to their innocence.

24 When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, if they repent and glorify your name, and offer prayers and supplications to you in this house,
25 Hear from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their fathers.

26 When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and give glory to your name, and turn from their sins because you have grieved them,
27 Hear from heaven, forgive the sins of your servants and your people Israel, teaching them the right way in which they should walk, and send rain on the land which you have given as an inheritance to your people.

28 When famine strikes the land, when plague strikes, when blight strikes, mildew strikes, locusts strike, and swarms strike; when the enemy besieges your people within the country, at its very gates, when there aura plague and disease of any kind,
29 If a man, if all your people Israel, offer prayers and supplications, and each one, acknowledging his wound and his pain, stretches out his hands toward this house,
30 Listen to him from heaven, from your dwelling place, and forgive; repay each person according to all their ways, you who know their hearts—for you alone know the hearts of the children of men—
31 so that they may fear you, walking in your ways, all the days they live in the land you gave to their fathers.

32 As for the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, but who comes from a distant land because of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm, when he comes to pray in this house,
33 Listen-THE from heaven, from the place of your dwelling, and do according to all that the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as your people Israel do, and to know that your name is called upon this house which I have built.

34 When your people go out to fight their enemy, following the path you have sent them on, if they pray to you, face turned to this city that you have chosen and towards the house I built in your name,
35 Hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and grant them justice.

36 When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and when, angry with them, you hand them over to the enemy, and their conqueror carries them off as captives to a land far away or near,
37 if they come to their senses in the land where they are captives, if they return to you and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have committed the crime;
38 if they return to you with all their heart and soul, in the land of their captivity where they have been taken captive, and if they pray to you face turned to the land you gave to their ancestors, towards the city you have chosen and towards the house I have built in your name,
39 Listen from heaven, from your dwelling place, to their prayer and their supplication, and uphold their cause, and forgive your people their transgressions against you.

40 Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place!
41 Now, Yahweh God, arise, come to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! May your priests, Yahweh God, be clothed with salvation, and may your saints rejoice in happiness!
42 O Lord God, do not reject the face of your anointed one; remember the favors shown to David your servant.« 

Chapter 7

1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh filled the house.
2 The priests could not enter the house of Yahweh, because the glory of Yahweh filled his house.
3 When all the Israelites saw the fire and the glory of the Lord descend upon the house, they fell facedown on the pavement and worshiped the Lord., saying "For he is good, for his mercy endures forever!"» 

4 The king and all the people offered sacrifices before Yahweh.
5 King Solomon sacrificed, For the sacrifice, twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. That's how The king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites Also with the musical instruments of Yahweh that King David had made to praise Yahweh, "for his mercy endures forever!" when he praised Yahweh by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, and all Israel stood.
7 Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard which is in front of the house of Yahweh; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which he had made could not hold the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.

8 Solomon celebrated the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great multitude coming from the entrance of Emath to the Wadi of Egypt.
9 On the eighth day they held the closing assembly; for they had dedicated the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days.
10 And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people back to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that Yahweh had done to David, to Solomon and to Israel, his people.

11 Solomon finished the house of Yahweh and the house of the king, and he carried out all that had come into his mind to do in the house of Yahweh and in the house of the king.
12 And the Lord appeared to him during the night and said, »I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place as my home.” where I will be offered sacrifices.
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague among my people,
14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer done in this place.
16 Now I choose and consecrate this house, so that my name may dwell there forever, and there will forever be my eyes and my heart.
17 And you, if you walk before me as David your father walked, putting into practice all that I have commanded you, and if you observe my statutes and my ordinances,
18 I will establish your royal throne, according to the’alliance that I concluded with David, your father, saying: you will never lack one descending who reigns in Israel.
19 But if you turn away and abandon my laws and commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them,
20 I will uproot them from my land that I gave them; this house that I have consecrated to my name, I will reject from my presence, and I will make it a subject of scorn and ridicule among all peoples.
21 This house, which was so high up, will be a subject of astonishment for anyone who passes by it, and he will say: Why has Yahweh done this to this land and to this house?
22 And the answer will be: Because they abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and joined themselves to other gods, bowing down to them and serving them; therefore he brought all these disasters upon them.« 

Chapter 8

1 After twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,
2 He rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given him, and settled the children of Israel there.

3 Solomon marched against Emath-soba and captured it.
4 He built Thadmor in the desert and all the store cities that he built in the country of’Emath.
5 He built upper Béthoron and lower Béthoron, fortified towns, having walls, doors and bars;
6 Baalath, and all the store cities belonging to Solomon, all the chariot cities, the cavalry cities, and everything that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, to Lebanon and throughout the country submitted to its domination.
7 All the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, did not making point part of Israel,
8 know, Their descendants, who had remained in the land after them and whom the children of Israel had not destroyed, Solomon raised up as people chore, what they were to this day.
9 But Solomon did not make any of the children of Israel slaves for his work, for they were men of war, the chiefs of his officers, the commanders of his chariots and of his cavalry.
10 The chief inspectors of King Solomon were number of two hundred and fifty, charged with commanding the people.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, »My wife will not live in the house of David king of Israel, because these places are holy, into which the ark of God has entered.« 

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the portico,
13 offering daily what was prescribed by Moses, as well as to Sabbaths, at the new moons and at the feasts, three times a year, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Tabernacles.
14 He established, as David his father had ordained, the divisions of the priests in their service, the Levites in their functions for celebrating Yahweh and to perform the service before the priests according to the order of each day, and the gatekeepers according to their divisions, for each gate; for thus had David, the man of God, commanded.
15 They did not deviate from the king's decrees concerning the priests and Levites, whatever the matter, and especially as far as the treasures were concerned.

16 Thus all the work of Solomon was prepared, up to the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, until its completion. The house of the Lord was completed.

17 Solomon then went to Aeziongaber and to Aiath, on the seashore in the land of Edom.
18 And Hiram sent ships and men who knew the sea to Solomon by his servants. They went with Solomon's servants to Ophir, and there they took four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they brought to King Solomon.

Chapter 9

1 When the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with riddles, bringing a very large retinue, camels carrying spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones. She went to Solomon and told him everything that was in her heart.
2 Solomon answered all his questions, and there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not answer.

3 When the Queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the house he had built,
4 and the food on his table, and the apartments of his servants, and the rooms and clothing of his attendants, and his cupbearers and their clothing, and the stairway by which he went up to the house of Yahweh, she was beside herself,
5 and she said to the king, »So it was true what I heard in my country about you and your wisdom!”
6 I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes, and behold, I was not told half of the greatness of your wisdom! You surpass what the report had made known to me.
7 Blessed are your people, blessed are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has been pleased with you and has placed you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! Because your God loves Israel and wants to establish it forever, he has made you king over it to do justice and righteousness.« 
9 She gave the king 120 talents of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. There was no not as much anymore of aromatics such as those that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought sandalwood and precious stones.
11 The king made balustrades out of sandalwood for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, and harps and lyres for the singers. Such things had never been seen before wood similar in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything she desired, everything she asked for, more than she had brought to the king. Then she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants.

13 The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
14 Besides what the merchants and traders brought him, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, using six hundred shekels of hammered gold for each shield,
16 and three hundred small shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold for each shield; and the king put them in the house in the forest of the Lebanon.

17 The king made a great throne of ivory and covered it with pure gold.
18 This throne had six steps and a golden footstool attached to the throne; there were arms on each side of the seat; two lions stood near the arms,
19 and twelve lions stood there on the six steps, six on each side. Nothing like it has ever happened in any other kingdom.

20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the dishes in the house in the forest of the Lebanon It was made of pure gold. Nothing was made of silver; it was not valued at all in Solomon's time.
21 For the king had ships that went to Tarshish, navigating with Hiram's servants; once every three years, the ships of Tharsis arrived, bringing gold and silver, ivory, monkeys and peacocks.

22 King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23 All the kings of the earth sought to see Solomon, to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart;
24 and each one brought his gift, articles of silver and articles of gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses and mules, each year.
25 Solomon had four thousand mangers for horses intended for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he placed in the cities where his chariots were stationed, and near the king in Jerusalem.
26 He ruled over all the kings, from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as numerous as sycamores growing in the plain.
28 Horses were brought for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.

29 The rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the words of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Addo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel.
31 And Solomon rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son became king in his place.

Chapter 10

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
2 Jeroboam, son of Nebat, having learned what was happening, — he was Again in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon, — returned from Egypt,
3 and they sent for him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
4 »Your father made our yoke heavy; now lighten the harsh bondage that imposed on us your father and the heavy yoke he put on us; and we will serve you.« 
5 He said to them, »Come back to me in three days.» And the people went away.

