Bible in 90 Days

¹⁶ Forsooth Jehoiada covenanted a bond of peace betwixt himself and all the people and the king, that it should be the people of the Lord. (And then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be the people of the Lord.)

¹⁷ Therefore all the people entered into the house of Baal, and they destroyed it, and they brake the altars and the simulacra thereof; but they killed before the altars Mattan, the priest of Baal (and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars).

¹⁸ And Jehoiada ordained sovereigns in the house of the Lord, that under the hands of priests, and of deacons, which David parted in the house of the Lord, they should offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses, in joy and in songs, by the ordinance of David. (And then Jehoiada ordained as the rulers of the House of the Lord, the priests, and the Levites, whom David had assigned to the House of the Lord, to offer the burnt sacrifices to the Lord, as it is written in The Book of Moses, with joy and with songs, by David’s ordinance.)

¹⁹ Also he ordained porters in the gates of the house of the Lord, that an unclean man in anything should not enter into it. (And he ordained the guards, or the doorkeepers, at the gates of the House of the Lord, so that no unclean person could enter into it.)

²⁰ And he took the centurions, and the strongest men, and princes of the people, and all the common people of the land. And they made the king to go down from the house of the Lord, and to enter by the midst of the higher gate into the house of the king; and they set him in the king’s throne. (And he took the centurions, and the strongest men, and the people’s leaders, and all the common people of the land. And together they brought the king down from the House of the Lord, and they entered through the Upper Gate into the house of the king, and they put him on the king’s throne.)

²¹ And all the people of the land was glad, and the city rested; forsooth Athaliah was slain by (the) sword.

24 Joash was of seven years (Joash was seven years old), when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Zibiah of Beersheba.

² And he did that, that was good before the Lord, in all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.

³ And Joash took two wives, of which he begat sons and daughters. (And Jehoiada chose two wives for him, of whom Joash begat sons and daughters.)

⁴ And after which things it pleased Joash to repair the house of the Lord.

⁵ And he gathered together [the] priests and deacons, and said to them, Go ye out to the cities of Judah, and gather ye of all Israel money, to the repairing of the temple of your Lord God, by each year; and do ye this thing hastily. Certainly the deacons did this thing negligently. (And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go ye out to the cities of Judah, and gather ye the yearly money, or the annual tax, from all Israel, for repairs to the Temple of the Lord your God; and do ye this thing promptly, or quickly. But the Levites did it negligently, or slovenly.)

⁶ And the king called Jehoiada, the prince of priests, and said to him, Why was it not (a) charge to thee, to constrain the deacons to bring in (the) money of Judah and of Jerusalem, which money was ordained of Moses, the servant of the Lord, that all the multitude of Israel should bring it into the tabernacle of witnessing? (And so the king called the High Priest Jehoiada, and said to him, Why was it not a concern for thee, to require the Levites to bring in the money, that is, the tax, from Judah and Jerusalem, which was ordained by Moses, the Lord’s servant, that all the multitude of Israel should bring to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing?)

⁷ For the wicked woman Athaliah, and her sons, destroyed the house of God; and of all the things, that were hallowed to the temple of the Lord, they adorned the temple of Baalim. (For that wicked woman Athaliah, and her sons, destroyed the House of God; and they adorned the temple of the Baalim, with all the things that were dedicated to the Temple of the Lord.)

⁸ Therefore the king commanded, and they made an ark, and setted it beside the gate (of the House) of the Lord withoutforth. (And so the king commanded, and they made a box, and put it outside the gate of the House of the Lord.)

⁹ And it was preached in Judah and Jerusalem, that each man should bring to the Lord the price, that Moses, the servant of God, ordained upon all Israel, in desert. (And it was preached in Judah and Jerusalem, that everyone should bring to the Lord the tax, that Moses, the servant of God, had ordained upon all Israel, in the wilderness.)

¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people were glad, and they entered, and brought, and sent freely their gifts into the ark of the Lord (and freely put their gifts into the box for the Lord), so that it was filled with treasure.

¹¹ And when it was time, that they should bear the ark before the king(’s) (officials) by the hands of deacons, for they saw much money, the clerk of the king entered, and he whom the first, or chief, priest had ordained, and they poured out the money, that was in the ark; and they bare again the ark to his place (And when it was time, that they should carry the box to the king’s officials by the hands of the Levites, for they saw much money in it, the king’s clerk entered, and he whom the High Priest had ordained, and they poured out the money, that was in the box; and then they put the box back in its place). And so they did by all days, and money without number was gathered together;

¹² which the king and Jehoiada gave to them that were (the) sovereigns of the works of the house of the Lord. And they hired thereof cutters of stones, and craftsmen of all works, that they should repair the house of the Lord; also they hired smiths of iron, and of brass, that that thing should be underset, that began to fall (and they hired ironsmiths, and bronze-workers, so that what had begun to fall, or to fail, could be strengthened).

¹³ They that wrought did craftily, and the crazing of the walls was stopped by the hands of them; and they raised the house of the Lord into the former state, and made it to stand steadfastly. (They who did the work did so with craftsmanship, and they repaired the breaches in the walls; and so they raised the House of the Lord back to its former state, and made it stand strong and steadfast.)

¹⁴ And when they had fulfilled all the works, they brought before the king and Jehoiada the tother part of the money, of which money vessels were made into the service of the temple, and to burnt sacrifices (and from that money vessels were made for service in the Temple, and for the burnt sacrifices); also vials, or basins, and other vessels of gold and of silver were made thereof. And burnt sacrifices were offered in the house of the Lord continually, in all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ And Jehoiada full of days waxed eld, and he was dead, when he was of an hundred years and thirty; (And Jehoiada grew old, and full of days, and he died when he was a hundred and thirty years old;)

¹⁶ and they buried him in the city of David with (the) kings; for he had done good with Israel, (for God,) and with his house. (and they buried him in the City of David with the kings; for he had done good in Israel, for God, and for his House.)

¹⁷ But after that Jehoiada died, the princes of Judah entered, and worshipped the king, which was flattered with their services, and assented to them. (But after that Jehoiada died, the leaders of Judah entered, and worshipped, or honoured, the king, who was flattered by them, and he assented to them.)

¹⁸ And they forsook the temple of the Lord God of their fathers, and served idols in woods, and graven images (and worshipped sacred poles, and carved idols); and the ire of the Lord was made against Judah and Jerusalem for this sin.

¹⁹ And he sent to them prophets, that they should turn again to the Lord (so that they would return to the Lord); the which prophets’ witnessing, they would not hear.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed, or environed, Zechariah, the priest, the son of Jehoiada; and he stood in the sight of the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why break ye the commandment of the Lord, which thing shall not profit to you, and ye have forsaken the Lord, that he should forsake you? (Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah, the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and he stood before the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why have ye broken the Lord’s commands? truly that shall not profit you; but because ye have abandoned the Lord, now he hath abandoned you.)

²¹ Which were gathered together against him, and casted stones (at him), by commandment of the king, in the large place of the house of the Lord. (And they gathered together against him, and threw stones at him, by the command of the king, in the courtyard of the House of the Lord.)

²² And king Joash had not mind on the mercy, (or goodness,) which Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had done with him; but he killed the son of Jehoiada. And when Zechariah died, he said, The Lord see this thing, and again-seek it. (And King Joash forgot about the loyalty which Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown to him; and so he had Jehoiada’s son killed. And as Zechariah died, he said, May the Lord see what thou hast done, and avenge it.)

²³ And when a year was turned about, either ended, the host of Syria went up against Joash, and it came into Judah and into Jerusalem, and it killed all the princes of the people (and they came into Judah and Jerusalem, and they killed all the leaders of the people); and they sent all the prey to the king of Damascus.

²⁴ And certain(ly), when a full little number of men of Syria was come into Judah, the Lord betook in(to) their hands a multitude of Jews without number, for they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. Also they used shameful dooms against Joash (And so they executed judgement against Joash);

²⁵ and they went away from him, and they left him in great sorrows. And his servants rose up against him, into vengeance of the blood of the son of Jehoiada, priest; and killed him in his bed, and he was dead. And they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of kings. (and then they went away from him, and they left him in great sorrows. And then his servants rose up against him, in vengeance for the blood of the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and they killed him in his bed, and he was dead. And they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.)

²⁶ And Zabad, the son of Shimeath of Ammon, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith of Moab, setted treasons to him. (And it was Zabad, the son of Shimeath of Ammon, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith of Moab, who set treason against him.)

²⁷ Soothly his sons, and the sum of money that was gathered under him, and the repairing of the house of God, be written diligently in the book of Kings (all be diligently written about in The Book of the Kings). And Amaziah, his son, reigned for him;

25 Amaziah was of five and twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem.

² And he did good in the sight of the Lord, nevertheless not in perfect heart. (And he did good before the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.)

³ And when he saw the empire strengthened to himself, he strangled the servants that killed the king, his father; (And once he saw himself confirmed, or established, in power, he strangled the servants who had killed his father the king;)

⁴ but he killed not the sons of them; as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, [The] Fathers shall not be slain for the sons, neither the sons for their fathers; but each man shall die in, or for, his own sin.

⁵ Therefore Amaziah gathered together Judah, and ordained them by families, and tribunes, and centurions, in all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years and above, and he found thirty thousand of able young men, that went out to battle, and held spear and shield. (And so Amaziah gathered the men of Judah together, and ordained them by families, under tribunes, and centurions, in all Judah and Benjamin; and he counted them from twenty years of age and older, and he found thirty thousand able young men, who went out to battle, and held a spear and shield.)

⁶ Also for meed, he hired of Israel an hundred thousand of strong men, for an hundred talents of silver, that they should fight against the sons of Edom. (And for reward, or for money, he hired out of Israel a hundred thousand strong men, for a hundred talents of silver, to fight against the Edomites.)

