Yahuwah Bible

¹ Shlomo the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and Yahuwah his Elohim was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
² Shlomo spoke to all Yisra’el, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Yisra’el, the heads of the fathers’ households.
³ So Shlomo, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the Tent of Meeting of Elohim, which Moshe the servant of Yahuwah had made in the wilderness.
⁴ But David had brought the ark of Elohim up from Kiriat Yearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Yerushalayim.
⁵ Moreover the bronze altar, that Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the Mishkan of Yahuwah: and Shlomo and the assembly were seeking counsel there.
⁶ Shlomo went up there to the bronze altar before Yahuwah, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.
⁷ In that night Elohim appeared to Shlomo, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”
⁸ Shlomo said to Elohim, “You have shown great loving kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
⁹ Now, Yahuwah Elohim, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this your people, that is so great?”
¹¹ Elohim said to Shlomo, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of those who hate you, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king:
¹² wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. I will give you riches, wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you; neither shall there any after you have the like.”
¹³ So Shlomo came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Yerushalayim; and he reigned over Yisra’el.
¹⁴ Shlomo gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Yerushalayim.
¹⁵ The king made silver and gold to be in Yerushalayim as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
¹⁶ The horses which Shlomo had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue; the king’s merchants purchased them from Kue.
¹⁷ They brought up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hitites, and the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.

¹ Now Shlomo purposed to build a house for the name of Yahuwah, and a house for his kingdom.
² Shlomo counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
³ Shlomo sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, so deal with me.
⁴ Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahuwah my Elohim, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual show bread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on Shabats, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Yahuwah our Elohim. This is an ordinance forever to Yisra’el.
⁵ “The house which I build is great; for our Elohim is great above all elohim.
⁶ But who is able to build him a house, since heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, except just to burn incense before him?
⁷ “Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave engravings, to be with the skillful men who are with me in Yehudah and in Yerushalayim, whom David my father provided.
⁸ “Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon: and behold, my servants shall be with your servants,
⁹ even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.
¹⁰ Behold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”
¹¹ Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Shlomo, “Because Yahuwah loves his people, he has made you king over them.”
¹² Huram continued, “Blessed be Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, that made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, that should build a house for Yahuwah, and a house for his kingdom.
¹³ Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, of Huram my father’s,
¹⁴ the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, also to engrave any kind of engraving, and to devise any device; that there may be a place appointed to him with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.
¹⁵ “Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants:
¹⁶ and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need; and we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Yopa; and you shall carry it up to Yerushalayim.”
¹⁷ Shlomo numbered all the foreigners who were in the land of Yisra’el, after the numbering with which David his father had numbered them; and they were found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.
¹⁸ He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people at work.

¹ Then Shlomo began to build the house of Yahuwah at Yerushalayim on Mount Moriyah. where Yahuwah appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing floor of Ornan the Yebusite.
² He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
³ Now these are the foundations which Shlomo laid for the building of the house of Elohim. The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
⁴ The porch that was in front, its length, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
⁵ The greater house he made a ceiling with fir wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
⁶ He garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
⁷ He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and its walls, and its doors, with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls.
⁸ He made the most holy house: its length, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
⁹ The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
¹⁰ In the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work; and they overlaid them with gold.
¹¹ The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
¹² The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
¹³ The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
¹⁴ He made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
¹⁵ Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
¹⁶ He made chains in the oracle, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
¹⁷ He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Yachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

¹ Then he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits its length, and twenty cubits its breadth, and ten cubits its height.
² Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass; and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it.
³ Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.
⁴ It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set on them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.
⁵ It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
⁶ He made also ten basins, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.
⁷ He made the ten Menorahs of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.
⁸ He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold.
⁹ Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with brass.
¹⁰ He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south.
¹¹ Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. So Huram made an end of doing the work that he did for king Shlomo in the house of Elohim:
¹² the two pillars, and the bowls, and the two capitals which were on the top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars,
¹³ and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars.
¹⁴ He made also the bases, and the basins made he on the bases;
¹⁵ one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.
¹⁶ Huram his father also made the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all its vessels for king Shlomo for the house of Yahuwah of bright brass.
¹⁷ The king cast them in the plain of the Yarden, in the clay ground between Sukot and Zeredah.
¹⁸ Thus Shlomo made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.
¹⁹ Shlomo made all the vessels that were in the house of Elohim, the golden altar also, and the tables with the show bread on them;
²⁰ and the Menorahs with their lamps, to burn according to the ordinance before the oracle, of pure gold;
²¹ and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold, and that perfect gold;
²² and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold: and as for the entry of the house, the inner doors of it for the most holy place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple were of gold.

¹ Thus all the work that Shlomo did for the house of Yahuwah was finished. Shlomo brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of Elohim.
² Then Shlomo assembled the elders of Yisra’el, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Yisra’el, to Yerushalayim, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahuwah out of the city of David, which is Tzion.
³ And all the men of Yisra’el assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month.
⁴ All the elders of Yisra’el came: and the Levites took up the ark;
⁵ and they brought up the ark, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the priests the Levites brought up.
⁶ King Shlomo and all the congregation of Yisra’el, that were assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.
⁷ The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahuwah to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.
⁸ For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
⁹ The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there it is to this day.
¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which Moshe put at Horeb, when Yahuwah made a covenant with the children of Yisra’el, when they came out of Egypt.
¹¹ It happened, when the priests had come out of the holy place, (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions;
¹² also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaf, Heman, Yedutun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets;)
¹³ it happened, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahuwah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahuwah, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever!” that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Yahuwah,
¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Yahuwah filled the house of Elohim.

¹ Then Shlomo said, “Yahuwah has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
² But I have built you a house of habitation, and a place for you to dwell in forever.”
³ The king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’el: and all the assembly of Yisra’el stood.
⁴ He said, “Blessed be Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and has with his hands fulfilled it, saying,
⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Yisra’el to build a house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be prince over my people Yisra’el:
⁶ but I have chosen Yerushalayim, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Yisra’el.’
⁷ Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
⁸ But Yahuwah said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart:
⁹ nevertheless you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’
¹⁰ “Yahuwah has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Yisra’el, as Yahuwah promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
¹¹ There I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahuwah, which he made with the children of Yisra’el.”
¹² He stood before the altar of Yahuwah in the presence of all the assembly of Yisra’el, and spread forth his hands
¹³ (for Shlomo had made a bronze scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and on it he stood, and kneeled down on his knees before all the assembly of Yisra’el, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;)
¹⁴ and he said, “Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, there is no Elohim like you, in heaven, or on earth; you who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;
¹⁵ who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him: yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.
¹⁶ “Now therefore, Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Yisra’el, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’
¹⁷ Now therefore, Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David.
¹⁸ “But will Elohim indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house which I have built!
¹⁹ Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and to his supplication, Yahuwah my Elohim, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you;
²⁰ that your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put your name; to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.
²¹ Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Yisra’el, when they shall pray toward this place: yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.
²² “If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;
²³ then hear from heaven, and do, and judge your servants, bringing retribution to the wicked, to bring his way on his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
²⁴ “If your people Yisra’el be struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again and confess your name, and pray and make supplication before you in this house;
²⁵ then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Yisra’el, and bring them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers.
²⁶ “When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them:
²⁷ then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Yisra’el, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.
²⁸ “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;
²⁹ whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, or by all your people Yisra’el, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house:
³⁰ then hear from heaven, your dwelling place and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children of men;)
³¹ that they may fear you, to walk in your ways, so long as they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.
³² “Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Yisra’el, when he shall come from a far country for your great name’s sake, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm; when they shall come and pray toward this house:
³³ then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, and fear you, as does your people Yisra’el, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.
³⁴ “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name;
³⁵ then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
³⁶ “If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to a land far off or near;
³⁷ yet if they shall repent themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;’
³⁸ if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name:
³⁹ then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
⁴⁰ “Now, my Elohim, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive, to the prayer that is made in this place.
⁴¹ “Now therefore arise, Yahuwah Elohim, into your resting place, you, and the ark of your strength: let your priests, Yahuwah Elohim, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness.
⁴² “Yahuwah Elohim, don’t turn away the face of your anointed. Remember your loving kindnesses to David your servant.”

