Bible in 90 Days

Putting Away Pagan Wives

10 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and prostrating himself before the House of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. The people also wept very bitterly. ² Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. ³ So now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Torah. ⁴ Arise! For this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and do it!”

⁵ So Ezra rose up and made the leading kohanim, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do according to this word; and they took the oath. ⁶ Then Ezra got up from before the House of God and went into the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no bread and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

⁷ A proclamation was then circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all of the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. ⁸ Everyone who did not come within three days, would forfeit all his property according to the counsel of the officials and the elders, and would himself be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

⁹ So within three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the plaza before the House of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rain. ¹⁰ Then Ezra the kohen stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and taken foreign wives, increasing the guilt of Israel. ¹¹ So now, give praise to Adonai, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives.”

¹² The entire assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes, we will do just as you have said. ^{[a] 13} However, there are many people here and it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand outside. Besides, this task cannot be resolved in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. ¹⁴ Let our leaders stand for the whole assembly. Let everyone in our cities who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each city and its judges, until the burning wrath of our God is turned back from us in this matter.” ¹⁵ Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah stood against this, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. ¹⁶ So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the kohen, set apart men who were patriarchal leaders of their fathers’ households each designated by name. So they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to consider the matter, ¹⁷ and they were finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women on the first day of the first month.

¹⁸ Among the sons of the kohanim it was found that the following had married foreign women: The sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. ¹⁹ They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt, they offered a ram of the flock as a guilt offering.

²⁰ Also from the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

²¹ From the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

²² From the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

²³ From the Levites:

Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—he is Kelita—Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

²⁴ From the singers: Eliashib.

From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

²⁵ Also from Israel:

From the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah.

²⁶ From the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

²⁷ From the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

²⁸ From the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.

²⁹ From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Ramoth.

³⁰ From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.

³¹ From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, ³² Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.

³³ From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.

³⁴ From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, ³⁵ Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu, ³⁶ Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ³⁷ Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasai, ³⁸ Bani, Binnui, Shimei, ³⁹ Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, ⁴⁰ Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, ⁴¹ Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, ⁴² Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.

⁴³ From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.

⁴⁴ All these had taken foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

Nehemiah Intercedes for Jerusalem

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

Now it happened that in the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in Shushan the capitol, ² that Hanani, one of my brothers, together with some men from Judah, arrived and I asked them about the Judeans, the remnant who had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

³ They said to me, “The remnant who have survived the captivity there in the province are in great distress and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.”

⁴ Upon hearing these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days. I prayed and fasted before the God of heaven. ⁵ Then I said:

“Adonai, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps the covenant and lovingkindness with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot, ⁶ please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant that I am praying before You today both day and night on behalf of Your servants, the Bnei-Yisrael. I am confessing the sins of Bnei-Yisrael that we have sinned against You—yes, I and my ancestral house have sinned. ⁷ We have acted very corruptly against You. We have not kept the mitzvot, the statutes, nor the rulings that You commanded Your servant Moses.

⁸ “Please recall the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the peoples, ⁹ but if you return to Me and obey My mitzvot, and do them, then even if your dispersed people are at the ends of the heavens, I will gather them from there, and bring them back to the place where I have chosen for My Name to dwell.’

¹⁰ “They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great strength and by Your mighty hand. ¹¹ Please, my Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your Name. Give Your servant success today and grant compassion in the presence of this man.”

Now I was cupbearer to the king.

Favor with the King

2 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before. ² So the king said to me, “Why is your face so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very frightened, ³ but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

⁴ The king asked me, “What is your request?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, ⁵ and I answered the king, “If it seems good to the king and if your servant has found favor in your sight, send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried that I may rebuild it.”

⁶ Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” Since it pleased the king to send me, I set a time for him.

⁷ I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let him give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates that will enable me to pass through until I arrive in Judah, ⁸ as well as a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest so he will give me lumber to make beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the Temple, for the wall of the city and for the residence I will occupy.”

The king granted me the requests because the good hand of my God was upon me.

⁹ Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and I gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officials and cavalry with me.

¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite officials heard all this, they were very displeased that a man had come to seek the welfare of Bnei-Yisrael.

Inspecting the Walls

¹¹ I came to Jerusalem, and after I was there for three days, ¹² I got up during the night along with a few men. But I did not tell anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me except the animal I was riding. ¹³ By night I went out by the Valley Gate toward Jackal Spring and the Dung Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴ Then I moved on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, where there was not enough room for my animal to pass with me; ¹⁵ so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and returned to the Valley Gate. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, but as yet I had not told the Jews, the kohanim, the nobles, the officials or the rest of the workers.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been burnt. Come! Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

¹⁸ Then I told them how the good hand of my God was on me and the words that the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let us begin building!” So they prepared themselves for this good work.

¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. They said, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰ I responded to them saying, “The God of heaven will bring us success. We His servants will arise and build. But you have no part, right, or historical claim in Jerusalem.”

The Builders of the Wall

3 Then Eliashib the kohen gadol and his brothers, the kohanim, arose and built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, dedicating it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and as far as the Tower of Hananel. ² The men of Jericho built next to it and Zaccur the son of Imri built next to them.

³ The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. ⁴ Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz made repairs. Adjacent to them Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel made repairs, and next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. ⁵ The men of Tekoa made repairs next to them, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their masters.

⁶ Joiada son of Paseah, and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars. ⁷ Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, men from Gibeon and Mizpah who are under the jurisdiction of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. ⁸ Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, worked adjacent to him, and Hananiah, one of the perfumers, worked next to him. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. ⁹ Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem made repairs next to them. ¹⁰ Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the section adjacent to them opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked next to them. ¹¹ Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Furnaces. ¹² Shallum son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, and his daughters repaired the next section.

¹³ Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. They also repaired a thousand cubits of wall up to the Dung Gate.

¹⁴ Malchijah son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-cherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He built it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

¹⁵ Shallun son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs going down from the City of David. ¹⁶ Beyond him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as the tombs of David and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.

¹⁷ After him, the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani, and beside him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. ¹⁸ After him repairs were made by their brothers under Bavvai son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah. ¹⁹ Adjacent to him Ezer son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the corner buttress. ²⁰ After him Baruch son of Zaccai zealously repaired another section from the corner buttress up to the door of the house of Eliashib, the kohen gadol. ²¹ After him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

²² And after him the kohanim worked, men from the surrounding district. ²³ After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, worked beside his house. ²⁴ Beyond him Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section from the house of Azariah up to the inner buttress and the corner. ²⁵ Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the inner buttress and the tower coming out from the upper palace, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh ²⁶ and the Temple servants living on the Ophel made repairs up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. ²⁷ After him the men of Tekoa repaired another section from opposite the great projecting tower to the wall of the Ophel.

²⁸ Above the Horse Gate the kohanim worked, each in front of his own house. ²⁹ After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard of the East Gate, made repairs. ³⁰ After him Hananiah, son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another portion. After him Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his living quarters. ³¹ After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs up to the house of the Temple servants, and the merchants opposite the Inspection Gate and as far as the room above the corner. ³² Between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants worked.

Opposition Mocks the Rebuilding

³³ Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became very angry and was greatly enraged. He mocked the Jews ³⁴ in the presence of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying:

“What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the heaps of rubble that are burnt?”

³⁵ Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said: “Even if a fox climbed on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”

³⁶ Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insult back on their own head! Give them up as plunder in a land of captivity. ³⁷ Do not cover their guilt or blot out their sin from before You, for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.

³⁸ So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a heart to work.

4 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was proceeding and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they became extremely angry. ² They all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to stir up trouble against it. ³ But we prayed to our God and stationed a guard against them day and night.

⁴ Meanwhile the people of Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing. There is so much rubble that we are unable to rebuild the wall.”

⁵ Our adversaries also said, “They will not know or perceive anything, until we come among them and kill them, and put an end to the work!”

⁶ So it happened that the Jews living near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us!”

Working and Watching

⁷ So I stationed people in the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. I stationed the people by families with their swords, spears and bows. ⁸ When I looked things over, I rose up and said to the nobles, the rulers and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

⁹ Now when our enemies heard that their plan was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. ¹⁰ From that day on, half of my men were doing the work, while half of them took hold of the spears, shields, bows and breastplates, and the leaders were behind the entire house of Judah. ¹¹ Those building the wall and those bearing heavy burdens kept one hand on the work and the other holding a weapon. ¹² So each of the builders had his sword strapped to his side while they were building, and the shofar blower was beside me.

¹³ Then I said to the nobles, the rulers and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from one another on the wall. ¹⁴ Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

¹⁵ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from dawn until the stars came out. ¹⁶ Also at that time I said to the people, “Let every man and his helper lodge inside Jerusalem, so they can be guards for us by night and workers by day.” ¹⁷ So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my workers, nor the guards who were with me took off our clothes; each man even had his weapon at the water.

Considering the Poor

5 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives to their fellow Jews. ² There were those who said, “We and our sons and our daughters are numerous. We must take grain, so we may eat and live.”

³ There were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses in order to obtain grain during the famine.”

⁴ Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ And now, though we share the same flesh as our brothers, and our children are just like their children, still we subject our sons and our daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved but our hands are tied since our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

⁶ I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. ⁷ I pondered them in my heart and then I opposed the nobles and the officials, saying to them, “Usury! Each of you is putting his brother in debt!”

So I convened a great assembly to deal with them. ⁸ I said to them, “As much as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the nations. Now you also are selling your brothers so that they will be sold back to us?” Then they became silent and could not find anything to say.

⁹ Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good! Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, in order to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? ¹⁰ Even I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let this usury stop, now! ¹¹ Now, return to them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, as well as the hundredth that you have extracted from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil.”

¹² Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do just as you say.”

Then I summoned the kohanim and I made them swear to do according to this promise. ¹³ Also I shook out my garment, and said, “In this way may God shake out from His house and from His property every one that does not keep this promise. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!”

And all the assembly replied, “Amen!” and they praised Adonai. So the people did according to this promise.

Nehemiah’s Unselfishness

¹⁴ Moreover, from the day when I was appointed to be the governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes—twelve years—neither I, nor my relatives have eaten the bread allocated to the governor. ¹⁵ The earlier governors, those preceding me, placed heavy burdens on the people, and took bread and wine from them, in addition to forty shekels of silver. Their attendants also lorded over the people. But I did not do so, out of fear of God. ¹⁶ Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall, without even buying a field. All my attendants were gathered there for the work.

¹⁷ Furthermore, 150 Judeans and officials, as well as those that came to us from the nations around us, were at my table. ¹⁸ Now, each day one ox and six choice sheep, as well as some fowl, were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundance of every kind of wine was prepared. Despite all this, I did not require the governor’s food allowance, because the work was already heavy on this people.

¹⁹ Remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Attempts to Intimidate Nehemiah

6 Now it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it—even though at that time I had not positioned the doors in the gates. ² Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.”

But they were scheming to do me harm.

³ So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am doing an important work, so I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”

⁴ They sent me the same message four times, and each time I returned a similar response to them. ⁵ But the fifth time Sanballat sent his young aide to me in this way, he had an open letter in his hand. ⁶ In it was written:

⁸ Then I sent a message to him, saying, “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are devising them from your own heart.”

⁹ For they were all trying to intimidate us, thinking, “Their hands will become weak from the work and it will not be done.”

So now, strengthen my hands!

¹⁰ Then I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet in the House of God, within the Temple. Let us shut the doors of the Temple, for they are coming to kill you. Indeed, they will come to kill you at night.”

¹¹ But I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who in my position could go into the Temple and live? I will not go in.”

¹² I recognized that God had not really sent him, for he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ He had been hired so that I might become so frightened that I would do this and thereby sin. Then they would give me a bad name in order to discredit me.

¹⁴ Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

¹⁵ So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in just 52 days. ¹⁶ When all our enemies heard, all the surrounding nations were afraid and fell greatly in their own eyes, because they realized that this work had been accomplished by our God.

¹⁷ Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were under oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ Moreover, they kept telling me about his good deeds and then reporting my words to him. Also Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Hanani, Hananiah and the Returning Exiles

7 After the wall had been rebuilt, the doors set up, and the gatekeepers, singers and Levites appointed, ² I put in charge over Jerusalem, my brother Hanani along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, for he was a man of integrity and feared God more than many. ³ I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun is hot. While those are still on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their post and some near their homes.”

⁴ Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people within it and no houses were being built. ⁵ So my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the scroll of the genealogical record of those who formerly returned. I found the following written there:

⁶ These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the exile, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his own town. ⁷ Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of Bnei-Yisrael was:

⁸ The sons of Parosh—2,172

⁹ The sons of Shephatiah—372

¹⁰ The sons of Arah—652

¹¹ The sons of Pahat-moab, from the sons of Jeshua and Joab—2,818

¹² The sons of Elam—1,254

¹³ The sons of Zattu—845

¹⁴ The sons of Zaccai—760

¹⁵ The sons of Binnui—648

¹⁶ The sons of Bebai—628

¹⁷ The sons of Azgad—2,328

¹⁸ The sons of Adonikam—667

¹⁹ The sons of Bigvai—2,067

²⁰ The sons of Adin—655

²¹ The sons of Ater of Hezekiah—98

²² The sons of Hashum—328

²³ The sons of Bezai—324

²⁴ The sons of Hariph—112

²⁵ The sons of Gibeon—95

²⁶ The men of Bethlehem and Neto-phah—188

²⁷ The men of Anathoth—128

²⁸ The men of Beth-azmaveth—42

²⁹ The men of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth—743

³⁰ The men of Ramah and Geba—621

³¹ The men of Michmas—122

³² The men of Bethel and Ai—123

³³ The men of the other Nebo—52

³⁴ The sons of the other Elam—1,254

³⁵ The sons of Harim—320

³⁶ The sons of Jericho—345

³⁷ The sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono—721

³⁸ The sons of Senaah—3,930

³⁹ The kohanim:

The sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua—973

⁴⁰ The sons of Immer—1,052

⁴¹ The sons of Pashhur—1,247

⁴² The sons of Harim—1,017

⁴³ The Levites: the sons of Jeshua of Kadmiel from the sons of Hodeiah—74

⁴⁴ The singers: the sons of Asaph—148

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita and the sons of Shobai—138.

⁴⁶ The sanctuary servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaot, ⁴⁷ the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, ⁴⁸ the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Salmai, ⁴⁹ the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, ⁵⁰ the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, ⁵¹ the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, ⁵² the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim, ⁵³ the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, ⁵⁴ the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, ⁵⁵ the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, ⁵⁶ the sons of Neziah and the sons of Hatipha.

⁵⁷ The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, ⁵⁸ the sons of Jala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, ⁵⁹ the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim and the sons of Amon.

⁶⁰ All the Temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants—392.

⁶¹ Now the following were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer—but they were not able to identify their ancestral houses or whether their descendants were from Israel: ⁶² the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah and the sons of Nekoda—642.

⁶³ Also of the kohanim: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai. (Their ancestor took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and subsequently was called by their name.) ⁶⁴ These sought their names in the genealogies, but were not found; so they were disqualified from the priesthood. ⁶⁵ The governor said to them that they should not eat any of the most holy things until a kohen arose with Urim and Thummim^[b].

⁶⁶ The whole congregation together was 42,360, ⁶⁷ not including their male and female servants—these were 7,337—as well as 245 male and female singers.

⁶⁸ There were 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁶⁹ Some from among the family leaders contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury: gold drachmas—1,000; bowls—50; and priestly tunics—500. ⁷⁰ Those from the heads of ancestral lines gave to the treasury for the work: gold drachmas—20,000; silver minas—2,000. ⁷¹ The rest of the people gave: gold drachmas—20,000; silver minas—2,000; and priestly tunics—67.

⁷² So the kohanim, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, and the Temple servants, even all Israel, dwelt in their towns.

Ezra Reads the Torah

Then the seventh month came and Bnei-Yisrael were in their towns.

8 Then all the people were brought as a single body into the plaza that was before the Water Gate. They said to Ezra the scribe, “Bring out the Torah scroll of Moses that Adonai had commanded Israel.”

² Ezra the kohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which included men and women and all who could understand what they heard. This happened on the first day of the seventh month. ³ So he read from it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from first light until midday, in the presence of the men and women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah. ⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform constructed for this purpose. Standing near him at his right hand were Mattitiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah and at his left hand were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵ Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people. When he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Ezra blessed Adonai, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen!” as they lifted up of their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped Adonai with their faces to the ground.

⁷ The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbetai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Torah while the people were standing in their place. ⁸ They read from the Torah scroll of God, distinctly explaining^[c] it and giving insight. Thus they understood what was read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the kohen-scribe, and the Levites who were teaching the people said to all the people, “Today is kadosh to Adonai your God. Do not mourn or weep!” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah.

¹⁰ So he said to them, “Go! Eat choice food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who have nothing ready. For today is kadosh to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of Adonai is your strength.”

¹¹ Then the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush! For today is kadosh. Do not grieve.” ¹² So all the people departed to eat and drink, to send portions and to celebrate with great joy, because they came to understand the words that were explained to them.

Sukkot Joy

¹³ On the second day, the heads of the families along with the kohanim and the Levites gathered around Ezra to ponder the words of the Torah. ¹⁴ They found written in the Torah that Adonai had commanded through Moses that Bnei-Yisrael should dwell in sukkot during the feast of the seventh month. ¹⁵ So that they should proclaim and spread this message in all their towns and in Jerusalem saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees to make sukkot, just as it is written.” ¹⁶ So the people went out and brought branches, and made sukkot for themselves, each on their own roof, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the House of God, in the plaza before the Water Gate and in the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. ¹⁷ The entire assembly who had returned from the captivity made sukkot and dwelt in the sukkot. Since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day Bnei-Yisrael had not done so—and the joy was very great.

¹⁸ Day after day from the first day to the last day, he read from the scroll of the Torah of God. So they kept the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, according to the regulation, there was a solemn assembly.

Levites Tell Israel’s Story

9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this same month, Bnei-Yisrael gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. ² The offspring of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. ³ They stood in their place and read in the scroll of the Torah of Adonai their God for a quarter of the day; and for another quarter they were confessing and prostrating themselves before Adonai their God.

⁴ Then the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani—stood on the platform and cried out with a loud voice to Adonai their God. ⁵ The Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up! Bless Adonai your God, from everlasting to everlasting! May Your glorious Name be blessed; may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. ⁶ You alone are Adonai. You made the heavens, even the highest heaven with all its array,^[d] the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them. You give life to them all, and the multitudes of heaven worship You.

⁷ “You are Adonai, the God who chose Abram, brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. ⁸ You found his heart faithful before You and made the covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Jebusite and the Girgashite to his seed. You have fulfilled Your words, for You are righteous.

⁹ “You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds. ¹⁰ You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all the people of his land, for You knew how insolently they treated them. You made a name for Yourself which remains to this day. ¹¹ You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land! But their pursuers You threw into the depths like a stone into mighty waters. ¹² You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night to illuminate for them the way they were to go.

¹³ “You descended on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just judgments, reliable laws, and good statutes and mitzvot. ¹⁴ You made known to them Your holy Shabbat and ordained for them mitzvot, statutes and Torah by the hand of Your servant Moses. ¹⁵ You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in to possess the land that You had sworn to give them.^[e]

¹⁶ “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant. They stiffened their neck and did not obey Your mitzvot. ¹⁷ They refused to obey and did not remember Your wonders that You did among them. Instead, they became stiff-necked and in their rebellion, appointed a leader in order to return to their bondage. But You are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love. Therefore You did not abandon them, ¹⁸ even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your god who brought you up from Egypt!’ or when they committed great blasphemies.

¹⁹ “Yet in Your great compassion You did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud by day did not depart from above them, guiding them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, illuminating the way they should go. ²⁰ You also gave Your good Ruach to teach them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth and You gave them water for their thirst. ²¹ For forty years You sustained them in the desert: they lacked nothing, their garments did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

²² “You gave them kingdoms and peoples and You allotted them their boundaries of the land. They possessed the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. ²³ You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven, and You brought them into the land that You told their ancestors to enter and inherit. ²⁴ So the children went in and possessed the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land. You delivered them into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land to deal with them as they pleased. ²⁵ They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses full of every good thing—hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and an abundance of fruit trees. They ate and were satisfied, and grew fat. They enjoyed Your great goodness.

²⁶ “Nonetheless they became contentious and rebelled against You. They cast Your Torah behind their back. They killed Your prophets who warned them^[f] to return to You; they committed appalling blasphemies. ²⁷ Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress, they cried out to You and You heard from heaven. According to Your great compassion, You gave them deliverers, who rescued them out of the hand of their enemies.

²⁸ “But as soon as they were at rest, they returned to doing evil before You. Therefore You abandoned them into the hand of their enemies who ruled over them. When they repented and cried out to You, You heard from heaven, and according to Your compassion You delivered them many times.

²⁹ “You warned them in order to turn them back to Your Torah, but they became insolent and disobeyed Your mitzvot. They sinned against Your ordinances—those by which if a man does them he will live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen. ³⁰ You bore with them for many years and admonished them by Your Ruach through the hand of Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You handed them over to the peoples of the lands. ³¹ Nevertheless, in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.

³² “So now, our God—the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy—do not let all the hardship that has befallen us seem insignificant to you—our kings, our leaders, our kohanim, our prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the time of the kings of Assyria to this day. ³³ You are righteous in all that has come upon us. For You have acted faithfully while we have done wickedly. ³⁴ Our kings, our leaders, our kohanim, and our ancestors have not kept Your Torah or paid attention to Your mitzvot or Your testimonies by which you have admonished them.