6 King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime, saying, »What me Do you advise responding to these people?« 
7 They spoke to him, saying, »If you are kind to these people, if you receive them with favor and speak kindly to them, they will be your servants forever.« 
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice given to him by the elders, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and who stood before him.
9 He said to them, »That me Do you advise responding to this people who speak to me in this way: "Lighten the yoke your father imposed on us?"« 
10 The young men who had grown up with him answered him, saying, »This is what you are to say to these people who have spoken to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you, lighten it for us!’ This is what you are to say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
11 My father has already laid a heavy yoke on you, and I will make your yoke even heavier. Again ; My father punished you with whips, and I I will punish you with scorpions.« 

12 Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had said, »Return to me in three days.« 
13 The king answered them harshly. Leaving the council of elders,
14 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, »My father made your yoke heavy, and I will make it even heavier for you.” Again ; My father punished you with whips, and I I will punish you with scorpions.« 
15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this was God’s way of fulfilling the word that Yahweh had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king in these words:

 »What share do we have with David? We have no inheritance with the son of Jesse. Every man to his own tents, O Israel. As for you, David, see to your own house!« 

And all Israel went to their tents.
17 It was only concerning the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah during the reign of Rehoboam.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Aduram, who was in charge of taxes; but Aduram He was stoned by all Israel, and he died. And King Rehoboam hastened to mount a chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel separated itself from the house of David to this day.

Chapter 11

1 Returning to Jerusalem, Rehoboam assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand elite warriors, to fight against Israel, in order to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of Yahweh was addressed to Semaias, a man of God, in these terms:
3 »Speak to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying:
4 Thus says the Lord: Do not go up and do not the war "To your brothers! Each of you return to your own home, for this thing has happened because of me." They listened to the words of the Lord, and they returned, without marching against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam resided in Jerusalem, and he built fortified cities in Judah.
6 He built BethlehemEtam, Thécué,
7 Bethsur, Socho, Odollam,
8 Geth, Maresa, Ziph,
9 Aduram, Lachis, Azéca,
10 Sarah, Aijalon and Hebron, fortified cities located in Judah and Benjamin.
11 He put the fortresses in a state of defense and placed commanders there, as well as stores of food, oil and wine.
12 He put In each city he provided shields and spears, and he made them very strong. Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

13 The priests and Levites who were throughout all Israel came from all their territories to present themselves to Roboam ;
14 For the sons of Levi abandoned their pastures and their possessions, and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons excluded them from the priestly functions in honor of Yahweh,
15 and that he had appointed priests for the high places, for the goats and for the calves that he had made.
16 Following them, those From all the tribes of Israel who applied their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and established Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, for three years; for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

18 Rehoboam took as his wife Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, son of David, and of’Abihail, daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse.
19 She bore him sons: Jehus, Somoria and Zom.
20 After her, he took Maah, daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Ethai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Maah, daughter of Absalom, more than all his wives and concubines; for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 Rehoboam gave the first place to Abiah the son of Maahah, to that he was leader among his brothers because he wanted To make him king.
23 He skillfully dispersed all his sons throughout all the regions of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities; he provided them with abundant food and asked for them a multitude of women.

Chapter 12

1 When Rehoboam had established his kingdom and gained strength, he abandoned the law of Yahweh, and all Israel with him.
2 In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shesak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, because they had sinned against the Lord,
3 with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen; and the people who came from Egypt with him could not be counted: Libyans, Sukkians and Ethiopians.
4 He took the fortified cities which belonged to Judah, and arrived as far as Jerusalem.

5 Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem at the approach of Shesach, and he said to them, »This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me; therefore I abandon you into the hand of Shesach.« 
6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, »The Lord is righteous!« 
7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord was addressed to Shemaiah in these terms: "They have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them; in a little while I will give them deliverance, and my anger will not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shesak.
8 But they will be subject to him, so that they may know what it is to serve me or to serve the kingdoms of the countries.« 

9 Shesak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem; he took the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king's house: he took everything. He took the golden shields that Solomon had made.
10 In their place, King Rehoboam made bronze shields, and he gave them into the hands of the chiefs of the runners who guarded the entrance to the king's house.
11 Whenever the king went to the house of Yahweh, the runners came and carried them; and they brought them back afterward to the chamber of the runners.
12 As Roboam He had humbled himself, and the anger of Yahweh turned away from him, so that he was not completely destroyed; and there were still good things in Judah.

13 King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
14 He did evil because he did not apply his heart to seek Yahweh.

15 Are not the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, written in the words of Shemaiah the prophet and in those d'Addo the seer concerning the genealogies? There were always wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
16 Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. Abijah, his son, reigned in his place.

Chapter 13

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,
2 and he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Michaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 Abijah engaged in hostilities with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand elite men; and Jeroboam drew up in battle array against him with eight hundred thousand elite men, valiant warriors.

4 From the top of Mount Shemeron, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, Abijah stood up and said, »Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel!”
5 Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave David the kingdom over Israel forever, to him and to his sons, by An unbreakable alliance?
6 And Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon, son of David, arose and rebelled against his master.
7 Some worthless men, the sons of Belial, gathered around him and overpowered Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Rehoboam was still a young man, timid in heart, and could not resist them.
8 And now you think you can prevail against the kingdom of Yahweh, who is in the hands of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
9 Have you not rejected the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and have not made priests for yourselves, like the peoples of the lands? Whoever comes with a young bull and seven rams to be consecrated has become a priest of what is not God.
10 For us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; the priests who minister to the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites are to their ministry.
11 Every morning and every evening they burn burnt offerings to Yahweh, along with fragrant incense; they put the bread of the Presence on the pure table, and light the golden lampstand with its lamps every evening; for we observe the ordinance of Yahweh our God, and you have forsaken it.
12 Behold, God and his priests are with us, at our head, and the trumpets of sound, to sound them against you. Children of Israel, do not the war to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, for you would have no success.« 

13 Jeroboam made the warriors placed in ambush so they would come up behind the enemy, so that his troops were facing Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
14 Those of Judah turned around, and behold, they were attacked from the front and the rear. They cried out to Yahweh, and the priests sounded the trumpets.
15 The men of Judah raised a war cry, and while the men of Judah were raising the war cry, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into his hands.
17 Abijah and his people made a great slaughter of them, and five hundred thousand elite men fell dead among Israel.
18 The children of Israel were humbled at that time, and the children of Judah were strengthened, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel and its dependencies, Jesanah and its dependencies, Ephron and its dependencies.
20 Jeroboam did not recover his strength in the days of Abijah; Yahweh struck him and he died.
21 But Abijah became powerful; he took fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 The rest of Abia's actions, gestures and words, are written in the Memoirs of the Prophet Addo.
23 Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. Asa, his son, reigned in his place; during his time the land had rest for ten years.

Chapter 14

1 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the altars of the foreigner and the high places,
2 He broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.
3 He commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to fulfill the law and the precept.
4 He removed the high places and the statues from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was at rest before him.

5 He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was at rest, and there was no war against it during those years, because Yahweh gave it rest.
6 He said to Judah, »Let us build these cities and put up walls, towers, gates, and locks around them; the land is still open before us; for we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.» So they built and succeeded.

7 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, bearing shield and spear, and from two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, bearing shield and shooting bows, all valiant men.

8 Zara, the Ethiopian, came out against them with an army of one million of men and three hundred chariots, and he advanced as far as Maresa.
9 Asa went out against him, and they drew up their battle lines in the valley of Sephathah, near Maresah.
10 Asa cried out to the Lord his God, »Lord, you are able to help the weak as easily as the strong; help us, Lord our God! For we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; let no one prevail against you!« 
11 Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
12 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and he fell such a large number of Ethiopians, that there were no more for them hope restoration, for they were broken before Yahweh and before his camp. Asa and his people made a very large haul;
13 They attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the terror of Yahweh was upon them; they plundered all the cities, for there was a great deal of spoil in them.
14 They also attacked the tents of the flocks, and captured a large number of sheep and camels; and they returned to Jerusalem.

Chapter 15

1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,
2 who went out to meet Asa and said to him, »Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and all Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him; if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”.
3 For a long time Israel was without a true God, without a priest to teach, without law;
4 But in his distress he turned to Yahweh his God; they sought him, and he was found by them.
5 In those days, there was no safety for those who came and went, for there was great confusion weighed on all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 People clashed with one another, city with another, because God stirred them up everywhere types of tribulations.
7 Therefore, be strong and do not let your hands grow weak, for your works will be rewarded.« 

8 When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage; he removed the abominations from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and restored the altar of Yahweh which was before the portico of Yahweh.
9 He gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had come to stay among them; for a great number people Some of Israel had gone over to his side, seeing that Yahweh, their God, was with him.
10 They assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.
11 That day they sacrificed to Yahweh, from the plunder they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 They made a solemn commitment to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul,
13 and whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, would be put to death, both small and great, male and female.
14 They swore an oath to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouts of joy, to the sound of trumpets and horns;
15 all Judah was in joy of this oath, for they had sworn with all their heart; for It is of their own free will that’They had sought Yahweh, and he had allowed himself to be found by them; and Yahweh gave them peace all around.