¹ Now when Shlomo had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Yahuwah filled the house.
² The priests could not enter into the house of Yahuwah, because the glory of Yahuwah filled Yahuwah‘s house.
³ All the children of Yisra’el looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of Yahuwah was on the house; and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahuwah, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures for ever.”
⁴ Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before Yahuwah.
⁵ King Shlomo offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of Elohim.
⁶ The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments of music of Yahuwah, which David the king had made to give thanks to Yahuwah, when David praised by their ministry, saying “For his loving kindness endures for ever.” The priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Yisra’el stood.
⁷ Moreover Shlomo made the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahuwah; for there he offered the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Shlomo had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat.
⁸ So Shlomo held the feast at that time seven days, and all Yisra’el with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamat to the brook of Egypt.
⁹ On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
¹⁰ On the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Yahuwah had shown to David, and to Shlomo, and to Yisra’el his people.
¹¹ Thus Shlomo finished the house of Yahuwah, and the king’s house: and he successfully completed all that came into Shlomo‘s heart to make in the house of Yahuwah, and in his own house.
¹² Yahuwah appeared to Shlomo by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.
¹³ “If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
¹⁵ Now my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive, to the prayer that is made in this place.
¹⁶ For now have I chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
¹⁷ “As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;
¹⁸ then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Yisra’el.’
¹⁹ But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other elohim, and worship them;
²⁰ then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
²¹ This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall say, ‘Why has Yahuwah done thus to this land, and to this house?’
²² They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and took other elohim, worshiped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all this evil on them.’”

¹ It happened at the end of twenty years, in which Shlomo had built the house of Yahuwah, and his own house,
² that the cities which Huram had given to Shlomo, Shlomo built them, and caused the children of Yisra’el to dwell there.
³ Shlomo went to Hamat Tzobah, and prevailed against it.
⁴ He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamat.
⁵ Also he built Beit Horon the upper, and Beit Horon the lower, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
⁶ and Baalat, and all the storage cities that Shlomo had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Shlomo desired to build for his pleasure in Yerushalayim, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
⁷ As for all the people who were left of the Hitites, and the Amorites, and the Perizites, and the Hivites, and the Yebusites, who were not of Yisra’el;
⁸ of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Yisra’el didn’t consume, of them Shlomo conscripted forced labor to this day.
⁹ But of the children of Yisra’el, Shlomo made no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
¹⁰ These were the chief officers of king Shlomo, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.
¹¹ Shlomo brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David to the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Yisra’el, because the places where the ark of Yahuwah has come are holy.”
¹² Then Shlomo offered burnt offerings to Yahuwah on the altar of Yahuwah, which he had built before the porch,
¹³ even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moshe, on Shabats, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times in the year, at Chag HaMatzah (Feast of unleavened bread), and in Shavuot (feast of weeks/pentecost), and in the Sukot (feast of tents).
¹⁴ He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate: for so had David the man of Elohim commanded.
¹⁵ They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
¹⁶ Now all the work of Shlomo was prepared to the day of the foundation of the house of Yahuwah, and until it was finished. So the house of Yahuwah was completed.
¹⁷ Then went Shlomo to Etzion Geber, and to Elot, on the seashore in the land of Edom.
¹⁸ Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Shlomo to Ofir, and fetched from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Shlomo.

¹ When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Shlomo, she came to prove Shlomo with hard questions at Yerushalayim, with a very great train, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she had come to Shlomo, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
² Shlomo told her all her questions; and there was not anything hidden from Shlomo which he didn’t tell her.
³ When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Shlomo, and the house that he had built,
⁴ and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, his cup bearers also, and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahuwah; there was no more spirit in her.
⁵ She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.
⁶ However I didn’t believe their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me: you exceed the fame that I heard.
⁷ Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom.
⁸ Blessed be Yahuwah your Elohim, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne, to be king for Yahuwah your Elohim: because your Elohim loved Yisra’el, to establish them forever, therefore made he you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”
⁹ She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Shlomo.
¹⁰ The servants also of Huram, and the servants of Shlomo, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
¹¹ The king made of the algum trees terraces for the house of Yahuwah, and for the king’s house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers: and there were none like these seen before in the land of Yehudah.
¹² King Shlomo gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
¹³ Now the weight of gold that came to Shlomo in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
¹⁴ besides that which the traders and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Shlomo.
¹⁵ King Shlomo made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one buckler.
¹⁶ He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
¹⁷ Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
¹⁸ And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.
¹⁹ Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom.
²⁰ All king Shlomo‘s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Shlomo.
²¹ For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
²² So king Shlomo exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
²³ All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Shlomo, to hear his wisdom, which Elohim had put in his heart.
²⁴ They brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
²⁵ Shlomo had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he stationed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Yerushalayim.
²⁶ He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
²⁷ The king made silver to be in Yerushalayim as stones, and he made cedars to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
²⁸ They brought horses for Shlomo out of Egypt, and out of all lands.
²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Shlomo, first and last, aren’t they written in the history of Natan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahiyah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Ido the seer concerning Yerov’am the son of Nebat?
³⁰ Shlomo reigned in Yerushalayim over all Yisra’el forty years.
³¹ Shlomo slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehav’am his son reigned in his place.

¹ Rehav’am went to Shechem; for all Yisra’el had come to Shechem to make him king.
² It happened, when Yerov’am the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Shlomo), that Yerov’am returned out of Egypt.
³ They sent and called him; and Yerov’am and all Yisra’el came, and they spoke to Rehav’am, saying,
⁴ “Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
⁵ He said to them, “Come again to me after three days.” The people departed.
⁶ King Rehav’am took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Shlomo his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to return answer to this people?”
⁷ They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
⁸ But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
⁹ He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?’”
¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall tell the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter on us;’ thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
¹¹ Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”
¹² So Yerov’am and all the people came to Rehav’am the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”
¹³ The king answered them roughly; and king Rehav’am forsook the counsel of the old men,
¹⁴ and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
¹⁵ So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was brought about of Elohim, that Yahuwah might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahiyah the Shilonite to Yerov’am the son of Nebat.
¹⁶ When all Yisra’el saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Yese! Every man to your tents, Yisra’el! Now see to your own house, David.” So all Yisra’el departed to their tents.
¹⁷ But as for the children of Yisra’el who lived in the cities of Yehudah, Rehav’am reigned over them.
¹⁸ Then king Rehav’am sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and the children of Yisra’el stoned him to death with stones. King Rehav’am made speed to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Yerushalayim.
¹⁹ So Yisra’el rebelled against the house of David to this day.

¹ When Rehav’am had come to Yerushalayim, he assembled the house of Yehudah and Binyamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Yisra’el, to bring the kingdom again to Rehav’am.
² But the word of Yahuwah came to Shemaiyah the man of Elohim, saying,
³ “Speak to Rehav’am the son of Shlomo, king of Yehudah, and to all Yisra’el in Yehudah and Binyamin, saying,
⁴ ‘Thus says Yahuwah, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers! Return every man to his house; for this thing is of me.”’” So they listened to the words of Yahuwah, and returned from going against Yerov’am.
⁵ Rehav’am lived in Yerushalayim, and built cities for defense in Yehudah.
⁶ He built Beit-Lechem , and Etam, and Tekoa,
⁷ Beit Tzur, and Soco, and Adulam,
⁸ and Gat, and Mareshah, and Ziyif,
⁹ and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
¹⁰ and Zorah, and Ayalon, and Hebron, which are in Yehudah and in Binyamin, fortified cities.
¹¹ He fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, and oil and wine.
¹² He put shields and spears in every city, and made them exceeding strong. Yehudah and Binyamin belonged to him.
¹³ The priests and the Levites who were in all Yisra’el resorted to him out of all their border.
¹⁴ For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Yehudah and Yerushalayim: for Yerov’am and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office to Yahuwah;
¹⁵ and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the male goats, and for the calves which he had made.
¹⁶ After them, out of all the tribes of Yisra’el, such as set their hearts to seek Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, came to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers.
¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Yehudah, and made Rehav’am the son of Shlomo strong, three years; for they walked three years in the way of David and Shlomo.
¹⁸ Rehav’am took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Yerimot the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Yese;
¹⁹ and she bore him sons: Yeush, and Shemariyah. and Zaham.
²⁰ After her he took Maacah the daughter of Abshalom; and she bore him Abiyah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.
²¹ Rehav’am loved Maacah the daughter of Abshalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)
²² Rehav’am appointed Abiyah the son of Maacah to be chief, the prince among his brothers; for he intended to make him king.
²³ He dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Yehudah and Binyamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them food in abundance. He sought for them many wives.