³⁵ “Even in their own kingdom with the abundance of Your good things that You gave them, or with the spacious and fertile land that You set before them, they did not serve You or turn back from their evil deeds.

³⁶ “But see, even today we are slaves! Slaves in the land that You gave to our ancestors to eat of its fruit and its bounty. We are slaves in it. ³⁷ Its abundant produce goes to the kings You have set over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please. We are in great distress!

Renewed Covenant

10 “Now because of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing, and the names of our leaders, our Levites and our kohanim are affixing their seals on the document. ² On the sealed document were:

Nehemiah, the governor, son of Hachaliah, Zedekiah, ³ Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, ⁴ Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, ⁵ Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, ⁶ Harim, Meremot, Obadiah, ⁷ Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, ⁸ Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, ⁹ Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the kohanim.

¹⁰ And the Levites were:

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

¹¹ and their associates Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

¹² Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

¹³ Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

¹⁴ Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

¹⁵ The leaders of the people:

Parosh, Pahat-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

¹⁶ Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

¹⁷ Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

¹⁸ Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

¹⁹ Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

²⁰ Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

²¹ Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

²² Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

²³ Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

²⁴ Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

²⁵ Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

²⁶ Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

²⁷ and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

²⁸ Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

²⁹ “Now the rest of the people—the kohanim, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands for the sake of the Torah of God, along with their wives, their sons and their daughters who were able to understand— ³⁰ all join their brothers the nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in the Torah of God given through Moses the servant of God, and to keep and do all the mitzvot of Adonai our Lord, along with His ordinances and His statutes.

³¹ “Furthermore, we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons. ³² When the peoples of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a holy day. Also every seventh year we will forego working the land and the debt of every hand. ³³ We also assume responsibility for the mitzvot to give a third of a shekel each year for the work of the House of our God: ^{[g] 34} for the rows of bread, the regular grain offering and regular burnt offering, the Shabbatot, the New Moons, for the moadim, for the holy things, for the sin offerings to atone for Israel, and for all the service of the House of our God.

³⁵ “We—the kohanim, the Levites and the people—have cast lots concerning the offering of wood, to bring it into the House of our God according to our ancestral house at the appointed times year by year to burn on the altar of Adonai, our God, as it is written in the Torah. ³⁶ Also to bring the firstfruits of our land and the first fruits of all fruit trees year by year to the House of Adonai, ³⁷ and the firstborn of our sons and our livestock as written in the Torah; the firstborn of our cattle and our sheep to the House of our God—to the kohanim ministering in the House of our God; ³⁸ and the first of our coarse meal, along with our offerings—the fruit from every kind of tree, new wine and oil—to the kohanim at the storerooms of the House of our God, as well as a tenth of the crop of our land to the Levites, for they, the Levites, receive tithes in all the towns where we labor.

³⁹ “Also the kohen, a descendant of Aaron, will be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithe, and the Levites will bring a tenth of the tithes up to the House of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. ⁴⁰ For Bnei-Yisrael and the sons of Levi will bring the grain offering, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the utensils for the Sanctuary, and for the ministering kohanim, the gatekeepers, and the singers are kept.

“We will not forsake the House of our God.”

Resettlement of the Land

11 So the leaders of the people dwelt in Jerusalem while the remainder of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in the other towns. ² Then the people blessed all the men who volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem.

³ These are the leaders of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (Some of Israel, the kohanim, the Levites, the Temple servants, and the children of Solomon’s servants dwelt in the towns of Judah, each on his own property in their towns, ⁴ and some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin dwelt in Jerusalem).

From the sons of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, from the descendants of Perez; ⁵ also Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite. ⁶ In all, 468 sons of Perez dwelt in Jerusalem—valiant men.

⁷ Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah. ⁸ Following him were 928 valiant men. ⁹ Joel son of Zichri was in charge over them; Judah son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

¹⁰ Of the kohanim: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, ¹¹ Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the House of God, ¹² their relatives who performed the work of the House—822. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, ¹³ and his relatives, leaders of ancestral lines—242. Also Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, ¹⁴ and their relatives were 128 valiant warriors. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was in charge over them.

¹⁵ From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of Bunni. ¹⁶ From the leaders of the Levites, Shabbethai and Jozabad had oversight over the external business of the House of God. ¹⁷ Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, the director who led the thanksgiving prayer. Also Bakbukiah, second among his relatives, and then Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. ¹⁸ In all there were 284 Levites in the holy city.

¹⁹ Also there were 172 gatekeepers Akkub, Talmon and their brothers—who kept watch at the gates.

²⁰ The rest of Israel, the kohanim, and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each in his own inheritance.

²¹ But the Temple servants dwelt on the Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over the Temple servants. ²² The one in charge over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph who were singers responsible for the service in the House of God. ²³ The king’s command concerning them was to provide regular daily support for the singers. ²⁴ Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, from the descendants of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s agent for any matter concerning the people.

²⁵ Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah dwelt in Kiriat-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, in Jekabzeel and its villages, ²⁶ in Jeshua; in Moladah, in Beth-pelet; ²⁷ in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns, ²⁸ in Ziklag, in Meconah and its towns, ²⁹ in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, ³⁰ in Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its towns. So they settled from Beersheba to the Hinnom valley.

³¹ The descendants of Benjamin dwelt in Geba, Michmas and Aijah, Bethel and its towns, ³² Anatoth, Nob, Ananiah, ³³ Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, ³⁴ Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, ³⁵ Lod, Ono and Ge-harashim. ³⁶ Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled with Benjamin.

Identifying the Kohanim and Levites

12 Now these are the kohanim and the Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, ² Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, ³ Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremot, ⁴ Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, ⁵ Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, ⁶ Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, ⁷ Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the kohanim and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

⁸ The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah—he and his brothers conducted the songs of praise— ⁹ and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, were opposite them in ranks. ¹⁰ Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada, ¹¹ Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.

¹² In the days of Joiakim, the family leaders of the kohanim were: Meraiah for Seraiah, Hananiah for Jeremiah, ¹³ Meshullam for Ezra, Jehohanan for Amariah, ¹⁴ Jonathan for Melicu, Joseph for Shebaniah, ¹⁵ Adna for Harim, Helkai for Meraiot, ¹⁶ Zechariah for Iddo, Meshullam for Ginnethon, ¹⁷ Zichri for Abijah, Piltai for Miniamin and Moadiah, ¹⁸ Shammua for Bilgah, Jehonathan for Shemaiah, ¹⁹ Mattenai for Joiarib, Uzzi for Jedaiah, ²⁰ Kallai for Sallai, Eber for Amok, ²¹ Hashabiah for Hilkiah, and Nethanel for Jedaiah.

²² The family heads of the Levites were recorded in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, as well as for the kohanim, up until the reign of Darius the Persian. ²³ The family leaders among the sons of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

²⁴ So the leaders of the Levites were: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their brothers facing them, to give praise and thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, one section responding to the other. ²⁵ Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers guarding the storehouses at the gates. ²⁶ These served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the kohen-scribe.

Dedicating the Wall

²⁷ At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out Levites from all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy and thanksgiving, and songs with cymbals, harps and lyres. ²⁸ The companies of singers were also assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the Netophathite villages, ²⁹ and from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmavet, for the singers had built communities for themselves round about Jerusalem.

³⁰ After the kohanim and the Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. ³¹ Then I led the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great choirs to give thanks. One of the processions went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate, ³² and going after them, Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah— ³³ Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah, ³⁵ some of the kohanim with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph, ³⁶ and his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—all with the musical instruments of David the man of God—and Ezra the scribe was ahead of them. ³⁷ They went over the Fountain Gate and continued up the stairs of the city of David at the ascent to the wall, and passed, above the house of David all the way to the Water Gate toward the east.

³⁸ The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left. I followed them, along with half of the people on the wall above the Tower of the Furnaces as far as the Broad Wall, ³⁹ over the Ephraim Gate, the gate of the old city, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

⁴⁰ So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the House of God. ⁴¹ So did I along with half the officials with me, and the kohanim—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with their trumpets— ⁴² and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. The singers sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. ⁴³ On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The joy in Jerusalem could be heard from far off.

⁴⁴ On that day men were appointed over the storehouses for the offerings, firstfruits and tithes. They were to gather into them the portions from the fields of the cities required by the Torah for the kohanim and the Levites. For Judah delighted in the kohanim and in the Levites who were ministering. ⁴⁵ They kept the ceremonial functions of their God and the ceremony of the purification according to the command of David and of Solomon his son. ⁴⁶ For of old, in the days of David and Asaph, there were leaders of the singers who sang songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

⁴⁷ So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel gave daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers. They also set apart the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the portion for the sons of Aaron.

Please Remember This, My God

13 On that day, the scroll of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should enter into the assembly of God forever. ² For they did not meet Bnei-Yisrael with bread and water, but instead hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³ When they heard the Torah, they separated from Israel all of mixed ancestry.

⁴ Prior to this Eliashib the kohen was given authority over the storerooms in the House of our God. ⁵ He was closely associated with Tobiah and provided him with a large chamber previously used to store the offerings, frankincense, and the Temple vessels, and also the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, along with the offerings for the kohanim.

⁶ I was not in Jerusalem during all this, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I went to the king. After a period of time, I requested to take leave from the king ⁷ and returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done by preparing a chamber for Tobiah in the courts of the House of God. ⁸ It greatly displeased me, so I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods outside of the storeroom ⁹ and commanded the storerooms to be cleansed. Then I restored the utensils of the House of God, the offerings and the frankincense.

¹⁰ I also learned that the portions for the Levites had not been provided, and that each of the Levites and singers who performed the work had gone back to his own field. ¹¹ So I rebuked the leaders and asked, “Why has the House of God been forsaken?” I assembled them and stationed them at their posts.

¹² Then all Judah brought the tithe of grain, new wine and oil to the storehouses. ¹³ I put Shelemiah the kohen, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites in charge over the storehouses, and made Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah their assistant, because these men were considered faithful. They were responsible for distributing to their brothers.

¹⁴ Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loving kindness that I have done for the House of my God and for overseeing it.

¹⁵ In those days, I saw in Judah some people treading winepresses on the Shabbat, some bringing and loading heaps of grain on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and various other burdens, bringing them into Jerusalem on the Shabbat day. So I warned them about selling food on that day. ¹⁶ Men from Tyre who lived there were bringing fish and all kinds of merchandise and were selling it on the Yom Shabbat to the children of Judah, even in Jerusalem.

¹⁷ So I complained to the nobles of Judah and asked them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing? You are profaning Yom Shabbat! ¹⁸ Didn’t your ancestors do exactly the same causing our God to bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? So now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by profaning Yom Shabbat.”

¹⁹ When evening darkness began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before Yom Shabbat, I commanded the doors to be shut. I further commanded that they should not be opened till after Yom Shabbat. I appointed some of my attendants over the gates so that no burden could enter during Shabbat.

²⁰ Once or twice the traders and those selling all kinds of merchandise camped outside Jerusalem. ²¹ But I warned them and said to them, “Why are you camping next to the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time they no longer came on the Shabbat.

²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and to come and guard the gates in order to sanctify Yom Shabbat. Remember this also on my behalf, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of your lovingkindness.

²³ In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. ²⁴ Half of their children spoke the dialect of Ashdod or the language of other peoples, but none of them understood the language of Judah. ²⁵ So I rebuked them. I cursed them, beat some of their men and pulled their beards. I made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons—or for yourselves. ²⁶ Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin about these things? Yet among many nations there was never any king like him. Yes, he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, the foreign women caused even him to sin. ^{[h] 27} Must we then hear about you doing all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful with our God by marrying foreign women?”

²⁸ Now one of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the kohen gadol, was son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I drove him from me. ²⁹ O my God, please remember them for the defilement of the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. ³⁰ So I purged them from everything foreign and I assigned duties for the kohanim and the Levites, each to his own task, ³¹ and for the wood offering at appointed times and for the first fruits.

Remember me, O my God, for good.

From Adam to Abraham

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, ² Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, ³ Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; ⁴ Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

⁵ The sons of Japheth:

Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tuval, Meshech and Tiras.

⁶ The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz, Diphath and Togarmah.

⁷ The sons of Javan:

Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.

⁸ The sons of Ham:

Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan.

⁹ The sons of Cush:

Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Sabteca.

The sons of Raama:

Sheba and Dedan.

¹⁰ Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first mighty warrior on the earth.

¹¹ Mizraim fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, ¹² Pathrusim, Casluhim—from whom the Philistines came—and Caphtorim.

¹³ Canaan fathered Zidon his firstborn, Heth, ¹⁴ and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, ¹⁵ the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, ¹⁶ the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites.

¹⁷ The sons of Shem:

Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud;

Aram: Uz, Chul, Geter and Meshech.

¹⁸ Arpachshad fathered Shelah

and Shelah fathered Eber.

¹⁹ To Eber were born two sons:

the name of the one was Peleg^[i]—for in his days the earth was divided—

and his brother’s name was Joktan.

²⁰ Joktan fathered:

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah; ²¹ Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²² Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, ²³ Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

²⁴ Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,

²⁵ Eber, Peleg, Reu,

²⁶ Serug, Nahor, Terah,

²⁷ Abram—that is Abraham.

Abraham’s Descendants

²⁸ The sons of Abraham:

Isaac and Ishmael.

²⁹ These are their descendants:

the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ³⁰ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, ³¹ Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.

³² The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine:

she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.

The sons of Jokshan:

Sheba and Dedan.

³³ The sons of Midian:

Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah.

All these were the sons of Keturah.

³⁴ Abraham also fathered Isaac.

The sons of Isaac:

Esau and Israel.

³⁵ The sons of Esau:

Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah.

³⁶ The sons of Eliphaz:

Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek.

³⁷ The sons of Reuel:

Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah.

³⁸ The sons of Seir:

Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan.

³⁹ The sons of Lotan:

Hori and Homam.

Lotan’s sister was Timna.

⁴⁰ The sons of Shobal:

Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi and Onam.

The sons of Zibeon:

Aiah and Anah.

⁴¹ The sons of Anah:

Dishon.

The sons of Dishon:

Hamran, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran.

⁴² The sons of Etzer:

Bilhan, Zaavan, Jaakan.

The sons of Dishan:

Uz and Aran.

Edom’s Rulers

⁴³ Now these were the kings who ruled in the land of Edom, before any king ruled over Bnei-Yisrael:

Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city was Dinhabah.

⁴⁴ When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah ruled in his place.

⁴⁵ When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites ruled in his place.

⁴⁶ When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, ruled in his place—the name of his city was Avith.

⁴⁷ When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah ruled in his place.

⁴⁸ When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth-on-the-River ruled in his place.

⁴⁹ When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor ruled in his place.

⁵⁰ When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad ruled in his place—the name of his city was Pai, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab. ⁵¹ Then Hadad died.

So the tribal chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth ⁵² chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon ⁵³ chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, ⁵⁴ chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

Israel and Judah’s Descendants

2 These are the sons of Israel:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, ² Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

³ The sons of Judah:

Er, Onan and Shelah—the three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Adonai, so He put him to death. ⁴ Then Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

⁵ The sons of Perez:

Hezron and Hamul.

⁶ The sons of Zerah:

Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara, five in all.

⁷ The sons of Carmi:

Achar, the troubler of Israel who violated the ban of devoted things.

⁸ The sons of Ethan: Azariah.

⁹ The sons of Hezron who were born to him:

Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai.

¹⁰ Ram fathered Amminadab;

Amminadab fathered Nahshon, the leader of the children of Judah.

¹¹ Nahshon fathered Salma;

Salma fathered Boaz.

¹² Boaz fathered Obed;

Obed fathered Jesse.

¹³ Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab was second, Shimea third, ¹⁴ Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, ¹⁵ Ozem sixth, and David seventh. ¹⁶ Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. ¹⁷ Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

¹⁸ Caleb son of Hezron fathered children by Azubah his wife and by Jerioth. These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. ¹⁹ When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. ²⁰ Hur fathered Uri and Uri fathered Bezalel.

²¹ Afterward Hezron had relations with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead—he had married her when he was 60 years old—and she bore him Segub.

²² Segub fathered Jair, who had 23 cities in the land of Gilead. ²³ But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, along with Kenath and its surrounding villages, 60 towns. All these were the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

²⁴ After the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephrath, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

²⁵ Now the sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron: Ram the firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. ²⁶ Jerahmeel had another wife whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

²⁷ The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel:

Maaz, Jamin and Eker.

²⁸ The sons of Onam:

Shammai and Jada.

The sons of Shammai:

Nadab and Abishur.

²⁹ The name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid.

³⁰ The sons of Nadab:

Seled and Appaim, but Seled died without children.

³¹ The sons of Appaim:

Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan.

Sheshan was the father of Ahlai.

³² The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai:

Jeter and Jonathan—Jeter died without sons.

³³ The sons of Jonathan:

Pelet and Zaza.

These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

³⁴ Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. But Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. ³⁵ So Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as a wife, and she bore him Attai. ³⁶ Then Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad. ³⁷ Zabad fathered Ephlal and Ephlal fathered Obed. ³⁸ Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah. ³⁹ Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Eleasah. ⁴⁰ Eleasah fathered Sisamai, and Sisamai fathered Shallum. ⁴¹ Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama.

⁴² Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel:

Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah the father of Hebron.

⁴³ The sons of Hebron:

Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema.

⁴⁴ Shema fathered Raham, the father of Jorkeam. Rekem fathered Shammai. ⁴⁵ The son of Shammai was Maon and Maon was the father of Beth-Zur.

⁴⁶ Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez; and Haran fathered Gazez.

⁴⁷ The sons of Jahdai:

Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph.

⁴⁸ Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. ⁴⁹ She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheba the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. The daughter of Caleb was Achsah. ⁵⁰ These were the descendants of Caleb.

The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrath:

Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, ⁵¹ Salma the father of Beth-lehem and Hareph the father of Beth-gader.

⁵² Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons:

Haroeh, half of the Menuhites. ⁵³ The clans of Kiriath-jearim: the Itrites, the Puhtites, the Shumathites, the Mishraites; from them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.

⁵⁴ The sons of Salma:

Beth-lehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, ⁵⁵ and the clans of scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. These were the Kenites who descended from Hammath, the father of the Rechabites.

David’s Descendants

3 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron:

the firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite woman;

second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite woman;

² third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;

fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

³ fifth, Shephatiah by Abital; the sixth, Ithream by his wife Eglah.

⁴ Six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months; then in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years.

⁵ These were born to him in Jerusalem:

Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. These four were from Bath-shua^[j] the daughter of Ammiel;

⁶ and the other nine were Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, ⁷ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. ⁹ All these were sons of David, besides his sons by the concubines. Tamar was their sister.

¹⁰ Solomon’s son was Rehoboam.

Abijah was his son,

Asa his son,

Jehoshaphat his son,

¹¹ Joram his son,

Ahaziah his son,

Joash his son,

¹² Amaziah his son,

Azariah his son,

Jotham his son,

¹³ Ahaz his son,

Hezekiah his son,

Manasseh his son,

¹⁴ Amon his son,

and Josiah his son.

¹⁵ The sons of Josiah:

Johanan the firstborn,

Jehoiakim the second,

Zedekiah the third,

and Shallum the fourth.

¹⁶ The sons of Jehoiakim:

Jeconiah was his son,

Zedekiah his son.

¹⁷ The sons of Jeconiah, the captive:

Shealtiel his son, ¹⁸ Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah.

¹⁹ The sons of Pedaiah:

Zerubbabel and Shimei.

The sons of Zerubbabel:

Meshullam and Hananiah; Shelomith was their sister, ²⁰ and five others:

Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah and Jushabhesed.

²¹ The sons of Hananiah:

Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, whose son was Rephaiah, whose son was Arnan, whose son was Obadiah, whose son was Shecaniah.

²² The descendants of Shecaniah:

Shemaiah and sons Hatush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all.

²³ The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam—three in all.

²⁴ The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah and Anani—seven in all.

Judah’s Descendants

4 The sons of Judah:

Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal.

² Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

³ These were the sons of Etam:

Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. The name of their sister was Hazlelponi.

⁴ Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Beth-lehem.

⁵ Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. ⁶ Naarah bore him Ahuzam, Hepher, Timeni and Ahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

⁷ The sons of Helah:

Zereth, Zohar and Ethnan.

⁸ Koz fathered Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel, the son of Harum.

Prayer of Jabez

⁹ Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” ¹⁰ Jabez called out to the God of Israel, saying, “If only You would greatly bless me, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I might not suffer pain.” Adonai granted what he asked.

Other Descendants of Judah

¹¹ Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. ¹² Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah.

¹³ The sons of Kenaz:

Othniel and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel:

Hatath ¹⁴ and Meonothai, who fathered Ophrah.

Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim^[k], for they were craftsmen.

¹⁵ The sons of Caleb, son of Jephunneh:

Iru, Elah and Naam.

The son of Elah:

Kenaz.

¹⁶ The sons of Jehallelel:

Ziph, Ziphah, Tiriah and Asarel.

¹⁷ The sons of Ezrah:

Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. She also bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. ¹⁸ (His Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soho and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the sons of Bithiah, Pharaoh’s daughter whom Mered married.

¹⁹ The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham:

the father of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

²⁰ The sons of Shimon:

Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan and Tilon.