⁷ Forsooth a man of God came to him, and said, A! king, the host of Israel go not out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and with all the sons of Ephraim; (But a man of God came to him, and said, O! king, do not let Israel’s army go out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and with all these Ephraimites;)

⁸ for if thou guessest that battles stand in the might of an host, the Lord shall make thee to be overcome of thine enemies, forsooth it is of God for to help, and to turn men into flight. (for if thou thinkest that battles stand, or fall, by the strength of an army, then the Lord shall make thee to be overcome by thy enemies; for it is of God to help thee, or to turn men to flight.)

⁹ And Amaziah said to the man of God, What then shall be done of the hundred talents, which I gave to the knights of Israel? And the man of God answered to him, The Lord hath, whereof he may yield to thee much more things than these.

¹⁰ Therefore Amaziah separated the host that came to him from Ephraim, that it should turn again into his place; and they were wroth greatly against Judah, and they turned again into their country. (And so Amaziah separated out the army that came to him from Ephraim, and told them to return home; and they were greatly angered against the people of Judah, but they returned to their own country.)

¹¹ And Amaziah led out trustily his people, and went into the valley of (the) makings of salt, and he killed of the sons of Seir ten thousand. (And then Amaziah trustily led out his people, and went into the Salt Valley, and he killed ten thousand of the sons of Seir there.)

¹² And the sons of Judah took (an)other ten thousand of men, and brought (them) to the high scarp of a stone; and they cast them down from the highest part into a pit; which all brake (and they were all killed there).

¹³ And that host that Amaziah had sent again, that it should not go with him to battle, was spread abroad in the cities of Judah from Samaria unto Bethhoron; and after (that) the host of Israel had slain three thousand of Judah, it took away a great prey (they took away a great deal of prey).

¹⁴ And Amaziah, after the slaying of Idumeans, and after that he had brought thence with him the gods of the sons of Seir, he ordained them to be into gods to himself, and he worshipped them, and burnt incense to them. (And Amaziah, after the slaughter of the Edomites, brought back from there the gods of the sons of Seir with him, and he ordained them to be his gods, and he worshipped them, and burned incense to them.)

¹⁵ Wherefore the Lord was wroth against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, that said to him, Why worshippest thou gods which have not delivered their (own) people from thine hand?

¹⁶ And when the prophet spake these things, Amaziah answered to him, Whether thou art a counsellor of the king? cease thou, lest peradventure I slay thee. And the prophet went away from him, and said, I know, that the Lord hath thought to slay thee (And as the prophet went away from him, he said, I know that the Lord hath decided to kill thee); for thou hast done this evil, and furthermore thou assentedest not to my counsel.

¹⁷ Therefore Amaziah, the king of Judah, when he had taken a full evil counsel, sent to the king of Israel, Jehoash^[a], the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, and said, Come thou, and see we us together. (And so Amaziah, the king of Judah, when he had taken very evil counsel, sent to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, and said, Come thou, and see we each other in battle.)

¹⁸ And Jehoash, the king of Israel, sent messengers (back) to him, and said (mystically), A thistle, that is in the Lebanon, sent to a cedar tree of the Lebanon, and said, Give thy daughter (as a) wife to my son; and lo! [the] beasts that were in the wood of the Lebanon went and defouled the thistle.

¹⁹ Thou saidest, I have smitten Edom, and therefore thine heart is raised into pride (Thou saidest, I myself have struck down Edom, and so thy heart is raised up in pride); sit thou still in thine house; why stirrest thou (up) evil against thyself, (so) that thou fall, and Judah with thee?

²⁰ (But) Amaziah would not hear this, for it was the will of the Lord, that he should be betaken into the hands of his enemies, for the gods of Edom which he worshipped (because he and the people of Judah worshipped the gods of Edom).

²¹ Therefore Jehoash, king of Israel, ascended, and they saw themselves together. Soothly Amaziah, the king of Judah, was in Bethshemesh of Judah; (And so Jehoash, the king of Israel, went forth, and they saw each other in battle. And he and Amaziah, the king of Judah, were in Bethshemesh of Judah;)

²² and Judah felled down before Israel, and fled into his tabernacles. (and the men of Judah fell down before the men of Israel, and they fled back to their tents.)

²³ And [Jehoash,] the king of Israel, took in Bethshemesh Amaziah, the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz^[b], and brought him into Jerusalem; and he destroyed the walls thereof from the gate of Ephraim to the gate of the corner, by four hundred cubits (in length). (And Jehoash, the king of Israel, the son of Jehoahaz, captured Amaziah, the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he destroyed its walls from the Ephraim Gate unto the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits.)

²⁴ And he led again into Samaria all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that he found in the house of the Lord, and at Obededom, in the treasuries also of the king’s house, also and the sons of (the) hostages. (And he took back to Samaria all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that he found in the House of the Lord, under the care, or the protection, of Obededom, and also the treasures from the king’s house, and the hostages as well.)

²⁵ And Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, lived fifteen years after that Jehoash, king of Israel, the son of Jehoahaz, was dead (died).

²⁶ Soothly the residue of the former and the last words of Amaziah, be written in the book of [the] kings of Judah and of Israel. (And the rest of the first and the last deeds of Amaziah, be written in The Book of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.)

²⁷ And after that he had gone away from the Lord, they set to him treasons in Jerusalem; and when he had fled to Lachish, they sent thither, and killed him there; (And after that Amaziah had gone away from the Lord, they set treasons against him in Jerusalem; and when he fled to Lachish, they followed him there, and killed him there;)

²⁸ and they brought him again upon horses (and they brought back his body on a horse), and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.

26 Forsooth all the people of Judah made Uzziah^[c], his son, of sixteen years age, king for his father Amaziah. (Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, or Azariah, Amaziah’s son, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father.)

² He builded Eloth (And he rebuilt Eloth), and restored it to the lordship of Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

³ Uzziah was of sixteen years (Uzziah was sixteen years old), when he began to reign; and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem.

⁴ And he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord, by all things which Amaziah, his father, had done.

⁵ And he sought the Lord in the days of Zechariah, understanding and seeing God (who had understanding in the visions of God); and when he sought God, God ruled him in all things.

⁶ And he went out, and fought against (the) Philistines, and destroyed the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he builded strong places in Ashdod, and in Philistines (and he built fortified cities in Ashdod, and among the Philistines).

⁷ And the Lord helped him both against Philistines, and against Arabians that dwelled in Gurbaal, and against Ammonites. (And the Lord helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs who lived in Gurbaal, and against the Meunites/and the Mehunims.)

⁸ [And] Ammonites paid gifts to Uzziah (And the Ammonites paid tribute, or taxes, to Uzziah), and his name was published unto the entering of Egypt for his oft victories.

⁹ And Uzziah builded towers in Jerusalem over the gate of the corner, and over the gate of the valley, and other towers in the same side of the wall (and other towers on the same side of the wall); and he made those steadfast, or strong.

¹⁰ Also he builded towers in the wilderness, and digged full many cisterns; for he had many beasts, as well in the field places, as in the vastness of desert (for he had many beasts, in the fields, and in the vast wilderness). Also he had vineries, and tillers of vines in the hills/in the great mountain(s), and in Carmel; for he was a man given to earth-tilling.

¹¹ And (he had) the host of his warriors, that went forth to battles, under the hand of Jeiel, (the) scribe, and of Maaseiah, the teacher, and under the hand of Hananiah, that was of the dukes of the king. (And he had the army of his warriors, who went forth to battle, all listed, or registered, by Jeiel, the writer, or the royal secretary, and Maaseiah, the teacher, and Hananiah, who was one of the king’s leaders;)

¹² and all the number of (the) princes, by their families, was of strong men two thousand and six hundred. (and the number of all the leaders of his fighting men, by their families, was two thousand and six hundred.)

¹³ And under them was all the host, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that were able to battle (who were well able for battle), and fought for the king against (his) adversaries.

¹⁴ And Uzziah made ready to them, that is, to all the host, shields, and spears, and basinets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. (And Uzziah had made for all his army, many shields, and spears, helmets, and breastplates, and bows, and slings to throw stones.)

¹⁵ And he made in Jerusalem engines of diverse kind, which he set in towers, and in the corners of walls, that those should cast out arrows and great stones (from which they would send out arrows and great stones); and his name went out far, for the Lord helped him, and had made him strong.

¹⁶ But when he was made strong, his heart was raised up into his perishing; and he despised the Lord his God (for he defied the Lord his God); and he entered into the temple of the Lord, and would burn incense upon the altar of incense.

¹⁷ And anon Azariah, the priest, entered after him, and with him sixty priests of the Lord, men full noble; (And at once, the High Priest Azariah went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord, all very noble men;)

¹⁸ which against-stood the king, and said to him, Uzziah, it is not of thine office, that thou burn incense to the Lord, but of the priests of the Lord, that is, the sons of Aaron, that be hallowed to such service; go thou out of the saintuary; and despise thou not God; for this thing shall not be areckoned of the Lord God to thee into glory. (who stood against the king, and said to him, Uzziah, it is not thy duty to burn incense to the Lord, but only the duty of the priests of the Lord, that is, the sons of Aaron, who be consecrated for such service; go thou out of the sanctuary; offend thou not; for this thing shall not be counted as glory for thee by the Lord God.)

¹⁹ And Uzziah was wroth, and he held in his hand the censer for to offer incense, and he menaced the priests; and anon leprosy was sprung forth in his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, upon the altar of incense. (And Uzziah was angry, and he held in his hand the censer to offer incense, and he threatened the priests; and at once leprosy sprung out on his forehead, in front of the priests in the House of the Lord, as they stood by the altar of incense.)