¹ It happened, when the kingdom of Rehav’am was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of Yahuwah, and all Yisra’el with him.
² It happened in the fifth year of king Rehav’am, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Yerushalayim, because they had trespassed against Yahuwah,
³ with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen. The people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukiim, and the Ethiopians.
⁴ He took the fortified cities which pertained to Yehudah, and came to Yerushalayim.
⁵ Now Shemaiyah the prophet came to Rehav’am, and to the princes of Yehudah, who were gathered together to Yerushalayim because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says Yahuwah, ‘You have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.’”
⁶ Then the princes of Yisra’el and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “Yahuwah is righteous.”
⁷ When Yahuwah saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahuwah came to Shemaiyah. saying, “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Yerushalayim by the hand of Shishak.
⁸ Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
⁹ So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Yerushalayim, and took away the treasures of the house of Yahuwah, and the treasures of the king’s house. He took it all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Shlomo had made.
¹⁰ King Rehav’am made in their place shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.
¹¹ It was so, that as often as the king entered into the house of Yahuwah, the guard came and bore them, and brought them back into the guard room.
¹² When he humbled himself, the wrath of Yahuwah turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether: and moreover in Yehudah there were good things found.
¹³ So king Rehav’am strengthened himself in Yerushalayim, and reigned: for Rehav’am was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city which Yahuwah had chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’el, to put his name there: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Amonitess.
¹⁴ He did that which was evil, because he didn’t set his heart to seek Yahuwah.
¹⁵ Now the acts of Rehav’am, first and last, aren’t they written in the histories of Shemaiyah the prophet and of Ido the seer, after the way of genealogies? There were wars between Rehav’am and Yerov’am continually.
¹⁶ Rehav’am slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abiyah his son reigned in his place.

¹ In the eighteenth year of king Yerov’am began Abiyah to reign over Yehudah.
² He reigned three years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Micaiyah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abiyah and Yerov’am.
³ Abiyah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Yerov’am set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.
⁴ Abiyah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Efrayim, and said, “Hear me, Yerov’am and all Yisra’el:
⁵ Ought you not to know that Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, gave the kingdom over Yisra’el to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
⁶ Yet Yerov’am the son of Nebat, the servant of Shlomo the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.
⁷ There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehav’am the son of Shlomo, when Rehav’am was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
⁸ “Now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahuwah in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Yerov’am made you for elohim.
⁹ Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahuwah, the sons of Aharon, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves after the ways of the peoples of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of those who are no elohim.
¹⁰ “But as for us, Yahuwah is our Elohim, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering to Yahuwah, the sons of Aharon, and the Levites in their work:
¹¹ and they burn to Yahuwah every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the Menorah of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the instruction of Yahuwah our Elohim; but you have forsaken him.
¹² Behold, Elohim is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Yisra’el, don’t fight against Yahuwah, the Elohim of your fathers; for you shall not prosper.”
¹³ But Yerov’am caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Yehudah, and the ambush was behind them.
¹⁴ When Yehudah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahuwah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
¹⁵ Then the men of Yehudah gave a shout: and as the men of Yehudah shouted, it happened, that Elohim struck Yerov’am and all Yisra’el before Abiyah and Yehudah.
¹⁶ The children of Yisra’el fled before Yehudah; and Elohim delivered them into their hand.
¹⁷ Abiyah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Yisra’el five hundred thousand chosen men.
¹⁸ Thus the children of Yisra’el were brought under at that time, and the children of Yehudah prevailed, because they relied on Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers.
¹⁹ Abiyah pursued after Yerov’am, and took cities from him, Beit-El with its towns, and Yeshanah with its towns, and Efron with its towns.
²⁰ Yerov’am didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abiyah. Yahuwah struck him, and he died.
²¹ But Abiyah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.
²² The rest of the acts of Abiyah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Ido.

¹ So Abiyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
² Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahuwah his Elohim:
³ for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherim,
⁴ and commanded Yehudah to seek Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
⁵ Also he took away out of all the cities of Yehudah the high places and the sun images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
⁶ He built fortified cities in Yehudah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahuwah had given him rest.
⁷ For he said to Yehudah, “Let us build these cities, and make walls around them, with towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought Yahuwah our Elohim; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
⁸ Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
⁹ There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah.
¹⁰ Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zefatah at Mareshah.
¹¹ Asa cried to Yahuwah his Elohim, and said, “Yahuwah, there is none besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahuwah our Elohim; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. Yahuwah, you are our Elohim. Don’t let man prevail against you.”
¹² So Yahuwah struck the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Yehudah; and the Ethiopians fled.
¹³ Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Yahuwah, and before his army; and they carried away very much booty.
¹⁴ They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of Yahuwah came on them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them.
¹⁵ They struck also the tents of livestock, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Yerushalayim.

¹ the Spirit of Elohim came on Azariyah the son of Oded:
² and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Yehudah and Binyamin! Yahuwah is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
³ Now for a long time Yisra’el was without the true Elohim, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
⁴ But when in their distress they turned to Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, and sought him, he was found by them.
⁵ In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.
⁶ They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for Elohim troubled them with all adversity.
⁷ But you be strong, and don’t let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded.”
⁸ When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Yehudah and Binyamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Efrayim; and he renewed the altar of Yahuwah, that was before the porch of Yahuwah.
⁹ He gathered all Yehudah and Binyamin, and those who lived with them out of Efrayim and Menasheh, and out of Shimon: for they fell to him out of Yisra’el in abundance, when they saw that Yahuwah his Elohim was with him.
¹⁰ So they gathered themselves together at Yerushalayim in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
¹¹ They sacrificed to Yahuwah in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.
¹² They entered into the covenant to seek Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;
¹³ and that whoever would not seek Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
¹⁴ They swore to Yahuwah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
¹⁵ All Yehudah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and Yahuwah gave them rest all around.
¹⁶ Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
¹⁷ But the high places were not taken away out of Yisra’el: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
¹⁸ He brought into the house of Elohim the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
¹⁹ There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

¹ In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Yisra’el went up against Yehudah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Yehudah.
² Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Yahuwah and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,
³ “Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Yisra’el, that he may depart from me.”
⁴ Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Yisra’el; and they struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naftali.
⁵ It happened, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease.
⁶ Then Asa the king took all Yehudah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mitzpah.
⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Yehudah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on Yahuwah your Elohim, therefore is the army of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand.
⁸ Weren’t the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? Yet, because you relied on Yahuwah, he delivered them into your hand.
⁹ For the eyes of Yahuwah run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly; for from henceforth you shall have wars.”
¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.
¹¹ Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Yisra’el.
¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he didn’t seek Yahuwah, but to the physicians.
¹³ Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.
¹⁴ They buried him in his own tombs, which he had dug out for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers’ art: and they made a very great burning for him.

¹ Yahushafat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Yisra’el.
² He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Yehudah, and set garrisons in the land of Yehudah, and in the cities of Efrayim, which Asa his father had taken.
³ Yahuwah was with Yahushafat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and didn’t seek the Baals,
⁴ but sought to the Elohim of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Yisra’el.
⁵ Therefore Yahuwah established the kingdom in his hand; and all Yehudah brought to Yahushafat tribute; and he had riches and honor in abundance.
⁶ His heart was lifted up in the ways of Yahuwah: and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Yehudah.
⁷ Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, and Ovadiyah. and Zechariyah. and Netanel, and Micaiyah. to teach in the cities of Yehudah;
⁸ and with them the Levites, even Shemaiyah. and Netaniyah, and Zebadiyah. and Asahel, and Shemiramot, and Yahunatan, and Adoniyah, and Tobiyah, and Tobadoniyah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Yahuram, the priests.
⁹ They taught in Yehudah, having the book of the law of Yahuwah with them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Yehudah, and taught among the people.
¹⁰ The fear of Yahuwah fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Yehudah, so that they made no war against Yahushafat.
¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Yahushafat presents, and silver for tribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred male goats.
¹² Yahushafat grew great exceedingly; and he built in Yehudah castles and cities of store.
¹³ He had many works in the cities of Yehudah; and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Yerushalayim.
¹⁴ This was the numbering of them according to their fathers’ houses: Of Yehudah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand;
¹⁵ and next to him Yahuhanan the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand;
¹⁶ and next to him Amasiyah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Yahuwah; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.
¹⁷ Of Binyamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;
¹⁸ and next to him Yahuzabad and with him one hundred eighty thousand ready prepared for war.
¹⁹ These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Yehudah.