The sons of Ishi:

Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

²¹ The sons of Shelah, son of Judah:

Er the father of Lecah, Ladah the father of Mareshah, the families of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea, ²² and Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab and Jashubi-lehem (the records are ancient). ²³ These were the potters and those who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there while doing the king’s work.

Descendants of Simeon

²⁴ The sons of Simeon:

Nemuel, Jamim, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, ²⁵ his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

²⁶ The descendants of Mishma:

Hammuel, Zaccur his son and Shimei his son. ²⁷ Now Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many sons, so their family did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah. ²⁸ They dwelt in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, ²⁹ Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, ³⁰ Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ³¹ Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David, ³² together with their villages, Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan—five in all, ³³ along with all the villages that surrounded these towns as far as Baal. These were their habitations.

Registered in their genealogical records were: ³⁴ Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, ³⁵ Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, ³⁶ Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshoaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, ³⁷ and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah— ³⁸ these mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and their clans increased greatly. ³⁹ Now they went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. ⁴⁰ They found rich and good pasture, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful. The former inhabitants were Hamites. ⁴¹ Now those whose names are recorded came during the days of King Hezekiah of Judah. They attacked the encampments of the Hamites, as well as the Meunim who were found there, and utterly wiped them out to this very day. They settled in their place because there was pasture there for their flocks. ⁴² About 500 of them from the descendants of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir ⁴³ where they struck down the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they live there to this day.

Descendants of Reuben

5 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel—so he is not reckoned as the firstborn in the genealogical record. ² Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers, and a ruler came from him,^[l] the birthright belonged to Joseph.

³ The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel:

Enoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

⁴ The descendants of Joel:

his son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, ⁵ his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal ⁶ and his son Beerah whom Tillegath-pilneser king of Assyria carried into exile. He was the leader of the Reubenites.

⁷ His kinsmen by their families, as listed in their genealogical records:

the leader Jeiel, Zechariah, ⁸ and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel.

They settled in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon, ⁹ while in the east they settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from this side of the river Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead. ¹⁰ Now in the days of Saul they had made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand. So they lived in their encampments in the entire eastern area of Gilead.

¹¹ Now the sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah:

¹² Joel the leader, Shapham second, then Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. ¹³ Their kinsmen according to their ancestral families: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber—seven in all.

¹⁴ These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jehishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz. ¹⁵ Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni was leader of their ancestral families. ¹⁶ They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its surrounding villages, and in all the pasturelands of Sharon, up to their borders. ¹⁷ All these were recorded by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

¹⁸ The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors ready for war—men who carried shield and sword and drew the bow, and were skilled in battle. ¹⁹ So they made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. ²⁰ They received help against them, so that the Hagrites and all who were with them were delivered into their hand, for they cried out to God during the battle. He answered their supplications, because they put their trust in Him. ²¹ They took away their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys, as well as 100,000 people. ²² For many fell slain, because the war was of God. So they dwelt in their place until the exile.

Manesseh East of Jordan

²³ Now the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir and Mount Hermon. They were numerous. ²⁴ These were the heads of their clans: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their clans.

²⁵ But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of King Pul of Assyria—the spirit of Tillegath-pilneser king of Assyria—and he carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara and to the river of Gozan, to this day.

Descendants of Levi

²⁷ The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

²⁸ The sons of Kohath:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

²⁹ The children of Amram:

Aaron, Moses and Miriam.

The sons of Aaron:

Nadav and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

³⁰ Eleazar fathered Phinehas and Phinehas fathered Abishua. ³¹ Abishua fathered Bukki, and Bukki fathered Uzzi. ³² Uzzi fathered Zerahiah and Zerahiah fathered Meraioth. ³³ Meraioth fathered Amariah and Amariah fathered Ahitub. ³⁴ Ahitub fathered Zadok and Zadok fathered Ahimaaz. ³⁵ Ahimaaz fathered Azariah and Azariah fathered Johanan. ³⁶ Johanan fathered Azariah, who served as kohen in the House that Solomon built in Jerusalem. ³⁷ Azariah fathered Amariah, and Amariah fathered Ahitub. ³⁸ Ahitub fathered Zadok, and Zadok fathered Shallum. ³⁹ Shallum fathered Hilkiah, and Hilkiah fathered Azariah, ⁴⁰ and Azariah fathered Seraiah, and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak. ⁴¹ Jehozadak went into captivity when Adonai exiled Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

6 The sons of Levi:

Gershom, Kohath and Merari.

² These are the names of the sons of Gershom:

Libni and Shimei.

³ The sons of Kohath:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

⁴ The sons of Merari:

Mahli and Mushi.

These are the families of the Levites according to their clans.

⁵ Of Gershom:

Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ⁶ Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son and Jeatherai his son.

⁷ The sons of Kohath:

Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, ⁸ Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, ⁹ Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son.

¹⁰ The sons of Elkanah:

Amasai and Ahimoth, ¹¹ his son Elkanah, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ¹² Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.

¹³ The sons of Samuel:

his first-born Vashni, then Abiah.

¹⁴ The sons of Merari:

Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, ¹⁵ Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

¹⁶ Now these are the men David appointed to be in charge of the singing in the House of Adonai, after the Ark came to rest. ¹⁷ They ministered with song in front of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the House of Adonai in Jerusalem. They carried out their avodah according to their regulations.

¹⁸ These are the ones who took their station, with their sons.

Of the sons of the Kohathites:

Heman the singer, son of Joel, son of Samuel, ¹⁹ son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, ²⁰ son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, ²¹ son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, ²² son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, ²³ son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

²⁴ His kinsman Asaph stood on his right—Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, ²⁵ son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, ²⁶ son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, ²⁷ son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, ²⁸ son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi.

²⁹ On the left hand their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, ³⁰ son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, ³¹ son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, ³² son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.

³³ Their fellow Levites were appointed for all the avodah of the tabernacle of the House of God. ³⁴ But Aaron and his sons were the ones presenting offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the service of the Holy of Holies and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

³⁵ Now these are the sons of Aaron:

Eleazar his son, Phineas his son, Abishua his son, ³⁶ Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, ³⁷ Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, ³⁸ Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

Towns and Lands for Levites

³⁹ Now these are their dwelling places according to their encampments in their territories. To Aaron’s sons of the Kohathite families (for theirs was the first lot), ⁴⁰ to them they assigned Hebron in the land of Judah, and the open land around it; ⁴¹ but the fields of the city and the villages, they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ⁴² To sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, also Libnah with its open land, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its open land, ⁴³ Hilen with its open land, Debir with its open land, ⁴⁴ Ashan with its open land, and Beth-shemesh with its open land. ⁴⁵ From the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its open land, and Alemeth with its open land, and Anathoth with its open land. They had 13 cities in all among their families.

⁴⁶ To the rest of the sons of Kohath ten cities were assigned by lot from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh. ⁴⁷ To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, 13 cities were assigned from the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from tribe of Naphtali and from the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ⁴⁸ To the sons of Merari 12 cities were assigned by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun.

⁴⁹ So Bnei-Yisrael gave to the Levites the cities with their open land. ⁵⁰ They also assigned by lot from the tribe of the children of Judah, from the tribe of the children of Simeon, and from the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities that were mentioned by name.

⁵¹ Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. ⁵² They assigned to them as cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim with its open land, Gezer also with its open land, ⁵³ Jokmeam with its open land, Beth-horon with its open land ⁵⁴ Aijalon with its open land, and Gath-rimmon with its open land. ⁵⁵ Also from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its open land and Bileam with its open land, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath. ⁵⁶ To the sons of Gershom were assigned, from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its open land and Ashtaroth with its open land, ⁵⁷ and from the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its open land, Dobrath with its open land, ⁵⁸ Ramoth with its open land, and Anem with its open land, ⁵⁹ and from the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its open land, Abdon with its open land, ⁶⁰ Hukok with its open land, Rehob with its open land, ⁶¹ and from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its open land, Hammon with its open land and Kiriathaim with its open land. ⁶² To the rest—the sons of Merari—were assigned, from the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its open land, Tabor with its open land, ⁶³ and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its open land, Jahaz with its open land, ⁶⁴ Kedemoth with its open land, and Mephaath with its open land ⁶⁵ and from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its open land, Mahanaim with its open land, ⁶⁶ Heshbon with its open land, and Jazer with its open land.

Descendants of Other Tribes

7 The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron—four.

² The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Shemuel, heads of their clans. The descendants of Tola were mighty men of valor; their number in the days of David was 22,600.

³ The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah:

Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah—all five of them were leaders.

⁴ Along with them, by their generations after their clans were 36,000 troops of the army for battle, for they had many wives and sons. ⁵ Their kinsmen among all the families of Issachar by genealogical records were mighty men of valor—87,700.

⁶ The sons of Benjamin:

Bela, Becher and Jediael—three.

⁷ The sons of Bela:

Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri—five. They were heads of clans, mighty men of valor; by genealogical records they were 22,034.

⁸ The sons of Becher:

Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth—all sons of Becher. ⁹ According to their genealogical records, their descendants were heads of their clans, 22,200 mighty men of valor.

¹⁰ Finally the sons of Jediael:

Bilhan.

The sons of Bilhan:

Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. ¹¹ All these were sons of Jediael, heads of their clans, mighty men of valor, 17,200 who were able to go out in the army for war. ¹² Shuppim and Huppim were sons of Ir; Hushim was the son of Aher.

¹³ The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

¹⁴ One of the sons of Manasseh was Asriel, whom she bore; his Aramean concubine bore Machir the father of Gilead. ¹⁵ Machir took a wife from Huppim and Shuppim. His sister’s name was Maacah. The name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters.

¹⁶ Machir’s wife Maacah bore a son and she named him Peresh. His brother’s name was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem. ¹⁷ Ulam’s son was Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, son of Manasseh. ¹⁸ His sister Hammolecheth bore Ish-hod, Abiezer and Mahlah. ¹⁹ Shemida’s sons were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.

²⁰ The descendants of Ephraim:

Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, ²¹ Zabad his son and Shuthelah his son, also Ezer and Elead. The native-born men of Gath killed them because they came down to raid their cattle. ²² Their father Ephraim mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. ²³ Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son and he called him Beriah^[m], because evil had befallen his house. ²⁴ His daughter was Sheerah, who built both lower and upper Beth-horon, and also Uzzen-sheerah. ²⁵ Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, ²⁶ Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, ²⁷ Nun his son and Joshua his son.

²⁸ Their possessions and settlements were Beth-el and its villages, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer with its villages, as well as Shechem and its villages, as far as Aiah and its villages, ²⁹ and along the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and its villages, Taanach and its villages, Megiddo and its villages, Dor and its villages. In these lived the children of Joseph son of Israel.

³⁰ The sons of Asher:

Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

³¹ The sons of Beriah:

Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

³² Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham, and their sister Shua.

³³ The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Asvath. These were the children of Japhlet.

³⁴ The sons of Shemer:

Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram.

³⁵ The sons of his brother Helem:

Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal.

³⁶ The sons of Zophah:

Suah, Harnepher, Shaul, Beri, Imrah, ³⁷ Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera.

³⁸ The sons of Jether:

Jephunneh, Pispa and Ara.

³⁹ The sons of Ulla:

Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. ⁴⁰ All these were the descendants of Asher, heads of the clans, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. The number of them recorded by genealogy for service in war was 26,000 men.

Descendants of Benjamin

8 Benjamin fathered Bela his firstborn, Ashbel second, Ahrah third, ² Nohah the fourth, and Rapha fifth.

³ Bela’s sons were:

Addar, Gera, Abihud, ⁴ Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, ⁵ Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.

⁶ These were the sons of Ehud—the heads of clans of the inhabitants of Geba, who were taken captive to Manahath:

⁷ Naaman, Ahijah and Gera—he took them captive and fathered Uzza and Ahihud.

⁸ Shaharaim fathered children in the country of Moab after divorcing his wives Hushim and Baara. ⁹ By his wife Hodesh he fathered Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, ¹⁰ Jeuz, Sachiah and Mirmah. These were his sons, family leaders.

¹¹ By Hushim he fathered Abitub and Elpaal.

¹² The sons of Elpaal:

Eber, Misham and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its villages; ¹³ Beriah and Shema, leaders of the clans living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath.

¹⁴ Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, ¹⁵ Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, ¹⁶ Michael, Ishpah, Joha were sons of Beriah.

¹⁷ Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber ¹⁸ Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were sons of Elpaal.

¹⁹ Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, ²⁰ Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, ²¹ Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were sons of Shimei.

²² Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, ²³ Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, ²⁴ Hananiah, Elam, Anthothiah, ²⁵ Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

²⁶ Shamsherai, Shechariah, Athaliah ²⁷ Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zichri were sons of Jeroham. ²⁸ These were leaders of the clans listed in their genealogies. These lived in Jerusalem.

²⁹ Now the father of Gibeon dwelt in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah, ³⁰ and his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, ³¹ Gedor, Ahio and Zecher ³² and Mikloth who fathered Shimeah. They lived with their relatives in Jerusalem, opposite their relatives.

³³ Ner fathered Kish and Kish fathered Saul. Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

³⁴ Jonathan’s son was Merib-baal and Merib-baal fathered Micah.

³⁵ Micah’s sons:

Pithon, Melech, Taarea and Ahaz.

³⁶ Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri, and Zimri fathered Moza, ³⁷ Moza fathered Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

³⁸ Azel had six sons and these were their names:

Azrikam, Bocru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan—all these were sons of Azel.

³⁹ The sons of his brother Eshek:

Ulam his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third. ⁴⁰ Now the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons and grandsons—150. All these were descendants of Benjamin.

Kohanim and Levites in Nehemiah’s Day

9 So all Israel were registered by genealogies—behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. ² The first to settle on their property in their towns were Israelites, kohanim, Levites and the Temple servants. ³ Those from the children of Judah, the children of Benjamin, and the children of Ephraim and Manasseh who settled in Jerusalem were: ⁴ Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, who was a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

⁵ From the Shilonites:

Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.

⁶ From the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their kinsmen—690.

⁷ From the sons of Benjamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah; ⁸ Ibneiah son of Jeroham; and Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibneiah, ⁹ and their kinsmen, according to their genealogies—956. All these men were leaders of their clans.

¹⁰ From the kohanim:

Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, ¹¹ Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the House of God; ¹² Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer, ¹³ and their kinsmen, heads of their clans 1,760 very able men for the work of avodah in the House of God.

¹⁴ From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, from the sons of Merari; ¹⁵ Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph; ¹⁶ Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers:

Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their brothers. Shallum was the leader; ¹⁸ he serves to this day at the king’s gate to the east. These were the gatekeepers for the camp of the descendants of Levi. ¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen from his ancesteral clan, the Korahites, were assigned to guard the gates of the Tent. Their ancestors had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of Adonai ²⁰ when Phinehas, son of Eleazar had been ruler over them in time past and Adonai was with him. ²¹ Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the door of the Tent of Meeting.

²² All these chosen to be gatekeepers at the gates were 212. These were registered in the genealogical records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their offices. ²³ They and their sons were guards of the gates of the House of Adonai, that is, the Tabernacle. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were posted on the four sides, toward the east, west, north, and south. ²⁵ Their kinsmen in their villages were to come from time to time and serve with them for seven days. ²⁶ For the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted over the chambers and over the treasuries in the House of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night around the House of God, because they were assigned to guard it and were in charge of opening it morning by morning.

²⁸ Now some of them had charge of the utensils for avodah, for by count they brought them in and by count they took them out. ²⁹ Some of them were appointed over the equipment and over all the utensils of the sanctuary, as well as over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense and the spices. ³⁰ But some of the sons of the kohanim prepared the mixture of spices. ³¹ Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was in charge of preparing the flat cakes. ³² Some of the relatives of Kohathites were in charge of preparing the rows of bread every Shabbat.

³³ Now these were the singers, patriarchal leaders of the Levites, who stayed in the chambers and were exempt from other service, for they were on duty day and night. ³⁴ These were heads of the Levite families, chiefs in their geneaological records. These lived in Jerusalem.

³⁵ Jeiel, the father of Gibeon, lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. ³⁶ His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth. ³⁸ Mikloth fathered Shimeam. They also lived with their kinsmen in Jerusalem, opposite their kinsmen.

³⁹ Ner fathered Kish and Kish fathered Saul. Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

⁴⁰ The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal and Merib-baal fathered Micah.

⁴¹ The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Taharea and Ahaz.

⁴² Ahaz fathered Jarah and Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri.

Zimri fathered Moza ⁴³ and Moza fathered Binea; Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son and Azel his son.

⁴⁴ Azel had six sons:

Azrikam, Bocru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

Saul Dies on Mount Gilboa

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua. ³ The battle raged around Saul and the archers spotted him and he was wounded by the archers.

⁴ Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, so that these uncircumcised will not come and torture me.”

But his armor-bearer refused to do it, because he was terrified. Therefore Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons died; his whole household died together. ⁷ Now when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. The Philistines then came and lived in them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines proclaiming the good news to their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the house of their gods, and hung his head in the house of Dagon.

¹¹ Now when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the valiant men arose and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

¹³ So Saul died because of his unfaithful acts that he committed against the word of Adonai, which he did not keep, and he even consulted a medium for guidance ¹⁴ rather than inquire of Adonai. So He put him to death and transferred the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

David’s Rise and Capture of Zion

11 Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying: “Behold, we are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one that led out and brought in Israel. Adonai your God also said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.’”

³ When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Adonai. They anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the word of Adonai by the hand of Samuel.

⁴ Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem—that is Jebus, where the Jebusite inhabitants of the land lived. ⁵ Now the residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot get in here!” Nevertheless David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David.

⁶ David had said, “Whoever strikes down the Jebusites first will be commander-in-chief.” So Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became commander. ⁷ David lived in the stronghold; for this reason it is called the city of David. ⁸ He fortified the city all around, from the Millo to the surrounding walls, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹ David grew more and more powerful because Adonai-Tzva’ot was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

¹⁰ Now these were chiefs of David’s mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel to make him king, according to the word of Adonai, over Israel. ¹¹ This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam the son of Hachmoni, was the chief of the 30; he wielded his spear against 300 and slew them all at one time. ¹² After him was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim, when the Philistines assembled there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley where the army retreated from before the Philistines, ¹⁴ but they took a stand in the middle of the plot; they defended it and struck down the Philistines. Adonai delivered a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the 30 leaders went down to David at the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ At that time, David was in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David had a craving and said, “If only someone would give me water to drink from the cistern by the gate in Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the cistern by the gate in Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But David refused to drink it. He poured it out to Adonai ¹⁹ and said: “Far be it for me that I should do this before my God! Can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”—for they brought it at the risk of their lives and he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the Three mighty men.

²⁰ Abishai, Joab’s brother, was chief of the Three. He once wielded his spear against 300 and slew them. Thus he won a name among the Three. ²¹ Of the Three, he was more highly esteemed than the other two and became their commander, even though he was not one of the three.

²² Beniah son of Jehoiada was a valiant man from Kabzeel who had done mighty deeds. He killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab, and went down and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day. ²³ He also killed the giant Egyptian man who was five cubits tall. In his hand the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam, yet Beniah attacked him with a club. He snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ These were the exploits of Beniah son of Jehoiada, who gained renown among the three mighty men. ²⁵ Behold, he was more honorable than the 30, yet he was not one of the Three. Nevertheless, David set him over his bodyguard.

²⁶ The mighty men were:

Asael Joab’s brother,

Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

²⁷ Shammoth the Harorite,

Helez the Pelonite,

²⁸ Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

²⁹ Sibbecai the Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

³⁰ Mahrai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

³¹ Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³² Hurai of Nahale-gaash,

Abiel the Arbathite,

³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴ the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite,

³⁵ Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,

³⁶ Hepher the Meherathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite,

Naarai the son of Ezbai,

³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan,

Mibhar son of Hagri,

³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite,

Nahrai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Ahlai,

⁴² Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and 30 with him,

⁴³ Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴ Uzzijah the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotam the Aroerite,

⁴⁵ Jedaiael son of Shimri and Joha his brother the Tizite,

⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite,

Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite;

⁴⁷ Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

All Israel Rallies to David

12 Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag when he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle. ² They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow. They were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin. ³ Their chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite, ⁴ Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the 30 and leading the 30, ⁵ Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, ⁶ Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Hariphite, ⁷ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam, the Korahites, ⁸ Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

⁹ Some of the Gadites there withdrew to follow David to the stronghold in the wilderness. They were valiant men trained for battle, armed with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains. ¹⁰ Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, ¹¹ Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, ¹² Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, ¹³ Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, ¹⁴ Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. ¹⁵ These were the Gadites, leaders of the army. The least was equal to 100 and the greatest to 1,000. ¹⁶ These were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing its banks, routing all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.

¹⁷ Some of the children of Benjamin and also from Judah came to David at the stronghold. ¹⁸ David went out to meet them and answered them saying, “If you come to me in peace to support me, then my heart will be united with you. But if it is to betray me to my adversaries, when my hands have done no wrong, then may the God of our fathers take notice and judge.”

¹⁹ Then a spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the 30,

“We are yours, David,

on your side, son of Jesse.

Shalom, shalom to you,

and shalom to him who helps you,

for your God supports you!”

So David welcomed them and made them leaders of the troops.

²⁰ Some from Manasseh went over to David when he went with the Philistines to battle against Saul. But they did not help them because the Philistine rulers after consultation sent him away, saying: “It would cost us our heads if he defected to his master Saul.”

²¹ When he went to Ziklag, these from Manasseh joined him—Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai, the leaders of thousands that were from Manasseh. ²² They helped David against the raiding bands, for all of them were valiant warriors and they were officers in the army. ²³ Day by day men came to David to help him until there was a great army like the army of God.