²⁰ And when Azariah, the bishop, had beheld him, and also all the other priests, they saw leprosy in his forehead, and anon they putted the king out of the temple; but also he was afeared, and hasted to go out; for he feeled anon the vengeance of the Lord. (And when the High Priest Azariah, and all the other priests, beheld him, and they saw that leprosy had sprung out on his forehead, they put the king out of the Temple at once; and he was afraid, and hastened to go out; for he felt at once the vengeance of the Lord.)

²¹ Therefore king Uzziah was leprous unto the day of his death, and dwelled in an house by itself (and lived in a house set apart), and he was full of leprosy; for which he was cast out of the house of the Lord. And Jotham, his son, governed the house of the king, and deemed the people of the land.

²² And Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote the residue of the former and of the last words of Uzziah. (And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, wrote down the rest of the first and the last deeds of Uzziah.)

²³ And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried not him in the field of the kings’ sepulchres, for he was leprous; and Jotham, his son, reigned for him. (And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in a field, and not in the tombs of the kings, for he was leprous; and his son Jotham reigned for him.)

27 Jotham was of five and twenty years (Jotham was twenty-five years old), when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.

² He did that, that was rightful before the Lord, by all things which Uzziah, his father, had done; except that he entered not into the temple of the Lord, and the people trespassed yet. (And he did what was right before the Lord, as by all the things which his father Uzziah had done; but he did not enter into the Temple of the Lord like his father did, and the people still continued to trespass.)

³ He builded the high gate of the house of the Lord, and he builded many things in the wall of Ophel; (He built the Upper Gate of the House of the Lord, and he built many things on the wall of Ophel;)

⁴ also he builded cities in the hills of Judah, and he builded castles and towers in forests. (and he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers in the forests.)

⁵ He fought against the king of the sons of Ammon, and overcame him; and the sons of Ammon gave to him in that time an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand cors of barley, and so many of wheat; the sons of Ammon gave these things to him in the second, and the third years. (He fought against the king of the Ammonites, and overcame him; and the Ammonites gave him at that time a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand cors of barley, and as many cors of wheat; the Ammonites gave these things to him in the second, and the third years.)

⁶ And Jotham was made strong, for he had (ad)dressed his ways before the Lord his God. (And Jotham was made strong, for he had directed his ways before the Lord his God, that is, he obeyed him.)

⁷ Forsooth the residue of [the] words of Jotham, and all his battles, and works, be written in the book of the kings of Israel and of Judah. (And the rest of the deeds of Jotham, and all his battles, and works, be written in The Book of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.)

⁸ He was of five and twenty years (He was twenty-five years old), when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

⁹ And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz, his son, reigned for him.

28 Ahaz was of twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; he did not rightfulness in the sight of the Lord, as David, his father, did (he did not go rightfully before the Lord, like his forefather David did);

² but he went in the ways of the kings of Israel. Furthermore and he melted out images to Baalim (And furthermore he cast metal images of the Baalim).

³ He it is that burnt incense in the valley of Ben-hinnon, and purged his sons by fire (It was he who burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnon, and who burned his sons in the fire), (as) by the custom of heathen men, whom the Lord (had) killed in the coming of the sons of Israel from Egypt/in the coming of the sons of Israel to the land of promise.

⁴ Also he made sacrifice, and burnt incense in high places, and in hills, and under each tree full of boughs. (And he made sacrifices, and burned incense at the hill shrines, and on the hills, and under each tree full of boughs.)

⁵ And the Lord his God betook him in(to) the hand of the king of Syria, which smote Ahaz, and took a great prey of his empire, and brought into Damascus. Also Ahaz was betaken to the hands of the king of Israel, and he was smitten with a great wound. (And the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria, who struck Ahaz, and took away many captives from his empire, and brought them to Damascus. And then Ahaz was delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, who struck down his army with a great slaughter.)

⁶ And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed of Judah sixscore thousand in one day, all the men warriors; for they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. (And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed one hundred and twenty thousand of the men of Judah on one day, all very strong men of war; because they had abandoned the Lord God of their fathers.)

⁷ In the same time Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the son of Jotham, the king; and he killed Azrikam, the duke of his house, and Elkanah, the second person from the king. (At the same time Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the son of Jotham, the king; and he also killed Azrikam, the leader of his household, and Elkanah, the second person from the king.)

⁸ And the sons of Israel took of their brethren two hundred thousand of women and of children and of damsels, and prey without number, and bare it into Samaria. (And the Israelites captured two hundred thousand of their kinsmen’s women and children and young women, and also took prey without number, and brought them and the spoils back to Samaria.)

⁹ In that tempest, or (time of) vengeance, a prophet of the Lord, Oded by name, was there, which went out against the host of Israel coming into Samaria, and he said to them, Lo! the Lord God of your fathers was wroth against Judah, and he hath betaken them in your hands; and ye have slain them cruelly, so that your cruelty stretcheth forth into heaven. (And in that tempest, or at that time of vengeance, a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army of Israel coming back to Samaria, and he said to them, Lo! the Lord God of your fathers was angry against Judah, and so he delivered them into your hands; but ye have cruelly killed them, so that your cruelty stretcheth forth unto heaven.)

¹⁰ Furthermore and ye will (to) make subject to you the sons of Judah and of Jerusalem into servants and handmaids; which thing is not needful to be done; certainly ye have sinned in this thing to the Lord your God. (And furthermore ye desire to make the sons of Judah and of Jerusalem subject to you, to make them be your servants and your sevantesses; but this should not be done, for ye have also sinned against the Lord your God.)

¹¹ But hear ye my counsel, and lead again the prisoners, which ye have brought thence of your brethren (whom ye have brought here from your kinsmen); for (the) great vengeance of the Lord nigheth to you.

¹² Therefore men of the princes of the sons of Ephraim, Azariah, the son of Johanan, Berechiah, the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah, the son of Shallum, and Amasa, the son of Hadlai, stood against them that came from the battle; (And so some leaders of the Ephraimites, Azariah, the son of Johanan, Berechiah, the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah, the son of Shallum, and Amasa, the son of Hadlai, stood against them who came from the battle;)

¹³ and said to them, Ye shall not bring in hither the prisoners, lest we do (more) sin against the Lord; why will ye lay to on your sins, and heap (more on) your old trespasses? Certainly this is great sin; the wrath of the strong vengeance of the Lord nigheth on Israel. (and said to them, Ye shall not bring in the prisoners here, lest we do more sin against the Lord; why add ye more onto our sins, and heap up more onto our old trespasses? For our sin is great; and the anger of the strong vengeance of the Lord cometh upon Israel.)

¹⁴ And the men warriors left the prey, and all things which they had taken, before the princes and all the multitude. (And so the men of war left the prisoners, and all the things which they had taken, in front of the leaders and all the multitude.)

¹⁵ And the men stood there, which we remembered before, and they took the prisoners, and they clothed of the spoils all that were naked; and when they had clothed them, and shod them, and refreshed them with meat, and with drink, and anointed them for (their) travail, and gave cure, either medicine, to them; which ever of them were feeble, and might not go, they putted on horses, and they brought them to Jericho, the city of palms, to their brethren; and they turned again into Samaria. (And the men stood there, whom we named before, and they took the prisoners, and they clothed all who were naked with the spoils; and when they had clothed them, and shod them, and refreshed them with food, and with drink, and anointed them for their travail, and gave a cure, or medicine, to them; whomever of them were feeble, or were weak, and could not walk, they put on horses, and they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, back to their kinsmen; and then they returned to Samaria.)

¹⁶ In that time (At that time), king Ahaz sent to the king of Assyrians, and asked help of him.

¹⁷ And Idumeans came (For the Edomites had returned), and killed many men of Judah, and took great prey.

¹⁸ Also [the] Philistines were spread abroad by (the) cities of the fields, and at the south of Judah; and they took Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho, and Timnah, and Gimzo, with their villages; and they dwelled in those (and they lived there).

¹⁹ For the Lord made low Judah for Ahaz, the king of Judah^[d]; for he had made him naked of help, and (he had) despised the Lord. (For the Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz, the king of Judah; for he had made Judah naked, or void, of any help, and he had defied the Lord.)

²⁰ And the Lord brought against him Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyrians, that tormented him (who tormented him), and wasted him, while no man against-stood (him).

²¹ Therefore Ahaz, after that he had spoiled the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, and (those) of the princes, gave gifts to the king of Assyrians, and nevertheless it profited nothing to him. (And so Ahaz, after that he had spoiled the House of the Lord, and the house of the king, and those of the leaders, gave gifts to the king of Assyria, but nevertheless it profited nothing to him.)

²² Furthermore also in the time of his anguish he increased despite against God; that king Ahaz, himself, (And furthermore in the time of his anguish he increased his defiance against God; for King Ahaz, himself,)

²³ offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, his smiters, or destroyers, and he said, The gods of the kings of Syria help them, which gods I shall please by sacrifices, and they shall help me; when, on the contrary, they were (the cause of) falling to him, and to all Israel. (offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, his destroyers, and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I shall please these gods, and then they shall also help me; when, on the contrary, they were the cause of his downfall, and that of all Israel.)

²⁴ Therefore after that Ahaz had taken away, and broken all the vessels of the house of God, he closed the gates of God’s temple, and he made altars to himself in all the corners of Jerusalem (and he made altars for himself in all the corners of Jerusalem).

²⁵ And in all the cities of Judah he builded altars to burn incense (to other gods), and he stirred the Lord God of his fathers to wrathfulness.

²⁶ Soothly the residue of his words and of all his works, the former and the last, be written in the book of [the] kings of Judah and of Israel. (And the rest of the first and the last deeds of Ahaz, be written in The Book of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.)