16 King Asa even removed Maah, his mother, from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable idol to Astarte. Asa cut down her abominable idol and, having ground it to powder, he burned it in the Kidron Valley.
17 But the high places did not disappear from Israel, although Asa's heart was perfect all his life.
18 He deposited in the house of God the things consecrated by his father and the things consecrated by himself, silver, gold, and vessels.

19 There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.

Chapter 16

1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah to prevent the people of Asa king of Judah from going out and coming in.

2 Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and he sent messengers to Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, to say:
3 » That there be an alliance between you and me, as there was one between my father and your father. I am sending you silver and gold. Go, break your alliance with Baasha, king of Israel, so that he will depart from me.« 
4 Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa; he sent the commanders of his army against the cities of Israel, and they defeated Ahion, Dan, Abel-Maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.
5 When Baasa learned of this, he stopped building Rama and halted his work.
6 King Asa took all Judah, and they carried off the stones and timber with which Baasha was building Ramah; and he built with them Gibeah and Maphah.

7 At that time, Hanani the seer came to Asa, king of Judah, and said to him, »Because you relied on the king of Syria and that you did not rely on Yahweh, your God, because of this, the army of the king of Syria has slipped through your fingers.
8 Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a large army, with chariots and a great many horsemen? And yet, because you relied on Yahweh, he delivered them into your hands.
9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to support those whose heart is entirely his. You so You have acted foolishly in this matter, for from now on you will have wars.« 
10 Asa was angry with the seer, and he put him in prison, because he was angry with him because of his words. At the same time, Asa oppressed some of the people.

11 And behold, the acts of Asa, the first and the last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa's feet became diseased, and he suffered greatly; but even in his illness he did not seek the Lord, but doctors.
13 Asa rested with his ancestors, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.
14 They buried him in his own tomb, which he had hewn out in the city of David; they laid him on a bed that had been filled with perfumes and spices prepared according to the art of the perfumer, and they in burned a very considerable quantity.

Chapter 17

1 Jehoshaphat, son of’Asa, He reigned in his place. He strengthened himself against Israel:
2 He placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and he placed garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had captured.
3 Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of David his father, and did not seek the Baals;
4 But he sought the God of his father and followed his commandments, without imitate Israel's actions.
5 Yahweh established the kingdom in his hands; all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, and he had an abundance of riches and honor.
6 His courage grew in the ways of Yahweh, and he also removed the high places and the Asherahs from Judah.

7 In the third year of his reign, he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nathanael, and Micah, to teach in the cities of Judah,
8 and with them the Levites Shemeiah, Nathanaia, Zebadiah, Asahel, Semiramoth, Jonathan, Adonijah, Thobias, Thobadoniah, and, with these Levites, the priests Elisama and Joram.
9 They taught in Judah, having with them the book of the law of Yahweh; they went through all the cities of Judah, and they taught among the people.

10 The terror of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, and they did not the war to Jehoshaphat.
11 Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute in silver; the Arabs also brought him livestock, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
12 Jehoshaphat was on his way to rising to the highest degree of greatness. He built fortresses and cities in Judah to serve of stores;
13 and he had many provisions in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant men, in Jerusalem.
14 This is their number, according to their families. From Judah, commanders of thousands: Adna, the commander, and with him, three hundred thousand valiant men;
15 beside him, Johanan, the leader, and with him, two hundred and eighty thousand men;
16 And beside him was Amaziah, son of Zechariah, who had willingly consecrated himself to the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand valiant men.
17 Of Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant man, and with him, two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield;
18 and beside him, Jozabad, and with him, one hundred and eighty thousand armed men for the war. —
19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities, throughout the territory of Judah.

Chapter 18

1 Jehoshaphat had abundant riches and honor, and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.
2 At the end of a few Years later, he went down to Ahab in Samaria, and Ahab killed a great many sheep and oxen for himself and for the people who were with him, and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth-in-Gilead.
3 Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, »Will you come with me to Ramoth-gilead?» Jehoshaphat replied,» It will be of me as of you, of my people as of your people; we will go attack it with you.« 

4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, »Now please inquire of the word of the Lord.« 
5 The king of Israel summoned the prophets, number of four hundred, and said to them, »Shall we go to attack Ramoth-in-Gilead, or…”‘'in "Shall I abstain?" They replied, "Come up, and God there will deliver into the king's hands.« 
6 But Jehoshaphat said, »Is there no longer any prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of him?« 
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, »There is still one man through whom we could inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad: It is Micah, son of Jemlah.» And Jehoshaphat said, »Let the king no longer speak like that!« 
8 Then the king of Israel summoned a eunuch, him He said, "Bring Micah, son of Jemlah, at once."» 

9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were each sitting on his throne, clothed with their clothes royals; They were sitting in the square at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Zedekiah, son of Canaan, had made himself iron horns, and he said, »This is what the Lord says: With these horns You will strike the Syrians until they are exterminated.« 
11 And all the prophets prophesied likewise, saying, »Go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand!« 

12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, »Behold, the words of the prophets are unanimous.” to announce good to the king; therefore, let your word be in accordance with that of "Each of them: a proclamation of good!" Micah replied:
13 »As the Lord lives, so I will proclaim what my God says!« 

14 When he arrived near the king, the king said to him, »Micah, shall we go to attack Ramoth-gilead, or…”‘'in "Shall I abstain?" He replied, "Go up and be victorious, for they are delivered into your hands."» 
15 And the king said to him, »How many times must I adjure you to tell me only the truth in the name of Yahweh?« 
16 Micah He replied, »I see all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd; and the Lord said, «These people have no master; let them return in peace, each to his own home.’” 
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, »Didn’t I tell you? He never prophesies anything good about me, only bad.« 

18 Micah said: »Therefore hear the word of the Lord! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
19 And the Lord said, »Who will deceive Ahab king of Israel into going up to Ramoth-gilead and…” y "Perish?" They answered, one in one way, the other in another.
20 Then the spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, “I will deceive him.” The Lord said to him, “How?”
21 He replied, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.” The Lord said to him, “You will deceive him and succeed; go out and do so!”
22 So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets who are here, and the Lord has pronounced evil against you.« 

23 But Zedekiah, son of Canaan, came up and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, »By what means did the spirit of the Lord go out from me to speak to you?« 
24 Micah replied, »You will see it on that day when you go from room to room to hide.« 
25 The king of Israel said, »Take Micaiah and bring him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son.
26 You their You will say: Thus says the king: Put this man in prison and feed him with the bread of affliction and the water of affliction, until I return in peace.« 
27 And Micaiah said, »If you truly return in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me.» He added, »Listen, all you peoples!« 

28 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat:» I want "I must disguise myself to go into battle; but you, put on your clothes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30 The king of Syria had given an order to his chariot commanders, in these terms: "You shall attack neither small nor great, but only the king of Israel."» 
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, »This is the king of Israel!” And they surrounded him to attack him. Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God drew the Syrians.
32 When the chariot commanders saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him.
33 Then a man shot his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the breastplate. The king He said to the chariot driver, "Turn around and take me out of the camp, for I am wounded."» 
34 The fighting became fierce that day. The king of Israel was held standing on her chariot facing the Syrians, until evening, when he died towards sunset.

Chapter 19

1 Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, returned in peace to his house in Jerusalem.
2 Jehu son of Hanani, seeing him, went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, »Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, is coming The wrath of Yahweh is upon you.
3 Yet some good was found in you, for you removed the Asherah poles from the land, and you set your heart to seek God.« 

4 Jehoshaphat resided in Jerusalem; and again he visited the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
5 He appointed judges in the land, in all the fortified cities of Judah, for each city.
6 And he said to the judges, »Be careful what you do, for it is not for men that you will administer justice, but for Yahweh; he will be with you when you administer justice.
7 And now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be careful of your actions, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice, no partiality, no acceptance of bribes.« 

8 In Jerusalem also, when they returned to that city, Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests, and heads of houses of Israel for the judgments of Yahweh and for disputes.
9 And he gave them these instructions: “You shall act in this way, fearing the Lord, in loyalty and the integrity of the heart.
10 In every case that comes before you from your brothers living in their cities, when it comes to distinguishing between murder and murder, between law, commandment, precept, and ordinance, you shall enlighten them, so that they do not incur guilt before the Lord, and his wrath does not come upon you and your brothers. You shall do this, and you shall not be guilty.
11 And behold, you will have At your head shall be Amariah the high priest, for all matters concerning the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the prince of the house of Judah, for all matters concerning the king, and the Levites shall be your officers before you. Be courageous and get to work! And may the Lord be with you!« 

Chapter 20

1 After this, the Moabites and the Ammonites, and with them some Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to do the war.
2 Messengers came in inform Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is marching against you from beyond the sea." Dead, of the Syria, and here they are at Asason-Thamar, which is Engaddi « .
3 Terrified, Jehoshaphat resolved to seek help from Yahweh, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
4 Judah gathered together to call on the Lord; indeed, people came from all the cities of Judah to call on the Lord.

