2 Tawarikh 11:1--36:12
Konteks11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin 1 to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 11:2 But the Lord told Shemaiah the prophet, 2 11:3 “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, 11:4 ‘The Lord says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.”’” 3 They obeyed the Lord and called off the attack against Jeroboam. 4
11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; 5 he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: 11:6 Bethlehem, 6 Etam, Tekoa, 11:7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11:11 He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. 11:12 In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. 7 Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
11:13 The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. 8 11:14 The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord’s priests. 11:15 Jeroboam 9 appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers 10 and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made. 11 11:16 Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem 12 to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. 13 11:17 They supported 14 the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to 15 Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of 16 David and Solomon for three years.
11:18 Rehoboam married 17 Mahalath the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of 18 Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 11:19 She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 11:20 He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 11:21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. 19 He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. 20 11:23 He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. 21 He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them. 22
12:1 After Rehoboam’s rule was established and solidified, he and all Israel rejected the law of the Lord. 12:2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 12:3 He had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an innumerable number of soldiers who accompanied him from Egypt, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. 12:4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.
12:5 Shemaiah the prophet visited Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have rejected me, so I have rejected you and will hand you over to Shishak.’” 23 12:6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.” 24 12:7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, he gave this message to Shemaiah: 25 “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will deliver them soon. 26 My anger will not be unleashed against 27 Jerusalem through 28 Shishak. 12:8 Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations.” 29
12:9 King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace; he took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. 12:10 King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guard 30 who protected the entrance to the royal palace. 12:11 Whenever the king visited the Lord’s temple, the royal guards carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom. 31
12:12 So when Rehoboam 32 humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger and did not annihilate him; 33 Judah experienced some good things. 34 12:13 King Rehoboam solidified his rule in Jerusalem; 35 he 36 was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. 37 Rehoboam’s 38 mother was an Ammonite named Naamah. 12:14 He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord. 39
12:15 The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded 40 in the Annals of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that include genealogical records. 12:16 Then Rehoboam passed away 41 and was buried in the City of David. 42 His son Abijah replaced him as king.
13:1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 13:2 He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. 43 His mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. 44
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 13:3 Abijah launched the attack with 400,000 well-trained warriors, 45 while Jeroboam deployed against him 800,000 well-trained warriors. 46
13:4 Abijah ascended Mount Zemaraim, in the Ephraimite hill country, and said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! 13:5 Don’t you realize that the Lord God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement? 47 13:6 Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. 13:7 Lawless good-for-nothing men 48 gathered around him and conspired 49 against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man 50 and could not resist them. 13:8 Now you are declaring that you will resist the Lord’s rule through the Davidic dynasty. 51 You have a huge army, 52 and bring with you the gold calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. 13:9 But you banished 53 the Lord’s priests, Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods! 54 13:10 But as for us, the Lord is our God and we have not rejected him. Aaron’s descendants serve as the Lord’s priests and the Levites assist them with the work. 55 13:11 They offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord every morning and every evening, along with fragrant incense. They arrange the Bread of the Presence on a ritually clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly 56 we are observing the Lord our God’s regulations, but you have rejected him. 13:12 Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. 57 You Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, 58 for you will not win!”
13:13 Now Jeroboam had sent some men to ambush the Judahite army from behind. 59 The main army was in front of the Judahite army; 60 the ambushers were behind it. 13:14 The men of Judah turned around and realized they were being attacked from the front and the rear. 61 So they cried out for help to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets, 13:15 and the men of Judah gave 62 the battle cry. As the men of Judah gave the battle cry, the Lord struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 13:16 The Israelites fled from before the Judahite army, 63 and God handed them over to the men of Judah. 64 13:17 Abijah and his army thoroughly defeated them; 65 500,000 well-trained Israelite men fell dead. 66 13:18 That day 67 the Israelites were defeated; the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord God of their ancestors.