¹ Now Yahushafat had riches and honor in abundance; and he joined affinity with Ahab.
² After certain years he went down to Ahab to Shomron. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramot Gilead.
³ Ahab king of Yisra’el said to Yahushafat king of Yehudah, “Will you go with me to Ramot Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
⁴ Yahushafat said to the king of Yisra’el, “Please inquire first for the word of Yahuwah.”
⁵ Then the king of Yisra’el gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramot Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up; for Elohim will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
⁶ But Yahushafat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahuwah besides, that we may inquire of him?”
⁷ The king of Yisra’el said to Yahushafat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahuwah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiyah the son of Imla.” Yahushafat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”
⁸ Then the king of Yisra’el called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiyah the son of Imla quickly.”
⁹ Now the king of Yisra’el and Yahushafat the king of Yehudah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
¹⁰ Tzedekiyah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, “Thus says Yahuwah, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”
¹¹ All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramot Gilead, and prosper; for Yahuwah will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
¹² The messenger who went to call Micaiyah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”
¹³ Micaiyah said, “As Yahuwah lives, what my Elohim says, that will I speak.”
¹⁴ When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiyah. shall we go to Ramot Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”
¹⁵ The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahuwah?”
¹⁶ He said, “I saw all Yisra’el scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahuwah said, ‘These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.’”
¹⁷ The king of Yisra’el said to Yahushafat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
¹⁸ Micaiyah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahuwah: I saw Yahuwah sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
¹⁹ Yahuwah said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab king of Yisra’el, that he may go up and fall at Ramot Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.
²⁰ A spirit came out, stood before Yahuwah, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “Yahuwah said to him, ‘How?’
²¹ “He said, ‘I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go forth, and do so.’
²² “Now therefore, behold, Yahuwah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and Yahuwah has spoken evil concerning you.”
²³ Then Tzedekiyah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiyah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the Spirit of Yahuwah go from me to speak to you?”
²⁴ Micaiyah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you shall go into an inner room to hide yourself.”
²⁵ The king of Yisra’el said, “Take Micaiyah. and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Yoash the king’s son;
²⁶ and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”
²⁷ Micaiyah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahuwah has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you peoples, all of you!”
²⁸ So the king of Yisra’el and Yahushafat the king of Yehudah went up to Ramot Gilead.
²⁹ The king of Yisra’el said to Yahushafat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Yisra’el disguised himself; and they went into the battle.
³⁰ Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Yisra’el.”
³¹ It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Yahushafat, that they said, “It is the king of Yisra’el!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Yahushafat cried out, and Yahuwah helped him; and Elohim moved them to depart from him.
³² It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Yisra’el, that they turned back from pursuing him.
³³ A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Yisra’el between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn your hand, and carry me out of the army; for I am severely wounded.”
³⁴ The battle increased that day. However the king of Yisra’el propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and about the time of the going down of the sun, he died.

¹ Yahushafat the king of Yehudah returned to his house in peace to Yerushalayim.
² Yehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Yahushafat, “Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate Yahuwah? Because of this, wrath is on you from before Yahuwah.
³ Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asherot out of the land, and have set your heart to seek Elohim.”
⁴ Yahushafat lived at Yerushalayim: and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Efrayim, and brought them back to Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers.
⁵ He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Yehudah, city by city,
⁶ and said to the judges, “Consider what you do: for you don’t judge for man, but for Yahuwah; and he is with you in the judgment.
⁷ Now therefore let the fear of Yahuwah be on you. Take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Yahuwah our Elohim, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”
⁸ Moreover in Yerushalayim Yahushafat appointed Levites and priests, and of the heads of the fathers’ households of Yisra’el, for the judgment of Yahuwah, and for controversies. They returned to Yerushalayim.
⁹ He commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of Yahuwah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
¹⁰ Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards Yahuwah, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and you shall not be guilty.
¹¹ Behold, Amariyah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Yahuwah; and Zebadiyah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Yehudah, in all the king’s matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may Yahuwah be with the good.”

¹ It happened after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Amon, and with them some of the Amonites, came against Yahushafat to battle.
² Then some came who told Yahushafat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, Ein Gedi).
³ Yahushafat was alarmed, and set himself to seek to Yahuwah. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Yehudah.
⁴ Yehudah gathered themselves together, to seek help from Yahuwah. They came out of all the cities of Yehudah to seek Yahuwah.
⁵ Yahushafat stood in the assembly of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, in the house of Yahuwah, before the new court;
⁶ and he said, “Yahuwah, the Elohim of our fathers, aren’t you Elohim in heaven? Aren’t you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able to withstand you.
⁷ Didn’t you, our Elohim, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Yisra’el, and give it to the seed of Avraham your friend forever?
⁸ They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,
⁹ ‘If evil comes on us—the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this house, and before you, (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’
¹⁰ Now, behold, the children of Amon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Yisra’el invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and didn’t destroy them;
¹¹ behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.
¹² Our Elohim, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
¹³ All Yehudah stood before Yahuwah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
¹⁴ Then the Ruach (Spirit) of Yahuwah came on Yahaziel the son of Zechariyah. the son of Benaiyah. the son of Yeiel, the son of Mataniyah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaf, in the midst of the assembly;
¹⁵ and he said, “Listen, all Yehudah, and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and you king Yahushafat. Thus says Yahuwah to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but Elohim‘s.
¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Yeruel.
¹⁷ You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahuwah with you, O Yehudah and Yerushalayim. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahuwah is with you.’”
¹⁸ Yahushafat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell down before Yahuwah, worshipping Yahuwah.
¹⁹ The Levites, of the children of the Kohatites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, with an exceeding loud voice.
²⁰ They rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Yahushafat stood and said, “Listen to me, Yehudah, and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim! Believe in Yahuwah your Elohim, so you shall be established! Believe his prophets, so you shall prosper.”
²¹ When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who should sing to Yahuwah, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to Yahuwah; for his loving kindness endures forever.
²² When they began to sing and to praise, Yahuwah set ambushers against the children of Amon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Yehudah; and they were struck.
²³ For the children of Amon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
²⁴ When Yehudah came to the place overlooking the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped.
²⁵ When Yahushafat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.
²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Beracah; for there they blessed Yahuwah: therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah to this day.
²⁷ Then they returned, every man of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and Yahushafat in their forefront, to go again to Yerushalayim with joy; for Yahuwah had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
²⁸ They came to Yerushalayim with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets to the house of Yahuwah.
²⁹ The fear of Elohim was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Yahuwah fought against the enemies of Yisra’el.
³⁰ So the realm of Yahushafat was quiet; for his Elohim gave him rest all around.
³¹ Yahushafat reigned over Yehudah: he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
³² He walked in the way of Asa his father, and didn’t turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah.
³³ However the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts to the Elohim of their fathers.
³⁴ Now the rest of the acts of Yahushafat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Yehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings of Yisra’el.
³⁵ After this Yahushafat king of Yehudah joined himself with Ahaziyah king of Yisra’el. The same did very wickedly:
³⁶ and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in ETzion Geber.
³⁷ Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Yahushafat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziyah. Yahuwah has destroyed your works.” The ships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

¹ Yahushafat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Yahuram his son reigned in his place.
² He had brothers, the sons of Yahushafat: Azariyah. and Yehiel, and Zechariyah. and Azariyah. and Mika’el, and Shefatiyah; all these were the sons of Yahushafat king of Yisra’el.
³ Their father gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Yehudah: but the kingdom gave he to Yahuram, because he was the firstborn.
⁴ Now when Yahuram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and various also of the princes of Yisra’el.
⁵ Yahuram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Yerushalayim.
⁶ He walked in the way of the kings of Yisra’el, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab as wife: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah.
⁷ However Yahuwah would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children always.
⁸ In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Yehudah, and made a king over themselves.
⁹ Then Yahuram passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of the chariots.
¹⁰ So Edom revolted from under the hand of Yehudah to this day: then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahuwah, the Elohim of his fathers.
¹¹ Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Yehudah, and made the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to play the prostitute, and led Yehudah astray.
¹² A letter came to him from Eliyahu the prophet, saying, “Thus says Yahuwah, the Elohim of David your father, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Yahushafat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Yehudah,
¹³ but have walked in the way of the kings of Yisra’el, and have made Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to play the prostitute, like the house of Ahab did, and also have slain your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than yourself:
¹⁴ behold, Yahuwah will strike with a great plague your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your substance;
¹⁵ and you shall have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’”
¹⁶ Yahuwah stirred up against Yahuram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians:
¹⁷ and they came up against Yehudah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, except Yahuahaz, the youngest of his sons.
¹⁸ After all this Yahuwah struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
¹⁹ It happened, in process of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
²⁰ Thirty-two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yerushalayim eight years: and he departed without being desired; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