5 Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,
6 and he said, »Yahweh, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and do you not have in your hand strength and power, so that no one can resist you?
7 Was it not you, O our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend.
8 They lived there and built a sanctuary for you in your name, saying:
9 If calamity befalls us, whether the sword of judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is on this house, and we will cry out to you. middle of our anguish, and you will listen and you will save!
10 Now, here are the sons of Ammon and Moab, and those of the mountain of Seir, which you did not allow Israel to enter when they came from the land of Egypt, but from which they turned away without destroying them;
11 Here they are, rewarding us by coming to drive us out of your inheritance, which you gave us to possess!
12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this vast multitude that is advancing against us, and we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.« 
13 And all Judah stood before Yahweh, with their little children, their wives, and their sons.

14 SO, In the midst of the assembly, the spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jehiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite, one of the sons of Asaph.
15 And Jahaziel He said: »Listen, all you Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this vast army, for it is not you who concerned War, but God.
16 Tomorrow go down against them; behold, they will come up by the hill of Sis, and you will find them at the end of the valley, opposite the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight in this matter: stand up; stand firm there, and you will see the deliverance that the Lord will grant you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged; tomorrow go out to meet them, and the Lord will be with you.« 

18 Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh to worship Yahweh.
19 The Levites from among the sons of Kohath and from among the sons of Korah stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a loud and exalted voice.

20 The next day, they got up early and set out for the Desert of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, »Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God, and you will not be shaken; trust in his prophets, and you will succeed.« 
21 Then, after consulting with the people, he appointed singers to praise the Lord, who were to wear sacred vestments and march before the army, saying: »Praise the Lord, for his mercy remains Forever!« 
22 Just as they began to sing and praise, the Lord set traps for the Ammonites. and Moab and against those of the mountain of Seir, who had come towards Judah, and they were defeated.
23 The sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the inhabitants of the mountain of Seir to slaughter and exterminate them, and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped one another to destroy one another.

24 When Judah arrived at the lookout post in the desert, they turned toward the multitude, and born saw that corpses lay sprawled on the ground, with no one having escaped.
25 Jehoshaphat and his people went and plundered their spoils, and they found there abundant riches, corpses and precious objects, and they took so much for themselves that they could not carry it; it took them three days to plunder the spoil, for it was considerable.
26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah; for there they blessed the Lord, and therefore they called that place the Valley of Beracah, which is his name to this day.
27 All the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, joyfully set out to return to Jerusalem, for the Lord had filled them with joy. by delivering them of their enemies.
28 They entered Jerusalem to the sound of lyres, harps, and trumpets, towards the house of Yahweh.
29 The terror of Yahweh fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands, when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, and his God gave him rest on every side.

31 Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shelahi.
32 He walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not turn aside, doing what was right in the eyes of Yahweh.
33 Only the high places did not disappear, and the people had not yet firmly fixed their hearts on the God of their fathers.

34 The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the words of Jehu son of Hanani, which are inserted in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 After this, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied himself with Ahaziah, king of Israel, whose conduct was criminal.
36 He partnered with him to build ships intended to go to Tharsis, and they built the ships at Asiongaber.
37 Then Eliezer son of Dodau the Mareshean prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, »Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your work.» And the ships were broken up, and they could not go to Tarshish.

Chapter 21

1 Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David; Joram his son reigned in his place.
2 Joram had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jahiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael and Shaphatiah; they were all sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
3 Their father had given them considerable gifts of gold and silver, and of precious objects, with fortified cities in Judah; but he left the kingdom to Joram, because he was the firstborn.
4 Joram established himself on his father's kingdom and, when he had become firmly established, he put all his brothers to death with the sword, and also some leaders of Israel.

5 Joram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he had a daughter of Ahab as his wife, and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
7 But Yahweh did not want to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David, and because he had told him that he would always give him and his sons a lamp.

8 In his time, Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and gave himself a king.
9 Joram set out with his commanders and all his chariots; having risen by night, he defeated the Edomites who surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots.
10 Edom broke free from Judah's rule, to this day. Lobnah broke free Also at the same time as his rule, because he had abandoned Yahweh, the God of his fathers.

11 Joram He even built high places in the mountains of Judah; he drove the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitution, and he seduced Judah.
12 A letter came to him from the prophet Elijah, saying, »This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; because you have driven Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into prostitution, just as the house of Ahab drove Israel to prostitution, and because you caused the death of your brothers, better than yourself, the house even from your father:
14 behold, the Lord will strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all that belongs to you with a great plague;
15 and you, you will be hit serious illnesses, a bowel disease, such that your bowels will come out violently from the evil, for many days.".

16 And Yahweh stirred up against Joram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabs neighboring the Ethiopians.
17 Having gone up into Judah, they spread throughout the land and plundered all the riches that were found in the king's house, and took also his sons and his wives, so that’He had no other son left except Joachaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 After all this, Yahweh struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19 As the days passed, toward the end of the second year, Joram's entrails came out through the violence of his illness. He died in great suffering, and his people did not burn of perfumes in his honor, as he had burned for his fathers.

20 Joram He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He departed without being mourned, and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Chapter 22

1 Instead of Joram, The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king; for the troop that had come into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older men. That's how Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned.
2 He was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, daughter of Amri.
3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his advisor to THE to make someone sin.
4 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as those of the house of Ahab; for after the death of his father, they were his advisors to his downfall.

5 It was It was also on their advice that he set out and went with Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, to fight Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramoth-en-Gelaad. The Syrians wounded Joram.
6 Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael, king of Syria.

Azariah, son of Joram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram, son of Ahab, at Jezrehel, because he was sick.
7 By the will of God, it was Ahaziah's downfall to go to Joram. When he arrived, he went out with Joram to go to Jehu, son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to exterminate the house of Ahab.
8 And when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the leaders of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers, who were in Ahaziah’s service, and he killed them.
9 He searched for Ahaziah, and they seized him in Samaria, where he had hidden; they brought him to Jehu, and they put him to death. Then they buried him, for they said, »This is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.» And there was no person of the house of Ochozias who was in a position to reign.
10 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal line of the house of Judah.
11 But Jehosabeth, the king's daughter, took Joash, son of Ahaziah, and rescued him from among the king's sons who were being slaughtered; and she put him and his nurse in the bedroom. Jehosabeth, daughter of King Joram, wife of Jehoiada the priest, and sister of Ahaziah, stole him away Thus to the eyes of Athalie, who did not have him killed.
12 He remained with them for six years, hidden in the house of God; and Athaliah reigned over the land.

Chapter 23

1 In the seventh year, Jehoiada, having become established, took with him as allies the centurions Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Johanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaziah son of Adaiah, and Elisaphat son of Zechri.
2 They traveled throughout Judah and, having gathered together the Levites from all the towns of Judah and the heads of families of Israel, they came to Jerusalem.
3 The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Joïada He said to them, »Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Yahweh has declared concerning the sons of David.
4 This is what you are to do: The third of you who enter in service THE day of Sabbath, priests and Levites, will serve as gatekeepers;
5 one third will serve to the king's household, and a third will serve at the gate of Jesod; all the people will be in the courts of the house of Yahweh.
6 No one No one enters the house of Yahweh except the priests and the Levites who serve: they may enter, for they are holy; and all the people must keep observance of Yahweh.
7 The Levites shall surround the king on all sides, each with weapons in hand, and if anyone enters the house, he shall be put to death; and you shall be near the king when he enters and when he goes out.« 

8 The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each took his own people, those who entered in service and those who were coming out service THE day of Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not exempted any of the divisions.
9 The priest Jehoiada handed over to the centurions the spears and shields, large and small, which had belonged to King David, and who were in the house of God.
10 He made all the people stand, each with his weapon in hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, near the altar and near the house, so as to surround the king.
11 They brought forward the king's son, placed the diadem and the testimony on him, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, "Long live the king!"» 

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and acclaiming the king, she came to the people at the house of Yahweh.
13 She looked, and behold, the king was standing on his platform at the entrance; near the king were the commanders and the trumpeters, and all the people of the land were rejoicing; trumpets were sounding, and the singers with musical instruments were giving instructions for the anthems of praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Conspiracy! Conspiracy!"» 
14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the centurions who were in command of the army and said to them, »Bring her out between the ranks, and let anyone who follows her be put to death by the sword!» For the priest had said, »Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord.« 
15 They made room for her on both sides, and she went to the entrance of the Horse Gate, towards the king's house, and there they put her to death.

16 Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, by which they were to be the people of Yahweh.
17 And all the people went into the house of Baal, and they demolished it; they smashed its altars and its images, and they killed Mathan, priest of Baal, before the altars.
18 Jehoiada appointed guardians in the house of Yahweh, under the authority of the priests And Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Yahweh to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, amid rejoicing and singing, according to the ordinances of David.
19 He appointed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one would enter person tainted in some way.
20 He took the centurions, the prominent men, those who had authority over the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of Yahweh. They entered the king's house through the upper gate, and they seated the king on the royal throne.
21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at peace; Athaliah was put to death with the sword.

