The Daily Audio Bible

30 And Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel.

² For the king, taking counsel, and the princes, and all the assembly of Jerusalem, decreed to keep the phase the second month.

³ For they could not keep it in its time; because there were not priests enough sanctified, and the people was not as yet gathered together to Jerusalem.

⁴ And the thing pleased the king, and all the people.

⁵ And they decreed to send messengers to all Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, that they should come, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel in Jerusalem: for many had not kept it as it is prescribed by the law.

⁶ And the posts went with letters by commandment of the king, and his princes, to all Israel and Juda, proclaiming according to the king's orders: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians.

⁷ Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see.

⁸ Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall be turned away from you.

⁹ For if you turn again to the Lord: your brethren, and children shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.

¹⁰ So the posts went speedily from city to city, through the land of Ephraim, and of Manasses, even to Zabulon, whilst they laughed at them and mocked them.

¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon, yielding to the counsel, came to Jerusalem.

¹² But the hand of God was in Juda, to give them one heart to do the word of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, and of the princes.

¹³ And much people were assembled to Jerusalem to celebrate the solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month:

¹⁴ And they arose and destroyed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and took sway all things in which incense was burnt to idols, and cast them into the torrent Cedron.

¹⁵ And they immolated the phase on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites being at length sanctified offered holocausts in the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ And they stood in their order according to the disposition, and law of Moses the man of God: but the priests received the blood which was to be poured out, from the hands of the Levites,

¹⁷ Because a great number was not sanctified: and therefore the Levites immolated the phase for them that came not in time to be sanctified to the Lord.

¹⁸ For a great part of the people from Ephraim, and Manasses, and Issachar, and Zabulon, that had not been sanctified, ate the phase otherwise than it is written: and Ezechias prayed for them, saying: The Lord who is good will shew mercy,

¹⁹ To all them, who with their whole heart, seek the Lord the God of their fathers: and will not impute it to them that they are not sanctified.

²⁰ And the Lord heard him, and was merciful to the people.

²¹ And the children of Israel, that were found at Jerusalem, kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the Lord every day: the Levites also, and the priests, with instruments that agreed to their office.

²² And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had good understanding concerning the Lord: and they ate during the seven days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace offerings, and praising the Lord the God of their fathers.

²³ And it pleased the whole multitude to keep other seven days: which they did with great joy.

²⁴ For Ezechias the king of Juda had given to the multitude a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests was sanctified.

²⁵ And all the multitude of Juda with the priests and Levites, and all the assembly, that came out of Israel; and the proselytes of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda were full of joy.

²⁶ And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel.

²⁷ And the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people: and their voice was heard: and their prayer came to the holy dwelling place of heaven.

31 And when these things had been duly celebrated, all Israel that were found in the cities of Juda, went out, and they broke the idols, and cut down the groves. demolished the high places, and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Juda and Benjamin, but out of Ephraim also and Manasses, till they had utterly destroyed them: then all the children of Israel returned to their possessions and cities.

² And Ezechias appointed companies of the priests, and the Levites, by their courses, every man in his own office, to wit, both of the priests, and of the Levites, for holocausts, and for peace offerings, to minister, and to praise, and to sing in the gates of the camp of the Lord.

³ And the king's part was, that of his proper substance the holocaust should be offered always morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and the new moons and the other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses.

⁴ He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give to the priests, and the Levites their portion, that they might attend to the law of the Lord.

⁵ Which when it was noised abroad in the ears of the people, the children of Israel offered in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey: and brought the tithe of all things which the ground bringeth forth.

⁶ Moreover the children of Israel and Juda, that dwelt in the cities of Juda, brought in the tithes of oxen, and sheep, and the tithes of holy things, which they had vowed to the Lord their God: and carrying them all, made many heaps.

⁷ In the third month they began to lay the foundations of the heaps, and in the seventh month, they finished them.

⁸ And when Ezechias and his princes came in, they saw the heaps, and they blessed the Lord and the people of Israel.

⁹ And Ezechias asked the priests and the Levites, why the heaps lay so.

¹⁰ Azarias the chief priest of the race of Sadoc answered him, saying: Since the firstfruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten, and have been filled, and abundance is left, because the Lord hath blessed his people: and of that which is left is this great store which thou seest.