²⁴ These are the numbers of the heads of those armed for war who came to David in Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingdom to him, according to the word of Adonai:

²⁵ The sons of Judah that bore shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war;

²⁶ from the sons of Simeon, 7,100 brave warriors ready for war;

²⁷ from the sons of Levi 4,600; ²⁸ Jehoiada the leader of the Aaronides and with him 3,700; ²⁹ Zadok, a young mighty man of valor, with 22 commanders from his clan;

³⁰ from the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000 for up to that time the majority of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house;

³¹ from the sons of Ephraim 20,800 valliant warriors, famous men in their clan; ³² from the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000 who were designated by name to come and make David king;

³³ from the sons of Issachar—men who know how to interpret the signs of the times to determine what Israel should do—200 chiefs with all their kinsmen under their command;

³⁴ from Zebulun 50,000 warriors prepared for battle, arrayed with all types of weapons of war and ready to give their undivided loyalty;

³⁵ from Naphtali 1,000 officers, along with 37,000 with shield and spear;

³⁶ from the Danites, 28,600 equipped for battle;

³⁷ from Asher 40,000 experienced warriors arrayed for battle;

³⁸ and from beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh 120,000 armed with every type of weapons of war.

³⁹ All these fighting men, prepared for the battle line, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel were also of one heart to make David king. ⁴⁰ So they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had given them provision. ⁴¹ Moreover those who were near to them, from as far as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There was flour, pressed figs, raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance—for indeed, there was joy in Israel.

Ark Retrieved from Kiriath-jearim

13 Then David consulted with the officers of the thousands and of the hundreds, with every leader. ² David said to the entire assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and is from Adonai Eloheinu, let us spread the word to our kinsmen who remain in all the regions of Israel, along with the kohanim and Levites in their towns and pasturelands to come and join us. ³ Let us bring the Ark of our God back to us—for we did not inquire of it in the days of Saul.” ⁴ The entire assembly agreed to do so, for the proposal seemed right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamat, to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶ David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kiriath-jearim, that was in Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, Adonai who sits enthroned above the cheruvim, which is called by His Name.

⁷ They transported the Ark of God upon a new cart from the house of Abinadab. Uzza and Ahio guided the cart ⁸ while David and all Israel celebrated before God with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. ⁹ But when they came to the threshing-floor of Hidon, Uzza reached out his hand to hold the Ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ The anger of Adonai burned against Uzza, and He struck him down, because he reached out his hand and touched the Ark. He died there before God.

¹¹ David was angry because Adonai had burst out against Uzza. So he called that place Perez-uzza as it is to this day.

¹² David feared God that day, saying, “How can I ever bring the Ark of God to me?”

¹³ So David did not take the Ark with him to the City of David, but left it in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴ So the Ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; Adonai blessed the house of Obed-edom and everything that he had.

14 Now King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, as well as cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters, to build a palace for him. ² Then David knew that Adonai had established him king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people

Israel.

³ David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters. ⁴ These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet.

David Breaks Through at Baal-perazim

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David, but David heard of it and went out before them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰ So David inquired of God, asking, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them over into my hand?”

Then Adonai said to him, “Go up! I will give them over into your hand.”

¹¹ So they came up to Baal-perazim, where David defeated them. David said, “God burst out against my enemies by my hand, like waters burst out!” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim^[n]. ¹² They abandoned their gods there, so David ordered and they were burned with fire.

¹³ But the Philistines again raided the valley. ¹⁴ So David again inquired of God, and God said to him, “Do not go up after them, but circle around behind them and come against them in front of the baca trees^[o]. ¹⁵ As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca trees, then go out to battle. For God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”

¹⁶ David did just as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

¹⁷ So the fame of David spread throughout every land, and Adonai brought the fear of him upon all nations.

Ark Enters Jerusalem

15 David built houses made for himself in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the Ark of God and pitched a tent for it. ² Then David said, “No one should carry the Ark of God except the Levites, for Adonai has chosen them to carry the Ark of Adonai and to serve Him forever.” ³ David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the Ark of Adonai up to its place that he had prepared for it. ⁴ David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵ from the sons of Kohath:

Uriel the leader and 120 of his kinsmen;

⁶ from the sons of Merari:

Asaiah the leader and 220 of his kinsmen;

⁷ from the sons of Gershom:

Joel the leader with 130 of his kinsmen;

⁸ from the sons of Elizaphan:

Shemaiah the leader with 200 of his kinsmen;

⁹ from the sons of Hebron:

Eliel the leader with 80 of his kinsmen;

¹⁰ from the sons of Uzziel:

Amminadab the leader and 112 of his kinsmen.

¹¹ David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the kohanim, along with the Levites, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. ¹² He told them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. Sanctify yourselves, you and your kinsmen, so that you may bring up the Ark of Adonai, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. ¹³ Because you were not there the first time, Adonai our God burst out upon us, for we did not seek Him regarding the prescribed way.”

¹⁴ So the kohanim and the Levites sanctified themselves in order to bring up the Ark of Adonai, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ The Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses commanded according to the word of Adonai.

¹⁶ David ordered the leaders of the Levites to appoint their kinsmen, the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, to joyfully make their voices heard. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the descendants of Merari, Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphalehu and Mikneiahu, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

¹⁹ The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoh, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play harps according to alamoth^[p], ²¹ but Mattitiah, Eliphalehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jehiel and Azaziah were to lead with lyres, according to the sheminith^[q]. ²² Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was a master. ²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the Ark. ²⁴ The kohanim Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezez were to blow the trumpets before the Ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the Ark.

²⁵ So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of the thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai out of the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. ²⁶ Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷ Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, and as were the singers and Henaniah the leader of the songs of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. ²⁸ Thus all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai with shouting, with the sound of the shofar, trumpets and cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

²⁹ As the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai came to the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

Worship in David’s Tent

16 They brought the Ark of God and set it in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. ² After David finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of Adonai. ³ He then distributed to everyone in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a date cake and a raisin cake.

⁴ He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the Ark of Adonai, to petition, to thank and to praise Adonai, the God of Israel. ⁵ Asaph was the chief and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jehiel. They were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, ⁶ and the kohanim Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets continually before the Ark of the Covenant of God.

⁷ On that day David first appointed Asaph and his kinsmen to give thanks to Adonai:

the word that He commanded for a thousand generations—

³⁷ So David left Asaph and his kinsmen there before the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, to minister before the Ark continually, according to each day’s requirements, ³⁸ including Obed-edom and his 68 kinsmen. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. ³⁹ Also he left Zadok the kohen and his fellow kohanim before the Tabernacle of Adonai in the high place that was at Gibeon ⁴⁰ to offer burnt offerings to Adonai on the altar of burnt offering, regularly morning and evening, according to all that is written in the Torah of Adonai that He commanded Israel. ⁴¹ Along with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, designated by name to give thanks to Adonai—for His mercy endures forever. ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for music and other instruments for praising God. The sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people departed each one to his home, and David returned to bless his household.

Covenant Promise to David

17 After David settled in his place, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai is under a tent.”

² Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ But that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: ⁴ “Go and tell David My servant, thus says Adonai, ‘You are not to build Me a house in which to dwell. ⁵ For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel out to this day. I have gone from tent to tent, and from one dwelling to another. ⁶ Wherever I went throughout all Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’

⁷ “So now, say this to My servant David, ‘Thus says Adonai Tzva’ot, I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep, to be prince over My people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your name like the names of the great ones that are in the earth. ⁹ I wil establish a place for My people Israel, and plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and shall tremble no more. Violent people will no longer wear them down, as they did formerly, ¹⁰ from the days I ordered judges to be over My people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.’

“‘Moreover, I declare to you that Adonai will build you a house. ¹¹ It will be that when your days are fulfilled to go with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He will build a house for Me and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me,^[r] I will not withdraw My lovingkindness from him, as I withdrew it from the one who ruled before you. ¹⁴ I will appoint him over My House and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”

¹⁵ According to all these words and according to all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before Adonai, and said, “Who am I, Adonai Elohim, and what is my family, that You have brought me thus far? ¹⁷ And this was not enough in Your eyes, O God! You have spoken about the future of Your servant’s household. You have regarded me as the most distinquished of men, Adonai Elohim.

¹⁸ “What more can David say to You for honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant. ¹⁹ Adonai, for the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to reveal all Your greatness.

²⁰ “Adonai, there is none like You and there is no other god besides You, as we have heard with our own ears. ²¹ And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a Name for Yourself by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? ²² You made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, Adonai, became their God.

²³ “Now, Adonai, may the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be confirmed forever. Do as You have spoken ²⁴ so that it might be established and Your Name might be magnified forever, saying, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ Then the house of David Your servant will be established before You.

²⁵ “You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found courage to pray before You. ²⁶ Now, Adonai, You are God! You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁷ Now You are willing to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You, for it is You, Adonai who have blessed, and it is blessed forever!”

King David’s Rule Expands

18 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines. ² He also defeated Moab, and the Moabites became vassals to David and brought tribute.

³ Moreover, David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah at Hamath, when he went to establish his dominion to the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 infantrymen. David hamstrung all the chariot horses but reserved 100 of them for chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 of the Arameans. ⁶ David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus and the Arameans became subject to David and brought tribute. Adonai gave David victory wherever he went. ⁷ David took the gold shields that were on Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tibhath and from Kun, Hadadezer’s cities, David took a very large quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze sea, pillars and bronze vessels.

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet and bless him because he fought against Hadarezer and defeated him—for Hadadezer had many wars with Tou. He also sent all kinds of articles of gold, silver and bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated these articles to Adonai, along with the silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations: from Edom and Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines and Amalek.

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became vassals to David. So Adonai gave David victory wherever he went.

¹⁴ David reigned over all Israel and he administered justice and righteousness to all his people. ¹⁵ Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary. ¹⁶ Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were kohanim, and Shavsha was scribe. ¹⁷ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief officials in the service of the king.

Defeating the Ammonites

19 Now in the course of time Nachash king of the Ammonites died and his son became king in his place. ² David said: “l will show lovingkindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father dealt loyally with me.”

So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. But when David’s emissaries came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to console him, ³ the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, “Do you really think that David is honoring your father, by sending messengers to express sympathy? Have not his servants come to you to explore and spy out the country to overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s emissaries and shaved them. He cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks and sent them away.

⁵ When some people came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them for the men were throughly humiliated. The king said: “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow and then return.”

⁶ When the children of Ammon realized they had made themselves a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim^[s], Aram-maacah and Zobah. ⁷ So they hired 32,000 chariots along with the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before Medeba. The children of Ammon also assembled from their cities and moved out to the battle.

⁸ On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men. ⁹ The children of Ammon came out and took up battle formation at the city gate, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. ¹⁰ When Joab saw that there was a battle line against him both in front and rear, he selected some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans. ¹¹ He put the rest of the people under the command of his brother Abishai, and arrayed them against the Ammonites. ¹² He said: “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you will help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³ Chazak! Take courage for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! Adonai will do what is good in His eyes.”

¹⁴ So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before his brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had the Arameans brought from across the River^[t] with Shophah the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁷ When David was informed he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. He came against them and took up positions against them. David took up positions against the Arameans in battle and they fought with him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 7,000 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 infantrymen. He also killed Shophah the commander of the army.

¹⁹ Now when Hadadezer’s vassals saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Thus the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

Clearing Out the Giants

20 At the turn of the year, the season when kings go out to war, Joab led out the army and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem. Joab smote Rabbah and left it in ruins. ² David took the crown from the head of their king—its weight was found to be a talent^[u] of gold and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a vast amount of spoils from the city. ³ Furthermore, he removed the people who were in it and set them to work with saws, sharp iron tools and axes. Thus he did to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

⁴ Now it came about after this, that war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and they were subdued. ⁵ Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft like a weaver’s beam. ⁶ Once again there was a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had 24 fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot. He too also descended from the giants. ⁷ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, struck him down.

⁸ These were descendants of the giants in Gath; they fell by the hand of David and his servants.

Census and Plague

21 Then satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel. ² So David told Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Then bring me a report so I may know their number.”

³ But Joab said, “May Adonai multiply His people 100 times over! But my master the king, are they not all my master’s servants? Why does my master require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” ⁴ Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and finally came back to Jerusalem.

⁵ Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David: in all Israel there were 1,100,000 sword-wielding men; Judah had 470,000 sword-wielding men. ⁶ But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s word was detestable to Joab. ⁷ But God was displeased with this thing and He struck Israel.

⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. But now, I entreat you, take away the guilt of Your servant for I have behaved very foolishly.”

⁹ Then Adonai spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying: ¹⁰ “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says Adonai, “I offer you three things; choose one of them and I will bring it upon you.”’”

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, “Thus says Adonai: ‘Select for yourself ¹² either three years of famine, or three months being swept away from before your adversaries and the sword of your enemies overtaking you or three days of the sword of Adonai, pestilence in the land and the angel of Adonai ravaging throughout all the territories of Israel. Now, consider what I should reply to the one who sent me.’”

¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in a great anguish! Let me fall into the hand of Adonai for His compassion is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

¹⁴ So Adonai sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but while he was doing so, Adonai saw and was grieved over the calamity. He said to the destroying angel, “Enough! Now withdraw your hand!”

The angel of Adonai was then standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁶ David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of Adonai standing between the earth and the heaven with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. ¹⁷ David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded to count the people? I alone am the one who sinned and behaved wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand, Adonai my God, be against me and against my father’s house, but do not let the plague be on Your people.”

¹⁸ So the angel of Adonai told Gad to instruct David that David should go up and build an altar to Adonai on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David went up by the word of Gad, which he spoke in the Name of Adonai. ²⁰ While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel. His four sons who were with him hid themselves. ²¹ When David came to Ornan, Ornan looked up and saw David. He went out from the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground.

²² Then David said to Ornan: “Give me the site of this threshing floor that I may build an altar to Adonai. Sell it to me for full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped.”

²³ Then Ornan said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever seems good in his eyes. Look, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”

²⁴ King David said to Ornan, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. For I will not take for Adonai what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that cost me nothing.”

²⁵ So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the place. ²⁶ David built there an altar to Adonai and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called on Adonai and He answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. ²⁷ Then Adonai commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.

²⁸ At that time, when David saw that Adonai had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. ²⁹ For the Tabernacle of Adonai, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon. ³⁰ But David could not go before it to seek God for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of Adonai.

22 Then David said, “This is the place where the House of Adonai Elohim will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”

Preparing for the Temple

² David gave orders to assemble the foreigners in the land of Israel, and assigned them to be masons to quarry stones to build the House of God. ³ David supplied an abundance of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for the joints, so much bronze that it could not be weighed, ⁴ and cedar logs without number, for the Zidonians and the Tyrians brought an abundance of cedar logs to David.

⁵ David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced and the House that is to be built for Adonai must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all the nations. Therefore I will make preparation for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

⁶ Then He called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a House for Adonai, the God of Israel. ⁷ David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a House for the name of Adonai my God. ⁸ But the word of Adonai came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and fought many battles. You will not build a House for My Name because you have shed much blood before Me on the earth. ⁹ Behold, a son will be born to you who will be a man at rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon and I will confer shalom and quietness on Israel in his days. ¹⁰ He will build a House for My name; he will be My son and I will be His Father.^[v] I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever.’

¹¹ “Now, my son, may Adonai be with you, and may you succeed in building the House of Adonai your God as He spoke concerning you. ¹² Only may Adonai give you insight and understanding when He gives you charge over Israel so that you may observe the Torah of Adonai your God. ¹³ Then you will prosper, if you carefully observe the statutes and the ordinances that Adonai commanded Moses concerning Israel. Chazak! And be courageous! Do not be afraid or dismayed.

¹⁴ “Now behold, with great pain I have provided for the House of Adonai 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing for there is so much of it. I have also prepared wood and stone, and you must add to them. ¹⁵ Moreover, you have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters and every kind of craftsmen skilled in every kind of material— ¹⁶ in gold, silver, bronze and iron—beyond number. Arise and work! May Adonai be with you.”

¹⁷ David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, ¹⁸ “Is not Adonai your God with you? Has He not given you rest on every side? For He has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand and the land is subdued before Adonai and before His people. ¹⁹ Now set your hearts and souls to seek after Adonai your God. Rise up and build the Sanctuary of Adonai Elohim so that you can bring the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai and the holy vessels of God into the House built for the Name of Adonai.”

Census of Levites

23 When David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

² He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel along with the kohanim and the Levites. ³ The Levites 30 years old or more were counted; their head count was 38,000 men. ⁴ Of these, there were 24,000 to oversee the work of the House of Adonai, 6,000 officers and judges, ⁵ 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 for praising Adonai “with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

⁶ David organized them into divisions:

The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

⁷ Of the Gershonites:

Ladan and Shimei.

⁸ The sons of Ladan:

Jehiel the leader, Zetham and Joel—three.

⁹ The sons of Shimei:

Shelomith, Haziel and Haran—three.

These were the heads of the clans of Ladan.

¹⁰ The sons of Shimei:

Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah.

These were the sons of Shimei—four.

¹¹ Jahath was the first and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were enrolled together as a single clan.

¹² The sons of Kohath:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel—four.

¹³ The sons of Amram:

Aaron and Moses.

Aaron, along with his descendants, was set apart to be consecrated as most holy forever, to burn incense before Adonai, to minister to Him, and to bless in His name forever. ¹⁴ But as for Moses the man of God, his sons are named among the tribe of Levi.

¹⁵ The sons of Moses:

Gershom and Eliezer.

¹⁶ The sons of Gershom:

Shebuel, the leader.

¹⁷ The sons of Eliezer:

Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

¹⁸ The sons of Izhar:

Shelomith the leader.

¹⁹ The sons of Hebron:

Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

²⁰ The sons of Uzziel:

Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

²¹ The sons of Merari:

Mahli and Mushi.

The sons of Mahli:

Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar died having no sons but only daughters; the sons of Kish, their kinsmen, took them as wives.

²³ The sons of Mushi:

Mahli, Eder, and Yeremot—three.

²⁴ These were the sons of Levi by clans, with the heads of clans as they were enrolled and with a list of their names by heads who carried out the task of avodah in the House of Adonai from 20 years old and upward. ²⁵ For David said: “Adonai, the God of Israel, has given His people rest and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. ²⁶ Therefore, the Levites need not carry the Tabernacle and all the vessels for avodah.” ²⁷ For according to David’s final instructions, the Levites 20 years old and upward were counted.

²⁸ For their duty was to help the descendants of Aaron in the avodah of Adonai’s House concerning the courtyards and rooms, the purification of all holy things and the performance of the avodah of God’s House, ²⁹ the rows of bread, the fine flour for the grain offering, the matzot, the cake baked on the griddle or mixed and every measure of capacity and length, ³⁰ and to stand every morning to thank and praise Adonai. They also did this in the evening ³¹ and whenever burnt offerings were offered to Adonai on Shabbatot, New Moons and the moadim. They were to serve regularly before Adonai, according to the proper number in the manner prescribed for them. ³² They were to keep watch over the Tent of Meeting, the Holy Place and the sons of Aaron their kinsmen for avodah in the House of Adonai.

24 Now these were the divisions of the sons of Aaron.

The sons of Aaron were Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ² But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as kohanim. ³ David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them into their offices according to their avodah. ⁴ More leading men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, so they divided them: the sons of Eleazar had 16 leaders of clans and the sons of Ithamar had eight leaders of clans. ⁵ Thus, they were impartially divided by lot for there were officials of the Holy Place and officials of God, both from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar.

⁶ The scribe Shemaiah, son of Nethanel from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the clans of the kohanim and of the Levites: one clan taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.

⁷ Now the first lot came for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, ⁸ the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, ⁹ the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Heshebeab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Hapizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth for Petahiah the twentieth for Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twentyfirst for Jachin, the twentysecond for Gamul, ¹⁸ the twentythird for Delaiah, the twentyfourth for Maaziah.

¹⁹ These were their duties for their avodah upon entering into the House of Adonai according to the ordinance given to them by the hand of Aaron their father, just as Adonai the God of Israel had commanded him.

²⁰ As for the rest of the sons of Levi:

from the sons of Amram: Shubael;

from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

²¹ As for Rehabiah, from the sons of Rehabiah

Isshiah was the first.

²² From the Izharites: Shelomoth;

from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

²³ The sons of Hebron: Jeriah, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

²⁴ The sons of Uzziel: Micah;

from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

²⁵ The brother of Micah, Ishiah;

from the sons of Ishiah: Zechariah.

²⁶ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi;

the sons of Jaaziah: Beno.

²⁷ The sons of Merari:

from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.

²⁸ From Mahli:

Eleazar, who had no sons.

²⁹ From Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel.

³⁰ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth.

These were the sons of the Levites by their clans. ³¹ These also cast lots even as their kinsmen the sons of Aaron did in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech and the heads of the clans of the kohanim and the Levites—the families of the oldest just like those of his youngest brother.

Orders of Prophetic Levites

25 Moreover, David and the commanders of the army, set apart for avodah the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun who prophesied with lyres, harps and cymbals. The list of those who performed this work according to their service was: ² from the sons of Asaph:

Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the hand of the king.

³ As for Jeduthun, from Jeduthun’s sons:

Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah and Mattithiah—six, under the charge of their father Jeduthun—who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to Adonai.

