2 Chronicles 26-29

American Standard Version

26 And all the people of Judah took ^[a]Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. ² He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. ³ Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem. ⁴ And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ And he set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who ^[b]had understanding in ^[c]the vision of God: and as long as he sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper.

⁶ And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines. ⁷ And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Meunim. ⁸ And the Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he waxed exceeding strong. ⁹ Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them. ¹⁰ And he built towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle; in the lowland also, and in the ^[d]plain: and he had husbandmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in ^[e]the fruitful fields; for he loved husbandry. ¹¹ Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. ¹² The whole number of the heads of fathers’ houses, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand and six hundred. ¹³ And under their hand was ^[f]an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. ¹⁴ And Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging. ¹⁵ And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and upon the ^[g]battlements, wherewith to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

¹⁶ But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, ^[h]so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Jehovah his God; for he went into the temple of Jehovah to burn incense upon the altar of incense. ¹⁷ And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of Jehovah, that were valiant men: ¹⁸ and they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto Jehovah, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from Jehovah God. ¹⁹ Then Uzziah was wroth; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy ^[i]brake forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah, beside the altar of incense. ²⁰ And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because Jehovah had smitten him. ²¹ And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a ^[j]separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Jehovah: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land. ²² Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. ²³ So Uzziah 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: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

27 Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. ² And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Uzziah had done: howbeit he entered not into the temple of Jehovah. And the people did yet corruptly. ³ He built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. ⁴ Moreover he built cities in the hill-country of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. ⁵ He fought also with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand ^[k]measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon render unto him, in the second year also, and in the third. ⁶ So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before Jehovah his God. ⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, like David his father; ² but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Baalim. ³ Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. ⁴ And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

⁵ Wherefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. ⁶ For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. ⁷ And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah that was ^[l]next to the king. ⁸ And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. ⁹ But a prophet of Jehovah was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because Jehovah, the God of your fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage which hath reached up unto heaven. ¹⁰ And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not even with you ^[m]trespasses of your own against Jehovah your God? ¹¹ Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, that ye have taken captive of your brethren; for the fierce wrath of Jehovah is upon you. ¹² Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, ¹³ and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for ye purpose that which will bring upon us ^[n]a trespass against Jehovah, to add unto our sins and to our ^[o]trespass; for our ^[p]trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. ¹⁴ So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. ¹⁵ And the men that have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ At that time did king Ahaz send unto the ^[q]kings of Assyria to help him. ¹⁷ For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away ^[r]captives. ¹⁸ The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the ^[s]towns thereof, and Timnah with the ^[t]towns thereof, Gimzo also and the ^[u]towns thereof: and they dwelt there. ¹⁹ For Jehovah brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had ^[v]dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed sore against Jehovah. ²⁰ And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came ^[w]unto him, and distressed him, but ^[x]strengthened him not. ²¹ For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Jehovah, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but it helped him not.

²² And in the time ^[y]of his distress did he trespass yet more against Jehovah, this same king Ahaz. ²³ For he sacrificed unto the gods of ^[z]Damascus, which smote him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. ²⁴ And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Jehovah; and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. ²⁵ And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God 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 Judah and Israel. ²⁷ And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem; for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

29 Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old; and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. ² And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, 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 Jehovah, and repaired them. ⁴ And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east, ⁵ and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. ⁶ For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Jehovah, 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 unto the God of Israel. ⁸ Wherefore the wrath of Jehovah was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to be ^[aa]tossed to and fro, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes. ⁹ For, lo, 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 Jehovah, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.

¹² Then the Levites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; ¹³ and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; ¹⁴ and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. ¹⁵ And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah. ¹⁶ And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the house of Jehovah. And 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 Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovah in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. ¹⁸ Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace, and said, We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table of showbread, with all the vessels thereof. ¹⁹ Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of Jehovah.

²⁰ Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah. ²¹ And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of Jehovah. ²² So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: and they killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar. ²³ And they brought near the he-goats for the sin-offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands upon them: ²⁴ and the priests killed them, and they made a sin-offering with their blood upon the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel.

²⁵ And he set the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets. ²⁶ And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. ²⁷ And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt-offering upon the altar. And when the burnt-offering began, the song of Jehovah began also, and the trumpets, together with the instruments of David king of Israel. ²⁸ And all the assembly worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt-offering was finished.

²⁹ And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped. ³⁰ Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto Jehovah with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

³¹ Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have ^[ab]consecrated yourselves unto Jehovah; come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of Jehovah. And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt-offerings. ³² And the number of the burnt-offerings which the assembly brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to Jehovah. ³³ And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. ³⁴ But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till 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 And 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 Jehovah was set in order. ³⁶ And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.