²⁷ And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem; for they received not him into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel (for they would not lay him in the tombs of the kings of Israel); and Hezekiah, his son, reigned for him.

29 And Hezekiah began to reign, when he was of five and twenty years, and he reigned in Jerusalem nine and twenty years (And Hezekiah began to reign, when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years); the name of his mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

² And Hezekiah did that, that was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, by all things that David, his father, had done. (And Hezekiah did what was pleasing before the Lord, by all the things that his forefather David had done.)

³ In that year, and in the first month of his realm, he opened the gates of the house of the Lord, and restored, or repaired, those gates;

⁴ and he brought (in) the priests, and deacons (and the Levites), and he gathered them together into the east street,

⁵ and said to them, Sons of Levi, hear ye me, and be ye hallowed; cleanse ye the house of the Lord God of your fathers; and do ye away all uncleanness from the saintuary. (and said to them, Sons of Levi/Levites, listen ye to me, and be ye consecrated, or purified, now; and cleanse ye the House of the Lord God of your fathers; and do ye away all uncleanness from the sanctuary.)

⁶ Our fathers have sinned, and done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and forsook him; they turned away their faces from the tabernacle of the Lord our God, and gave their back (and they turned their backs on him).

⁷ They closed the doors that were in the porch (They closed the doors of the vestibule), and quenched the lanterns; and they burnt not incense, and they offered not burnt sacrifices in the saintuary of (the) God of Israel.

⁸ Therefore the strong vengeance of the Lord was raised upon Judah and Jerusalem; and he gave them into stirring/into moving, or unstableness, and into perishing, and into hissing, either scorning, as ye see with your eyes.

⁹ Lo! our fathers have fallen down by swords; our sons, and our daughters, and our wives be led (away as) prisoners for this great trespass.

¹⁰ Now therefore it pleaseth me, that we make a bond of peace with the Lord God of Israel, and that he turn from us the strong vengeance of his wrath. (And so now it pleaseth me, that we make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he turn away the strong vengeance of his anger from us.)

¹¹ My sons, do not ye herein be reckless; the Lord hath chosen you, that ye stand before him, and serve him, that ye praise him, and burn incense to him.

¹² Therefore the deacons rose up (And so the Levites rose up), Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel, the son of Azariah, of the sons of Kohath; and of the sons of Merari, Kish, the son of Abdi, and Azariah, the son of Jehalelel; and of the sons of Gershon, Joah, the son of Zimmah, and Eden, the son of Joah;

¹³ and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri, and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah, and Mattaniah;

¹⁴ also of the sons of Heman, Jehiel, and Shimei; but also of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah, and Uzziel. (and of the sons of Heman, Jehiel, and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah, and Uzziel.)

¹⁵ And they gathered together their brethren, and they were hallowed (And they gathered their kinsmen together, and they were consecrated, or were purified); and (then) they entered by the commandment of the king, and by [the] commandment of the Lord, for to cleanse the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ Also [the] priests entered into the temple of the Lord, for to hallow it, and they bare out all the uncleanness, that they found therein in(to) the porch, either large place, of the house of the Lord; which uncleanness the deacons took, and they bare it out to the strand of Kidron withoutforth. (And the priests entered into the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the unclean things, that they found there, into the courtyard of the House of the Lord; and then the Levites took away these unclean things, and they carried them to the Kidron Stream/to the Kidron Gorge.)

¹⁷ Soothly they began to cleanse in the first day of the first month, and in the eighth day of the same month they entered into the porch of the house of the Lord, and they cleansed the temple eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the same month they [ful]filled that, that they had begun. (And they began to cleanse it on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the same month they reached the vestibule of the House of the Lord, and then they cleansed the Temple for eight days; and on the sixteenth day of the same month, they finished what they had begun.)

¹⁸ And they entered to Hezekiah, the king, and said to him, We have hallowed, or cleansed, all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt sacrifice thereof, and the vessels thereof, also and the board of setting forth with all his vessels, (And they came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, We have cleansed all the House of the Lord, and also the table for the loaves of proposition, or the loaves of setting forth, with all its vessels,)

¹⁹ and all the purtenance of the temple, that king Ahaz had defouled in his realm (that King Ahaz had defiled during his reign), after that he brake the law; and lo! all things be set forth before the altar of the Lord.

²⁰ And Hezekiah, the king, rose up in the morrowtide, and he gathered together all the princes of the city, and he went up into the house of the Lord; (And King Hezekiah rose up in the morning, and he gathered together all the leaders of the city, and he went to the House of the Lord;)

²¹ and they offered together seven bulls, and seven rams, seven lambs, and seven bucks of goats, for [the] sin, for the realm, for the saintuary, and for Judah (and they offered seven bulls, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven goat bucks as a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah). And he said to [the] priests, the sons of Aaron, that they should offer sacrifices on the altar of the Lord.

²² Therefore they killed (the) bulls, and the priests took the blood, and poured it upon the altar; also they killed (the) rams, and they poured the blood of those upon the altar; and they (also) offered (the) lambs, and they poured the blood upon the altar.

²³ And they brought [the] bucks of goats for (the) sin (offering) before the king and all the multitude, and they setted their hands on those (and they put their hands on them);

²⁴ and the priests offered them, and they sprinkled the blood of them before the altar, for the cleansing of all Israel. For the king commanded, that burnt sacrifice should be made for all Israel, and for (the) sin thereof. (and the priests offered them, and they sprinkled their blood on the altar, for the cleansing of all Israel. For the king commanded, that the burnt sacrifice, and the sin offering, should be made for all Israel.)

²⁵ Also he ordained deacons in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps (And he ordained Levites in the House of the Lord, with cymbals, and lutes, and harps), by the ordinance of David the king, and of Gad, the prophet, and of Nathan, the prophet; for it was the commandment of the Lord by the hand of his prophets.

²⁶ And the deacons stood, and held the organs of David; and priests held [the] trumps. (And the Levites stood ready with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.)

²⁷ And Hezekiah commanded, that they should offer burnt sacrifices upon the altar; and when burnt sacrifices were offered, they began to sing praisings to the Lord, and to sound with trumps, and with diverse organs, which David, king of Israel, had made ready to sound with. (And Hezekiah commanded, that they should offer burnt sacrifices upon the altar; and when the burnt sacrifices were offered, they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with the trumpets, and the other instruments, which David, the king of Israel, had made to sound with.)

²⁸ Forsooth when all the company worshipped/And when all the company worshipped the Lord, [the] singers and they that held trumps were in their office, till the burnt sacrifice was filled (the singers sang, and those who had the trumpets blew them, until the burnt sacrifice was finished).

²⁹ And when the offering was ended, the king was bowed down, and all that were with him (the king bowed down, and all who were with him), and they worshipped God.

³⁰ And Hezekiah and the princes commanded to the deacons, that they should praise the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph, the prophet; which praised him with great gladness, and kneeled, and worshipped. (And Hezekiah and his leaders commanded to the Levites, that they should praise the Lord with the words of David, and with those of the prophet Asaph; and so they praised him with great gladness, and kneeled, and worshipped.)

³¹ Soothly Hezekiah added also these things, (and said,) Ye have filled your hands with blessings to the Lord; nigh ye, and offer sacrifices and praisings in the house of the Lord. Therefore all the multitude offered with devout soul sacrifices, and praisings, and burnt sacrifices. (And Hezekiah added these things, and said, Ye have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; now come ye, and offer sacrifices and praises in the House of the Lord. And so with devout soul, all the multitude offered sacrifices, and praises, and burnt sacrifices.)

³² And this was the number of burnt sacrifices, which the multitude offered; seventy bulls, and an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs.

³³ Also they hallowed to the Lord six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep.

³⁴ And the priests were few, and they might not suffice for to draw, or flay off, the skins of [the] burnt sacrifices; wherefore and the deacons their brethren helped them, till the work was [ful]filled, and the priests were hallowed; for the deacons be hallowed by lighter custom than the priests. (And the priests were too few, to be able to draw away, or to flay off, all the skins of the burnt sacrifices; and so their kinsmen the Levites helped them, until the work was finished, and the other priests had consecrated themselves; for more of the Levites had kept themselves purified than had the priests.)

³⁵ Therefore there were full many burnt sacrifices, and inner fatness of peaceable sacrifices, and the moist sacrifices of burnt sacrifices, and thereby the worship of the house of the Lord was (ful)filled. (And so there were a great many burnt sacrifices, as well as the inner fatness of the peace offerings, and the wine sacrifices for all the burnt sacrifices, and by this the service of the House of the Lord was restored.)

³⁶ And Hezekiah was glad, and all the people, for the service of the Lord was fulfilled; for it pleased (them all), that this was done suddenly. (And Hezekiah and all the people were glad, that the service of the House of the Lord had begun again, or was restored; and it pleased them all, that it had all been done so quickly.)

30 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and to Judah, and he wrote epistles to Ephraim and to Manasseh, that they should come into the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and make pask to the Lord God of Israel. (And Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and to Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and to Manasseh, that they should come to the House of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the Passover of the Lord God of Israel.)

² Therefore when counsel was taken of the king, and of [the] princes, and of all the company of Jerusalem, they deemed, or purposed, to make pask in the second month. (And so when the king, and the leaders, and all the company of Jerusalem, had taken counsel together, they decided to keep the Passover in the second month.)

³ For they deemed not to be able to do this in his time, that is, the first month (For they deemed that they could not do it at that time, that is, in the first month); for the priests which might suffice thereto were not yet hallowed, and the people was not yet gathered into Jerusalem.

⁴ And the word pleased the king, and all the multitude. (And this decision pleased the king, and all the multitude.)