13:19 Abijah chased Jeroboam; he seized from him these cities: Bethel 68 and its surrounding towns, Jeshanah and its surrounding towns, and Ephron and its surrounding towns. 13:20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the reign of Abijah. 69 The Lord struck him down and he died. 13:21 Abijah’s power grew; he had 70 fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
13:22 The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, including his deeds and sayings, 71 are recorded in the writings of the prophet Iddo.
14:1 (13:23) 72 Abijah passed away 73 and was buried in the City of David. 74 His son Asa replaced him as king. During his reign 75 the land had rest for ten years.
14:2 (14:1) Asa did what the Lord his God desired and approved. 76 14:3 He removed the pagan altars 77 and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. 78 14:4 He ordered Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors 79 and to observe his law and commands. 80 14:5 He removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. The kingdom had rest under his rule. 81
14:6 He built fortified cities throughout Judah, for the land was at rest and there was no war during those years; the Lord gave him peace. 14:7 He said to the people of Judah: 82 “Let’s build these cities and fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates. 83 The land remains ours because we have followed 84 the Lord our God and he has made us secure on all sides.” 85 So they built the cities 86 and prospered.
14:8 Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors. 14:9 Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of 1,000,000 87 men and 300 chariots. He arrived at Mareshah, 14:10 and Asa went out to oppose him. They deployed for battle in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.
14:11 Asa prayed 88 to the Lord his God: “O Lord, there is no one but you who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered. 89 Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this huge army. 90 O Lord our God, don’t let men prevail against you!” 91 14:12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 14:13 and Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Cushites were wiped out; 92 they were shattered before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah 93 carried off a huge amount of plunder. 14:14 They defeated all the cities surrounding Gerar, for the Lord caused them to panic. 94 The men of Judah 95 looted all the cities, for they contained a huge amount of goods. 96 14:15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen in charge of the livestock. 97 They carried off many sheep and camels and then returned to Jerusalem. 98
15:1 God’s Spirit came upon Azariah son of Oded. 15:2 He met 99 Asa and told him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are loyal to him. 100 If you seek him, he will respond to you, 101 but if you reject him, he will reject you. 15:3 For a long time 102 Israel had no true God, or priest to instruct them, or law. 15:4 Because of their distress, they turned back to the Lord God of Israel. They sought him and he responded to them. 103 15:5 In those days 104 no one could travel safely, 105 for total chaos had overtaken all the people of the surrounding lands. 106 15:6 One nation was crushed by another, and one city by another, for God caused them to be in great turmoil. 107 15:7 But as for you, be strong and don’t get discouraged, 108 for your work will be rewarded.” 109
15:8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged. 110 He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the Lord in front of the porch of the Lord’s temple. 111
15:9 He assembled all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the settlers 112 from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had come to live with them. Many people from Israel had come there to live 113 when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 15:10 They assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 15:11 At that time 114 they sacrificed to the Lord some of the plunder they had brought back, including 700 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep. 115 15:12 They solemnly agreed 116 to seek the Lord God of their ancestors 117 with their whole heart and being. 15:13 Anyone who would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be executed, whether they were young or old, 118 male or female. 15:14 They swore their allegiance to the Lord, shouting their approval loudly and sounding trumpets and horns. 119 15:15 All Judah was happy about the oath, because they made the vow with their whole heart. They willingly sought the Lord and he responded to them. 120 He made them secure on every side. 121
15:16 King Asa also removed Maacah his grandmother 122 from her position as queen mother 123 because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down her Asherah pole and crushed and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 15:17 The high places were not eliminated from Israel, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime. 124 15:18 He brought the holy items that his father and he had made into God’s temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles. 125
15:19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. 16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah. 126 16:2 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: 16:3 “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. 127 See, I have sent you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.” 128 16:4 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. 129 They conquered 130 Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, 131 and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 16:5 When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying 132 Ramah and abandoned the project. 133 16:6 King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. 134 He used the materials to build up 135 Geba and Mizpah.
16:7 At that time Hanani the prophet 136 visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 16:8 Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he handed them over to you! 16:9 Certainly 137 the Lord watches the whole earth carefully 138 and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. 139 You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war. 16:10 Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail. 140 Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.