⁴ As for Heman, from Heman’s sons:

Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer according to the promise of God to lift up a horn. God gave Heman 14 sons and three daughters.

⁶ All these were under the direction of their father for singing in the House of Adonai with cymbals, harps and lyres for the avodah of the House of God under the hand of the king. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman along with ⁷ with their kinsmen all trained and skillfull singers of Adonai, numbered 288. ⁸ They cast lots for their divisions on the principal of small and great alike, teacher as well as student.

⁹ Now the first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph—12

the second to Gedaliah, his brothers and sons—12;

¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹² the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁴ the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁸ the 11^th to Azarel, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁹ the 12^th to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁰ the 13^th to Shubael, his sons and his brothers—12;

²¹ the 14^th to Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²² the 15^th to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers—12;

²³ the 16^th to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁴ the 17^th to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁵ the 18^th to Hanani, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁶ the 19^th to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁷ the 20^th to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁸ the 21^st to Hothir, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁹ the 22^nd to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers—12;

³⁰ the 23^rd to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers—12;

³¹ the 24^th to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brothers—12.

Gatekeepers and Treasurers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:

of the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

² Meshelemiah had sons:

Zechariah the firstborn,

Jediael the second,

Zebadiah the third,

Jathniel the fourth,

³ Elam the fifth,

Jehohanan the sixth,

and Eliehoenai the seventh.

⁴ Obed-edom had sons:

Shemaiah the firstborn,

Jehozabad the second,

Joah the third,

Sacar the fourth,

Nethanel the fifth,

⁵ Ammiel the sixth,

Issachar the seventh,

and Peullethai the eighth,

(for God had blessed him).

⁶ To his son Shemaiah were born sons who were leaders of their clans, for they were men of great ability. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad. His brothers Elihu and Semachiah were also valiant men. ⁸ All these were descendants of Obed-edom. They and their sons and their kinsmen were capable men with the strength to do the work—62 of Obed-edom.

⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and brothers—18 able men.

¹⁰ Also Hosah, a descendant of Merari, had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first), ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. All the sons and brothers of Hosah were 13.

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers by their chief men had duties corresponding to their kinsmen for avodah in the House of Adonai. ¹³ So they cast lots, small and great alike, by clans for each gate.

¹⁴ The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for Zechariah his son, an insightful counselor, and his lot came out for the north gate. ¹⁵ To Obed-edom the south gate and to his sons the storehouse. ¹⁶ To Shuppim and Hosah the east gate by the Shallecheth gate on the ascending highway.

Guard corresponded to guard. ¹⁷ There were six Levites on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south, and at the storehouse by pairs. ¹⁸ At the colonnade on the west, there were four on the road and two at the colonnade itself. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and the sons of Merari.

²⁰ And the Levites: Ahijah was over the treasuries of the House of God and the treasuries of the dedicated things. ²¹ The descendants of Ladan who were sons of Gershon through Ladan and were chiefs of the clans of Ladan the Gershonite were Jehieli, ²² the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother. They were over the treasuries of the House of Adonai.

²³ Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, the Uzzielites:

²⁴ Shebuel son of Gershom son of Moses was officer over the treasuries. ²⁵ His relatives through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son and Shelomith his son.

²⁶ This Shelomith and his kinsmen were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things that King David and the chiefs of the clans and the commanders over thousands and hundreds, and other army commanders had dedicated. ²⁷ They dedicated some of the plunder taken in battles to maintain the House of Adonai. ²⁸ All that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, and any other dedicated thing was in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.

²⁹ Of the Izharites: Henaniah and his sons were assigned outside duties as officers and judges over Israel.

³⁰ Of the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his brothers, 1,700 capable men, had oversight of Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of Adonai and for the king’s service. ³¹ As for the Hebronites: Jerijah was the chief of the Hebronites according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth year of David’s reign a search was made and found in them were valiant men in Jazer of Gilead. ³² His relatives, 2,700 men of valor, were heads of clans whom King David had appointed over the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manasseh in every matter pertaining to God and the affairs of the king.

David’s Officers

27 The number of Bnei-Yisrael—heads of clans, officers of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters of the divisions that came in and went out month by month throughout the year—each division had 24,000.

² Over the first division, for the first month, was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. His division had 24,000. ³ He was a descendant of Perez, the head of all the officers of the army for the first month.

⁴ Over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite. Mikloth was the chief officer and his division consisted of 24,000.

⁵ The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the kohen. He was leader of his division, which consisted of 24,000. ⁶ This was Benaiah, who was a mighty man of the 30 and had charge over the 30. Ammizabad his son was over his division.

⁷ The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was Asahel brother of Joab. Zebadiah, his son, succeeded him. His division consisted of 24,000.

⁸ The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth the Izrahite. His division consisted of 24,000.

⁹ The sixth commander, for the sixth month, was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹⁰ The seventh commander, for the seventh month, was Heletz the Pelonite, from the children of Ephraim. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹¹ The eighth commander, for the eighth month, was Sibbcai the Hushathite from the Zerahites. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹² The ninth commander, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathotite, of the Benjamites. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹³ The tenth commander, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite of the Zerahites. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹⁴ The eleventh commander, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite a descendant of Ephraim. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹⁵ The twelfth commander, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel. His division consisted of 24,000.

¹⁶ Furthermore, over the tribes of Israel:

of the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zichri was the chief officer;

of the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maacah;

¹⁷ of Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel;

of Aaron: Zadok;

¹⁸ of Judah: Elihu, one of David’s brothers;

of Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

¹⁹ of Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah;

of Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

²⁰ of the children of Ephraim: Hoshea son of Azaziah;

of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

²¹ of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah;

of Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner;

²² of Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham.

These were the officers of the tribes of Israel.

²³ But David did not count those 20 years old and under, because Adonai had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven. ²⁴ Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count them, but did not finish. Wrath came upon Israel for this and the number was not entered into the account in the chronicles of King David.

²⁵ Over the king’s storehouses: Azmaveth son of Adiel.

Over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, in the villages and in the citadels: Jonathan son of Uzziah;

²⁶ over the field laborers for tilling the ground: Ezri the son of Chelub;

²⁷ over the vineyards: Shimei the Ramathite;

over the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars: Zabdi the Shiphmite;

²⁸ over the olive trees and the sycamore trees in the lowland: Baal-hanan the Gederite;

over the cellars of oil: Joash;

²⁹ over the cattle grazing in Sharon: Shirtai the Sharonite;

over the cattle grazing in the valleys: Shaphat son of Adlai;

³⁰ over the camels: Obil the Ishmaelite;

over the donkeys: Jehdeiah the Meronothite;

³¹ and over the flocks: Jaziz the Hagrite.

All these were stewards over the property of King David.

³² Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, learned man and scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni tutored the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. ³⁴ Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiatar. Joab was the commander of the king’s army.

Men and Materials

28 Now David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem—the tribal officers, the commanders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and of his sons, along with the high officials, the mighty warriors and all the men of valor.

² Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people! As for me, it was in my heart to build a resting place for the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai and for the footstool of our God. So I made the preparations for the building. ³ But God said to me, ‘You will not build a House for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ ⁴ Yet Adonai, the God of Israel, has chosen me out of all my ancestral house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as ruler, and of the house of Judah, my father’s house, and of my father’s sons, He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ Moreover, of all my sons—for Adonai has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Adonai over Israel.

⁶ “He said to me, ‘Solomon your son will build My House and My courts for I have chosen him to be a son to Me and I will be a father to him. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever, if he resolutely observes My mitzvot and My ordinances as at this day.’ ⁸ Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of Adonai and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek all the mitzvot of Adonai your God so that you may possess this good land and may bequeath it to your children after you forever.

⁹ “Now you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for Adonai searches all hearts and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. ¹⁰ Consider now, for Adonai has chosen you to build a House for the Sanctuary. Chazak! And do it!”

¹¹ Then David gave Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, its houses, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the place of atonement; ¹² and the plan of all that he had by the Ruach for the courts of the House of Adonai and all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the House of God and for the treasuries of the dedicated things; ¹³ also for the divisions of the kohanim and the Levites, for all the tasks of the avodah of the House of Adonai, and for all the vessels of avodah in the House of Adonai. ¹⁴ For gold, the weight of gold for all vessels of every kind of avodah, and silver, the weight of silver for all vessels for every type of avodah; ¹⁵ and the weight for the gold menorot and their gold lamps, including the weight of each menorah and its lamps, for the silver menorot, including the weight of each menorah and its lamps according to the use of each menorah; ¹⁶ also the weight of gold for the tables of the rows of bread, for every table and silver for the silver tables; ¹⁷ and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold, and for the golden bowls with the weight for every bowl, and for the silver bowls with the weight for every bowl; ¹⁸ and for the altar of incense with the weight of refined gold; and gold for the form of the chariot—the cheruvim—that spread out their wings covering the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai.

¹⁹ “All this I put in writing is from the hand of Adonai upon me as He gave me insight regarding the plan of all the works.”

²⁰ Also David said to his son Solomon: “Chazak! And be courageous, and do it! Do not be afraid or dismayed, for Adonai Elohim my God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the avodah of the House of Adonai is finished. ²¹ Now behold, here are the divisions of the kohanim and the Levites for all the avodah of the House of God, and with you in all the work are willing men, skilled in all types of tasks. Also the officials and all the people are at your command.”

David Commissions His Son

29 Then King David said to the entire assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced and the task is great, for the palace is not for man but for Adonai Elohim. ² Now I have made every effort to prepare for the House of my God gold for the golden objects, silver for silver, copper for copper, iron for iron, and wood for wood; onyx stones and inlay stones, stones of antimony and varigated colors—every kind of precious stones and marble in abundance. ³ Moreover, in my devotion to the House of my God, I have given over my private treasure of gold and silver to the House of my God, in addition to all that I have already supplied for the holy House: ⁴ 3,000 gold talents of gold from Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses— ⁵ gold for golden objects and silver for silver for all the work—into the hands of craftsmen. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself this day to Adonai?”

⁶ Then the leaders of the clans, the officials of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and hundreds and the supervisors over the king’s work contributed willingly. ⁷ They gave for the service of the House of God: 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. ⁸ Whoever possessed stones gave them to the treasury of the House of Adonai in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced over their freewill offerings because with a whole heart they offered willingly to Adonai. King David also rejoiced with great joy.

¹⁰ David blessed Adonai before the whole congregation saying,

¹⁴ “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. ¹⁵ For we are sojourners before You, mere transients like our fathers. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, without security. ¹⁶ Adonai Eloheinu, all this abundance that we have laid aside to build You a House for Your holy Name is from Your hand; it all belongs to You. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that You search the heart and take pleasure in uprightness. With integrity of heart I have willingly offered all these things. And now I have seen with joy Your people who are present here willingly contribute to You. ¹⁸ Adonai, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel our fathers, preserve forever such motives and thoughts in the heart of Your people and make their heart constant toward You. ¹⁹ As for my son Solomon, give him a whole heart to keep Your mitzvot, Your decrees and Your statutes, and to fulfill them all and to build the Temple for which I have made provision.”

²⁰ Then David said to the whole congregation, “Now bless Adonai your God.”

So the whole congregation blessed Adonai, the God of their fathers. They bowed down and fell prostrate before Adonai and the king.

Solomon Acclaimed King

²¹ The next day, they sacrificed sacrifices to Adonai and offered burnt offerings to Adonai; 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 lambs, along with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. ²² So they ate and drank before Adonai on that day with great joy.

Then they designated Solomon the son of David as king a second time, anointing him before Adonai as ruler and Zadok as kohen. ²³ So Solomon sat on the throne of Adonai as king instead of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the officials and mighty men, as well as all the sons of King David, pledged their hand in support of King Solomon. ²⁵ Adonai highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had never been on any king before him in Israel.

²⁶ Now David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. ²⁷ The length of his reign over Israel was 40 years. He reigned in Hebron seven years and he reigned in Jerusalem 33 years. ²⁸ He died at a good old age, full of days, riches and honor, and his son Solomon became king in his place.

²⁹ Now the acts of King David, the first and the last, behold, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer ³⁰ together with all his reign, his power and the events that involved him, Israel and all the kingdoms of the lands.

Solomon Asks for Wisdom at Gibeon

1 Now Solomon the son of David firmly established himself over his kingdom. For Adonai his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

² Solomon spoke to all Israel—t0 the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the leading patriarchs— ³ and Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the Tent of Meeting of God was there, which Moses the servant of Adonai had made in the wilderness. ⁴ Now David had brought up the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. ⁵ But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made was there in front of the Tabernacle of Adonai, and Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him there. ⁶ So Solomon went up before Adonai to the bronze altar that was at the Tent of Meeting and offered 1,000 burnt offerings on it.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask! What should I give you?”

⁸ Solomon answered God, “You have shown great lovingkindness to my father David and now You have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, Adonai Elohim, let Your word to my father David be fulfilled for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people. For who can govern this great people of Yours?”

¹¹ Then God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart and you have not asked for riches, possessions or honor, nor for the life of those who hate you and have not even asked for long life but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself—so you can govern My people over whom I have made you king— ¹² wisdom and knowledge will be given to you. Moreover, I will give you riches, possessions and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you ever had and none after you will have.”

¹³ Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place that was at Gibeon, from in front of the Tent of Meeting. So he reigned over Israel.

Horses and Chariots from Egypt

¹⁴ Solomon accumulated chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the foothills. ¹⁶ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Keve—the king’s merchants purchased them from Keve at a price. ¹⁷ They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 talents of silver and a horse for 150. So by the same means they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Solomon Prepares to Build

¹⁸ Then Solomon vowed to build a House for the Name of Adonai, as well as a royal palace for himself.

2 Solomon recruited 70,000 men as carriers, 80,000 as stonecutters in the mountains and 3,600 supervisors over them.

² Then Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre saying, “Deal with me as you did with my father David when you sent him cedars to build a house to dwell in. ³ Behold, I am about to build a House for the Name of Adonai my God and to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for regular arrangement of the Bread of the Presence and for burnt offerings every morning and evening as well as on Shabbatot, New Moons and moadim of Adonai Eloheinu. Upon Israel this is forever.

⁴ “The House that I am about to build will be great, because our God is greater than all the gods. ⁵ But who is able to build Him a House, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I that I should build Him a House—except to burn incense before Him?

⁶ “So now, send me a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with the skilled men who are with me, whom my father David provided. ⁷ Send me also cedar, evergreen and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber in Lebanon. Indeed my servants will work with yours ⁸ to prepare an abundance of timber for me, because the House that I am about to build will be large and magnificent. ⁹ Now, behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20,000 measures^[w] of ground wheat, 20,000 measures of barley, 20,000 vats of wine and 20,000 vats^[x] of oil.”

¹⁰ Then King Huram of Tyre, replied in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because Adonai loves His people, He has made you king over them.” ¹¹ Then Huram continued, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth. He gave King David a wise son, endowed with insight and understanding, who will build a House for Adonai and a royal house for himself. ¹² So now I am sending Huram-abi—a skilled man endowed with understanding ¹³ who is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan and whose father was a man from Tyre—a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, in purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to engrave all kinds of engraving, and who can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled men and with the skilled men of my lord David your father. ¹⁴ Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat and barley, the oil and wine he has promised ¹⁵ and we will cut as many logs from Lebanon as much as you need, and float them in rafts by sea to Jaffa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”

¹⁶ Solomon counted all the foreign men in the land of Israel, like the census that his father David had taken, and 153,600 were found. ¹⁷ He appointed 70,000 of them to carry loads, 80,000 to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers to supervise the people working.

Solomon Builds the Temple in Jerusalem

3 Then Solomon began to build the House of Adonai in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah—where Adonai appeared to his father David—at the place that David prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ² He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. ³ Now the foundation Solomon laid for the building of the House of God was 60 cubits long and 20 cubits wide, according to the old standard. ⁴ The porch in front of the House along its width was 20 cubits and its height was 120 cubits, and the inside was overlaid with pure gold. ⁵ He paneled the main hall with cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold and embossed on it palm trees and chains. ⁶ He adorned the House with precious stones and the gold he used was gold from Parvaim. ⁷ Furthermore He overlaid the beams, thresholds, walls and doors of the House with gold and carved cheruvim on the walls.

⁸ He made the Holy of Holies, its length corresponding to the width of the House—20 cubits long and 20 cubits wide. He overlaid it with 600 talents of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold. ¹⁰ Next he made two sculptured cheruvim in the Holy of Holies and overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The wingspan of the cheruvim was 20 cubits. One wing of the first cheruv was five cubits long and touched the wall of the House, while the other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cheruv. ¹² Similarly, one wing of the second cheruv was five cubits long and touched the wall of the House, while the other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cheruv. ¹³ Thus the wingspan of these cheruvim was 20 cubits. They stood on their feet facing the main hall. ¹⁴ Furthermore, he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson yarn and fine linen with cheruvim worked into it.

¹⁵ In the front of the House he made two pillars 35 cubits high, each with a capital on the top measuring five cubits. ¹⁶ He made interwoven chains for the inner Sanctuary and put them on top of the pillars. He also made 100 pomegranates and attached them to the chains. ¹⁷ He erected the pillars in front of the Temple, one to the south and the other to the north. The one to the south he named Jachin and the one to the north Boaz.

The Temple Furnishings

4 Moreover, he made a bronze altar 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide and ten cubits high. ² He also made the Sea of cast metal ten cubits across from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was five cubits high and its circumference was 30 cubits.

³ Beneath it, figures like bulls were set all around it, ten cubits encircling the Sea. The bulls were in two rows, cast in one piece with it. ⁴ The Sea stood on 12 bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested upon them and their hindquarters were all turned inward. ⁵ It was a handbreadth thick, and the brim was like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held 3,000 vats. ⁶ He also made ten basins for washing and placed five on the right side and five on the left. In them the items used for the burnt offering were rinsed, but the kohanim washed in “the Sea”.

⁷ Next he made the ten menorot^[y] of gold in the manner prescribed for them and set them in the Temple, five on the right hand and five on the left. ⁸ He also made ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five on the right side and five on the left. He also made 100 gold bowls.

⁹ Then he made the courtyard of the kohanim and the great courtyard and doors for the courtyard. He overlaid the doors with bronze. ¹⁰ He set the Sea on the south side at the southeast corner.

¹¹ Huram also made the pots, the shovels and the bowls. So Huram-abi finished the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the House of God: ¹² the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on the top of the pillars, and the two lattice-works to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars, ¹³ and the 400 pomegranates for the two lattice-works (two rows of pomegranates for each lattice-work to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars). ¹⁴ He also made the stands, the basins upon the stands, ¹⁵ and the one Sea with the 12 bulls under it, ¹⁶ as well as the pots, the shovels and the meat hooks. All the utensils Huram-abi made for King Solomon for the House of Adonai were of polished bronze. ¹⁷ The king had them cast with clay earth from the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah. ¹⁸ Solomon made all these utensils in such great quantities that the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the House of God, including the golden altar, the tables on which was the Bread of Presence, ²⁰ the menorot with their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed ²¹ with the flowers and the lamps and the tongs of gold, the purest gold, ²² and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons and the fire-pans of pure gold, and the doors of the House—the inner doors for the Holy of Holies and the doors of the House, that is, the Temple—were of gold.

5 When all the work that Solomon undertook for the House of Adonai was finished, Solomon brought in the things David his father consecrated—the silver, gold and all the furnishings—and put them in the treasuries of the House of God.

Consecration of the Temple

² Then Solomon gathered to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the patriarchal leaders of Bnei-Yisrael, in order to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai from the city of David, which is Zion. ³ All the men of Israel gathered together to the king at the feast that is in the seventh month.

⁴ So all the elders of Israel came and the Levites took up the Ark ⁵ and brought up the Ark and the Tent of Meeting along with all the sacred furnishings that were in the Tent. The Levitical kohanim brought them up. ⁶ Meanwhile, King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who gathered with him before the Ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and bulls that they could not be counted or numbered.

⁷ The kohanim brought in the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai to its place, into the inner Sanctuary of the House, into the Holy of Holies under the wings of the cheruvim. ⁸ The cheruvim spread their wings over the place of the Ark so that the cheruvim covered the Ark and its poles from above. ⁹ Now the poles were so long that the ends of the poles extending from the Ark could be seen in front of the inner Sanctuary, though they could not be seen from outside; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the Ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed there at Horeb, where Adonai made a covenant with Bnei-Yisrael when they came out of Egypt.

God’s Glory Fills the Temple

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the kohanim came out of the Holy Place—for all the kohanim that were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to divisions— ¹² all the Levite singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, their sons and their relatives—dressed in fine linen with cymbals, harps and lyres, were standing at the east end of the altar and with them were 120 kohanim blowing trumpets. ¹³ Then it came to pass that when the trumpeters and singers joined as one to extol and praise Adonai, and when the sound of the trumpets, cymbals and musical instruments and the praise of Adonai—“For He is good, for His mercy endures forever”—grew louder, the Temple, the House of Adonai, was filled with a cloud. ¹⁴ The kohanim could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Adonai filled the House of God.

Adonai Has Chosen Jerusalem

6 Then Solomon declared, “Adonai has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud; ² I have built You a magnificent House and a place for You to dwell forever.”