¹ The inhabitants of Yerushalayim made Ahaziyah his youngest son king in his place; for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziyah the son of Yahuram king of Yehudah reigned.
² Forty-two years old was Ahaziyah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Ataliyah the daughter of Omri.
³ He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.
⁴ He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
⁵ He walked also after their counsel, and went with Yahuram the son of Ahab king of Yisra’el to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramot Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Yoram.
⁶ He returned to be healed in Yezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariyah the son of Yahuram king of Yehudah went down to see Yahuram the son of Ahab in Yezreel, because he was sick.
⁷ Now the destruction of Ahaziyah was of Elohim, in that he went to Yoram: for when he had come, he went out with Yahuram against Yehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahuwah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
⁸ It happened, when Yehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Yehudah, and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziyah. ministering to Ahaziyah. and killed them.
⁹ He sought Ahaziyah. and they caught him (now he was hiding in Shomron), and they brought him to Yehu, and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Yahushafat, who sought Yahuwah with all his heart.” The house of Ahaziyah had no power to hold the kingdom.
¹⁰ Now when Ataliyah the mother of Ahaziyah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Yehudah.
¹¹ But Yahushabeath, the daughter of the king, took Yoash the son of Ahaziyah. and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Yahushabeat, the daughter of king Yahuram, the wife of Yahuiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziyah), hid him from Ataliyah. so that she didn’t kill him.
¹² He was with them hidden in the house of Elohim six years: and Ataliyah reigned over the land.

¹ In the seventh year Yahuiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariyah the son of Yeroham, and Ishmael the son of Yahuhanan, and Azariyah the son of Obed, and Maaseiyah the son of Adaiyah. and Elishafat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
² They went about in Yehudah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Yehudah, and the heads of fathers’ households of Yisra’el, and they came to Yerushalayim.
³ All the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of Elohim. He said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Yahuwah has spoken concerning the sons of David.
⁴ This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you, who come in on Shabat, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds.
⁵ A third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of Yahuwah‘s house.
⁶ But let no one come into the house of Yahuwah, except the priests, and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow Yahuwah‘s instructions.
⁷ The Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever comes into the house, let him be slain. Be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out.”
⁸ So the Levites and all Yehudah did according to all that Yahuiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those who were to come in on Shabat; with those who were to go out on Shabat; for Yahuiada the priest didn’t dismiss the shift.
⁹ Yahuiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David‘s, which were in the house of Elohim.
¹⁰ He set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, around the king.
¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Yahuiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, “Long live the king!”
¹² When Ataliyah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of Yahuwah:
¹³ and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise. Then Ataliyah tore her clothes, and said, “Treason! treason!”
¹⁴ Yahuiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword.” For the priest said, “Don’t kill her in the Yahuwah‘s house.”
¹⁵ So they made way for her. She went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house; and they killed her there.
¹⁶ Yahuiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be Yahuwah‘s people.
¹⁷ All the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed Matan the priest of Baal before the altars.
¹⁸ Yahuiada appointed the officers of the house of Yahuwah under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Yahuwah, to offer the burnt offerings of Yahuwah, as it is written in the law of Moshe, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.
¹⁹ He set the porters at the gates of the house of Yahuwah, that no one who was unclean in anything should enter in.
²⁰ He took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of Yahuwah: and they came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.
²¹ So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. Ataliyah they had slain with the sword.

¹ Yoash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Zibiyah. of Beersheba.
² Yoash did that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah all the days of Yahuiada the priest.
³ Yahuiada took for him two wives; and he became the father of sons and daughters.
⁴ It happened after this, that Yoash intended to restore the house of Yahuwah.
⁵ He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Yehudah, and gather money to repair the house of your Elohim from all Yisra’el from year to year. See that you expedite this matter.” However the Levites didn’t do it right away.
⁶ The king called for Yahuiada the chief, and said to him, “Why haven’t you required of the Levites to bring in the tax of Moshe the servant of Yahuwah, and of the assembly of Yisra’el, out of Yehudah and out of Yerushalayim, for the tent of the testimony?”
⁷ For the sons of Ataliyah. that wicked woman, had broken up the house of Elohim; and they also gave all the dedicated things of the house of Yahuwah to the Baals.
⁸ So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of Yahuwah.
⁹ They made a proclamation through Yehudah and Yerushalayim, to bring in for Yahuwah the tax that Moshe the servant of Elohim laid on Yisra’el in the wilderness.
¹⁰ All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
¹¹ It was so, that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
¹² The king and Yahuiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of Yahuwah; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of Yahuwah, and also such as worked iron and brass to repair the house of Yahuwah.
¹³ So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up the house of Elohim in its state, and strengthened it.
¹⁴ When they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Yahuiada, of which were made vessels for the house of Yahuwah, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the house of Yahuwah continually all the days of Yahuiada.
¹⁵ But Yahuiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; one hundred thirty years old was he when he died.
¹⁶ They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Yisra’el, and toward Elohim and his house.
¹⁷ Now after the death of Yahuiada came the princes of Yehudah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king listened to them.
¹⁸ They forsook the house of Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came on Yehudah and Yerushalayim for this their guiltiness.
¹⁹ Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to Yahuwah; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
²⁰ the Ruach (Spirit) of Elohim came on Zechariyah the son of Yahuiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says Elohim, ‘Why do you disobey the commandments of Yahuwah, so that you can’t prosper? Because you have forsaken Yahuwah, he has also forsaken you.’”
²¹ They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of Yahuwah.
²² Thus Yoash the king didn’t remember the kindness which Yahuiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, “May Yahuwah look at it, and repay it.”
²³ It happened at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
²⁴ For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Yahuwah delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Yoash.
²⁵ When they were departed for him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Yahuiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings.
²⁶ These are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Amonitess, and Yahuzabad the son of Shimrit the Moabitess.
²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid on him, and the rebuilding of the house of Elohim, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. Amaziyah his son reigned in his place.

¹ Amaziyah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Yahuadan, of Yerushalayim.
² He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah, but not with a perfect heart.
³ Now it happened, when the kingdom was established to him, that he killed his servants who had killed the king his father.
⁴ But he didn’t put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moshe, as Yahuwah commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.”
⁵ Moreover Amaziyah gathered Yehudah together, and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Yehudah and Binyamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, who could handle spear and shield.
⁶ He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Yisra’el for one hundred talents of silver.
⁷ A man of Elohim came to him, saying, “O king, don’t let the army of Yisra’el go with you; for Yahuwah is not with Yisra’el, with all the children of Efrayim.
⁸ But if you will go, take action, be strong for the battle. Elohim will overthrow you before the enemy; for Elohim has power to help, and to overthrow.”
⁹ Amaziyah said to the man of Elohim, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Yisra’el?” The man of Elohim answered, “Yahuwah is able to give you much more than this.”
¹⁰ Then Amaziyah separated them, the army that had come to him out of Efrayim, to go home again: therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Yehudah, and they returned home in fierce anger.
¹¹ Amaziyah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir.
¹² The children of Yehudah carry away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces.
¹³ But the men of the army whom Amaziyah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Yehudah, from Shomron even to Beit Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much spoil.
¹⁴ Now it happened, after that Amaziyah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the elohim of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his elohim, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.
¹⁵ Therefore the anger of Yahuwah was kindled against Amaziyah. and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the elohim of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?”
¹⁶ It happened, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, “Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped, and said, “I know that Elohim has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel.”
¹⁷ Then Amaziyah king of Yehudah consulted his advisers, and sent to Yoash, the son of Yahuahaz the son of Yehu, king of Yisra’el, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”
¹⁸ Yoash king of Yisra’el sent to Amaziyah king of Yehudah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as his wife; then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.
¹⁹ You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you, and Yehudah with you?’”
²⁰ But Amaziyah would not listen; for it was of Elohim, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought after the elohim of Edom.
²¹ So Yoash king of Yisra’el went up; and he and Amaziyah king of Yehudah looked one another in the face at Beit Shemes, which belongs to Yehudah.
²² Yehudah was defeated by Yisra’el; and they fled every man to his tent.
²³ Yoash king of Yisra’el took Amaziyah king of Yehudah, the son of Yoash the son of Yahuahaz, at Beit Shemes, and brought him to Yerushalayim, and broke down the wall of Yerushalayim from the gate of Efrayim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
²⁴ He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of Elohim with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Shomron.
²⁵ Amaziyah the son of Yoash king of Yehudah lived after the death of Yoash son of Yahuahaz king of Yisra’el fifteen years.
²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziyah. first and last, behold, aren’t they written in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Yisra’el?
²⁷ Now from the time that Amaziyah turned away from following Yahuwah, they made a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim. He fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.
²⁸ They brought him on horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Yehudah.