16:11 The events of Asa’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 141 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a foot disease. 142 Though his disease was severe, he did not seek the Lord, but only the doctors. 143 16:13 Asa passed away 144 in the forty-first year of his reign. 16:14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out in the City of David. 145 They laid him to rest on a bier covered with spices and assorted mixtures of ointments. They made a huge bonfire to honor him. 146
17:1 His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king and solidified his rule over Israel. 147 17:2 He placed troops in all of Judah’s fortified cities and posted garrisons 148 throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.
17:3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor 149 David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign. 150 He did not seek the Baals, 17:4 but instead sought the God of his ancestors 151 and obeyed 152 his commands, unlike the Israelites. 153 17:5 The Lord made his kingdom secure; 154 all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and greatly respected. 155 17:6 He was committed to following the Lord; 156 he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.
17:7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. 17:8 They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 17:9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the scroll of the law of the Lord. They traveled to all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
17:10 The Lord put fear into all the kingdoms surrounding Judah; 157 they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. 17:11 Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat tribute, including a load of silver. The Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.
17:12 Jehoshaphat’s power kept increasing. He built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah. 17:13 He had many supplies stored in the cities of Judah and an army of skilled warriors stationed in Jerusalem. 158 17:14 These were their divisions by families:
There were a thousand officers from Judah. 159 Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors, 17:15 Jehochanan the commander led 280,000, 17:16 and Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered to serve the Lord, led 200,000 skilled warriors.
17:17 From Benjamin, Eliada, a skilled warrior, led 200,000 men who were equipped with bows and shields, 17:18 and Jehozabad led 180,000 trained warriors.
17:19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
18:1 Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab, 18:2 and after several years 160 went down to visit 161 Ahab in Samaria. 162 Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him. 163 He persuaded him to join in an attack 164 against Ramoth Gilead. 18:3 King Ahab of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army is at your disposal and will support you in battle.” 165 18:4 Then Jehoshaphat added, 166 “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” 167 18:5 So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” 168 They said, “Attack! God 169 will hand it over to the king.” 18:6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 18:7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. 170 But I despise 171 him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always 172 disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. 173 Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things!” 18:8 The king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
18:9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at 174 the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 18:10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed!’” 18:11 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king!” 18:12 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. 175 Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success!” 176 18:13 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what my God tells me to say!”
18:14 Micaiah 177 came before the king and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; they will be handed over to you.” 178 18:15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in 179 the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 18:16 Micaiah 180 replied, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 18:18 Micaiah 181 said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. 18:19 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. 18:20 Then a spirit 182 stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 18:21 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord 183 said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. 184 Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 18:22 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 18:23 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 18:24 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 18:25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 18:26 Say, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water 185 until I return safely.”’” 18:27 Micaiah said, “If you really do return safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Take note, 186 all you people.”
18:28 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter 187 the battle; but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. 18:30 Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high ranking officers; 188 fight only the king of Israel!” 18:31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from him. 18:32 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 18:33 Now an archer shot an arrow at random 189 and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king 190 ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line, 191 for I am wounded.” 18:34 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening as the sun was setting.
19:1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem, 192 19:2 the prophet 193 Jehu son of Hanani confronted him; 194 he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord? 195 Because you have done this the Lord is angry with you! 196 19:3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; 197 you removed 198 the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.” 199
19:4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. 200 He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow 201 the Lord God of their ancestors. 202 19:5 He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 203 19:6 He told the judges, “Be careful what you do, 204 for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions. 19:7 Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.” 205
19:8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord 206 and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem. 207 19:9 He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives. 208 19:10 Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities bring a case before you 209 (whether it involves a violent crime 210 or other matters related to the law, commandments, rules, and regulations), warn them that they must not sin against the Lord. If you fail to do so, God will be angry with you and your colleagues; but if you obey, you will be free of guilt. 211 19:11 You will report to Amariah the chief priest in all matters pertaining to the Lord’s law, and to Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the family of Judah, in all matters pertaining to the king. 212 The Levites will serve as officials before you. Confidently carry out your duties! 213 May the Lord be with those who do well!”