⁵ And they deemed to send messengers into all Israel, from Beersheba unto Dan, that they should come, and make (the) pask to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem; for (so) many men had not done it, as it is before-written in the law (for so many had not kept it before, as it was described in the Law).

⁶ And couriers went forth with epistles, by [the] commandment of the king and of his princes, into all Israel and Judah, and preached by that, that the king had commanded, (and said,) Sons of Israel, turn ye again to the Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel; and he shall turn again to the remnant of men, that escaped the hands of the king(s) of Assyrians. (And couriers went forth with the letters, by the command of the king and of his leaders, into all Israel and Judah, and preached what the king had commanded, and said, Israelites, return ye to the Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; and he shall return to the remnant of people, who escaped from the hands, or from the power, of the kings of Assyria.)

⁷ Do not ye be made as your fathers and your brethren, which went away from the Lord God of their fathers; and he gave them into perishing, as ye see. (Do not ye be made like your fathers and your kinsmen, who went away from the Lord God of their fathers; and he gave them into perishing, as ye see.)

⁸ Do not ye make hard your nolls, as your fathers did (Do not ye be stiff-necked, or stubborn, like your fathers); give ye your hands to the Lord in promising that ye shall serve him faithfully, and come ye to his saintuary, which he hath hallowed (into) without end; serve ye the Lord God of your fathers, and the wrath of his strong vengeance shall turn away from you.

⁹ For if ye turn again to the Lord, your brethren and your sons shall have mercy before their lords that led them prisoners; and they shall turn again into this land (For if ye return to the Lord, your kinsmen and your children shall have mercy before their lords who led them away as prisoners; and they shall return to this land). For the Lord our God is pious, either benign, and merciful; and he will not turn away his face from you, if ye turn again to him.

¹⁰ Therefore the couriers went swiftly from city into city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh unto Zebulun, while they scorned and bemocked them (but the people of those territories scorned and mocked them).

¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Asher, and of Manasseh, and of Zebulun, assented to the counsel, and came into Jerusalem.

¹² Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made in Judah, that he gave to them one heart, and that they did the word of the Lord, by the commandment of the king and of the princes. (But the hand of the Lord was made in Judah, so that he gave them one heart, and that they did the word of the Lord, by the command of the king and his leaders.)

¹³ And many peoples were gathered into Jerusalem, for to make the solemnity of therf loaves in the second month. (And many people gathered in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.)

¹⁴ And they rose, and destroyed the altars, that were in Jerusalem; and they destroying all things in which incense was burnt to idols, casted forth into the strand of Kidron. (And they rose up, and destroyed the altars, that were in Jerusalem; and to destroy all the things in which incense was burned to idols, they threw them forth into the Kidron Stream/into the Kidron Gorge.)

¹⁵ And they offered pask in the fourteenth day of the second month; also the priests and the deacons were hallowed at the last, and (then they) offered burnt sacrifices in the house of the Lord. (And they offered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month; and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, for they were not ritually clean, and so at last they consecrated themselves, and then they offered the burnt sacrifices in the House of the Lord.)

¹⁶ And they stood in their order, by the ordinance and law of Moses, the man of God. Soothly the priests took of the hands of deacons the blood to be shed out (And the priests took the blood to be shed out from the hands of the Levites),

¹⁷ for much (of the) company was not hallowed; and therefore the deacons offered pask for them, that might not be hallowed to the Lord. (for many of the people were not yet purified, and so the Levites sacrificed, or killed, the Passover lambs for those who had not yet been consecrated to the Lord.)

¹⁸ Also a great part of the people of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, and of Issachar, and of Zebulun, that was not hallowed, ate (the) pask not by that that is written. And Hezekiah prayed for them, and said, The good Lord shall do mercy to all men, (And a great part of the people of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, and of Issachar, and of Zebulun, who were not purified, ate the Passover not by what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, and said, The good Lord shall do mercy to all,)

¹⁹ which seek in all their heart the Lord God of their fathers (who seek in all their hearts the Lord God of their fathers); and it shall not be areckoned to them into sin, that they be not hallowed by (the) offering of gifts.

²⁰ And the Lord heard him, and was pleased to the people. (And the Lord heard him, and healed the people/and forgave the people.)

²¹ And the sons of Israel, that were found in Jerusalem, made the solemnity of therf loaves seven days in great gladness, and they praised the Lord by each day; and the deacons and [the] priests praised the Lord by organs, which accorded to their office. (And the Israelites, who were found in Jerusalem, kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and they praised the Lord each day; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord with mighty instruments.)

²² And Hezekiah spake to the heart of all the deacons, that had good understanding of the Lord; and they ate by (the) seven days of the solemnity, offering sacrifices of peaceable things, and praising the Lord God of their fathers. (And Hezekiah spoke to the hearts of all the Levites, who had a good understanding of the Lord; and they ate throughout the seven days of the Feast, offering the peace offerings, and praising the Lord God of their fathers.)

²³ And it pleased all the multitude to hallow also other seven days; which thing also they did with great joy. (And it pleased all the multitude to also dedicate another seven days; and so they did that with great joy.)

²⁴ Forsooth Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave to the multitude a thousand bulls, and seven thousand of sheep; and the princes gave to the people a thousand bulls, and ten thousand sheep (and the leaders gave the people a thousand bulls, and ten thousand sheep). Therefore a full great multitude of priests was hallowed^[e];

²⁵ and all the company of Judah was filled with gladness, as well of priests and deacons, as of all the multitude that came from Israel, and of [the] converts of the land of Israel, and of [the] dwellers in Judah. (and all the congregation of Judah was filled with gladness, that is, the priests and the Levites, and all the multitude who came from Israel, and the converts in the land of Israel, and the inhabitants of Judah.)

²⁶ And great solemnity was made in Jerusalem (And there was great joy in Jerusalem), what manner was not in that city from the days of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

²⁷ And [the] priests and deacons rose up, and blessed the people; and the voice of them was heard, and their prayer came into the holy dwelling place of heaven. (And the priests and the Levites rose up, and blessed the people; and their voices were heard, and their prayers came unto the holy dwelling place of heaven.)

31 And when these things were done rightfully, all Israel went out, that was found in the cities of Judah; and they brake [the] simulacra, and cutted down (the) [maumet] woods, and wasted [the] high places, and destroyed [the] altars, not only of all Judah and Benjamin, but also of Ephraim and Manasseh, till that they had destroyed those altars/their idols utterly. And then all the sons of Israel turned again into their possessions and cities. (And when all these things were finished, all Israel went out, who were found in the cities of Judah; and they broke up the idols, and cut down the idol groves, or the sacred poles, and wasted the hill shrines, and destroyed the altars, not only of all Judah and Benjamin, but also of Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed those altars/their idols. And then all the Israelites returned to their possessions, or their own property, in their cities.)

² And Hezekiah ordained companies of priests and deacons by their partings, each man in his own office, that is, as well of priests as of deacons, to burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices, that they should minister, and acknowledge, and sing in the gates of the castles of the Lord. (And Hezekiah ordained companies of the priests and the Levites, by their divisions, and each man according to his duty, that is, the priests as well as the Levites, for the offering of the burnt sacrifices and the peace offerings, to serve, or to give thanks, or to sing in the Temple of the Lord.)

³ And the part of the king’s sacrifice was, that of his own substance, or chattel, burnt sacrifice should be offered evermore in the morrowtide and in the eventide, also in sabbaths, and calends, and in other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses. (And the king’s portion of the sacrifice, out of his own substance, or chattel, provided the burnt sacrifice that was offered every morning and every evening, and also on the sabbaths, and the calends, and the other Feasts, as it is written in the Law of Moses.)

⁴ Also he commanded to the people of them that dwelled in Jerusalem, to give parts to the priests and deacons, that they might give attention to the law of the Lord. (And he commanded to the people who lived in Jerusalem, to give portions to the priests and the Levites, so that they would be able to devote their full attention to the Law of the Lord.)

⁵ And when this was known in the ears of the multitude, the sons of Israel offered full many first fruits of wheat, of wine, of oil, and of honey; and of all things which the earth bringeth forth, they offered tithes. (And when this was heard by the multitude, the Israelites offered a great many first fruits of wheat, of wine, of oil, and of honey; and they offered tithes of all the things which the earth brought forth.)

⁶ But also the sons of Israel and of Judah, that dwelled in the cities of Judah, offered tithes of oxen, and of sheep, and the tithes of holy things, which they avowed to their Lord God, and they brought all things, and made full many heaps. (And the Israelites and the people of Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, offered their tithes of oxen, and of sheep, and of the holy things which they vowed to the Lord their God, and they brought all these things to the Temple, and made a large number of heaps.)

⁷ In the third month they began to lay the foundaments of the heaps, and in the seventh month they filled, or ended (or completed), those heaps.

⁸ And when Hezekiah and his princes had entered (And when Hezekiah and his officials came), they saw the heaps, and they blessed the Lord, and the people of Israel.

⁹ And Hezekiah asked the priests and deacons why the heaps lay so.

¹⁰ And Azariah, the first, or chief, priest of the generation of Zadok (And the High Priest Azariah, a descendant of Zadok), answered to him and said, Since the first fruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten of those fruits, and been fulfilled, and full many things be left; for the Lord hath blessed his people; and this plenty, which thou seest, is of the remnants.

¹¹ Therefore Hezekiah commanded, that they should make ready barns in the house of the Lord; and when they had done this thing, (And so Hezekiah commanded, that they should prepare storerooms in the House of the Lord; and when they had done this thing,)

¹² they brought in faithfully both the first fruits, and (the) tithes, and whatever things they had avowed. And Conaniah, the deacon, was [the] sovereign of those things (And Conaniah, the Levite, was the ruler, or the overseer, of those things); and Shimei, his brother was the second, next (to) him;

¹³ after whom Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were sovereigns under the hands, or powers, of Conaniah and Shimei, his brother, by the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and of Azariah, the bishop of the house of the Lord (by the command of King Hezekiah, and of Azariah, the High Priest of the House of the Lord), to whom all things pertained.