¹ All the people of Yehudah took Uziyahu. who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziyah.
² He built Elot, and restored it to Yehudah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
³ Sixteen years old was Uziyahu when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Yechiliyah. of Yerushalayim.
⁴ He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah, according to all that his father Amaziyah had done.
⁵ He set himself to seek Elohim in the days of Zechariyah. who had understanding in the vision of Elohim: and as long as he sought Yahuwah, Elohim made him to prosper.
⁶ He went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gat, and the wall of Yabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
⁷ Elohim helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunim.
⁸ The Amonites gave tribute to Uziyahu: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he grew exceeding strong.
⁹ Moreover Uziyahu built towers in Yerushalayim at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
¹⁰ He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had much livestock; in the lowland also, and in the plain: and he had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields; for he loved farming.
¹¹ Moreover Uziyahu had an army of fighting men, who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Yeiel the scribe and Maaseiyah the officer, under the hand of Hananiyah, one of the king’s captains.
¹² The whole number of the heads of fathers’ households, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand and six hundred.
¹³ Under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
¹⁴ Uziyahu prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging.
¹⁵ He made in Yerushalayim engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.
¹⁶ But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Yahuwah his Elohim; for he went into the temple of Yahuwah to burn incense on the altar of incense.
¹⁷ Azariyah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahuwah, who were valiant men:
¹⁸ and they resisted Uziyahu the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uziyahu. to burn incense to Yahuwah, but for the priests the sons of Aharon, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary; for you have trespassed; neither shall it be for your honor from Yahuwah Elohim.”
¹⁹ Then Uziyahu was angry; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahuwah, beside the altar of incense.
²⁰ Azariyah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked on him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from there; yes, himself hurried also to go out, because Yahuwah had struck him.
²¹ Uziyahu the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Yahuwah: and Yotam his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
²² Now the rest of the acts of Uziyahu. first and last, Yeshayahu the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.
²³ So Uziyahu slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, “He is a leper.” Yotam his son reigned in his place.

¹ Yotam was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Yerushah the daughter of Tzadok.
² He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah, according to all that his father Uziyahu had done: however he didn’t enter into the temple of Yahuwah. The people still did corruptly.
³ He built the upper gate of the house of Yahuwah, and on the wall of Ofel he built much.
⁴ Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Yehudah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
⁵ He fought also with the king of the children of Amon, and prevailed against them. The children of Amon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The children of Amon gave that much to him in the second year also, and in the third.
⁶ So Yotam became mighty, because he ordered his ways before Yahuwah his Elohim.
⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Yotam, and all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Yisra’el and Yehudah.
⁸ He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim.
⁹ Yotam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

¹ Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim: and he didn’t do that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah, like David his father;
² but he walked in the ways of the kings of Yisra’el, and made also molten images for the Baals.
³ Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahuwah cast out before the children of Yisra’el.
⁴ He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
⁵ Therefore Yahuwah his Elohim delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they struck him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Yisra’el, who struck him with a great slaughter.
⁶ For Pekah the son of Remaliyah killed in Yehudah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers.
⁷ Zichri, a mighty man of Efrayim, killed Maaseiyah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.
⁸ The children of Yisra’el carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Shomron.
⁹ But a prophet of Yahuwah was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Shomron, and said to them, “Behold, because Yahuwah, the Elohim of your fathers, was angry with Yehudah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.
¹⁰ Now you purpose to keep under the children of Yehudah and Yerushalayim for bondservants and bondmaids for yourselves. Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against Yahuwah your Elohim?
¹¹ Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, that you have taken captive from your brothers; for the fierce wrath of Yahuwah is on you.”
¹² Then some of the heads of the children of Efrayim, Azariyah the son of Yochanan, Berechiyah the son of Meshilemot, and Yehizkiyah the son of Shalum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war,
¹³ and said to them, “You shall not bring in the captives here: for you purpose that which will bring on us a trespass against Yahuwah, to add to our sins and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Yisra’el.”
¹⁴ So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.
¹⁵ The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, and gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Yericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Shomron.
¹⁶ At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.
¹⁷ For again the Edomites had come and struck Yehudah, and carried away captives.
¹⁸ The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Yehudah, and had taken Beit Shemes, and Ayalon, and Gederot, and Soco with its towns, and Timnah with its towns, Gimzo also and its towns: and they lived there.
¹⁹ For Yahuwah brought Yehudah low because of Ahaz king of Yisra’el; for he had dealt wantonly in Yehudah, and trespassed severely against Yahuwah.
²⁰ Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and distressed him, but didn’t strengthen him.
²¹ For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yahuwah, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria: but it didn’t help him.
²² In the time of his distress, he trespassed yet more against Yahuwah, this same king Ahaz.
²³ For he sacrificed to the elohim of Damascus, which struck him; and he said, “Because the elohim of the kings of Syria helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him, and of all Yisra’el.
²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of Elohim, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of Elohim, and shut up the doors of the house of Yahuwah; and he made him altars in every corner of Yerushalayim.
²⁵ In every city of Yehudah he made high places to burn incense to other elohim, and provoked to anger Yahuwah, the Elohim of his fathers.
²⁶ Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Yisra’el.
²⁷ Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Yerushalayim; for they didn’t bring him into the tombs of the kings of Yisra’el: and Hezekiyah his son reigned in his place.

¹ Hezekiyah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim: and his mother’s name was Abiyah, the daughter of Zechariyah.
² He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah, according to all that David his father had done.
³ He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of Yahuwah, and repaired them.
⁴ He brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east,
⁵ and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Yahuwah, the Elohim of your fathers, and carry out the filthiness out of the holy place.
⁶ For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah our Elohim, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Yahuwah, and turned their backs.
⁷ Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the Elohim of Yisra’el.
⁸ Therefore the wrath of Yahuwah was on Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.
⁹ For, behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
¹⁰ Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
¹¹ My sons, don’t be negligent now; for Yahuwah has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.”
¹² Then the Levites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Yo’el the son of Azariyah. of the sons of the Kohatites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariyah the son of Yehalelel; and of the Gershonites, Yoah the son of Zimah, and Eden the son of Yoah;
¹³ and of the sons of Eli Tzafan, Shimri and Yeuel; and of the sons of Asaf, Zechariyah and Mataniyah;
¹⁴ and of the sons of Heman, Yehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Yedutun, Shemaiyah and Uziel.
¹⁵ They gathered their brothers, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Yahuwah, to cleanse the house of Yahuwah.
¹⁶ The priests went in to the inner part of the house of Yahuwah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Yahuwah into the court of the house of Yahuwah. The Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.
¹⁷ Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of Yahuwah; and they sanctified the house of Yahuwah in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.
¹⁸ Then they went in to Hezekiyah the king within the palace, and said, “We have cleansed all the house of Yahuwah, and the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and the table of show bread, with all its vessels.
¹⁹ Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign threw away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and behold, they are before the altar of Yahuwah.”
²⁰ Then Hezekiyah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Yahuwah.
²¹ They brought seven bulls, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Yehudah. He commanded the priests the sons of Aharon to offer them on the altar of Yahuwah.
²² So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: and they killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood on the altar: they killed also the lambs, and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
²³ They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on them:
²⁴ and the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Yisra’el; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Yisra’el.
²⁵ He set the Levites in the house of Yahuwah with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Natan the prophet; for the commandment was of Yahuwah by his prophets.
²⁶ The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
²⁷ Hezekiyah commanded to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of Yahuwah began also, and the trumpets, together with the instruments of David king of Yisra’el.
²⁸ All the assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
²⁹ When they had made an end of offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
³⁰ Moreover Hezekiyah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to Yahuwah with the words of David, and of Asaf the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
³¹ Then Hezekiyah answered, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to Yahuwah; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of Yahuwah.” The assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
³² The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to Yahuwah.
³³ The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep.
³⁴ But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: therefore their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
³⁵ Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of Yahuwah was set in order.
³⁶ Hezekiyah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which Elohim had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