¹¹ Then Ezechias commanded to prepare storehouses in the house of the Lord. And when they had done so,

¹² They brought in faithfully both the firstfruits, and the tithes, and all they had vowed. And the overseer of them was Chonenias the Levite, and Semei his brother was the second,

¹³ And after him Jehiel, and Azarias, and Nahath, and Asael, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Jesmachias, and Mahath, and Banaias, overseers under the hand of Chonenias, and Semei his brother, by the commandment of Ezechias the king, and Azarias the high priest of the house of God, to whom all things appertained.

¹⁴ But Core the son of Jemna the Levite, the porter of the east gate, was overseer of the things which were freely offered to the Lord, and of the firstfruits and the things dedicated for the holy of holies.

¹⁵ And under his charge were Eden, and Benjamin, Jesue, and Semeias, and Amarias, and Sechenias, in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully portions to their brethren, both little and great:

¹⁶ Besides the males from three years old and upward, to all that went into the temple of the Lord, and whatsoever there was need of in the ministry, and their offices according to their courses, day by day.

¹⁷ To the priests by their families, and to the Levites from the twentieth year and upward, by their classes and companies.

¹⁸ And to all the multitude, both to their wives, and to their children of both sexes, victuals were given faithfully out of the things that had been sanctified.

¹⁹ Also of the sons of Aaron who were in the fields and in the suburbs of each city, there were men appointed, to distribute portions to all the males, among the priests and the Levites.

²⁰ So Ezechias did all things, which we have said in all Juda, and wrought that which was good; and right, and truth, before the Lord his God,

²¹ In all the service of the ministry of the house of the Lord according to the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with all his heart, and he did it and prospered,

15 Now we that are stronger, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

² Let every one of you please his neighbour unto good, to edification.

³ For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written: The reproaches of them that reproached thee, fell upon me.

⁴ For what things soever were written, were written for our learning: that through patience and the comfort of the scriptures, we might have hope.

⁵ Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one mind one towards another, according to Jesus Christ:

⁶ That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also hath received you unto the honour of God.

⁸ For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.

⁹ But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.

¹⁰ And again he saith: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

¹¹ And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and magnify him, all ye people.

¹² And again Isaias saith: There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope.

¹³ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁴ And I myself also, my brethren, am assured of you, that you also are full of love, replenished with all knowledge, so that you are able to admonish one another.

¹⁵ But I have written to you, brethren, more boldly in some sort, as it were putting you in mind: because of the grace which is given me from God.

¹⁶ That I should be the minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles; sanctifying the gospel of God, that the oblation of the Gentiles may be made acceptable and sanctified in the Holy Ghost.

¹⁷ I have therefore glory in Christ Jesus towards God.

¹⁸ For I dare not to speak of any of those things which Christ worketh not by me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,

¹⁹ By the virtue of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Ghost, so that from Jerusalem round about as far as unto Illyricum, I have replenished the gospel of Christ.

²⁰ And I have so preached this gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation.

²¹ But as it is written: They to whom he was not spoken of, shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand.

²² For which cause also I was hindered very much from coming to you, and have been kept away till now.

25 Unto the end, a psalm for David. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence: and I have put my trust in the Lord, and shall not be weakened.

² Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins and my heart.

³ For thy mercy is before my eyes; and I am well pleased with thy truth.

⁴ I have not sat with the council of vanity: neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things.

⁵ I have hated the assembly of the malignant; and with the wicked I will not sit.

⁶ I will wash my hands among the innocent; and will compass thy altar, O Lord:

⁷ That I may hear the voice of thy praise: and tell of all thy wondrous works.

⁸ I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house; and the place where thy glory dwelleth.

⁹ Take not away my soul, O God, with the wicked: nor my life with bloody men:

¹⁰ In whose hands are iniquities: their right hand is filled with gifts.

¹¹ But as for me, I have walked in my innocence: redeem me, and have mercy on me.

¹² My foot hath stood in the direct way: in the churches I will bless thee, O Lord.

¹³ Love not sleep, lest poverty oppress thee: open thy eyes, and be filled with bread.

¹⁴ It is nought, it is nought, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast.

¹⁵ There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.