¹⁴ But Kore, the son of Imnah, deacon, and porter of the east gate, was sovereign of those things that were offered by free will to the Lord, and of the first fruits, and of [the] things hallowed into the holy things of the number of holy things; (And Kore, the son of Imnah, the Levite, and the guard, or the doorkeeper, at the East Gate, was in charge of the things that were offered by free will to the Lord, and of the first fruits, and of the things dedicated for the holiest of holy things;)

¹⁵ and under his care, (or his charge,) were Eden, and Miniamin, Jeshua, and Shemaiah, and Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of (the) priests, that they should part faithfully to their brethren the parts, to the less and to the greater (who should faithfully distribute the portions to their kinsmen, to the greater and the lesser alike),

¹⁶ besides males from three years and above, these things to all that entered into the temple of the Lord, and whatever thing by each day was hired in the service and observances, by their partings. (yea, to males three years of age and older, these things were distributed to all who entered into the Temple of the Lord each day, for their part in the service and observances, by their divisions.)

¹⁷ To (the) priests by their families, and to deacons from twenty years and above (and to the Levites from twenty years of age and older), by their orders and companies,

¹⁸ and to all the multitude, that is, both to the wives, and the free children of them of ever either kind, meats, (or foods,) were given faithfully of these things that were hallowed. (and to all their multitude, that is, to their wives, and their sons and their daughters, for they were required to perform their sacred duties at any time.)

¹⁹ But also men of the sons of Aaron were ordained, by the fields and by suburbs of all the cities, which men should deal parts to all the male kind of priests, and deacons. (And men of the sons of Aaron were ordained, who were in the fields of the suburbs of all their cities, to distribute portions to all the priests, and the Levites.)

²⁰ Therefore Hezekiah did all these things, which we have said, in all Judah, and he wrought that, that was rightful and good and true before the Lord his God,

²¹ in all the religion of the service of the house of the Lord, by the law and by the ceremonies; and he would seek his Lord God in all his heart, and he did so, and had prosperity. (in all the work of the service of the House of the Lord, and by the Law and the commandments/and by the Law and the statutes; for he sought the Lord his God with all his heart, yea, he did so, and he prospered.)

32 After which things and such truth (After these things and such loyalty, or such faithfulness), Sennacherib, the king of Assyrians, came and entered into Judah; and he besieged (the) strong cities, and would take those.

² And when Hezekiah had heard this thing, that is, that Sennacherib had come, and that all the fierceness of his battle was turned against Jerusalem,

³ he took counsel with [the] princes and with (the) most strong men, that they should stop the heads of wells, which were without the city; and when the sentence of all men deemed this profitable, (he took counsel with the leaders and the most strong men, who said that they should stop up, or close up, the heads of the wells, which were outside the city; and when the judgement of all the men judged this profitable,)

⁴ he gathered together a full great multitude of men, and they stopped (up) all the wells, and the river, that flowed in the midst of the land; and said, Lest the kings of Assyrians come, and find (an) abundance of waters (here).

⁵ Also Hezekiah did wittingly, and he builded all the wall that was destroyed, and he builded towers on the wall, and another wall withoutforth. And he repaired Millo in the city of David; and made armour of all kind, and shields. (And Hezekiah did knowingly, or with intent, and he rebuilt all the wall that was destroyed, and he built towers on the wall, and another wall outside it. And he repaired the Millo in the City of David; and he made all kinds of arms, or weapons, and shields.)

⁶ And he ordained princes of warriors in the host; and he called together all (the) men in(to) the street of the gate of the city, and spake to the heart(s) of them, and said,

⁷ Do ye manly, and be ye comforted (Be ye brave, and be ye strong); do not ye dread, neither be ye afeared of the king of Assyrians, nor of all the multitude that is with him; for many more be with us than with him.

⁸ A fleshly arm is with him; and the Lord our God is with us, which is our helper, and shall fight for us. And the people was comforted with such words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. (An arm of flesh is with him; but the Lord our God is with us, he is our helper, and shall fight for us. And the people were encouraged by such words from Hezekiah, the king of Judah.)

⁹ And after that these things were done, Sennacherib, [the king of Assyria,] sent his servants to Jerusalem; for he himself (but he himself), with all the host, besieged Lachish. He sent (them) to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and to all the people that was in the city of Jerusalem, and (they) said,

¹⁰ Sennacherib, king of Assyrians, saith these things, In whom have ye trust, and sit besieged in Jerusalem? (Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, saith these things, In whom do ye trust, when ye now sit besieged in Jerusalem?)

¹¹ Whether not Hezekiah deceiveth you, that ye betake you to death in hunger and thirst, and he affirmeth, that the Lord your God shall deliver you from the hand of the king of Assyrians? (Did not Hezekiah deceive you, so that now ye deliver yourselves unto death by hunger and thirst, while he yet affirmeth, that the Lord your God shall rescue you from the hands of the king of Assyria?)

¹² Whether this is not Hezekiah, that destroyed (the) high places, and altars of him, and commanded to Judah and Jerusalem, and said, Ye shall worship before one altar, and therein ye shall burn incense? (Is this not the same Hezekiah, who destroyed the Lord’s hill shrines, and his altars, and commanded to Judah and Jerusalem, and said, Ye shall worship before one altar, and ye shall burn incense on it?)

¹³ Whether ye know not what things I have done, and my fathers, to all the peoples of (other) lands? Whether the gods of (those) folks and of all (those) lands might deliver their country from mine hand? (Do ye not know what I and my forefathers have done, to all the peoples of other lands? Did the gods of those nations deliver their lands out of my hands?)

¹⁴ Who is, of all the gods of (those) folks, which my fathers destroyed, that might deliver his people from mine hand, that also your God may deliver you from mine hand? (Who was there, of all the gods of the nations whom my forefathers destroyed, that could rescue his people out of my hands? no one! yet ye think that your God shall rescue you out of my hands?)

¹⁵ Therefore Hezekiah deceive not you, neither scorn he you by vain counselling, neither believe ye to him; for if no god of all (those) folks and countries might deliver his people from mine hand, and from the hand of my fathers, followingly neither your God shall be able to deliver you from this mine hand. (And so do not let Hezekiah deceive you, nor scorn he you with vain counselling, nor believe ye him; for if no god of any of those other nations or lands could rescue his people out of my hands, or out of the hands of my forefathers, then it followeth, that your God shall not be able to rescue you out of my hands either.)

¹⁶ But also his servants spake many other things against the Lord God, and against Hezekiah, his servant.

¹⁷ Also he wrote epistles full of blasphemy against the Lord God of Israel, and he spake against God, and said, As the gods of other folks might not deliver their people from mine hand, so and the God of Hezekiah may not deliver his people from mine hand.

¹⁸ Furthermore, and with [a] great cry in the language of Jews, he sounded against the people, that sat on the walls of Jerusalem, to make them afeared, and to take the city. (And furthermore, with a great cry in the language of the Jews, they shouted at the people who sat on the walls of Jerusalem, to make them afraid, so it would be easier to take the city.)

¹⁹ And he spake against [the] God of Israel, as against the gods of the peoples of [the] earth, the works of men’s hands. (And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, like they spoke against the gods of the other peoples of the earth, which were the work of men’s hands.)

²⁰ Therefore Hezekiah, the king, and Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried [out] till into heaven (and cried out to heaven).

²¹ And the Lord sent his angel, the which killed each strong man and warrior, and the prince of the host of the king of Assyrians; and he/Sennacherib turned again with shame to his land. And when he had entered into the house of his god, the sons, which went out of his womb, killed him there with sword. (And the Lord sent his angel, who killed each strong man and warrior, and the leader of the army of the king of Assyria; and he/Sennacherib returned with shame to his own land. And when he had gone into the house of his god, the sons, who went out of his womb, killed him there with the sword.)

²² And the Lord saved Hezekiah, and the dwellers of Jerusalem, from the hand of Sennacherib, king of Assyrians, and from the hand of all men; and he gave to them rest by compass. (And the Lord saved Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from the hands, or the power, of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hands of all men; and he gave them peace all around.)

²³ Also many men brought offerings and sacrifices to the Lord into Jerusalem, and gifts to Hezekiah, king of Judah; which was enhanced after these things before all folks. (And many people brought offerings and sacrifices for the Lord to Jerusalem, and gifts for Hezekiah, the king of Judah; and after these things he was exalted, or held in high honour, before all the nations.)

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah was sick unto the death, and he prayed the Lord; and he heard him, and gave to him a sign;

²⁵ but he yielded not thankings to the Lord after the benefits which he had taken, for his heart was raised into pride (but Hezekiah did not give thanks to the Lord for the benefits which he had received, for his heart was raised up in pride); and (then the) wrath of the Lord was made against him, and against Judah, and against Jerusalem.

²⁶ And he was meeked afterward, for-thy that his heart was raised; both he was meeked, and the dwellers of Jerusalem (And he was humbled afterward, because his heart had been raised up; both he, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, were humbled); and therefore the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷ And Hezekiah was rich, and full noble, and he gathered to himself full many treasures of silver, and of gold, and of precious stones, and of sweet smelling spices, and of armours of all kind, and of vessels of great price. (And Hezekiah was rich, and very glorious, and he made for himself many treasuries for his silver, and gold, and precious stones, and sweet smelling spices, and for all kinds of arms, or weapons, and for his vessels of great value.)