³ Then, while all the congregation of Israel was standing the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel. ⁴ He said: “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Israel, who with His hands has fulfilled what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying: ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a House that My Name might be there. Nor did I choose any man to be a leader over My people Israel. ⁶ But I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name would abide there and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

⁷ “Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a House for the Name of Adonai, the God of Israel. ⁸ But Adonai said to David my father: ‘As for you wanting in your heart to build a House for My Name, you did well that this was in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless, you will not build the House. Rather your son who will be born to you, he will build the House for My Name.’

¹⁰ “Now Adonai has confirmed His promise that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, just as Adonai promised, and I have built the House for the Name of Adonai, the God of Israel. ¹¹ There have I set the Ark in which is the Covenant of Adonai that He made with Bnei-Yisrael.”

Solomon’s Prayer

¹² Then he stood before the altar of Adonai in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands. ¹³ For Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high and placed it in the midst of the court. He stood on it and knelt down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven ¹⁴ and he said,

“Adonai, God of Israel, there is no God like You in the heavens or in the earth, keeping covenant and showing mercy to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart. ¹⁵ You have kept the promise You made to Your servant David, my father. Surely you spoke with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand—as it is today.

¹⁶ “Now therefore, Adonai, God of Israel, keep for Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him saying:

‘For you will never be cut off, you will not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne—if only your sons pay attention to their way, to walk in My Torah as you have walked before Me.’^[z]

¹⁷ “Now therefore, Adonai God of Israel, let Your word, which You spoke to Your servant David, be confirmed.

¹⁸ “But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold—heaven even the highest heaven—cannot contain You. How much less this House that I have built! ¹⁹ Yet attend to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, Adonai my God, to hear the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You ²⁰ that Your eyes may be open toward this House day and night, toward the place where You have said You would put Your Name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. ²¹ Hear the supplications of Your servant and Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven, and when You hear, forgive.

²² “If a man sins against his neighbor and is required to swear an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this House, ²³ then hear from heaven and act. Judge Your servants, repaying the wicked by bringing down on his own head what he has done and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.^[aa]

²⁴ “If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, yet when they return and confess Your Name, praying and making supplication before You in this House, ²⁵ then hear from heaven, forgive the sin of Your people Israel and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, if they pray toward this place and confess Your Name, turning from their sin because You afflicted them, ²⁷ then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel. Indeed may You teach them the good way in which they should walk. Send rain upon Your land that You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

²⁸ “When there is famine in the land, when there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locust or grasshopper, when their enemies besiege them in the land by their gates, whatever plague or sickness may come, ²⁹ and any prayer or plea is offered by any individual or by all Your people Israel—each acknowledging his own afflictions and pain, even spreading his hands toward this House— ³⁰ then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place and forgive. May You give to every man according to all his ways, as You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of the children of men— ³¹ so that they will fear You and walk in Your ways all the days that they live in the land that You gave to our fathers.

³² “Moreover, concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but comes from a distant land for the sake of Your great Name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this House, ³³ then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place and do whatever the foreigner asks of You. Then all the peoples of the earth will acknowledge Your Name and revere You, as Your people Israel do, and they will know that this House which I have built is called by Your Name.

³⁴ “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and they pray to You toward this city that You have chosen and the House that I have built for Your Name, ³⁵ then hear from heaven their prayer and their petition, and uphold their cause.

³⁶ When they sin against You—for there is no man that does not sin^[ab]—and You become angry with them and hand them over to the enemy who takes them captive to a land far off or near, ³⁷ when they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and they repent and seek You in the land of their captivity saying,

‘We have sinned,

we have committed inquity,

we have acted wickedly,’

³⁸ “and they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken captive, and they 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 may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions and uphold their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

⁴⁰ “Now my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open, and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.

Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret

7 Now when Solomon finished praying the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Adonai filled the House. ² The kohanim could not even enter into the House of Adonai because the glory of Adonai filled the House of Adonai. ³ When all Bnei-Yisrael saw the fire come down and the glory of Adonai above the House, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, prostrating themselves and praising Adonai,

⁴ Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Adonai. ⁵ King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the House of God. ⁶ The kohanim stood at their posts, as did the Levites with the musical instruments of Adonai that King David had made for praising Adonai—“for His mercy endures forever”—whenever David offered praise by their hand. Opposite them were the kohanim who sounded trumpets while all Israel was standing.

⁷ Moreover, Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the House of Adonai, because there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat. ⁸ At that time, Solomon observed the feast for seven days and all Israel with him—a very great assembly from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt.

⁹ On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the feast for seven days. ¹⁰ On the 23 rd day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Adonai had done for David, Solomon and Israel His people.

Adonai’s Promise to Solomon

¹¹ Thus Solomon finished the House of Adonai and the king’s palace. Indeed, all that Solomon had on his heart to accomplish in the House of Adonai and in his own palace, he successfully completed.

¹² Then Adonai appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself for a House of sacrifice. ¹³ If I shut up heaven that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, ¹⁴ when My people, over whom My Name is called, humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ¹⁵ Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. ¹⁶ For now I have chosen and consecrated this House so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.

¹⁷ “As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, doing all that I have commanded you, keeping My statutes and My ordinances, ¹⁸ then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’ ¹⁹ But if you turn away and forsake My decrees and My mitzvot that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, ²⁰ then I will uproot them from My land which I gave them, and this House which I have consecrated for My Name I will cast out of My sight. I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. ²¹ As for this House, which is so exalted, every one passing by it shall be appalled and say, ‘Why has Adonai done this to this land and to this House?’ ²² And they will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken Adonai, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and clung to other gods, worshipping and serving them. Therefore He has brought all this misery upon them’”

Solomon’s Exploits Throughout the Land

8 It came to pass at the end of 20 years, during which Solomon built the House of Adonai and his own palace, ² that he built the cities which Huram had given to him and settled Bnei-Yisrael there. ³ Then Solomon marched against Hamath-zobah and overpowered it. ⁴ He built up Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath. ⁵ He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Bet-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates and bars, ⁶ as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen—every thing that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land that he ruled.

⁷ All the people that were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, who were not of Israel, ⁸ that is, those of their descendants that were left after them in the land, whom Bnei-Yisrael did not destroy—these Solomon conscripted for forced labor, as it is to this day. ⁹ But Solomon did not make slaves of Bnei-Yisrael for his work. Rather, they were his soldiers, his chief officers and commanders of his chariots and horsemen. ¹⁰ These were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people.

¹¹ Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the palace of King David of Israel, because the places where the Ark of Adonai has entered are holy.”

¹² At that time, Solomon offered burnt offerings to Adonai on the altar of Adonai which he had built before the porch, ¹³ according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for Shabbatot, for New Moons and for the moadim three times a year—at the Feast of Matzot, at the Feast of Shavuot and at the Feast of Sukkot. ¹⁴ Following the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the kohanim for their avodah and the Levites for their duties—to praise and minister alongside the kohanim according to the daily assignment—and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate, because this is what David the man of God had commanded. ¹⁵ They did not depart from the king’s commandment to the kohanim and Levites in any matter, including the treasuries.

¹⁶ Thus all Solomon’s work was carried out from the day of the foundation of the House of Adonai until it was finished. So the House of Adonai was completed.

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Elat on the coast of the land of Edom. ¹⁸ And Huram sent him ships commanded by his servants and servants that knew the sea. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and obtained from there 450 talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Jerusalem

9 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions.^[ac] Accompanied by a large caravan train, including camels carrying an abundance of spices and gold, and precious stones, she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was in her heart. ² Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not explain to her.

³ When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, ⁴ as well as the food on his table, the seating of his courtiers, the service and attire of his attendants, his cupbearers and their attire, and his procession with which he went up to the House of Adonai, it took her breath away.

⁵ She said to the king: “The report that I heard in my own land about your achievements and your wisdom is true. ⁶ But I did not believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was described to me—you surpass the report that I heard! ⁷ How blessed are your men, how blessed are your courtiers who continually stand in your presence and hear your wisdom. ⁸ Blessed be Adonai your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king before Adonai your God. Because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them to execute justice and righteousness.”

⁹ Then she gave the king 120 gold talents, large quantities of spices and precious stones. There had never been such quantities of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ¹⁰ The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algumwood and precious stones. ¹¹ From the sandalwood the king made ramps for the House of Adonai and for the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers—nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah. ¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for—more than what she had brought to the king. Then she with her courtiers, returned, going back to her own land.

Solomon Exceeds All the Earth’s Kings

¹³ Now the weight of gold that Solomon received in one year was 666 gold talents, ¹⁴ besides what the traders and merchants brought and the gold and silver that all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the region brought to Solomon. ¹⁵ King Solomon made 200 shields of beaten gold, 600 shekels of beaten gold for each shield, ¹⁶ and also 300 shields of beaten gold, 300 shekels of gold for each shield. The king put them in the palace of the Lebanon Forest. ¹⁷ Furthermore, the king made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps and a golden footstool attached to it, and arms on each side of the seat. Two lions stood beside the arms ¹⁹ and 12 lions stood on the six steps, one at each end of each step. None like it was ever made for any kingdom. ²⁰ All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the palace of the Lebanon Forest were of pure gold—silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. ²¹ Because the king’s ships sailed to Tarshish with Huram’s servants once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

²² So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²³ And all the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to listen to the wisdom that God had put in his heart. ²⁴ Everyone brought his tribute—vessels of silver, vessels of gold, garments, armor, spices, horses and mules—in the due amount each year.

²⁵ Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. ²⁶ And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. ²⁷ The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees that are in the foothills. ²⁸ Horses were brought for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

Solomon Buried in David’s City

²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, the beginning and the end, are they not written in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Jedo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? ³⁰ Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel 40 years. ³¹ Then Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and Rehoboam his son became king in his

place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam at Shechem

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. ² Now it came to pass that when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard this—for he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon—Jeroboam returned from Egypt. ³ So they sent and summoned him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam and spoke to Rehoboam saying, ⁴ “Your father made our yoke grievous but now lighten the harsh labor of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us—then we will serve you.”

⁵ He answered them, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”

⁷ They answered him saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

⁸ But he disregarded the counsel that the elders had given him and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. ⁹ He said to them, “How do you advise me to answer this people who have spoken to me saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us?’”

¹⁰ The young men that grew up with him answered him saying: “Speak thus to the people who spoke to you saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us’. Thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. ¹¹ Now, whereas my father laid a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will do so with scorpions.’”

¹² Then Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had said to them saying, “Come back to me on the third day.” ¹³ The king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam ignored the counsel of the elders ¹⁴ and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men saying, “I will make your yoke heavy—I will make it even heavier. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God so that Adonai might establish His word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king saying,

So all Israel departed to their tents. ¹⁷ But Rehoboam continued to reign over Bnei-Yisrael who lived in the cities of Judah. ¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, but men of Israel pelted him to death with stones. King Rehoboam, however, managed to mount his chariot and to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

11 Now when Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled the House of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel in order to restore the kingdom back to Rehoboam.

² But the word of Adonai came to Shemaiah the man of God saying: ³ “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin saying, ⁴ ‘Thus says Adonai, You shall not go up nor fight against your kinsmen. Let everyone return to his house for this matter is of Me.’” So they listened to the words of Adonai and returned from marching against Jeroboam.

Reign of Rehoboam

⁵ Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built fortified cities for defense in Judah.

⁶ He built up Beth-lehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. ¹¹ He also strengthened the fortified towns and put commanders in them, along with stores of food, oil and wine. ¹² He also put shields and spears in every town, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

¹³ Moreover, the kohanim and the Levites from all their territories throughout Israel presented themselves to him. ¹⁴ The Levites even abandoned their pastures and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as kohanim to Adonai, ¹⁵ and had appointed his own priests for the high places, for the he-goats and for the calves that he had made. ¹⁶ Those from all the tribes of Israel, who had set their hearts to seek Adonai, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Adonai, the God of their fathers. ¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

¹⁸ Rehoboam married Mahalat the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse. ¹⁹ She bore him sons: Jeush and Shemariah and Zaham. ²⁰ After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. ²¹ Now Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines—for he took 18 wives and 60 concubines and fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters.

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief and commander among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. ²³ He also wisely dispersed some of his sons throughout the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities and he gave them plenty of food and sought many wives for them.

Shishak Attacks Jerusalem

12 Now it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he had become strong, that he and all Israel with him forsook the Torah of Adonai. ² It so happened that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egypt marched against Jerusalem—because they had been unfaithful to Adonai— ³ with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and innumerable troops that came with him from Egypt: Lybians, Sukkites and Cushites. ⁴ He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the officers of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says Adonai:

‘You have abandoned Me—

so I also have abandoned you

into the hand of Shishak.’”

⁶ Then the officers of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “Adonai is just.”

⁷ But when Adonai saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Adonai came to Shemaiah saying: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath will not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. ⁸ However, they will become subjects to him so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of the earth.”

⁹ So Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the House of Adonai and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took away everything; he even took away the golden shields that Solomon had made. ¹⁰ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and entrusted them to the hands of the captains of the royal guard that guarded the entrance to the royal palace. ¹¹ Whenever the king entered into the House of Adonai, the guards would carry them and then bring them back into the guard chamber. ¹² Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of Adonai turned from him and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed there were good things in Judah.

¹³ So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned as king. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem—the city that Adonai had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonite. ¹⁴ But he did evil because he had not set his heart to seek Adonai.

¹⁵ Now the acts of Rehoboam, from beginning to end, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer for genealogies? There were continuous wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ¹⁶ Then Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. Then his son Abijah became king in his place.

Abijah’s Bold Speech

13 In the 18 th year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. ² He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ³ Abijah went into battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam arranged for battle against him 800,000 chosen men, mighty warriors.

⁴ Abijah stood on top of Mount Zemaraim, which is a hill of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me Jeroboam and all Israel! ⁵ Don’t you know that Adonai, God of Israel, has given kingship over Israel to David forever—to him and his sons by a covenant of salt? ⁶ Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. ⁷ Riffraff and scoundrels gathered around him and pressed hard on Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not stand up to them.

⁸ “So now, do you intend to oppose the kingdom of Adonai, which is in the hand of David’s descendants? Are you indeed a great multitude—and with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods? ⁹ Have you not banished the kohanim of Adonai, the sons of Aaron, as well as the Levites, and then appointed your own priests—just as the peoples of the lands do? Can whoever comes to consecrate himself with a bull from a young cow and seven rams become a priest—for gods of nothing?

¹⁰ “But as for us, Adonai is our God! And we have not forsaken Him. We have the sons of Aaron ministering as kohanim to Adonai and the Levites in their work. ¹¹ Every morning and evening they burn to Adonai burnt offerings and sweet incense. They set the rows of bread on the pure table and they light the golden menorah with its lamps burning every evening—for we keep the service of Adonai Eloheinu—but you have forsaken Him. ¹² So look, God is with us at our head, and His kohanim with the signal trumpets to sound an alarm against you. O men of Israel, do not fight against Adonai, the God of your fathers—for you will not succeed!”

¹³ But Jeroboam had commanded the ambush to go around and come from the rear. So while they were in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴ When Judah turned around, behold, the battle was before and behind them. They cried out to Adonai and the kohanim blew the trumpets. ¹⁵ Then the men of Judah raised a battle cry, and as the men of Judah shouted, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ Then men of Israel fled before Judah and God delivered them into their hand. ¹⁷ So Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. ¹⁸ Thus men of Israel were subdued at that time, while the children of Judah prevailed—because they relied upon Adonai, the God of their fathers.

¹⁹ Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured towns from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages. ²⁰ Jeroboam could not muster strength again in the days of Abijah. Finally Adonai struck him and he died.

²¹ But Abijah grew powerful and took to himself 14 wives and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. ²² Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the chronicles of the prophet Iddo. ²³ Then Abijah slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place. During his days the land was untroubled for ten years.

Asa’s Reforms Bring Adonai’s Rest

14 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of Adonai his God. ² He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. ³ He commanded Judah to seek Adonai, the God of their fathers, and to obey the Torah and the mitzvah. ⁴ He also removed the high places and the incense stands out of all the cities of Judah. So the kingdom remained untroubled under him. ⁵ He built up fortified cities in Judah, for the land was untroubled and he was not engaged in warfare during those years because Adonai had given him rest.

⁶ Then he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars, while the land is still ours because we have sought Adonai Eloheinu. We sought Him and He has given us rest all around.” So they built and were successful.

Appeal to Defeat the Cushites

⁷ Now Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah who bore shields and spears and 280,000 from Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows. All of these were valiant warriors.

⁸ Then Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots. When he arrived at Mareshah, ⁹ Asa went out to meet him and they arrayed for battle in the valley of Zephath at Mareshah.

¹⁰ Then Asa cried to Adonai his God and said, “Adonai, there is no one like You to help in battle between the mighty and the powerless. Help us, Adonai Eloheinu, for we rely on You and in Your Name we have come against this multitude. You are Adonai Eloheinu! Let no man prevail against You.”

¹¹ So Adonai struck down the Cushites before Asa and before Judah. The Cushites fled ¹² and Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So many of the Cushites fell that they could not recover because they were shattered before Adonai and before His army. They carried away very much spoil. ¹³ They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the terror from Adonai came on them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much spoil in them. ¹⁴ They also attacked the tents of herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Prophets Encourage Further Reforms

15 The Ruach Elohim came upon Azariah the son of Oded. ² He went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Listen to me Asa, all Judah and Benjamin. Adonai is with you as long as you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will spurn you. ³ For many days Israel was without the true God, without a teaching kohen and without Torah. ⁴ But in their distress they turned to Adonai, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them. ⁵ In those times there was no shalom for anyone coming or going, for there were many conflicts among all the inhabitants of the lands. ⁶ Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But you, chazak! Do not let your hands be slack for there is reward for your labor.”

⁸ When Asa heard these words as well as the prophecy of the prophet Oded, he took courage and removed the abominations from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns that he had seized in the hill country of Ephraim. He also repaired Adonai’s altar that was in front of Adonai’s entryway. ⁹ He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those dwelling with them from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon—for many had defected to him from Israel when they saw that Adonai his God was with him. ¹⁰ So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. ¹¹ On that day they sacrificed to Adonai 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep from the spoil that they had brought. ¹² They entered into a covenant to seek Adonai, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. ¹³ Whoever would not seek Adonai, God of Israel, would be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. ¹⁴ They also made an oath to Adonai with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with shofarot. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their will and He was found by them. Then Adonai gave them rest all around. ¹⁶ He also deposed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from being queen because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her abominable image, crushed it and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

¹⁷ Though the high places were not removed from Israel, still Asa’s heart was completely committed to Adonai all his days. ¹⁸ He brought into the House of God his father’s consecrated articles, as well as his consecrated articles of silver and gold, and utensils. ¹⁹ So there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa Backslides

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasa of Israel marched against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah.

² In response, Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the House of Adonai and from the royal palace, and sent them to King Ben-hadad of Aram who lived in Damascus saying, ³ “Let there be a covenant between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with King Baasha of Israel so that he may withdraw from me.”

⁴ So Ben-hadad consented to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. They ravaged Ijon, Dan, Abelmaim and all the storage cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasa heard, he stopped building Ramah and stopped his work. ⁶ Then King Asa took up all of Judah to carry away the stones of Ramah and the timber with which Baasa had been building—with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you have depended on the king of Aram, and not depended on Adonai your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites and the Libyans a mighty army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on Adonai, He delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of Adonai range throughtout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are wholly His. You have acted foolishly in this matter. Indeed, from now on you will have wars.”

¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the prison for he was enraged at him for this. Also Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. ¹¹ Behold, the acts of Asa, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

¹² Now in the thirty-nineth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet. His illness was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek Adonai but physicians.

¹³ Finally Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. ¹⁴ He was buried in his own tomb, which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David. They laid him in his resting place, which was filled with sweet spices and various blended perfumes and they made a very large fire for him.

Jehosaphat Restores Judah to Torah

17 Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place and took firm hold of his position against Israel. ² He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³ Adonai was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baalim ⁴ but sought the God of his father, and walked in His mitzvot rather than the deeds of Israel. ⁵ So Adonai established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat so that he had great riches and honor. ⁶ His heart was devoted to the ways of Adonai. Furthermore he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

⁷ Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials—Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah—to teach in the towns of Judah. ⁸ With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-adonijah and with them Elishama and Jehoram the kohanim. ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, having with them a Torah scroll of Adonai. They went throughout all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ Now the fear of Adonai fell on all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute. The Arabs also brought him flocks—7,700 rams and 7,700 he-goats.

¹² So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built forts and storage cities in Judah ¹³ and carried out extensive work in the cities of Judah. He had men of war, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ These were their appointees according to their clans. From Judah, captains of thousands: Adnah the commander with 300,000 valiant warriors; ¹⁵ and next to him Jehohanan the commander with 280,000; ¹⁶ and next to him, Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Adonai with 200,000 valiant warriors.

¹⁷ From Benjamin: Eliada a valiant warrior with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸ and next to him Jehozabad with 180,000 equipped for war.

¹⁹ These were the men who served the king besides those whom the king stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Prophecy of the Deceiving Spirit

18 Now Jehoshaphat had wealth and honor in abundance but he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. ² Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and bulls for him and the people with him, and urged him to march with him against Ramoth-gilead.

³ King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?”

He replied, “I am as you are and my people as your people, and we will be with you in battle.”