¹ Hezekiyah sent to all Yisra’el and Yehudah, and wrote letters also to Efrayim and Menasheh, that they should come to the house of Yahuwah at Yerushalayim, to keep Pesach to Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
² For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the assembly in Yerushalayim, to keep Pesach in the second month.
³ For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Yerushalayim.
⁴ The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.
⁵ So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Yisra’el, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep Pesach to Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, at Yerushalayim: for they had not kept it in great numbers in such sort as it is written.
⁶ So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Yisra’el and Yehudah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Yisra’el, turn again to Yahuwah, the Elohim of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisra’el, that he may return to the remnant that have escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
⁷ Don’t be like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.
⁸ Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves to Yahuwah, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve Yahuwah your Elohim, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
⁹ For if you turn again to Yahuwah, your brothers and your children shall find compassion before those who led them captive, and shall come again into this land: for Yahuwah your Elohim is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”
¹⁰ So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Efrayim and Menasheh, even to Zebulun: but they ridiculed them, and mocked them.
¹¹ Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Menasheh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Yerushalayim.
¹² Also on Yehudah came the hand of Elohim to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of Yahuwah.
¹³ Many people assembled at Yerushalayim to keep Chag HaMatzah (Feast of unleavened bread) in the second month, a very great assembly.
¹⁴ They arose and took away the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
¹⁵ Then they killed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of Yahuwah.
¹⁶ They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moshe the man of Elohim: the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites.
¹⁷ For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites were in charge of killing Pesachs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to Yahuwah.
¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Efrayim and Menasheh, Yisachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate Pesach otherwise than it is written. For Hezekiyah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Yahuwah pardon everyone
¹⁹ who sets his heart to seek Elohim, Yahuwah, the Elohim of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
²⁰ Yahuwah listened to Hezekiyah. and healed the people.
²¹ The children of Yisra’el who were present at Yerushalayim kept Chag HaMatzah seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Yahuwah day by day, singing with loud instruments to Yahuwah.
²² Hezekiyah spoke comfortably to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahuwah. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers.
²³ The whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days; and they kept another seven days with gladness.
²⁴ For Hezekiyah king of Yehudah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
²⁵ All the assembly of Yehudah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Yisra’el, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Yisra’el, and who lived in Yehudah, rejoiced.
²⁶ So there was great joy in Yerushalayim; for since the time of Shlomo the son of David king of Yisra’el there was not the like in Yerushalayim.
²⁷ Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.

¹ Now when all this was finished, all Yisra’el who were present went out to the cities of Yehudah, and broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Yehudah and Binyamin, in Efrayim also and Menasheh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Yisra’el returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
² Hezekiyah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of Yahuwah.
³ He appointed also the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for Shabats, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of Yahuwah.
⁴ Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Yerushalayim to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the law of Yahuwah.
⁵ As soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Yisra’el gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
⁶ The children of Yisra’el and Yehudah, who lived in the cities of Yehudah, they also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to Yahuwah their Elohim, and laid them by heaps.
⁷ In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
⁸ When Hezekiyah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahuwah, and his people Yisra’el.
⁹ Then Hezekiyah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
¹⁰ Azariyah the chief priest, of the house of Tzadok, answered him and said, “Since people began to bring the offerings into the house of Yahuwah, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Yahuwah has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.”
¹¹ Then Hezekiyah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of Yahuwah; and they prepared them.
¹² They brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: and over them Conaniyah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was second.
¹³ Yehiel, and Azaziyah. and Nahat, and Asahel, and Yerimot, and Yozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiyah. and Mahath, and Benaiyah. were overseers under the hand of Conaniyah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiyah the king, and Azariyah the ruler of the house of Elohim.
¹⁴ Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of Elohim, to distribute the offerings of Yahuwah, and the most holy things.
¹⁵ Under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Yeshua, and Shemaiyah. Amariyah. and Shecaniyah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, as well to the great as to the small:
¹⁶ besides those who were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone who entered into the house of Yahuwah, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions;
¹⁷ and those who were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions;
¹⁸ and those who were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness.
¹⁹ Also for the sons of Aharon the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all who were reckoned by genealogy among the Levites.
²⁰ Hezekiyah did so throughout all Yehudah; and he worked that which was good and right and faithful before Yahuwah his Elohim.
²¹ In every work that he began in the service of the house of Elohim, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his Elohim, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

¹ After these things, and this faithfulness, Senacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Yehudah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself.
² When Hezekiyah saw that Senacherib had come, and that he was purposed to fight against Yerushalayim,
³ he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city; and they helped him.
⁴ So many people gathered together, and they stopped all the springs, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?”
⁵ He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Milo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
⁶ He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spoke comfortably to them, saying,
⁷ “Be strong and courageous, don’t be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him.
⁸ With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Yahuwah our Elohim to help us, and to fight our battles.” The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiyah king of Yehudah.
⁹ After this, Senacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Yerushalayim, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him), to Hezekiyah king of Yehudah, and to all Yehudah who were at Yerushalayim, saying,
¹⁰ Thus says Senacherib king of Assyria, “In whom do you trust, that you remain under siege in Yerushalayim?
¹¹ Doesn’t Hezekiyah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, ‘Yahuwah our Elohim will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?’
¹² Hasn’t the same Hezekiyah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Yehudah and Yerushalayim, saying, ‘You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense?’
¹³ Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the elohim of the nations of the lands in any way able to deliver their land out of my hand?
¹⁴ Who was there among all the elohim of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your Elohim should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
¹⁵ Now therefore don’t let Hezekiyah deceive you, nor persuade you in this way, neither believe him; for no Elohim of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your Elohim deliver you out of my hand?”
¹⁶ His servants spoke yet more against Yahuwah Elohim, and against his servant Hezekiyah.
¹⁷ He also wrote letters insulting Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, and to speak against him, saying, “As the elohim of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall the Elohim of Hezekiyah not deliver his people out of my hand.”
¹⁸ They cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Yerushalayim who were on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
¹⁹ They spoke of the Elohim of Yerushalayim, as of the elohim of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
²⁰ Hezekiyah the king, and Yeshayahu the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
²¹ Yahuwah sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. When he had come into the house of his Elohim, those who came forth from his own bowels killed him there with the sword.
²² Thus Yahuwah saved Hezekiyah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim from the hand of Senacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
²³ Many brought gifts to Yahuwah to Yerushalayim, and precious things to Hezekiyah king of Yehudah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
²⁴ In those days Hezekiyah was sick even to death: and he prayed to Yahuwah; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.
²⁵ But Hezekiyah didn’t render again according to the benefit done to him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath on him, and on Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
²⁶ Notwithstanding Hezekiyah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, so that the wrath of Yahuwah didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiyah.
²⁷ Hezekiyah had exceeding much riches and honor: and he provided him treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all kinds of goodly vessels;
²⁸ storehouses also for the increase of grain and new wine and oil; and stalls for all kinds of animals, and flocks in folds.
²⁹ Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for Elohim had given him very much substance.
³⁰ This same Hezekiyah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of the city of David. Hezekiyah prospered in all his works.
³¹ However concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, Elohim left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
³² Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiyah. and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Yeshayahu the prophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Yisra’el.
³³ Hezekiyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David: and all Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim did him honor at his death. Menasheh his son reigned in his place.

¹ Menasheh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-five years in Yerushalayim.
² He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahuwah cast out before the children of Yisra’el.
³ For he built again the high places which Hezekiyah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asherot, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.
⁴ He built altars in the house of Yahuwah, of which Yahuwah said, “My name shall be in Yerushalayim forever.”
⁵ He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the house of Yahuwah.
⁶ He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinom; and he practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of Yahuwah, to provoke him to anger.
⁷ He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of Elohim, of which Elohim said to David and to Shlomo his son, “In this house, and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’el, will I put my name forever:
⁸ neither will I any more remove the foot of Yisra’el from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moshe.”
⁹ Menasheh seduced Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, so that they did more evil than the nations whom Yahuwah destroyed before the children of Yisra’el did.
¹⁰ Yahuwah spoke to Menasheh, and to his people; but they gave no heed.
¹¹ Therefore Yahuwah brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Menasheh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
¹² When he was in distress, he begged Yahuwah his Elohim, and humbled himself greatly before the Elohim of his fathers.
¹³ He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Yerushalayim into his kingdom. Then Menasheh knew that Yahuwah was Elohim.
¹⁴ Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he encircled Ofel with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Yehudah.
¹⁵ He took away the foreign elohim, and the idol out of the house of Yahuwah, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of Yahuwah, and in Yerushalayim, and cast them out of the city.
¹⁶ He built up the altar of Yahuwah, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Yehudah to serve Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
¹⁷ Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only to Yahuwah their Elohim.
¹⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Menasheh, and his prayer to his Elohim, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Yisra’el.
¹⁹ His prayer also, and how Elohim was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the engraved images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.
²⁰ So Menasheh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his place.
²¹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Yerushalayim.
²² He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah, as did Menasheh his father; and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Menasheh his father had made, and served them.
²³ He didn’t humble himself before Yahuwah, as Menasheh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.
²⁴ His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.
²⁵ But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Yoshiayah his son king in his place.