Chapter 24

1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Shebiah of Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 Joiada took two wives for Joas, who fathered sons and daughters.

4 After this, Joash was determined to restore the house of Yahweh.
5 He assembled the priests and Levites and said to them, »Go to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel year after year to repair the house of your God, and do this quickly.» But the Levites did not hurry.
6 The king called Jehoiada the great priest, and said to him, »Why didn’t you supervise the Levites so they could bring the tax from Judah and Jerusalem?” imposed to Israel by Moses, servant of Yahweh, and by the congregation, for the tent of testimony?
7 For the wicked Athaliah and her sons have ravaged the house of God, and they have done serve for the Baals all things consecrated to the house of Yahweh.« 

8 Then the king ordered that a chest be made and placed outside the door of the house of Yahweh.
9 And it was proclaimed in Judah and in Jerusalem that each one had to bring to Yahweh the tax imposed in the desert to Israel by Moses, servant of Yahweh.
10 All the leaders and all the people in had joyand they brought and threw into the chest all that they were supposed to pay.
11 When the time came to deliver the chest to the king's inspectors through the Levites, when they saw that there was a lot of money inside in the trunk, The king's secretary and the high priest's commissioner would come and empty the chest; they would take it and put it back in its place. They did this every time, and they collected money in abundance.
12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who were carrying out the work on the house of Yahweh, and they hired stonemasons and carpenters to restore the house of Yahweh, as well as ironworkers and bronze craftsmen to strengthen the house of Yahweh.
13 The workers labored, and the restoration progressed in their hands; they restored the house of God to its former state ancient and strengthened it.
14 When they had finished, they brought before the king and in front Jehoiada took the remaining silver and made utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and for burnt offerings, bowls, and other utensils of gold and silver. And burnt offerings were continually offered in the house of the Lord throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada.

15 Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died.
16 He was buried in the city of David with the kings, because he had done good in Israel and toward God and his house.

17 After the death of Jehoiada, the leaders of Judah came and bowed down before the king; then the king listened to them.
18 And they forsook the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. The anger of the Lord came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this transgression.
19 To make them return to him, Yahweh sent prophets among them who testified against them, but they did not listen to them.

20 The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood before the people and said to them, »This is what God says: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and not prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.« 
21 And they conspired against him, and they stoned him by order of the king, in the court of the house of Yahweh.
22 Joash did not remember the affection that Jehoiada, the father of Zacharie, and he caused his son to die. Zacharie He said as he died: "May Yahweh see and do justice!"» 

23 Upon returning from the year, the Syrian army mounted against Joas and came to Judah and Jerusalem. They killed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus.
24 The Syrian army came with a small number of men, and Yahweh delivered a considerable army into their hands, because they had abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers. The Syrians carried out the judgment against Joash.
25 When they had moved away from him, having left him covered He suffered many wounds, and his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest; they killed him on his bed, and he died. He was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
26 These are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad, son of Shemnaath, an Ammonite woman, and Jozabad, son of Samariath, a Moabite woman.

27 This concerns his sons, the great number of prophecies directed against him and the restoration of the house of God, behold, this is written in the Memoirs on the book of Kings.

Amasias, his son, reigned in his place.

Chapter 25

1 Amaziah became king at the age of twenty-five, and he reigned nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoadan, of Jerusalem.
2 He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, but not from a perfect heart.
3 When the kingdom was established over him, he put to death his servants who had killed the king, his father;
4 But he did not put their sons to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the Lord commands: »Fathers shall not die for their children, nor children die for their fathers; each shall die for their own sins.« 

5 Amaziah gathered the men of Judah and organized them according to the patriarchal houses, the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, throughout Judah and Benjamin; he took a census of them from twenty years old and upward, and found three hundred thousand choice men fit to go to the war, and to wield the spear and shield.
6 He also took into his pay, among those from Israel, one hundred thousand valiant men for one hundred talents of silver.
7 A man of God came to him, saying, »O king, do not let an army of Israel march with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel, with all the sons of Ephraim.
8 But go alone, act, be valiant in the fight, and God born will leave you not to fall before the enemy, for God has the power to help and to bring down.« 
9 Amaziah said to the man of God, »But what about the hundred talents I gave to the troops of Israel?» The man of God replied, »The Lord can give you much more than that.« 
10 Amaziah separated the troops who had come to him from Ephraim, so that they might go to their own land. But the anger of these men was kindled against Judah, and they went back to their own land in a fire of anger.

11 Amaziah, filled with courage, led his people; he went into the Valley of Salt, and defeated ten thousand men sons of Seir.
12 The sons of Judah took ten thousand of them captive alive, and brought them to the top of a rock; they threw them down from the top of the rock, and all of them were crushed.
13 However, the people from the troupe whom Amasias had sent away so that they would not go to the war With him, they attacked the villages of Judah; from Samaria to Beth-horon, they killed three thousand men and carried off many spoils.

14 After Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir and, having established them as his gods, he bowed down before them and offered incense to them.
15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, »Why have you honored the gods of this people, who have not could to deliver their people from your hand?« 
16 As he spoke to her, Amasias He said to him, »Did we make you an advisor to the king? Withdraw! Why should we strike you?» The prophet withdrew and said, »I know that God has resolved to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice.« 

17 After consulting with Amaziah, king of Judah, sent word to Joash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel: »Come, let us meet face to face!» And Joash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah:
18 » The thorn that is at Lebanon He sent word to the cedar tree in Lebanon: “Give your daughter as a wife to my son.” And the wild beasts in Lebanon they passed by and trampled the thorn.
19 You you Say: Behold, you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart leads you to you glorify. Now, stay at home! Why get involved in misfortune, so that you and Judah will fall with you?« 
20 But Amasias did not listen to him because it was according to the will of God that he fought this war, in order to deliver the men of Judah in the hands of the enemy, because they had honored the gods of Edom.
21 And Joash, king of Israel, went up, and they saw each other face to face, he and Amaziah, king of Judah, at Bethsames, which is in Judah.
22 Judah was defeated before Israel, and everyone fled to their tents.
23 And Joash, king of Israel, took from Bethsames Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz. He brought him to Jerusalem, and he made a breach of four hundred cubits in the wall of Jerusalem, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
24 He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils that were in the house of God, with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house; he took also hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.
26 The rest of the acts of Amaziah, the first and the last, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

27 After Amaziah turned away from the Lord, a conspiracy was hatched against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him men to Lachis, and there he was put to death.
28 They carried him on horses, and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.

Chapter 26

1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father, Amaziah.
2 Ozias rebuilt Elath and brought it back to Judah, after the king had rested with his ancestors.

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jechelia, of Jerusalem.
4 He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that Amaziah his father had done.
5 He was arranged to honor God during the life of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God; and in the time that he honored Yahweh, God made him prosper.

6 He went to war against the Philistines; he broke down the wall of Geth, the wall of Jabnia, and the wall of Azoth, and built cities in the territory of’Azot and among the Philistines.
7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who lived in Gur-Baal, and against the Maonites.
8 The Ammonites brought gifts to Uzziah, and his fame reached the border of Egypt, for he became very powerful.

9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the corner, and he fortified them.
10 He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had there numerous flocks, as well as in the Sephelah and on the plateaus, and farmers and vine growers in the mountains and on Carmel, for he loved agriculture.

11 Uzziah had an army of warriors who went into battle in troops, counted according to their enumeration by the secretary Jehiel and the commissioner Maasiah, under the command of Hananiah, mon the king's chiefs.
12 The total number of heads of households, valiant warriors, was two thousand six hundred.
13 They commanded an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred men, who were the war with great power, to support the king against the enemy.
14 Uzziah provided all this army with shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slings for throw stones.
15 He did build In Jerusalem, machines invented by an engineer, and destinies to be placed on the towers and on the corners of the walls, to launch arrows and large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was wonderfully helped, until he became powerful.
16 But when he became powerful, his heart was lifted up to ruin. Sinning against the Lord his God, he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17 Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of Yahweh, courageous men;
18 They opposed King Uzziah and said to him, »It is not for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have sinned, and that born will turn not to your honor before Yahweh God.« 
19 Ozias, who held with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was seized with anger and, as he raged against the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests, in the house of Yahweh, before the altar of incense.
20 When the high priest Azariah and all the priests turned to him, behold, he had leprosy on his forehead. They hastily put him out, and he himself hurried out, because the Lord had struck him.
21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death, and he lived in a secluded house, as a leper, for he was excluded from the house of Yahweh. Jotham, his son, was in charge of the royal household, judging the people of the land.

22 The rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, son of Amos, wrote.
23 Uzziah lay down with his ancestors in the field where the kings were buried, for they said, »He is a leper.» Jotham, his son, reigned in his place.

Chapter 27

1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusa, daughter of Zadok.
2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Uzziah his father had done; only he did not enter the temple of the Lord; but the people were still corrupt.

3 Joatham built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and made many buildings on the wall of Ophel.
4 He built cities in the mountains of Judah, he built forts and towers in the woods.