⁴ Jehoshaphat then said to the king of Israel, “Please, let us seek, today, the word of Adonai.”

⁵ So the king of Israel assembled the prophets—400 men—and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold off?”

They answered, “Go up, for God will give it into the king’s hand!”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there another prophet of Adonai here of whom we should inquire?”

⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of Adonai—but I hate him, because he has never prophesied anything good about me but always evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king never say such a thing.”

⁸ So the king of Israel called an official and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly!”

⁹ Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, wearing their robes, were sitting on their thrones on the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria with all the prophets prophesying before them. ¹⁰ Zedekiah son of Henaanah made for himself iron horns and declared, “Thus says Adonai, ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are exterminated!’”

¹¹ All the other prophets were prophesying similarly, saying “March against Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for Adonai will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹² Now the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.”

¹³ But Micaiah replied, “As Adonai lives, what my God says that is what I will say.”

¹⁴ When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold off?”

He replied, “March and be victorious! They will be given into your hand!”

¹⁵ But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of Adonai?”

¹⁶ So he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd,^[ad] and Adonai said, ‘These have no master—let each man return home in shalom.”

¹⁷ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies good about me, only evil?”

¹⁸ Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of Adonai. I saw Adonai sitting on His throne with the whole host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. ¹⁹ And Adonai said: ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’

Then one said this and another said that, ²⁰ until a spirit came forward and stood before Adonai and said, ‘I will entice him.’

So Adonai said to him, ‘How?’

²¹ He answered, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’

Then He said, ‘You will entice him and you will also succeed. Go and do so.’

²² So now, behold, Adonai has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours and Adonai has decreed disaster against you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah approached Micaiah, slapped him on the cheek and said, “How did the spirit of Adonai pass over me to speak to you?”

²⁴ Micaiah replied, “Behold, you will see on the day that you go to hide in an inner room.”

²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and turn him over to Amon, governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son, ²⁶ and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in prison and make him eat the bread and water of affliction—until I return in shalom.”’”

²⁷ Then Micaiah said, “If you ever return in shalom, Adonai has not spoken through me.” He added: “Listen, all you people!”

Ahab Dies in Battle

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah marched against Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they went into the battle.

³⁰ Now the king of Aram had already ordered his chariot commanders saying: “Don’t attack anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel alone.”

³¹ So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him but Jehoshaphat cried out. Adonai helped him and God diverted them from him. ³² When the chariot commanders realized that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

³³ But a man drew his bow aimlessly and struck the king of Israel between the lower armor and the breastplate. The king said to the charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

³⁴ The battle raged that day and the king of Israel remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans until dusk. Then at sunset he died.

Jehoshaphat’s Judicial Reforms

19 Then King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. ² Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate Adonai? Because of this, wrath from before Adonai is against you. ³ Nevertheless, good things are found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles out of the land and have set your heart to seek God.”

⁴ Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba over to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to Adonai, the God of their fathers. ⁵ He also appointed judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. ⁶ He said to the judges. “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Adonai who is with you when you pass judgment. ⁷ Now then, let the fear of Adonai be upon you. Be very careful what you do, for there is no injustice or favoritism or bribe-taking with Adonai Eloheinu.”

⁸ In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, kohanim and the leading patriarchs of Israel to render the judgment of Adonai and to settle disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁹ He charged them saying, “This is how you shall act: in the fear of Adonai, faithfully and wholeheartedly. ¹⁰ When any dispute comes to you from your kinsmen who live in their cities, whether bloodshed, or concerning Torah, mitzvot, statutes or ordinances, you must warn them so that they will not be guilty before Adonai. Otherwise wrath will come upon you and your kinsmen. Act accordingly and you will not be guilty.

¹¹ “Behold, Amariah the chief kohen will be over you in all matters pertaining to Adonai, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the House of Judah, in all the matters pertaining to the king. Also the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act courageously and may Adonai be with the good.”

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer and the Valley of Bracha

20 Now it happened after this that the Moabites and the Ammonites together with other Ammonites came to make war against Jehoshaphat. ² Some came and reported to Jehoshaphat saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Aram, and are already in Hazazon-Tamar” (that is En-Gedi).

³ Jehoshaphat was afraid so he resolved to seek Adonai, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ Judah assembled to seek help from Adonai; indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Adonai.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of Adonai in front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:

“Adonai, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand and no one can stand against You. ⁷ Are You not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and gave it to the descendants of Your friend Abraham forever? ⁸ They settled in it and built You a Temple there for Your Name saying, ⁹ ‘If calamity comes upon us—the sword of 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 distress and You will hear and deliver us.’

¹⁰ “Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir—whose land You did not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt, instead they turned aside from them and did not destroy them— ¹¹ now behold, how they repay us by coming to drive us out of Your possession that You gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God, will You not execute judgment on them? For we have no power to face this great multitude that is attacking us. We do not know what to do—but our eyes are on You.”

¹³ All Judah was standing before Adonai with their infants, their wives and their children.

¹⁴ Then in the midst of the congregation, the Ruach Adonai came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, ¹⁵ and he said:

“Listen all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. Thus Adonai says to you, ‘Do not be afraid or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them as they come up the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand and see the salvation of Adonai with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out to face them, for Adonai is with you.’”

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

²⁰ Early in the morning they arose and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Adonai your God and you will be confirmed. Trust in His prophets and you will succeed.” ²¹ After consulting with the people, he appointed singers to Adonai praising the splendor of His holiness, as they went out before the army saying,

“Praise Adonai,

`for His mercy endures forever.”

²² As they began singing and praising, Adonai set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ For the Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to exterminate and annihilate them. When they had exterminated the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ When Judah came to the lookout in the wilderness and looked for the multitude, behold, only corpses were lying on the ground—no one had escaped. ²⁵ When Jehoshaphat and his people went to take the plunder, they found an abundance of goods, clothing and precious articles, which they pillaged, more than they could carry away. For three days they were taking the plunder because there was so much. ²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Bracha^[ae] where they blessed Adonai. That is why the name of that place is called the Valley of Bracha to this day.

²⁷ Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem for Adonai had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They came to Jerusalem to the House of Adonai with harps, lyres and trumpets. ²⁹ So the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the region because they heard that Adonai had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was untroubled for his God gave him rest all around.

Jehoshaphat’s Last Days

³¹ Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was 35 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shlihi. ³² He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not stray from it, doing what was right in the eyes of Adonai. ³³ However, the high places were not removed, nor did the people direct their hearts to the God of their fathers.

³⁴ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is included in the book of the kings of Israel.

³⁵ Afterward, King Jehoshaphat of Judah allied himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, thereby acting wickedly. ³⁶ He joined with him to construct ships to go to Tarshish, and they constructed the ships in Ezion-geber.

³⁷ Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Adonai will break up your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

Jehoram Slays His Brothers

21 Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. Jehoram his son became king in his place. ² His brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah—all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. ³ Their father had given them great gifts of silver, gold and precious things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

⁴ Now when Jehoram had risen over his father’s kingdom and made himself strong, he slew all his brothers with the sword, along with some of the officers of Israel. ⁵ Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. ⁶ He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the eyes of Adonai. ⁷ However, Adonai was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had spoken a word to give a lamp to him and his sons always.

⁸ In his days Edom rebelled against Judah’s rule and set up a king over themselves. ⁹ So Jehoram crossed over with his officers and all his chariots with him. He rose up by night and struck the Edomites who were surrounding him and the chariot commanders. ¹⁰ Thus Edom has been in rebellion against Judah to this day. Then Libnah also revolted from under his hand at that time—because he had forsaken Adonai, the God of his fathers. ¹¹ Moreover, he built high places on the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray.

Elijah’s Letter of Judgment

¹² A letter from Elijah the prophet came to him saying:

“Thus says Adonai, the God of your father David: Since you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, ¹³ but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, leading Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into prostitution just as the house of Ahab committed prostitution and you have also slain your brothers—your own family, who were better than you— ¹⁴ behold, Adonai is going to strike your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions with a monumental catastrophe. ¹⁵ You yourself will be striken by multiple illnesses of your intestines, day after day, until your intestines drop out because of the illness.”

¹⁶ Then Adonai stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs that neighbored the Cushites. ¹⁷ They rose up against Judah, invaded it and carried away all the possessions found in the royal palace, as well as his sons and his wives. No son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.

¹⁸ After all this, Adonai smote his intestines with an incurable disease, ¹⁹ and it continued day after day for two years, so that at the end his bowels fell out because of his sickness and he died in great agonies. His people made no fire in his honor like the fire of his fathers. ²⁰ He was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and he passed away, to no one’s regret. He was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Ahaziah Falls with Ahab

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place for the troops that invaded the camp with the Arabians had slain all the older ones. Thus Ahaziah the son of Jehoram became king over Judah. ² Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. ³ He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab for his mother counseled him to do evil. ⁴ He did evil in the sight of Adonai, like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after his father’s death—to his destruction. ⁵ He also followed their counsel when he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram, ⁶ so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought Hazael king of Aram. Then Azariah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he had been wounded.

⁷ Now through his coming to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. Upon his arrival, Ahaziah went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Adonai had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. ⁸ So it came to pass that when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, he came upon the officers of Judah and Azaiah’s relatives, who had been attending Azaiah, and slew them. ⁹ He then searched for Azaiah who was caught hiding in Samaria. Then they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Adonai with all his heart.” Then there was no one in the house of Azaiah to hold power over the kingdom.

Athaliah and Joash

¹⁰ Now when Athaliah, Azaiah’s mother, saw that her son had died, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehoshebeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash the son of Azaiah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. Because Jehoshebaeath, daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the kohen, was the sister of Azaiah, she could hide him from Athaliah so she could not kill him. ¹² He remained hidden with them in the House of God for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

23 Now in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and brought the officers of hundreds—Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri—into a covenant with him. ² They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the leading patriarchs of Israel. They came to Jerusalem ³ and the entire congregation made a covenant with the king in the House of God. Then he said to them:

“Behold, the king’s son! He must reign as Adonai promised concerning David’s sons. ⁴ This is what you should do: a third of you, kohanim and Levites coming on duty on Shabbat will keep watch at the gates, ⁵ a third of you shall be in the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the people shall be in the courtyard, and all the people should be in the courtyard of the House of Adonai. ⁶ But let no one enter into the House of Adonai except the kohanim and the ministering Levites. They may come in, for they are kadosh, and let all the people observe the service of Adonai. ⁷ The Levites will surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand, and whoever enters the House, let him be killed. Stay close to the king in his comings and goings.”

⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the kohen commanded. Each took his men, those that were on duty on Shabbat and those who went off duty on Shabbat, for Jehoiada the kohen had not dismissed any of the divisions. ⁹ And Jehoiada the kohen delivered to the officers of hundreds King David’s spears, shields and bucklers that were in the House of God. ¹⁰ Then he stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand around the king—from the south side of the House to the north side of the House by the altar and by the House.

¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son and placed upon him the crown and the insignia. They proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and declared, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the shouting of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people to the House of Adonai. ¹³ She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance and the officers and the trumpeters were beside the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing the trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments were leading the praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason, treason!”

¹⁴ Jehoiada the kohen brought out the officers of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out from between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.”

For the kohanim said, “Do not put her to death in the House of Adonai.”

¹⁵ So they seized her as she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the royal palace and killed her there. ¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people and the king to be the people of Adonai. ¹⁷ All the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down, smashed its altars and images into pieces, and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.

¹⁸ Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the House of Adonai under the authority of the Levitical kohanim, whom David had assigned over the House of Adonai to offer the burnt offerings of Adonai, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, accompanied by rejoicing and singing as ordered by David. ¹⁹ He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the House of Adonai so that no one who was ritually impure for any reason could enter. ²⁰ He took the officers of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the House of Adonai. They came through the upper gate of the royal house and seated the king upon the royal throne, ²¹ and all the people of the land rejoiced. The city was quiet for Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

Joash Repairs the Temple

24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem 40 years. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of Adonai all the days of Jehoiada the kohen.

³ Jehoiada took two wives by whom he fathered sons and daughters. ⁴ It came to pass after this that Joash had a heart to renovate the House of Adonai. ⁵ He assembled the kohanim and the Levites and told them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel year by year to repair the House of your God. Do this quickly!”

However, the Levites did not act quickly. ⁶ So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and asked him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Adonai on the congregation of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?”

⁷ For the sons of wicked Athaliah had broken into the House of God, and had even used all the sacred things of the House of Adonai for the Baalim^[af]. ⁸ So the king commanded that a box be made and placed outside the gate of the House of Adonai. ⁹ A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to Adonai the tax of Moses, God’s servant, upon Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰ All the officers and all the people rejoiced, and brought in and cast into the chest until it was full. ¹¹ Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s officers and when they saw that it was full of money, the royal scribe and the officer of the kohen gadol would come and empty the box and take it back to its place. Thus they did daily and gathered much money. ¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to workmen who carried out the work for the House of Adonai. They hired masons and carpenters to renovate the House of Adonai, as well as craftsmen in iron and bronze to repair the House of Adonai. ¹³ So the workmen labored and the renovation work progressed in their hands. They restored the House of God to its original design, and strengthened it. ¹⁴ When they had finished, they brought the remainder of the money before the king and Jehoiada and they made it into vessels for the House of Adonai—vessels for avodah and for burnt offering, pans and utensils of gold and silver. Then they offered burnt offerings in the House of Adonai continually all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ When Jehoiada reached a ripe old age, he died. He was 130 years old when he died. ¹⁶ So he was buried in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good things in Israel and toward God and His House.

Joash Betrays the Righeous Kohen

¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada, the chiefs of Judah came and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them. ¹⁸ They forsook the House of Adonai, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and the idols. Wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their guilt. ¹⁹ Adonai sent prophets to them to bring them back to Him and although they admonished them, they would not listen.

²⁰ Then the Ruach Elohim came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the kohen.^[ag] He stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you transgress the mitzvot of Adonai? You will not succeed. Because you have forsaken Adonai, He has also forsaken you.’”

²¹ But they conspired against him, and by order of the king, they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the House of Adonai. ²² Thus King Joash disregarded the loyalty which his father Jehoiada had shown to him—and slew Jehoiada’s son. As he was dying, he said: “May Adonai see and avenge!”

Judgment on Joash and His Chieftains

²³ It came to pass that at the turn of the year, the Aramean army came up against him. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem and massacred all the chieftains of the people, and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ Although the Aramean army came with only a small number of men, Adonai gave over a much larger army into their hands, because they had forsaken Adonai, God of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash. ²⁵ When they withdrew from him—for they left him very sick—his own servants plotted against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the kohen, and assassinated him on his bed. He died and was buried in the city of David—but not in the tombs of the kings. ²⁶ These men conspired against him: Zabad son of Shimiath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

²⁷ Now concerning his sons and the many prophesies against him and the rebuilding of the House of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son became king in his place.

Amaziah Begins Well

25 Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. ² Now he did what was right in the eyes of Adonai, but not wholeheartedly. ³ Once he had the kingdom firmly secured under him, he executed his courtiers who had assassinated his father the king. ⁴ He did not put their children to death, but acted according to what is written in the Torah, in the book of Moses, which Adonai commanded saying,

“Parents should not die for the children, neither should the children die for the parents, but every person should die for his own sin.”

⁵ Amaziah gathered together the people of Judah and assigned them according to their clans to officers of thousands and officers of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those from 20 years old and upward, and found 300,000 chosen men, able to go to war, able to handle spear and shield. ⁶ He also hired 100,000 valiant warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

⁷ But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Adonai is not with Israel—not with any of the children of Ephraim. ⁸ For if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down.”

⁹ But Amaziah said to the man of God, “And what is to be done about the 100 talents that I have given to the Israelite troops?”

The man of God answered, “Adonai is able to give you much more than that.”

¹⁰ So, Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim to go back to their homes. Their anger burned greatly against Judah and they returned home in a rage.

¹¹ Amaziah then took courage and leading his army, marched to the Valley of Salt. He struck down 10,000 men of Seir. ¹² The army of Judah also captured 10,000 alive, and brought them to the top of the cliff. They threw them down from the top of the cliff and everyone fell to their death.

¹³ Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and not allowed to go with him to battle raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-Horon. They struck down 3,000 of them and took considerable spoils.

Idolatry and Defiance

¹⁴ Now after Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he had the gods of the men of Seir brought and installed as his gods. He prostrated himself before them and burned incense to them. ¹⁵ The anger of Adonai burned against Amaziah, and He sent a prophet to him, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people who could not deliver their own people from your hand?”

¹⁶ But while he was still speaking to him, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you a counselor to the king? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped after he said, “Now I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have acted this way and have not listened to my counsel.”

¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent this message to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel saying, “Come, let us meet face to face.”

¹⁸ Joash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah saying: “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar in Lebanon saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trambled the thorn bush. ¹⁹ You say, ‘Behold, I have defeated Edom.’ So now your heart has become arrogant and proud. Stay home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah with you?”

²⁰ However, Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God in order that He might deliver them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. ²¹ So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah confronted one another at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. ²² Then Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his tent. ²³ King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah—son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz—in Beth-shemesh. Then Joash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim gate to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. ²⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the House of God with Obed-edom, together with the treasuries of the king’s palace and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

²⁵ Amaziah the son of King Joash of Judah lived 15 years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, the first and the last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? ²⁷ From the time that Amaziah turned away from following Adonai, they conspired against him in Jerusalem, so he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish and put him to death there. ²⁸ Then they brought him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Uzziah Strengthens Judah’s Defenses

26 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was 16 years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ² He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. ³ Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king, and he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what was right in the eyes of Adonai just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the visions of God. As long as he sought Adonai, God made him prosper.

⁶ He went out and fought the Philistines and breached the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod. He built cities in Ashdod and among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who dwelt in Gur-Baal, and against the Meunites. ⁸ The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread abroad even to the border of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.

⁹ Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them. ¹⁰ He also built towers in the wilderness and dug out many cisterns because he had much livestock, and he had farmers in the foothills and in the plain and vinedressers in the mountains and in the fertile fields—for he loved the soil.

¹¹ Uzziah also had a well-trained army ready to go out to battle by divisions, according to the numbers mustered by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under Hananiah, one of the king’s chieftains. ¹² The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600, ¹³ and under their command was an army of 307,500 trained for war with mighty power to support the king against the enemy. ¹⁴ Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men to be used on the towers and on the corners to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. So his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he became strong.

Uzziah Usurps the Kohanim

¹⁶ But when he became strong, his heart grew so haughty that he acted corruptly. For he trespassed against Adonai his God by entering into the Temple of Adonai to burn incense upon the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Then Azariah the kohen with 80 valiant kohanim of Adonai followed him in. ¹⁸ They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Adonai, but for the kohanim, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully. You will have no honor from Adonai Elohim.”

¹⁹ Then Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the kohanim tza’arat broke out on his forehead right in front of the kohanim in the House of Adonai, beside the incense altar. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief kohen and all the other kohanim stared at him, behold, his forehead had tza’arat! So they rushed him out of there. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out because Adonai had smitten him.

²¹ King Uzziah had tza’arat until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house with tza’arat, for he was cut off from the House of Adonai. Jotham his son was in charge of the king’s house and governed the people of the land.

²² Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. ²³ So Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial that belonged to the kings, for they said: “He had tza’arat.” Then Jotham his son became king in his place.

Good King Jotham Prospers

27 Jotham was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the eyes of Adonai, just as his father Uzziah had done. But unlike his father, he did not enter into the Temple of Adonai. The people, however, acted corruptly. ³ He rebuilt the upper gate of the House of Adonai and did extensive building on the wall of Ophel. ⁴ He also built towns in the Judean hills and forts and towers in the forests.

⁵ Jotham also fought the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. That year the Ammonites paid him 100 talents of silver, 10,000 measures of wheat and 10,000 of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

⁶ Jotham became powerful because he ordered his ways before Adonai 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 25 years old when he became king and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. ⁹ Jotham slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David. Ahaz his son became king in his place.

Ahaz’s Sin in the Valley of Ben-hinnom

28 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. But he did not do what was right in the eyes of Adonai as his father David had done, ² but followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and even made molten images for the Baalim. ³ Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Adonai had driven out before Bnei-Yisrael. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense in the high places, on the hills and under every leafy tree.

⁵ Therefore Adonai his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram who defeated him and took away from him many prisoners and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted many casualties on him. ⁶ In one day, Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant soldiers of Judah—because they had forsaken Adonai, the God of their fathers.

Mercy Shown to Judah’s Captives

⁷ Also Zichri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the official in charge of the palace and Elkanah the second to the king. ⁸ Men of Israel carried away captive 200,000 of their kinsmen, women, sons and daughters. They also took away a great deal of plunder from them that they brought to Samaria.

⁹ But a prophet of Adonai named Oded was there and he went out to meet the army on its return to Samaria. He said to them, “Behold, because Adonai, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has given them into your hand and you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. ¹⁰ So now you intend to bring into bondage the children of Judah and Jerusalem as your male and female slaves? Are you not also guilty of transgressions against Adonai your God? ¹¹ So now, listen to me. Send back the prisoners you have captured from your kinsmen—for the fierce wrath of Adonai is upon you!”

¹² Then some of the leaders of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those coming from the campaign, ¹³ and said to them, “Do not bring the captives in here, for that would cause us to trespass against Adonai. Do you intend to add to our sins and our guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger is already against Israel.”

