Ahaz King of Judah^(A)

28 Ahaz^(B) was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. ² He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols^(C) for worshiping the Baals. ³ He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(D) and sacrificed his children^(E) in the fire, engaging in the detestable^(F) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

⁵ Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram.^(G) The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. ⁶ In one day Pekah^(H) son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah^(I)—because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ⁷ Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. ⁸ The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah^(J) two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.^(K)

⁹ But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry^(L) with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.^{(M) 10} And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves.^(N) But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? ¹¹ Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord’s fierce anger rests on you.^(O)”

¹² Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. ¹³ “You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the Lord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”

¹⁴ So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. ¹⁵ The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink,^(P) and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms,^(Q) and returned to Samaria.^(R)

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings^[a] of Assyria^(S) for help. ¹⁷ The Edomites^(T) had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,^{(U) 18} while the Philistines^(V) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon^(W) and Gederoth,^(X) as well as Soko,^(Y) Timnah^(Z) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. ¹⁹ The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,^[b] for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful^(AA) to the Lord. ²⁰ Tiglath-Pileser^[c](AB) king of Assyria^(AC) came to him, but he gave him trouble^(AD) instead of help.^{(AE) 21} Ahaz^(AF) took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.^(AG)

²² In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful^(AH) to the Lord. ²³ He offered sacrifices to the gods^(AI) of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.”^(AJ) But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.^(AK)

²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the furnishings^(AL) from the temple of God^(AM) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors^(AN) of the Lord’s temple and set up altars^(AO) at every street corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

²⁶ The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz rested^(AP) with his ancestors and was buried^(AQ) in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Hezekiah Purifies the Temple^(AR)

29 Hezekiah^(AS) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David^(AT) had done.

³ In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired^(AU) them. ⁴ He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side ⁵ and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate^(AV) yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. ⁶ Our parents^(AW) were unfaithful;^(AX) they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense^(AY) or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. ⁸ Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror^(AZ) and scorn,^(BA) as you can see with your own eyes. ⁹ This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity.^{(BB) 10} Now I intend to make a covenant^(BC) with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger^(BD) will turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him,^(BE) to minister^(BF) before him and to burn incense.”

¹⁵ When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify^(BK) the temple of the Lord, as the king had ordered, following the word of the Lord. ¹⁶ The priests went into the sanctuary of the Lord to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the Lord. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.^{(BL) 17} They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the Lord. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the Lord itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

¹⁸ Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: “We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. ¹⁹ We have prepared and consecrated all the articles^(BM) that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the Lord’s altar.”

²⁰ Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the Lord. ²¹ They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats^(BN) as a sin offering^[d](BO) for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the Lord. ²² So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and splashed their blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and splashed their blood^(BP) against the altar. ²³ The goats^(BQ) for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands^(BR) on them. ²⁴ The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone^(BS) for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.^(BT)

²⁵ He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David^(BU) and Gad^(BV) the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets. ²⁶ So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments,^(BW) and the priests with their trumpets.^(BX)

²⁷ Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments^(BY) of David king of Israel. ²⁸ The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering^(BZ) was completed.

²⁹ When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped.^{(CA) 30} King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

³¹ Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices^(CB) and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing^(CC) brought burnt offerings.

³² The number of burnt offerings^(CD) the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs—all of them for burnt offerings to the Lord. ³³ The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. ³⁴ The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings;^(CE) so their relatives the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated,^(CF) for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. ³⁵ There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat^(CG) of the fellowship offerings^(CH) and the drink offerings^(CI) that accompanied the burnt offerings.

So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. ³⁶ Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.^(CJ)

Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover

30 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel^(CK) and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh,^(CL) inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover^(CM) to the Lord, the God of Israel. ² The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate^(CN) the Passover in the second month. ³ They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated^(CO) themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. ⁴ The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. ⁵ They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan,^(CP) calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.

⁶ At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

¹⁰ The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed^(CY) them. ¹¹ Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled^(CZ) themselves and went to Jerusalem.^{(DA) 12} Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity^(DB) of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

¹³ A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(DC) in the second month. ¹⁴ They removed the altars^(DD) in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.^(DE)

¹⁵ They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated^(DF) themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. ¹⁶ Then they took up their regular positions^(DG) as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. ¹⁷ Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill^(DH) the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs^[e] to the Lord. ¹⁸ Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves,^(DI) yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone ¹⁹ who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” ²⁰ And the Lord heard^(DJ) Hezekiah and healed^(DK) the people.^(DL)

²¹ The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(DM) for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.^[f]

²² Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised^[g] the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

²³ The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate^(DN) the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. ²⁴ Hezekiah king of Judah provided^(DO) a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵ The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel^(DP), including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. ²⁶ There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon^(DQ) son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The priests and the Levites stood to bless^(DR) the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

31 When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down^(DS) the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

Contributions for Worship^(DT)

² Hezekiah^(DU) assigned the priests and Levites to divisions^(DV)—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister,^(DW) to give thanks and to sing praises^(DX) at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.^{(DY) 3} The king contributed^(DZ) from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord.^{(EA) 4} He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion^(EB) due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. ⁵ As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits^(EC) of their grain, new wine,^(ED) olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. ⁶ The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe^(EE) of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.^{(EF) 7} They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.^{(EG) 8} When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed^(EH) his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; ¹⁰ and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok,^(EI) answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”^(EJ)

¹¹ Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. ¹² Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Konaniah,^(EK) a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. ¹³ Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad,^(EL) Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were assistants of Konaniah and Shimei his brother. All these served by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God.

¹⁴ Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts. ¹⁵ Eden,^(EM) Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns^(EN) of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.

¹⁶ In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records^(EO)—all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. ¹⁷ And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. ¹⁸ They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.

¹⁹ As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around their towns or in any other towns,^(EP) men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.

²⁰ This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful^(EQ) before the Lord his God. ²¹ In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.^(ER)

Psalm 80^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.