5 He did the war to the king of the Ammonites, and he prevailed over them. The Ammonites gave him that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley; and the Ammonites brought him the same amount in the second and third years.
6 Joatham increased his power, because he had established his ways before Yahweh, his God.

7 The rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and all that he did, behold, it is written 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 Joatham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. Ahaz, his son, reigned in his place.

Chapter 28

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as had done David, his father.
2 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and even made cast images for the Baals.
3 He burned incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, and he made his sons pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the children of Israel.
4 He offered sacrifices and incense at the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Yahweh, his God, delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria; the Syrians They beat him and took many prisoners, that’They took him to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him a great defeat.
6 Phacaeus, son of Romélias, killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day men, all valiant, because they had abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
7 Zechariah, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaziah, the king's son, and Ezricah, the head of the house royal, and Elcana, second only to the king.
8 The children of Israel took two hundred thousand captives from among their brothers, women, sons and daughters, and they took from them a considerable amount of plunder and brought the plunder to Samaria.
9 There was a prophet of Yahweh there, named Oded. Going out to meet the army returning to Samaria, he said to them, »Behold, in his anger against Judah, Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given them into your hands; and you have killed them with a fury that reached to heaven.
10 And now you are planning to subdue the children of Judah and Jerusalem to that they are your male and female servants! But you, have you not Also offenses against Yahweh, your God?
11 Now listen to me, and send back these captives whom you have taken from among your brothers, for the fierce anger of the Lord is upon you.« 

12 Some of the leaders of the Ephraimites, Azariah son of Johanan, Barachiah son of Mosollamoth, Hezekiah son of Shellum, and Amasa son of Adali, rose up against those returning from the army,
13 and said to them, »You shall not bring the captives here; for it is to add to our sins and our iniquities that you intend to add to our guilt before the Lord; for our guilt is great, and the fury of his anger of Yahweh is about Israel.« 
14 The soldiers abandoned the captives and the spoils before the leaders and in front the entire assembly.
15 And the men who have been mentioned by their The names of the captives arose, and they took them captive and clothed all who were naked with the spoils, giving them garments and sandals; then they fed and gave them drink and anointed them, and carrying all who were faint on donkeys, they brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. And they returned to Samaria.

16 At that time, King Ahaz sent ask to the kings of Assyria to come to his aid.
17 For the Edomites had come again; they had defeated Judah and taken captives.
18 The Philistines had spread out into the cities of Shephelah and the Negev of Judah; they had taken Bethsames, Ailon, Gaderot, Socho and its dependencies, Thamna and its dependencies, Gamzo and its dependencies, and had settled there.
19 For Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, who had given free rein to immorality in Judah and had sinned against Yahweh.
20 Thelgath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came against him, treated him harshly and did not fortify him.
21 For Ahaz had plundered the house of Yahweh, the house of the king and of the princes, and had given gifts to the king of Assyria: but it was of no help to him.

22 While he was in distress, he continued to offend Yahweh, he, King Ahaz.
23 He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who were striking him, and he said, »Since the gods of the kings of Syria "They come to their aid, I will offer sacrifices to them, and they will help me." But they became a stumbling block to him and to all Israel.
24 Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God and broke the utensils of the house of God into pieces, and having shut the doors of the house of Yahweh, he made altars for himself at all the corners of Jerusalem.
25 He set up high places in each of the cities of Judah to offer incense to other gods. He angered Thus Yahweh, the God of his fathers.
26 The rest of his acts and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem, for he was not brought into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his place.

Chapter 29

1 Hezekiah became king at the age of twenty-five, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.
2 He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done.

3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh and repaired them.
4 He summoned the priests and Levites and assembled them in the eastern square,
5 He said to them, »Listen to me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, consecrate the house of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and bring out of the sanctuary what is unclean.
6 For our fathers sinned, they did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh our God, they forsook him, they turned their faces away from the dwelling place of Yahweh and turned their backs on him.
7 They even shut the gates of the portico and put out the lamps, and they did not burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the sanctuary to the God of Israel.
8 And the anger of Yahweh was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he made them an object of terror, of amazement, and of mockery, as you see with your eyes;
9 And behold, because of this, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.
10 Now I intend to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, so that the fierceness of his anger may turn away from us.
11 Now, my children, do not be negligent any longer; for it is you whom the Lord has chosen to stand before him in his service, to be his ministers and to offer incense to him.« 

12 Then the Levites stood up: Mahath, son of Amasai, Joel, son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kaathites; of the sons of Merari, Cish son of Abdi, Azariah, son of Jalaleel; of the Gershonites, Joah, son of Zemmah, Eden, son of Joah;
13 of the sons of Elisaphan, Samri and Jahiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 of the sons of Heman, Jahiel and Shemei; and of the sons of Idithun, Shemeiah and Oziel.
15 They gathered their brothers together and, after they had sanctified themselves, they came, according to the king's command, according to the words of Yahweh, to purify the house of Yahweh.
16 The priests entered the inner sanctuary of the house of Yahweh to there purify; they brought out into the courtyard of the house of Yahweh all the impurities which they found in the temple of Yahweh, and from there the Levites took them out to the valley of Kidron.
17 They began to purify on the first day of the first month; on the eighth day of the month, they entered the portico of Yahweh, and they spent eight days purifying the house of Yahweh; on the sixteenth day of the first month, they had finished.

18 Then they went to King Hezekiah and said, »We have purified the whole house of Yahweh, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table of the Presence and all its utensils.
19 And all the utensils that King Ahaz had desecrated during his reign, in his transgressions, we have restored and purified; they are before the altar of the Lord.« 
20 King Hezekiah got up early in the morning, assembled the leaders of the city, and went up to the house of Yahweh.
21 They presented seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. The king said to the priests, the sons of Aaron, THE to offer on the altar of Yahweh.
22 They slaughtered the oxen, and the priests collected the blood, which they sprinkled on the altar; they slaughtered the rams, and sprinkled the blood on the altar; they slaughtered the lambs, and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23 Then they brought the goats for sin before the king and the assembly, and all laid their hands on them.
24 The priests slaughtered them and with their blood they made atonement at the altar, making atonement for all Israel; for it was for all Israel that the king had commanded the burnt offering and the sin offering.
25 He placed the Levites in the house of Yahweh with cymbals, lyres, and harps, according to the order of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for this order came from Yahweh, by the agency of his prophets.
26 The Levites took their places with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Hezekiah said to offer the burnt offering on the altar. At the time the burnt offering began, Also the song of Yahweh and the sound of trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel.
28 The whole assembly bowed down, sang the song, and sounded the trumpets, all this until the burnt offering was finished.
29 When the burnt offering was finished, the king and all those who were with him knelt and worshiped.
30 King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to praise Yahweh with the words of David and Asaph the seer, and they praised him joyfully and bowed down in worship.

31 Then Hezekiah spoke up and said, »Now you have consecrated yourselves again »Come near to the Lord, offer sacrifices and thanksgivings at the house of the Lord.” And the congregation offered sacrifices and thanksgivings, and all whose hearts were generous. offered holocausts.
32 The number of burnt offerings that the assembly offered was seventy oxen, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all this for one burnt offering to Yahweh.
33 In addition, six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep were consecrated.
34 But the priests, being few in number, could not strip all the burnt offerings; their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and until the others priests would have sanctified themselves, for the Levites had put more sincerity of heart than the priests in sanctifying themselves.
35 There were also many burnt offerings, besides the fats of the peace offerings and the libations for the burnt offerings.

Thus the service of the house of Yahweh was restored.
36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had prepared for the people, for it had happened suddenly.

Chapter 30

1 Hezekiah sent messengers throughout Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, to celebrate Passover in honor of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
2 The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had held council so that the Passover might be celebrated in the second month;
3 because it could not be done at the proper time, because not enough priests had been sanctified, and the people had not gathered together in Jerusalem.
4 The thing seemed just in the eyes of the king and all the assembly.
5 They decided to send a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that people should come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel; for they had not celebrated it in great numbers, as it is written.

6 The runners went with the letters from the king and his officials throughout all Israel and Judah, saying, according to the king's order: "Children of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to those who remain, to those of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who sinned against Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and whom he gave over to desolation, as you see.
8 So do not stiffen your neck, as did it your fathers; give your hand to Yahweh, come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve Yahweh your God, so that the fire of his anger may turn away from you.
9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will too. will find He will show mercy to those who took them captive, and he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.« 

10 So the runners went from town to town in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and were mocked.
11 Only a few men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 In Judah also, the hand of God was extended to give them one heart to carry out the command of the king and the officials, according to the word of Yahweh.

13 A large crowd gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month: it was a great assembly.
14 They got up and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem; they made Also They removed all the altars of incense and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15 They sacrificed Next Passover, on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites, overcome with shame, consecrated themselves and offered burnt offerings in the house of Yahweh.
16 They occupied their place ordinary, according to their regulations, according to the law of Moses, the man of God; and the priests shed the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites.
17 Since there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, the Levites were charged with sacrificing the Passover victims for all those who were not pure, in order to consecrate them to Yahweh.
18 For a large part of the people, a multitude from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, and they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, »May the Lord, who is good, forgive them.”
19 to all those who have set their hearts to seek God, Yahweh, the God of their fathers, even though they do not have purity required to the sanctuary!« 
20 Yahweh heard Hezekiah and forgave the people.