²⁸ Also he builded large (store)houses of wheat, [and] of wine, and of oil, and cratches of all beasts, and folds to sheep, (And he built large storehouses for his wheat, and wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of beasts, and sheepfolds,)

²⁹ and he builded six cities. And he had unnumberable flocks of sheep and of great beasts; for the Lord had given to him full much chattel.

³⁰ That is Hezekiah, that stopped the higher well of the waters of Gihon, and he turned those away under the earth at the west side of the city of David; in all his works he did by prosperity, whatever thing he would (and he prospered in all his works, whatever he did).

³¹ Nevertheless in the message of the princes of Babylon, that were sent to him for to ask of the great wonder, that befelled on the land, God forsook him, that he were assayed, and that all things were known that were in his heart. (Even when the messengers of the leaders of Babylon came, who were sent to ask him about the great wonder, that befell the land, and God abandoned him, so that he was tested, or tried, and so that all things could be known that were in his heart.)

³² Soothly the residue of [the] words of Hezekiah, and of his mercies, be written in the prophecy of Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of kings of Judah and of Israel. (And the rest of the deeds, and the mercies, or the righteous works, of Hezekiah, be written in the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, and in The Book of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.)

³³ And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him above the sepulchres of the sons of David. And all Judah and all the dwellers of Jerusalem made solemn the services of his burying; and Manasseh, his son, reigned for him. (And Hezekiah joined his ancestors, and they buried him in the uppermost of the tombs of the sons of David. And all Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honour at the services for his burial; and his son Manasseh reigned for him.)

33 Manasseh was of twelve years, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem five and fifty years. (Manasseh was twelve years old, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-five years.)

² And he did evil before the Lord after the abominations of heathen men, whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. (And he did evil before the Lord after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.)

³ And he turned, and restored the high places, which Hezekiah, his father, had destroyed. And he builded altars to Baalim, and made woods, and worshipped all the knighthood of heaven, and praised it. (And he turned, and restored the hill shrines, which his father Hezekiah had destroyed. And he built altars to the Baalim, and made idol groves, or sacred poles, and worshipped all the host of heaven, that is, the moon, and the stars, and the planets, and praised them.)

⁴ And he builded altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, My name shall be in Jerusalem (into) without end.

⁵ Soothly he builded those altars to all the knighthood of heaven in the two large places of the house of the Lord. (Yea, he built those altars to all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the House of the Lord.)

⁶ And he made his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; he kept (watch over) dreams; he followed false divining by (the) chittering of birds; and he served witchcrafts; and he had with him astrologers and enchanters, either tregetours, that deceived men’s wits (who deceived men’s minds), and he wrought many evils before the Lord to stir him to wrath.

⁷ And he set a graven and a molten sign in the house of the Lord (And he put a carved image, an idol, in the House of the Lord), of which house God spake to David, and to Solomon, his son, and said, I shall set my name [into] without end in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I chose of all the lineages of Israel;

⁸ and I shall not make the foot of Israel to move from the land which I gave to their fathers, so only that they take heed to do those things that I have commanded to them, and all the law, and ceremonies, and dooms, by the hand of Moses. (and I shall not make the foot of Israel to move from the land which I gave to their fathers, if only they take heed to do those things which I have commanded to them, and all the Law, and the statutes, and the judgements, or the laws, through Moses.)

⁹ But Manasseh deceived the men of Judah, and the dwellers of Jerusalem, so that they did evil, more than all heathen men, which the Lord had destroyed from the face of the sons of Israel. (But Manasseh deceived the people of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil, more than all the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.)

¹⁰ And the Lord spake to him, and to his people; and they would not take heed (but they would not take heed, or listen to him).

¹¹ Therefore the Lord brought upon them the princes of the host of the king of Assyrians (And so the Lord brought upon them the leaders of the army of the king of Assyria); and they took Manasseh, and bound him with chains, and stocks, and led him into Babylon.

¹² And after that he was anguished, he prayed (to) the Lord his God, and did penance greatly before the God of his fathers (and did great penance before the God of his fathers).

¹³ And he prayed (to) God, and beseeched him intently; and God heard his prayer, and brought him again into Jerusalem into his realm (and he brought him back to Jerusalem, and to his throne); and then Manasseh knew, that the Lord himself is God alone.

¹⁴ After these things he builded the wall without the city of David, at the west side of Gihon, in the valley, from the entering of the gate of fishes, by compass unto Ophel; and he raised it up greatly; and he ordained princes of the host in all the strong cities of Judah. (After these things he built the outside wall of the City of David, at the west side of Gihon, in the valley, unto the entrance at the Fish Gate, and all around Ophel; and he raised it up to a great height; and he stationed leaders of his army in all the fortified cities of Judah.)

¹⁵ And he did away alien gods and simulacra from the house of the Lord; and he did away the altars, which he had made in the hill of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and he casted them away all without the city. (And he took away the foreign, or other, gods and the idols from the House of the Lord; and he did away the altars which he had built on the Temple Mount, and in Jerusalem, and he threw all of them out of the city.)

¹⁶ Certainly he restored the altar of the Lord, and offered thereon slain sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices, and praising (And he restored the altar of the Lord, and offered slain sacrifices, and peace offerings, or thank offerings, upon it); and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

¹⁷ Nevertheless the people offered yet in high places to the Lord their God. (But still the people offered at the hill shrines, but only to the Lord their God.)

¹⁸ Forsooth the residue of [the] deeds of Manasseh, and his beseeching to his Lord God, and the words of [the] prophets, that spake to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, be contained in the words of the kings of Israel. (And the rest of the deeds of Manasseh, and his beseeching to the Lord his God, and the words of the prophets, who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, be contained in The Book of the Kings of Israel.)

¹⁹ And his prayer, and the hearing that the Lord heard him, and all his sins, and all his despising, and also the places in which he builded high things, and made maumet woods and images, before that he did penance, these be written in the book of Hozai. (And his prayer, and the answer that he received from the Lord, and all his sins, and offences, and also where he built the hill shrines, and made idol groves/and set up sacred poles, and carved images, before that he did penance, these be written in The Book of the Seers.)

²⁰ And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house; and Amon, his son, reigned for him.

²¹ Amon was of two and twenty years, when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

²² And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh, his father, had done; and he offered, and served to all the idols, which Manasseh had made.

²³ And he reverenced not the face of the Lord, as Manasseh, his father, reverenced (And he did not humble himself before the Lord, like his father Manasseh had humbled himself); and he did much greater trespasses than his father did.

²⁴ And when his servants had sworn together against him, they killed him in his house.

²⁵ Soothly the residue multitude of the people, after that they had slain them that had slain Amon, ordained Josiah, his son, king for him.

34 Josiah was of eight years, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

² And he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord; and went in the ways of David, his father, and bowed not to the right side, neither to the left side.

³ And in the eighth year of the realm of his empire, when he was yet a boy, (that is, sixteen years of age,) he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year after that he began, he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem from high places, and woods, and simulacra, and graven images (and in the twelfth year after that he began to reign, he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem from the hill shrines, and the idol groves/and the sacred poles, and the idols, and the carved images).

⁴ And they destroyed before him the altars of Baalim, and they destroyed the simulacra, that were put above (them). Also he hewed down the maumet woods, and the graven images, and brake to small gobbets; and scattered abroad the small gobbets on the burials of them, that were wont to offer to those. (And they destroyed before him the altars of the Baalim, and they destroyed the idols, that were put upon them. And he cut down the idol groves, or the sacred poles, and the carved idols, and broke them into small pieces; and he scattered those small pieces all over the burials of those, who were wont to offer to those idols.)

⁵ Furthermore the king burnt the bones of (the) priests upon the altars of (the) idols, and (so) he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry.

⁶ But also he destroyed all the idols in the cities of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and of Simeon, unto Naphtali.

⁷ And when he had scattered the altars, and had all-broken into gobbets the maumet woods, and the graven images, and had destroyed all [the] temples of idols from all the land of Israel, he turned again into Jerusalem. (And when he had destroyed the altars, and the idol groves/and the sacred poles, and had broken the carved idols into pieces, and destroyed all the temples of idols in all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.)

⁸ Therefore in the eighteenth year of his realm, when the land and the temple was cleansed now, he sent Shaphan, the son of Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, the prince of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz, his chancellor, that they should repair the house of the Lord his God. (And so in the eighteenth year of his reign, when the land and the Temple had been cleansed, he sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah, the leader of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz, his chancellor, to repair the House of the Lord his God.)

⁹ Which came to Hilkiah, the great priest; and when they had taken of him the money, that was brought into the house of the Lord, which money the deacons and porters had gathered of men of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and of all the remnant men of Israel, and of Judah and of Benjamin, and of the dwellers of Jerusalem, (And they came to the High Priest Hilkiah; and when they had delivered the money to him, that was brought to the House of the Lord, which money the Levites, who were the guards, or the doorkeepers, had gathered from the people of Manasseh, and of Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and of Judah and of Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem,)

¹⁰ they gave it in(to) the hands of them that were sovereigns of the workmen in the house of the Lord, that they should restore the temple, and repair all the feeble things thereof. (they gave it to those who were the rulers, or the overseers, of the workmen in the House of the Lord, so that they could restore the Temple, and repair all its weakened, or its broken, parts.)

¹¹ And they gave that money to the craftsmen and masons, for to buy stones hewed out of the quarries, and wood to the joinings of the building(s), and to the coupling(s) of [the] houses, which the kings of Judah had destroyed. (And they gave that money to the craftsmen and the masons, to buy stones cut out of the quarries, and timber for the joints of the buildings, and for the couplings of the houses, which the kings of Judah had destroyed.)