¹ Yoshiayah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Yerushalayim.
² He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahuwah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and didn’t turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
³ For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the Elohim of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Yehudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images.
⁴ They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and the incense altars that were on high above them he cut down; and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
⁵ He burnt the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
⁶ He did this in the cities of Menasheh and Efrayim and Shimon, even to Naftali, around in their ruins.
⁷ He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Yisra’el, and returned to Yerushalayim.
⁸ Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shafan the son of Azaliyah. and Maaseiyah the governor of the city, and Yoah the son of Yoahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahuwah his Elohim.
⁹ They came to Chilkiyahu the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of Elohim, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Menasheh and Efrayim, and of all the remnant of Yisra’el, and of all Yehudah and Binyamin, and of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
¹⁰ They delivered it into the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of Yahuwah; and the workmen who labored in the house of Yahuwah gave it to mend and repair the house;
¹¹ even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy cut stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Yehudah had destroyed.
¹² The men did the work faithfully: and their overseers were Yahath and Ovadiyah. the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariyah and Meshulam, of the sons of the Kohatites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music.
¹³ Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every kind of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
¹⁴ When they brought out the money that was brought into the house of Yahuwah, Chilkiyahu the priest found the book of the law of Yahuwah given by Moshe.
¹⁵ Chilkiyahu answered Shafan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahuwah.” Chilkiyahu delivered the book to Shafan.
¹⁶ Shafan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.
¹⁷ They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of Yahuwah, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen.”
¹⁸ Shafan the scribe told the king, saying, “Chilkiyahu the priest has delivered me a book.” Shafan read therein before the king.
¹⁹ It happened, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes.
²⁰ The king commanded Chilkiyahu, and Ahikam the son of Shafan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shafan the scribe, and Asaiyah the king’s servant, saying,
²¹ “Go inquire of Yahuwah for me, and for those who are left in Yisra’el and in Yehudah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of Yahuwah that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Yahuwah, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
²² So Chilkiyahu, and they whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shalum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she lived in Yerushalayim in the second quarter;) and they spoke to her to that effect.
²³ She said to them, “Thus says Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,
²⁴ “Thus says Yahuwah, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Yehudah.
²⁵ Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other elohim, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out on this place, and it shall not be quenched.’”’
²⁶ But to the king of Yehudah, who sent you to inquire of Yahuwah, thus you shall tell him, ‘Thus says Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el: “As touching the words which you have heard,
²⁷ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Elohim, when you heard his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you,” says Yahuwah.
²⁸ “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this place, and on its inhabitants.”’” They brought back word to the king.
²⁹ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
³⁰ The king went up to the house of Yahuwah, and all the men of Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Yahuwah.
³¹ The king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Yahuwah, to walk after Yahuwah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
³² He caused all who were found in Yerushalayim and Binyamin to stand. The inhabitants of Yerushalayim did according to the covenant of Elohim, the Elohim of their fathers.
³³ Yoshiayah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Yisra’el, and made all who were found in Yisra’el to serve, even to serve Yahuwah their Elohim. All his days they didn’t depart from following Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers.

¹ Yoshiayah kept a Pesach to Yahuwah in Yerushalayim: and they killed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month.
² He set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them to the service of the house of Yahuwah.
³ He said to the Levites who taught all Yisra’el, who were holy to Yahuwah, “Put the holy ark in the house which Shlomo the son of David king of Yisra’el built. There shall no more be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve Yahuwah your Elohim, and his people Yisra’el.
⁴ Prepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Yisra’el, and according to the writing of Shlomo his son.
⁵ Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the children of the people, and let there be for each a portion of a fathers’ house of the Levites.
⁶ Kill Pesach, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of Yahuwah by Moshe.”
⁷ Yoshiayah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for Pesach offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls: these were of the king’s substance.
⁸ His princes gave for a freewill offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Chilkiyahu and Zechariyah and Yehiel, the rulers of the house of Elohim, gave to the priests for Pesach offerings two thousand and six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle.
⁹ Conaniyah also, and Shemaiyah and Netanel, his brothers, and Hashabiyah and Yeiel and Yozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for Pesach offerings five thousand small livestock, and five hundred head of cattle.
¹⁰ So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king’s commandment.
¹¹ They killed Pesach, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.
¹² They removed the burnt offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer to Yahuwah, as it is written in the book of Moshe. So they did with the cattle.
¹³ They roasted Pesach with fire according to the ordinance: and the holy offerings boiled they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.
¹⁴ Afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aharon were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night: therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aharon.
¹⁵ The singers the sons of Asaf were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaf, and Heman, and Yedutun the king’s seer; and the porters were at every gate: they didn’t need to depart from their service; for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
¹⁶ So all the service of Yahuwah was prepared the same day, to keep Pesach, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of Yahuwah, according to the commandment of king Yoshiayah.
¹⁷ The children of Yisra’el who were present kept Pesach at that time, and Chag HaMatzah (Feast of unleavened bread) seven days.
¹⁸ There was no Pesach like that kept in Yisra’el from the days of Shmuel the prophet; neither did any of the kings of Yisra’el keep such a Pesach as Yoshiayah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Yehudah and Yisra’el who were present, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
¹⁹ In the eighteenth year of the reign of Yoshiayah was this Pesach kept.
²⁰ After all this, when Yoshiayah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Perat (Euphrates): and Yoshiayah went out against him.
²¹ But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you king of Yehudah? I come not against you this day, but against the house with which I have war. Elohim has commanded me to make haste. Beware that it is Elohim who is with me, that he not destroy you.”
²² Nevertheless Yoshiayah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and didn’t listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of Elohim, and came to fight in the valley of Megido.
²³ The archers shot at king Yoshiayah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!”
²⁴ So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Yerushalayim; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Yehudah and Yerushalayim mourned for Yoshiayah.
²⁵ Yirmeyahu lamented for Yoshiayah: and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Yoshiayah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Yisra’el: and behold, they are written in the lamentations.
²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Yoshiayah and his good deeds, according to that which is written in the law of Yahuwah,
²⁷ and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Yisra’el and Yehudah.

¹ Then the people of the land took Yahuahaz the son of Yoshiayah and made him king in his father’s place in Yerushalayim.
² Yoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Yerushalayim.
³ The king of Egypt deposed him at Yerushalayim, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
⁴ The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and changed his name to Yahuiakim. Neco took Yoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
⁵ Yahuiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Yerushalayim: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah his Elohim.
⁶ Against him came up Nebuchadnetzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
⁷ Nebuchadnetzar also carried of the vessels of the house of Yahuwah to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Yahuiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Yisra’el and Yehudah: and Yahuiachin his son reigned in his place.
⁹ Yahuiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months and ten days in Yerushalayim: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah.
¹⁰ At the return of the year king Nebuchadnetzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of Yahuwah, and made Tzedekiyah his brother king over Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
¹¹ Tzedekiyah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Yerushalayim:
¹² and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuwah his Elohim; he didn’t humble himself before Yirmeyahu the prophet speaking from the mouth of Yahuwah.
¹³ He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnetzar, who had made him swear by Elohim: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to Yahuwah, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
¹⁴ Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of Yahuwah which he had made holy in Yerushalayim.
¹⁵ Yahuwah, the Elohim of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
¹⁶ but they mocked the messengers of Elohim, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of Yahuwah arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
¹⁷ Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or gray-headed: he gave them all into his hand.
¹⁸ All the vessels of the house of Elohim, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Yahuwah, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.
¹⁹ They burnt the house of Elohim, and broke down the wall of Yerushalayim, and burnt all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels of it.
²⁰ He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
²¹ to fulfill the word of Yahuwah by the mouth of Yirmeyahu, until the land had enjoyed its Shabats. As long as it lay desolate it kept Shabat, to fulfill seventy years.
²² Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahuwah by the mouth of Yirmeyahu might be accomplished, Yahuwah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
²³ “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahuwah, the Elohim of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, which is in Yehudah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, Yahuwah his Elohim be with him, and let him go up.’”