21 And the children of Israel who were in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and every day the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh with mighty instruments, in honor of Yahweh.
22 Hezekiah spoke to the hearts of all the Levites, who showed great understanding for the service of Yahweh. They ate the victims of the festival for seven days, offering peaceful sacrifices and praising Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

23 The whole assembly agreed to celebrate seven more days, and they celebrated seven others joyfully days;
24 For Hezekiah, king of Judah, had given to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the leaders had given him a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep, and a great number of priests had consecrated themselves.
25 The whole assembly of Judah, the priests and Levites, the whole assembly from Israel, and the foreigners from the land of Israel or those residing in Judah, gave themselves over to joy.
26 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, so that since the days of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like it had not taken place in Jerusalem.
27 The Levitical priests stood up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; their prayer reached the holy dwelling place of Yahweh, up to heaven.

Chapter 31

1 When all this was finished, all those of’The Israelites who were there went to the towns of Judah, and they broke down the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they were completely destroyed. Then all the Israelites returned to their towns, each to their own territory.
2 Hezekiah established the divisions of the priests and Levites according to their classes, — each of the priests and Levites according to his functions, — for the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, for the service of worship, for the songs and the praises, at the gates of the camp of Yahweh.
3 It also provides from his possessions the king's portion for burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths, the new moons and the feasts, as it is written in the law of Yahweh.
4 And he told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and Levites, so that they might hold fast to the law of Yahweh.
5 When this The order was spread, and the children of Israel offered in abundance the firstfruits of wheat, new wine, oil, honey, and all the produce of the fields; they also brought in abundance the tithe of everything.
6 The children of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also gave the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of the holy things which were consecrated to Yahweh their God, and they made many heaps of them.
7 They began to form the piles in the third month, and they THE It was completed in the seventh month.
8 Hezekiah and the leaders came and, having seen the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel.
9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about these pile.
10 The high priest Azariah, of the house of Zadok, answered him, »Since the offerings taken from the house of the Lord began to be brought, we have eaten and been satisfied, and we have left much behind, for the Lord has blessed his people, and the remainder is this large quantity.« 

11 Hezekiah said to prepare rooms in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them.
12 The gifts collected, the tithe, and the consecrated offerings were faithfully brought there. The Levite Chonenias was in charge of it, and Shemei, his brother, came second.
13 Jahiel, Azariah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Jesmachiah, Mahath and Benaiah were overseers under Choneniah and his brother Shemei, according to the order of King Hezekiah and Azariah, ruler of the house of God.
14 Korah the Levite, son of Jemmah, who was The gatekeeper in the east was in charge of voluntary offerings made to God, to distribute what was set aside for Yahweh and the most holy things.
15 At his disposal were standing faithfully, in the cities of the priests, Eden, Benjamin, Jeshua, Shemeiah, Amariah, and Shecheniah, to distribute to their brothers, great and small, according to their classes:
16 except for registered males, three years old and above, to all who entered the house of Yahweh, according to the need of each day, for TO DO their service according to their functions and classes.
17 The register of priests was erected according to their ancestral houses, and the Levites were registered from the age of twenty and above, according to their functions and classes.
18 The register included all their children, their wives, their sons and their daughters; the whole assembly; for in their faithfulness they devoted themselves to the holy offerings.
19 And for the sons of Aaron, the priests who lived in the territory surrounding their cities, there was in each city men designated by name to distribute the portions to every male among the priests and to all the Levites registered.

20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; he did what was good, what was right, and what was true before the Lord his God.
21 In everything he did for the service of the house of God, for the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he worked with all his heart and prospered.

Chapter 32

1 After these things and these acts of In loyalty, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, set out and, having entered Judah, he encamped against the fortified cities, with the intention of capturing them.
2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and was turning against Jerusalem to attack it,
3 He held a council with his commanders and valiant men to cover the waters of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him.
4 A large crowd gathered, and they covered all the springs and the stream that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, »Why should the kings of Assyria, when they came here, Would they find abundant water?« 
5 Hezekiah He took courage; he rebuilt the entire wall which was in ruins and restored the towers; he built the other wall outside, fortified Mello in the city of David; he made manufacture a quantity of weapons and shields.
6 He appointed military commanders for the people and, having gathered them before him in the square of the city gate, he spoke to them kindly, saying:
7 »Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.
8 With him is an arm of flesh, and with us is Yahweh, our God, to help us and to lead our battles.» The people trusted in the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.

9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem—he was before Lachish with all his royal forces—to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all those of Judah, who were in Jerusalem, for their say :
10 » Thus says Sennacherib, king of Assyria: On what do you trust, that you remain besieged in Jerusalem in distress?
11 Is not Hezekiah deceiving you, when he says, “The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria?”
12 Was it not Hezekiah who removed the high places and altars of Yahweh, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar and offer incense on it?”
13 Do you not know what we have done, my fathers and I, to all the peoples of the countries? Could the gods of the peoples of the countries really save their countries from my hand?
14 Which of the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed was able to deliver his people from my hand, so that your god might deliver you from my hand?
15 Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah seduce you and deceive you in this way! Do not trust him. For no god of any nation or of’none The kingdom could not deliver its people from my hand and from the hand of my fathers; how much less will your god deliver you from my hand!« 

16 The servants of Sennacherib They spoke again against Yahweh God and against Hezekiah, his servant.
17 He also wrote a letter to insult Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to speak against him; he was speaking in these terms: "Just as the gods of the nations of the lands could not deliver their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand."» 
18 And his servants shouted aloud in the Hebrew language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order to to be able to thus to seize the city.
19 They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands.

20 Because of this, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amos, began to pray, and they cried out to heaven.
21 And Yahweh sent an angel who exterminated all the mighty men, the princes, and the leaders in the camp of the king of Assyria. The king He returned to his country covered in shame. When he entered the house of his god, some of those who had come out of his own body struck him down with the sword.
22 And the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and from the hand of all his enemies, and he guided them in all directions.
23 Many people brought offerings to Yahweh in Jerusalem, and rich gifts to Hezekiah, king of Judah, who was exalted from then on in the sight of all the nations.

24 At that time Hezekiah was ill and at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to him and granted him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not respond to the kindness he had received, for his heart was lifted up, and his anger of Yahweh was upon him, as well as upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 And Hezekiah humbled himself because of the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of Yahweh did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.

27 Hezekiah had great riches and honor. He amassed treasures of silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of desirable objects.
28 He made himself stores for wheat, wine, and oil products, and nurseries for all kinds of livestock, and he had herds for the stables.
29 He built cities, and he had numerous herds of cattle and sheep, for God gave him considerable wealth.
30 It was Hezekiah who also covered the upper outlet of the waters of the Gihon and directed them downwards towards the west of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in all his undertakings.
31 And God born he abandoned him to the messengers whom the leaders of Babylon sent to him to inquire about the prodigy that had taken place in the country, that to test it, in order to know everything what there was in his heart.

32 The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his holy works, are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amos, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the highest place among the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

Chapter 33

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, imitating the abominations of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the children of Israel.
3 He rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he erected altars to the Baals, he made Asherahs, and he bowed down before all the host of heaven and served them.
4 He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said:» It is in Jerusalem that will be my name in perpetuity.« 
5 He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Yahweh.
6 He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-Ennom; he practiced augury, divination and magic; he appointed necromancers and sorcerers.
7 He put the image of the idol that 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 I will no longer bring the foot of Israel from the land I gave to your ancestors, provided they are careful to do everything I commanded them, according to all the law, the statutes, and the ordinances. prescribed through the intermediary of Moses.« 
9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to the point that they did more harm than the nations that Yahweh had destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

11 Then Yahweh brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria; they captured Manasseh with rings and, having bound him with a double bronze chain, they brought him to Babylon.
12 When he was in distress, he implored Yahweh, his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13 He prayed to him, and the Lord, moved by his plea, listened to his supplication and brought him back to Jerusalem in his kingdom. And Manasseh acknowledged that the Lord is God.

14 After this, he built an outer wall to the City of David, on the west, toward Gihon in the valley, as far as the entrance to the Fish Gate, so as to He surrounded Ophel and raised it to a great height. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.
15 He removed from the house of Yahweh the foreign gods and the idol, as well as all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of Yahweh and in Jerusalem, and he threw them out of the city.
16 He rebuilt the altar of Yahweh and offered peace offerings and thanksgiving sacrifices on it, and he told Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.
17 The people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to Yahweh, their God.
18 The rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are these: is located in the acts of the kings of Israel.
19 His prayer and the way in which His sins and infidelities were answered; the places where he built the high places and erected Asherahs and images before he humbled himself, behold, this is written in the Words of Hozai.
20 Manasseh rested with his ancestors, and they buried him in his house. Amon, his son, reigned in his place.