¹⁴ So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder in the presence of the chieftains and the entire congregation. ¹⁵ Then the men designated by name stood up and took the captives, and they clothed all who were naked from the plunder. They gave them clothes and sandals, food and drink, anointed them, led all the feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them back to their kinsmen at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

Ahaz Leads Judah Into Idolatry

¹⁶ About that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. ¹⁷ Once again the Edomites had come and invaded Judah and taken captives, ¹⁸ while the Philistines had raided the towns in the foothills and in the South of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon and Gederot, as well as Soho, Timnah and Gimzo with their villages. ¹⁹ For Adonai humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he threw off restraint in Judah and trespassed against Adonai. ²⁰ Tilgat-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him— ²¹ even though Ahaz plundered the House of Adonai, the house of the king and the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria—it did not help him.

²² In his time of distress, this same King Ahaz acted even more unfaithfully to Adonai. ²³ He even sacrificed to the gods of Damascus after he had been defeated, for he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them and they will help me.” But they caused the downfall of him and all Israel.

²⁴ Ahaz even collected the utensils of the House of God and cut the utensils of the House of God into pieces. He shut the doors of the House of Adonai and made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every town of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods—provoking Adonai, the God of his fathers.

²⁶ Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Then Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not brought into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah his son became king in his place.

Hezekiah Restores the Temple

29 Hezekiah became king when he was 25 years old, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. ² He did right in the eyes of Adonai, just as his father David had done. ³ In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the House of Adonai and repaired them. ⁴ He brought in the kohanim and the Levites and assembled them into the eastern square.

⁵ Then he said to them: “Listen to me, Levites! Sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the House of Adonai, the God of your fathers, and remove the defilement out of the holy place. ⁶ Our fathers acted unfaithfully and did evil in the sight of Adonai Eloheinu and have forsaken Him. They turned their faces away from Adonai’s dwelling place and turned their backs on Him. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or offering any burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel. ⁸ Therefore, the wrath of Adonai was upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of horror, dread and scorn, as you are seeing with your own eyes. ⁹ Behold, for this our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, daughters and wives are in captivity.

¹⁰ “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Adonai, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger may turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, now do not be negligent, for Adonai has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and to burn incense to Him.”

¹² Then these Levites arose: from the sons of Kohath, Mahath son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah; from the sons of Merari, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel; from the sons of Gershon, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah; ¹³ from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; from the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; ¹⁴ from the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

¹⁵ When they had gathered their brothers and sanctified themselves, they went in, as the king ordered according to the words of Adonai, to cleanse the House of Adonai.

¹⁶ So the kohanim went into the inner part of the House of Adonai to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the House of Adonai every impure thing that they found in the temple of Adonai. Then the Levites received it and carried it out to Kidron Valley. ¹⁷ They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the porch of Adonai. For eight days they consecrated the House of Adonai and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.

¹⁸ Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have purified the entire House of Adonai—the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, the table of the rows of bread with all the vessels. ¹⁹ We have also prepared and concecrated all the articles that King Ahaz discarded in his unfaithfulness, while he was king. Behold, they are now before the altar of Adonai.”

²⁰ Then King Hezekiah arose early gathered the leaders of the city and went up to the House of Adonai. ²¹ They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven he-goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary and Judah, and he commanded the kohanim—the sons of Aaron—to offer them on the altar of Adonai. ²² So they slaughtered the bulls and the kohanim took the blood and sprinkled it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood against the altar. ²³ The he-goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands on them. ²⁴ The kohanim then slaughtered them and purified the altar with their blood 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 He stationed the Levites in the House of Adonai with cymbals, harps and lyres, according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet. For the command was by the authority of Adonai through His prophets. ²⁶ So the Levites stood with David’s instruments and the kohanim with the trumpets.

²⁷ Then Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of Adonai also began with the trumpets, together with the instruments of King David of Israel. ²⁸ The entire congregation prostrated themselves, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

²⁹ Now at the completion of the burnt offering, the king and all who were present with him knelt down and worshiped. ³⁰ Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to Adonai with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

³¹ Then Hezekiah responded and said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to Adonai. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the House of Adonai.” The congregation brought in sacrifices and thankofferings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.

³² The number of the burnt offerings that the congregation brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs—all of these as a burnt offering to Adonai. ³³ The animals consecrated as sacrifices were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. ³⁴ The kohanim, however, were too few to flay all the burnt offerings, so their kinsmen, the Levites, helped them until the work was completed, and until other kohanim had consecrated themselves. For the Levites had been more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the kohanim. ³⁵ There were also a great many burnt offerings, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offering at every burnt offering.

Thus the avodah of the House of Adonai was reestablished. ³⁶ Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had enabled the people to accomplish, because it happened so suddenly.

Hezekiah and all Israel Celebrate Pesach

30 Hezekiah then sent word to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the House of Adonai at Jerusalem to keep the Passover for Adonai, the God of Israel. ² The king and his officials and the entire congregation in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate Passover in the second month. ³ For they were not able to celebrate it at the regular time, since not enough kohanim had consecrated themselves, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem. ⁴ The matter seemed right in the eyes of the king and of the entire community. ⁵ So they decided to issue a decree and to proclaim it throughout all Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for Adonai, the God of Israel. For it had not been celebrated as prescribed for a long time.

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

“You men of Israel, turn back to Adonai, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ Do not be like your fathers and brothers who acted unfaithfully against Adonai, the God of their fathers, so that He made them a horror as you see. ⁸ Do not stiffen your neck as your fathers did, but reconcile to Adonai, and come to His Temple, which He has consecrated forever, and worship Adonai your God that His burning anger may turn away from you. ⁹ For if you return to Adonai, your brothers and children will receive compassion before their captors, and will return to this land. For Adonai your God is compassionate and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

¹⁰ As the couriers traveled from town to town through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as Zebulun, they were scorned and mocked. ¹¹ Nevertheless some men from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded by the word of Adonai.

¹³ Now a very large assembly gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Matzot in the second month. ¹⁴ They arose and removed the altars and all the incense altars that were in Jerusalem, and threw them into the Kidron Valley. ¹⁵ Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The kohanim and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the House of Adonai. ¹⁶ They stood at their post as prescribed in the Torah of Moses, the man of God. The kohanim sprinkled the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. ¹⁷ For there were many in the congregation that had not concecrated themselves, therefore the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for everyone that was not ceremonially clean in order to concecrate them to Adonai. ¹⁸ Although a great multitude of the people—many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, they still ate the Passover lamb contrary to what is written.

But Hezekiah prayed for them saying: “May Adonai who is good, atone for ¹⁹ every one who prepares his heart to seek Adonai, the God of his fathers, even though he is not pure according to rules of the sanctuary.” ²⁰ Adonai heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

²¹ So the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Matzot for seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the kohanim were praising Adonai every day with loud instruments for Adonai. ²² Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who demonstrated good understanding of the service of Adonai. For seven days they ate their assigned portions while sacrificing peace offerings and praising Adonai, the God of their fathers.

²³ Then the whole congregation decided to celebrate seven more days—so for another seven days they celebrated with gladness. ²⁴ Hezekiah king of Judah contributed 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to the congregation, and the officials contributed 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep to the congregation, and great numbers of kohanim consecrated themselves. ²⁵ The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced with the kohanim and the Levites, and all who had assembled from Israel, both the strangers coming from the land of Israel and the residents of Judah. ²⁶ There was great joy in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon son of David king of Israel. ²⁷ Then the Levitical kohanim arose and blessed the people, and Adonai heard their voice, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place.

Restoring the Kohanim and Levites

31 When all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the towns of Judah and smashed the pillars, smashed the Asherah poles and demolished the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as throughout Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all Bnei-Yisrael returned to their towns, each to their own property.

² Then Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the kohanim and the Levites together with their divisions, each of the kohanim and Levites according to his service: for burnt offerings, peace offerings, to minister, to praise, or to sing praises in the gates of the courts of Adonai. ^{[ah] 3} The king also contributed a portion of his own assets for the burnt offerings: the morning and the evening burnt offerings and the burnt offerings for Shabbatot, the New Moons and the moadim, as it is written in the Torah of Adonai. ⁴ Moreover, he commanded the people, the residents of Jerusalem, to give the portion allotted to the kohanim and the Levites, so that they might devote themselves to the Torah of Adonai. ⁵ As soon as the word spread, Bnei-Yisrael gave generously the firstfruits of their grain, wine, oil, honey and all the produce of the field, as well as tithe of all the abundance. ⁶ The children of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah, also brought in the tithe of bulls and sheep, and the tithe of the sacred things consecrated to Adonai their God. They piled them in heaps. ⁷ In the third month the heaps began to accumulate and finished in the seventh month. ⁸ When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they blessed Adonai and His people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the kohanim and the Levites about the heaps. ¹⁰ Azariah the chief kohen from the house of Zadok, replied to him saying, “Ever since the gifts began to be brought into the House of Adonai, we have had enough to eat and more than enough, for Adonai has blessed His people with plenty left over.”

¹¹ Then Hezekiah ordered them to prepare storerooms in the House of Adonai, and they prepared them. ¹² They faithfully brought in the offerings and the tithes and the consecrated gifts. Conaniah the Levite was the leader in charge over them and Shimei his brother was next in rank. ¹³ Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath and Benaiah were supervisors under Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the leader in charge of the House of God. ¹⁴ Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, distributing the offering of Adonai and the consecrated gifts. ¹⁵ Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in the towns of the kohanim, making allocations to their brothers by divisions—to great and little alike, ¹⁶ only considering genealogical records, to the males three years old and upward—to all who entered into the House of Adonai, to perform the daily duties according to their responsibilities and their divisions— ¹⁷ to the kohanim who were genealogically registered by their ancestral houses, as well as to the Levites 20 years old and upward, according to their duties and their divisions. ¹⁸ The genealogical registry included all their little ones, their wives and sons and daughters of the entire assembly. Thus in their faithfulness they consecrated themselves as holy.

¹⁹ As for the sons of Aaron, the kohanim, who lived in the fields of the common lands of their towns—in every town—men were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the kohanim and to all who were genealogically registered among the Levites. ²⁰ Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah. He did what was good, right and true before Adonai his God. ²¹ Every work he undertook in the service of the House of God and in the Torah and the mitzvot to seek his God, he did wholeheartedly and succeeded.

Assyrian’s Failed Seige of Jerusalem

32 After these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He encamped against the fortified cities, intending to break into them for himself. ² When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to wage war against Jerusalem, ³ he consulted with his officers and warriors about blocking the waters of the springs outside the city, and they supported him. ⁴ Many people assembled and blocked off all the springs and the raging wadi in the land saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” ⁵ Then he took courage and rebuilt the entire wall that had been broken down, raised up the towers, added another outer wall, fortified the Millo in the city of David, and made plenty of weapons and shields.

⁶ He also appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate, and encouraged them saying, ⁷ “Chazak! Be courageous! Do not be afraid or dismayed by the king of Assyria and the whole horde that is with him—for we have more with us than he has with him! ⁸ With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Adonai Eloheinu to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

⁹ After this, when King Sennacherib of Assyria, while he and all his forces with him were besieging Lachish, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying:

¹⁰ “Thus says King Sennacherib of Assyria, ‘What are you relying on that you would stay in Jerusalem, under siege? ¹¹ Is not Hezekiah misleading you, to let you die by famine and thirst, saying, “Adonai Eloheinu will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?” ¹² Has not the same Hezekiah removed His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem saying, “You shall worship before one altar and upon it you shall burn incense?” ¹³ Do not you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands ever able to deliver their land out of my hand? ¹⁴ Who among all the gods of these nations—which my fathers utterly destroyed—could deliver his people from my hand? How then is your God able to deliver you from my hand? ¹⁵ So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or any kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand and from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!’”

¹⁶ His servants spoke further against Adonai Elohim and against His servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ Sennacharib also wrote letters reviling Adonai, the God of Israel, speaking against Him saying, “Just as the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah shall not deliver His people from my hand.” ¹⁸ Then they cried out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall to terrify and frighten them, in order to capture the city. ¹⁹ They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth made by human hands.

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

²¹ Then Adonai sent an angel who annihilated every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew in disgrace to his own land. When he entered the house of his god some of his own children struck him down with the sword. ²² Thus Adonai delivered Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all, and helped them in every way. ²³ Many brought offerings to Adonai in Jerusalem and valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded in the eyes of all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride and Humility

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill, but he prayed to Adonai who responded to him and gave him a sign. ²⁵ But Hezekiah did not respond according to the favor done to him. His heart became haughty, so wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride in his heart—both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—so that the wrath of Adonai did not fall upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷ Now Hezekiah had very abundant riches and honor. He even made treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and for all kinds of valuables, ²⁸ and storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds for the flocks. ²⁹ Moreover, he built towns and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very many possessions.

³⁰ It was also Hezekiah who stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon and channeled them downward to the west side of the city of David. Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did. ³¹ But when the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, to know all that was in his heart.

Hezekiah’s Death and Honor

³² Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ So Hezekiah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.

King Manasseh’s Transgressions

33 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. ² He did evil in the sight of Adonai, just like the abominations of the nations that Adonai had driven out before Bnei-Yisrael. ³ For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he reerected altars for the Baalim, made Asherah poles, and bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshipped them. ⁴ He built altars in the House of Adonai—of which Adonai had said, “My Name will be in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ He also built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the House of Adonai. ⁶ Furthermore, he made his children pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom and practiced witchcraft, divination and sorcery, and consulted ghosts and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of Adonai, provoking Him to anger.

⁷ Then he placed the carved image of the idol that he had made in the House of God—of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this House and in Jerusalem that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever. ⁸ I will never again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for their fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them—all the Torah, the statutes, and the ordinances delivered by the hand of Moses.”

⁹ But Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations whom Adonai destroyed before Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁰ Adonai spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

Assyrians Sent to Chasten Manasseh

¹¹ Therefore, Adonai brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and led him to Babylon.

¹² In his distress, he entreated Adonai his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his fathers. ¹³ When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty, heard his plea and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Adonai, He is God.

¹⁴ Afterward he built an outer wall to the city of David west of Gihon in the valley, as far as the entrance to the Fish Gate, and encircling the Ophel; he also raised it up much higher. He stationed military officers in all the fortified cities of Judah.

¹⁵ He also removed the foreign gods and idols from the House of Adonai, as well as all the altars that he had built on the mount of the House of Adonai and in Jerusalem and threw them outside the city. ¹⁶ He rebuilt the altar of Adonai and sacrificed on it sacrifices of fellowship and thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Adonai the God of Israel. ¹⁷ Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to Adonai their God.

¹⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the Name of Adonai the God of Israel, behold, they are written in the records of the kings of Israel. ¹⁹ His prayer also, and how God was moved by his entreaty, all his sin and his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherah poles and the carved images before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of Hozai. ²⁰ Manasseh slept with his fathers and they buried him in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

Wicked King Amon Assassinated

²¹ Amon was 22 years old when he became king and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. ²² He did what was evil in the sight of Adonai just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that Manasseh his father had made, and worshipped them. ²³ He did not humble himself before Adonai as his father Manasseh had humbled himself. Instead Amon increased his guilt. ²⁴ So his servants conspired against him and assassinated him in his own house. ²⁵ Then the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

Josiah Restores the Temple

34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. ² He did right in the eyes of Adonai, and walked in the ways of his father David. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. ³ In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek after the God of his father David. In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherah poles, and the carved and molten images. ⁴ They tore down the altars of the Baal in his presence and chopped down the sun-images that were above them. Also the Asherah poles and the carved and molten images he smashed into pieces, ground into dust, and scattered upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars—so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶ In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, with their surrounding ruins, ⁷ he broke down the altars, the Asherah poles, crushed the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

⁸ Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, after purging the land and the House, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the House of Adonai his God. ⁹ They came to Hilkiah the kohen gadol and handed over the silver money that was brought into the House of God, which the Levites, the gatekeepers, had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim and all the remnant of Israel, as well as from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ Then they put it in the hands of the workmen who were in charge of the House of Adonai. The workmen who were working in the House of Adonai spent it on repairing and restoring the House. ¹¹ They in turn gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone as well as timber—for joining and making beams—for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let fall into ruin. ¹² The men did the work faithfully. Over them were appointed Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the sons of Merari, along with Zechariah and Meshullam from the sons of Kohath, to supervise, while other Levites—all skilled musicians— ¹³ were over the burden-bearers and supervised all who worked from task to task. Some of the Levites were also scribes, overseers and gatekeepers.

Torah Scroll Found in the Temple

¹⁴ While they were bringing out the silver that had been brought into the House of Adonai, Hilkiah the kohen found a Torah scroll of Adonai given by Moses. ¹⁵ Hilkiah responded by telling Shaphan the scribe, “I have found a scroll of the Torah in the House of Adonai.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.

¹⁶ Then Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and moreover returned a report to the king, saying, “Your servants are doing everything that was committed to them. ¹⁷ They have melted down the silver that was found in the House of Adonai and handed it over to the overseers and into the hand of the workmen.” ¹⁸ Shaphan the scribe also said to the king, “Hilkiah the kohen has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

¹⁹ When the king heard the words of the Torah, he tore his clothes. ²⁰ The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, ²¹ “Go! Inquire of Adonai for me and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of Adonai that will be poured out upon us—because our fathers did not observe the word of Adonai to do according to all that is written in this scroll.”

Huldah the Prophetess

²² So Hilkiah, and those whom the king commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokahath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe—now she was living in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter—and spoke to her about this.

²³ She said to them, “Thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, ²⁴ “Thus says Adonai, ‘Behold, I am bringing disaster on this place and on its inhabitants—all the curses that are written in the book that they have read before the king of Judah. ²⁵ For they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the works of their hands. Therefore, My wrath will be poured out upon this place and it will not be quenched.’” ²⁶ But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Adonai, thus you will say to him, “Thus says Adonai the God of Israel, ‘Regarding the words which you have heard, ²⁷ because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against the inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes, and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ says Adonai. ²⁸ ‘Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you will be buried in your grave in shalom. Your eyes will not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants.’”

So they brought her word back to the king.

²⁹ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ The king went up to the House of Adonai with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the kohanim, the Levites, and all the people from the oldest to the youngest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the House of Adonai.

³¹ Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before Adonai—to follow Adonai and to observe His mitzvot, His regulations and His decrees with all his heart and with all his soul and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book. ³² Moreover, he made all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand with him. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. ³³ Josiah removed all the abominations from the whole territory of Bnei-Yisrael and made all who were found in Israel to worship Adonai their God. All his days they did not turn away from following Adonai, the God of their fathers.

Josiah Keeps Pesach

35 Josiah celebrated Passover unto Adonai in Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. ² He reinstated the kohanim to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the House of Adonai. ³ He said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were consecrated to Adonai, “Put the holy Ark in the House which Solomon the son of King David of Israel built. Since it is no longer a burden on your shoulders now, serve Adonai your God and His people Israel. ⁴ Prepare youselves by your ancestral houses in your divisions, according to the writing of King David of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon. ⁵ Stand in the holy place by the divisions of the ancestral houses, by sons of the people and by divisions of ancestral houses of the Levites. ⁶ Now sanctify yourselves, slaughter the Passover lamb and prepare it for your kinsmen, according to the word of Adonai by the hand of Moses.”

⁷ Josiah provided for all the people who were present, flocks of lambs and goats totaling 30,000, all for the Passover offerings, as well as 3,000 bulls—all from the king’s possessions.

⁸ His officials also gave a freewill offering to the people, the kohanim and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel—the administrators of the House of God—donated to the kohanim 2,600 Passover offerings, and 300 bulls. ⁹ Likewise, Conaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethaniel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, leaders of the Levites, provided 5,000 Passover lambs for the Levites and 500 bulls.

¹⁰ So the avodah was prepared and the kohanim stood at their posts with the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. ¹¹ They slaughtered the Passover lambs and while the kohanim sprinkled the blood handed to them, the Levites flayed them. ¹² Then they removed the portions to be burnt to give them to the divisions of ancestral houses of the people to present to Adonai, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the bulls. ¹³ They roasted the Passover lambs with fire according to the ordinance, then boiled the sacred parts in pots, caldrons and pans, and brought them quickly to all the people. ¹⁴ Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and for the kohanim, because the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, were busy sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.

¹⁵ The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, the king’s seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate. They did not need to depart from their posts for their fellow Levites provided for them.

¹⁶ So on that day the entire service of Adonai was prepared to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of Adonai according to the command of King Josiah. ¹⁷ The Bnei-Yisrael present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Feast of Matzot for seven days. ¹⁸ Passover had not been celebrated like that in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet, and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the kohanim, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

Death of Josiah

²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had set the House in order, King Neco of Egypt came up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates and Josiah went out to engage him. ²¹ But Neco sent messengers to him saying, “What is there between me and you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house that wars with me and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your sake from meddling with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you!”

²² Josiah, however, would not turn away from him but disguised himself in order to fight him. He did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God and went to fight him in the plain of Megiddo. ²³ Archers shot King Josiah and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am seriously wounded.” ²⁴ So his servants carried him out of the chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had. They brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned over Josiah.

²⁵ Now Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the singers, male and female, commemorated Josiah in their laments. And they made them an ordinance in Israel and behold, they are written in the lamentations. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion as written in the Torah of Adonai, ²⁷ and his acts, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.