¹² The which workmen did faithfully all things. And the sovereigns of workers were Jahath, and Obadiah, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the sons of Kohath, which hasted the work; all were deacons, knowing how to sing with organs. (And the workmen faithfully did their work. And the rulers, or the overseers, of the workers were Jahath, and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the Kohathites, who hastened the work; all of them were Levites, who knew how to play instruments.)

¹³ And over them that bare burdens to diverse uses were scribes, and masters of deacons, and porters. (And they were over those who carried burdens, and did diverse types of work; and other Levites were writers, or secretaries, and clerks, and guards, or doorkeepers.)

¹⁴ And when they bare out the money, that was brought into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah, the priest, found a book of the law of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (And when they took out the money, that was brought into the Temple of the Lord, the High Priest Hilkiah found The Book of the Law of the Lord, written by Moses.)

¹⁵ And Hilkiah said to Shaphan, the writer, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah took it to Shaphan, (And Hilkiah said to Shaphan, the writer, I have found The Book of the Law in the House of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave it to Shaphan,)

¹⁶ and he bare in the book to the king (and he took the book to the king); and he told to him, and said, Lo! all things be fulfilled, or ended, which thou hast given into the hands of thy servants.

¹⁷ And they have welled together the silver, which is found in the house of the Lord; and it is given to the sovereigns of the craftsmen, and (to those) making diverse works; (And they have melted together the silver, which was kept in the House of the Lord; and it was given to the rulers, or the overseers, of the craftsmen, and to those doing diverse types of work;)

¹⁸ furthermore Hilkiah, the priest, took to me this book. And when he had rehearsed this book in the presence of the king, (and furthermore, the High Priest Hilkiah gave me this book. And when he had read the book before the king,)

¹⁹ and when the king had heard the words of the law, he rent his clothes; (and the king had heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes;)

²⁰ and he commanded to Hilkiah, and to Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and to Abdon, the son of Micah, and to Shaphan, the scribe, and to Asaiah, the servant of the king, and said,

²¹ Go ye, and pray the Lord for me, and for the remnant of men of Israel and of Judah, on all the words of this book, that is found (Go ye, and pray to the Lord for me, and for the rest of the people who remain in Israel and Judah, concerning all the words of this book, that is found). For great (is the) vengeance of the Lord (that) hath dropped upon us, for our fathers kept not the words of the Lord, to do all things that be written in this book.

²² Therefore Hilkiah, and they that were sent together (with him) from the king, went to Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, (the) keeper of the king’s clothes, the which Huldah dwelled in Jerusalem in the second ward (who lived in Jerusalem’s second ward); and they spake to her the words, which we told before.

²³ And she answered to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Say ye to the man, that sent you to me,

²⁴ The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall bring evils upon this place, and upon the dwellers thereof (and upon its inhabitants), and all the cursings that be written in this book, that they have read before the king of Judah.

²⁵ For they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to alien gods, for to stir me to wrathfulness in all the works of their hands (For they have abandoned me, and have sacrificed to foreign, or other, gods, and have stirred me to anger with all the works of their hands); therefore my strong vengeance shall drop upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.

²⁶ But speak ye thus to the king of Judah, that sent you to pray (to) the Lord, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, For thou heardest the words of the book,

²⁷ and thine heart thereby is made nesh, and thou art meeked in the sight of the Lord of these things which be said against this place, and against the dwellers of Jerusalem, and thou hast reverenced my face, and hast rent thy clothes, and hast wept before me; also I have heard thee, saith the Lord. (and thy heart is softened by it, and thou art humbled before the Lord by these things which be said against this place, and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou hast reverenced my face, and hast torn thy clothes, and hast wept before me; yea, I have heard thee, saith the Lord.)

²⁸ For now I shall gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be borne into thy sepulchre in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil, that is, none of all the evils, that I shall bring in upon this place, and upon the dwellers thereof (and upon its inhabitants). Then they told to the king all things, that Huldah had said.

²⁹ And after that the king had called together all the elder men of Judah and of Jerusalem,

³⁰ he went up into the house of the Lord, and there went up together with him all the men of Judah, and the dwellers of Jerusalem, priests, and deacons, and all the people, from the least unto the most; to whose hearing in the house of the Lord, the king read all the words of the foresaid book. (he went up to the House of the Lord, and there went up together with him all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, from the least unto the most; to whom the king then read aloud all the words of the foresaid book that was found in the House of the Lord.)

³¹ And he stood in his throne, and smote, or made, a bond of peace before the Lord, for to follow him, and to keep the commandments, and the witnessings, and the justifyings of him, in all his heart, and in all his soul; and to do those things which were written in that book, that he had read. (And he stood by his throne, and struck a covenant before the Lord, to follow him, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul; and to do those things that were written in that book, that he had read.)

³² And he charged greatly upon this thing all men, that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin; and the dwellers of Jerusalem did after the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers. (And he greatly charged all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to keep this oath, or this pledge; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did after the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers.)

³³ Therefore Josiah did away all the abominations from all the countries of the sons of Israel; and made all men, that were left in Israel, to serve the Lord God (And so Josiah did away all the abominations from all the territories of the Israelites; and made all, who were left in Israel, to serve the Lord God); and in all the days of his life they went not away from the Lord God of their fathers.

35 Forsooth Josiah made pask to the Lord in Jerusalem, the which pask was offered in the fourteenth day of the first month; (And Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover beasts were killed on the fourteenth day of the first month;)

² and he ordained priests in their offices; and commanded them for to serve in the house of the Lord. (and he ordained the priests in their offices; and encouraged them to do their service well in the House of the Lord.)

³ And he spake to the deacons, at whose teaching all Israel was hallowed to the Lord, Set ye, he said, the ark of the Lord in the saintuary of the temple, that Solomon, king of Israel, the son of David builded; for ye shall no more bear it about (And he said to the Levites, who taught all Israel, and were dedicated to the Lord, Put ye the Ark of the Lord in the sanctuary of the Temple, that Solomon, the king of Israel, the son of David, built; for no more shall ye carry it about). But now serve ye the Lord your God, and his people Israel,

⁴ and make you(rselves) ready by your houses and families, in the partings of each by himself (in each of your divisions), as David, king of Israel, commanded, and as Solomon, his son, ordained;

⁵ and serve ye in the saintuary by the families and (the) companies of (the) deacons,

⁶ and be ye hallowed, and offer ye (the) pask; also make ready your brethren, that they may do after the words, which the Lord spake by the hand of Moses. (and be ye consecrated, or purified, and kill ye the Passover lambs; and prepare for your kinsmen, to do after the words, which the Lord spoke through Moses.)

⁷ Furthermore Josiah gave to all the people, that was found there in the solemnity of pask, that is, to make the solemnity, lambs and kids of the flocks, and of residue sheep he gave thirty thousand, and of oxes three thousand; these things were given of the substance of the king. (And Josiah gave to all the people who were there for the Passover Feast, that is, to all who were there to keep the Feast, lambs and goat kids of the flocks, and he gave thirty thousand sheep, and three thousand oxen; these things were given out of the king’s substance, or from his own possessions.)

⁸ And his dukes offered those things which they avowed by their free will, as well to the people, as to priests and deacons (And his leaders offered those things which they vowed by their own free will, to the people, as well as to the priests, and the Levites). And Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, princes of the house of the Lord, gave to [the] priests, to make (the) pask in common, two thousand and six hundred sheep, and three hundred oxen.

⁹ And Conaniah, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel, and his brethren, and also Hashabiah, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, the princes of deacons, gave to other deacons, to make [the] pask, five thousand of sheep, and five hundred oxen. (And Conaniah, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel, and his kinsmen, and also Hashabiah, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, gave to the other Levites, to make the Passover, five thousand sheep, and five hundred oxen.)

¹⁰ And the service was made ready; and [the] priests stood in their office, and deacons in their companies (and the Levites in their divisions), by the commandment of the king;

¹¹ and pask was offered. And [the] priests sprinkled their hands with blood, and deacons drew off the skins of sacrificed beasts, (and so the Passover beasts were killed. And the priests sprinkled the blood with their hands, and the Levites drew off the skins of the sacrificed beasts,)

¹² and they parted those sacrifices, for to give them by the houses and families of all men that were come thither to make (the) pask; and that those sacrifices should be offered to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses; and of oxen they did in like manner. (and they separated those sacrifices, in order to distribute them by the houses and the families of all those who were come there to keep the Passover; and so that those sacrifices should be offered to the Lord, as it is written in The Book of Moses; and they did in like manner with the oxen.)

¹³ And they roasted the pask lamb upon the fire, after that that is written in the law. And they seethed peaceable sacrifices in pans, and in cauldrons, and in pots, and in haste they dealed it to all the people; (And they roasted the Passover lamb upon the fire, after what is written in the Law. And they boiled the peace offerings in pans, and cauldrons, and pots, and then they gave it out hastily, or quickly, to all the people;)

¹⁴ but they made ready afterward to themselves, and to priests; for the priests were occupied unto [the] night in the offering of burnt sacrifices and of the inner fatnesses. Wherefore the deacons made ready their part at the last to themselves, and to the priests, the sons of Aaron. (and afterward the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests; for the priests were occupied into the night in offering the burnt sacrifices and the inner fatnesses. And so the Levites prepared their portion lastly for themselves, and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.)

¹⁵ And [the] singers, the sons of Asaph, stood in their order, by the commandment of David, and of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, the prophets of the king; but the porters kept their office by each gate, so that they went not away from their service, soothly (not) in a point, that is, they were in no time absent from their office; wherefore and the deacons, their brethren, made ready meats to them (and the guards, or the doorkeepers, kept watch at each gate, so that they went not away from their service, truly at no point, that is, they were never absent from their station; and so the Levites, their kinsmen, prepared their meats).