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had done; Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and he served them;
23 and he did not humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; for he, Amon, multiplied his sin.
24 His servants conspired against him and killed him in his house.
25 But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

Chapter 34

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2 He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and he walked in the ways of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a young man, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherahs, the carved images, and the cast images.
4 They overturned the altars of the Baals before him, and he cut down the incense altars that were placed on it; he broke the Asherahs, the carved images, and the cast images, and, having reduced them to dust, he scattered this dust on the tombs of those who had offered sacrifices to them;
5 and he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. And he purified Judah and Jerusalem.
6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali—amidst their ruins—
7 He overturned the altars, smashed the Asherahs and carved images to pieces, and cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the house of God, He sent Shaphan son of Asliah, Maasiah the city commander, and Joha son of Jehoahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.
9 They went to Helkiah the high priest and handed over the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the gate had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 They handed over this money in the hands of those who were execute the work, who were appointed overseers in the house of Yahweh, and they gave it to the workers who were working on the house of Yahweh, to repair and strengthen the house.
11 And they THE gave to the carpenters and masons, and they employed him to buy hewn stones and timber for the framework, and to put beams in the buildings that the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 These men worked faithfully at their task. They had as overseers Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from among the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Mosollam, from among the sons of the Kaathites, who directed them, as well as other Levites who all knew how to play musical instruments.
13 These They also supervised the maneuvers and directed all the workers for each task. There was still Levites served as secretaries, commissioners, and gatekeepers.

14 When the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord was being withdrawn, Helkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord, data through the intermediary of Moses.
15 Then Helkiah spoke up and said to Shaphan the secretary, »I have found the Book of the Law in the house of Yahweh»; and Helkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
16 Saphan brought the book to the king, and he returned Also Report to the king, saying, "Everything that was entrusted to your servants, they have done:
17 They emptied the money that was in the house of Yahweh and gave it into the hands of those appointed overseers and into the hands of those who do execute the book.« 
18 Saphan, the secretary, then informed the king of this: »The priest Helcias gave me a book.» And Saphan read from it… book before the king.

19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes,
20 and he gave this order to Helcias, to Ahicam son of Shaphan, to Abdon son of Micha, to Shaphan the secretary, and to Asaah, the king's servant:
21 »Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant of Israel and Judah concerning the words of the book that has been found; for great is the anger of the Lord that has been poured out on us, because our ancestors did not keep the word of the Lord, by doing according to all that is written in this book.« 

22 Helcias and those whom the king had designated They went to the prophetess Holda, the wife of Shellum, son of Tekuath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; she lived in Jerusalem, in the second quarter. When they had spoken to her according to their mission,
23 She said to them, »This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me:
24 Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I am going to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book which was read before the king of Judah.
25 Because they have forsaken me and have offered incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with all the works of their hands, my anger has been poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.
26 And you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: As for the words that you have heard,
27 because your heart has repented, and you have humbled yourself before God when you heard these words against this place and against its inhabitants; because, in humbling yourself before me, you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares Yahweh.
28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, you will be gathered in peace to your grave, and your eyes will not see all the disasters that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.« 

They reported this answer to the king.

29 The king sent to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 And the king went up to the house of Yahweh with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least, and he read before them all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of Yahweh.
31 The king, standing on his platform, concluded the covenant before Yahweh, committing to follow Yahweh, and to observe his precepts, his ordinances and his laws with all his heart and with all his soul, putting into practice the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
32 And he made them agree to the’alliance all those who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the children of Israel, and he made all those who were in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not turn away from the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Chapter 35

1 Josiah celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem in honor of Yahweh, and the Passover lamb was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2 He appointed the priests to their offices, and he encouraged them to TO DO the service in the house of Yahweh.
3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were consecrated to the Lord, »Place the holy ark in the house that Solomon son of David, king of Israel, built; you no longer have to carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.”.
4 Get ready, according to your families, in your divisions, according to the regulations of David king of Israel, and according to the plan of Solomon his son.
5 Stand in the sanctuary according to the divisions of the families of your brothers, the sons of the people, — for each division a class of the Levite family.
6 Sacrifice the Passover lamb, consecrate yourselves, and prepare—there for your brothers, so that we may conform to the word of Yahweh, that he said through the intermediary of Moses.« 

7 Josiah gave the people flocks of sheep and goats, thirty thousand in number, for the Passover, for all who were there, and three thousand oxen, all taken on the king's property.
8 Its leaders spontaneously made a gift to the people, to the priests and to the Levites: Helkiah, Zechariah and Jahiel, princes of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover two thousand six hundred lambs and three hundred oxen;
9 Chonenia, Shemeiah and Nathanael, his brothers, Hasabiah, Jehiel and Jozabad, leaders of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover five thousand lambs and five hundred oxen.

10 So the service was organized: the priests stood at their posts, as well as the Levites, according to their divisions, in accordance with the king's order.
11 The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests sprinkled the blood that they received with their own hands, while the Levites stripped the victims.
12 They set aside the pieces intended to the burnt offering, to give them to the divisions of the families of the common people, so that they THE offer to Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses; and likewise for the oxen.
13 They roasted the Passover lamb over the fire, according to the regulations, and they cooked the holy offerings in pots, cauldrons, and pans, and they hurried to distribute them to all the common people.
14 Then they prepared Easter for them and for the priests; for the priests, sons of Aaron, were occupied, until nightfall, offering the holocaust and the fats: that's why the Levites there prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15 The singers, sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the order of David, Asaph, Heman, and Idithun, the king's seer, and the gatekeepers were at each gate; they were not to turn away from their duties, for their brothers, the Levites, were preparing food for them. Easter.

16 So The entire service of Yahweh was organized on that day to celebrate the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of Yahweh, according to the order of King Josiah.
17 The children of Israel who were there They celebrated Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
18 No Passover like this had been celebrated in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet, and none of the kings of Israel had made a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests and Levites, and all Judah and all Israel who were present there, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

20 After all this, when Josiah had repaired the house of Yahweh, Necho, king of Egypt, went up to fight at Harcamis, on the Euphrates; and Josiah went out to meet him.
21 And Nechao He sent messengers to him saying, »What do you want with me, king of Judah? It is not against you.” that I come today; but it's against a house with which I am at war, and God me’told me to hurry. Stop oppose you God, who is with me, and may he not let you die!« 
22 But Josiah did not turn away from him and disguised himself to attack him; he did not listen to the words of Necho, who came from the mouth of God; he advanced to fight in the plain of Mageddo.
23 The archers shot at King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, »Take me away, for I am badly wounded.« 
24 His servants removed him from the chariot and placed him in his own other chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem. He died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25 Jeremiah composed a lament for Josiah; all the singers and all The singers have spoken of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; it has become a custom in Israel. And now these songs are written in the Lamentations.

26 The rest of the acts of Josiah, and his righteous deeds, according to what is written in the law of the Lord,
27 His acts, the first and the last, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Chapter 36

1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father, in Jerusalem.
2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem, and imposed on the country a contribution of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.
4 And he made Eliacim, brother of, king over Judah and Jerusalem. Joachaz, and he changed his name to that of Jehoiakim. Necho took his brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, his God.
6 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against him, and bound him with a double bronze chain, to bring him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar carried some of the utensils from the house of Yahweh to Babylon, and he put them in his temple in Babylon.

8 The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations he committed, and what was found in him, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
10 At the return of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar had him taken to Babylon, along with the precious articles of the house of the Lord; and he made Zedekiah, the brother of Joachin.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh his God, and he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who was speaking to him from Yahweh.

13 He even rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart, so as not to return to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

14 All the chief priests and the people also multiplied the transgressions, according to all the abominations of the nations, and they profaned the house of Yahweh, which he had sanctified in Jerusalem.
15 Yahweh, the God of their fathers, had sent them warnings through his messengers, early and repeatedly; for he had compassion on his people and his own remains.
16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until God’s anger rose against his people, And that there was no longer any remedy.

17 Then Yahweh brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and spared neither young man, nor virgin, nor old man, nor gray-haired man; Yahweh he placed everything in her hands.
18 Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon all the utensils of the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king and his chiefs.
19 They burned the house of God, they demolished the walls of Jerusalem, they burned all its palaces and all its precious objects were delivered to destruction.
20 Nebuchadnezzar He took captive to Babylon those who escaped the sword, and they were his slaves, to him and his sons, until the domination of the kingdom of Persia.
21 Thus was fulfilled the word of Yahweh, that he had said through the mouth of Jeremiah: Until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths; for it rested all the days of its desolation, — until the completion of seventy years.

22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord, that he had said Through the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, who made this proclamation orally and in writing throughout his kingdom:
23 »This is what Cyrus king of Persia said: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has told me to build him a temple in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who among you belongs to his people? May the Lord, his God, either with him, and let him get in!… «