20:1 Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites, 214 attacked Jehoshaphat. 20:2 Messengers 215 arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea, 216 from the direction of Edom. 217 Look, they are in Hazezon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).” 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice. 218 He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. 20:4 The people of Judah 219 assembled to ask for the Lord’s help; 220 they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help. 221
20:5 Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem 222 at the Lord’s temple, in front of the new courtyard. 20:6 He prayed: “O Lord God of our ancestors, 223 you are the God who lives in heaven 224 and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you. 20:7 Our God, you drove out 225 the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it as a permanent possession 226 to the descendants of your friend 227 Abraham. 20:8 They settled down in it and built in it a temple 228 to honor you, 229 saying, 20:9 ‘If disaster comes on us in the form of military attack, 230 judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple. 231 We will cry out to you for help in our distress, so that you will 232 hear and deliver us.’ 20:10 Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming! 233 When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands. 234 They bypassed them and did not destroy them. 20:11 Look how they are repaying us! They come to drive us out of our allotted land which you assigned to us! 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us! We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help.” 235
20:13 All the men of Judah 236 were standing before the Lord, along with their infants, wives, and children. 20:14 Then in the midst of the assembly, the Lord’s Spirit came upon Jachaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph. 20:15 He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah, 237 residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic 238 because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 20:16 Tomorrow march down against them as 239 they come up the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine in front of the Desert of Jeruel. 20:17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, 240 O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! 241 Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”
20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground, and all the people of Judah 242 and the residents of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord and worshiped him. 243 20:19 Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and Korahites, got up and loudly praised the Lord God of Israel. 244
20:20 Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah 245 and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe! 246 Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.” 20:21 He met 247 with the people and appointed musicians to play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched ahead of the warriors they said: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures.” 248
20:22 When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked 249 the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir 250 who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir 251 and annihilated them. 252 When they had finished off the men 253 of Seir, they attacked and destroyed one another. 254 20:24 When the men of Judah 255 arrived at the observation post overlooking the desert and looked at 256 the huge army, they saw dead bodies on the ground; there were no survivors! 20:25 Jehoshaphat and his men 257 went to gather the plunder; they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing 258 and valuable items. They carried away everything they could. 259 There was so much plunder, it took them three days to haul it off. 260
20:26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, where 261 they praised the Lord. So that place is called the Valley of Berachah 262 to this very day. 20:27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat leading them; the Lord had given them reason to rejoice over their enemies. 20:28 They entered Jerusalem to the sound of stringed instruments and trumpets and proceeded to the temple of the Lord. 20:29 All the kingdoms of the surrounding lands were afraid of God 263 when they heard how the Lord had fought against Israel’s enemies. 20:30 Jehoshaphat’s kingdom enjoyed peace; his God made him secure on every side. 264
20:31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. 265 His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 20:32 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved. 266 20:33 However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were still not devoted to the God of their ancestors. 267
20:34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of Hanani which are included in Scroll of the Kings of Israel. 268
20:35 Later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who 269 did evil. 20:36 They agreed 270 to make large seagoing merchant ships; 271 they built the ships in Ezion Geber. 20:37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, “Because 272 you made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will shatter what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and unable to go to sea. 273
21:1 Jehoshaphat passed away 274 and was buried with his ancestors 275 in the City of David. 276 His son Jehoram 277 replaced him as king.
21:2 His brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. 278 21:3 Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
21:4 Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. 279 Then he killed all his brothers, 280 as well as some of the officials of Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 281 21:6 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. 282 He did evil in the sight of 283 the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty 284 because of the promise 285 he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. 286
21:8 During Jehoram’s 287 reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king. 288 21:9 Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. 289 21:10 So Edom has remained free from Judah’s control to this very day. 290 At that same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah’s control 291 because Jehoram 292 rejected the Lord God of his ancestors. 21:11 He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord 293 and led Judah away from the Lord. 294
21:12 Jehoram 295 received this letter from Elijah the prophet: “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You 296 have not followed in the footsteps 297 of your father Jehoshaphat and of 298 King Asa of Judah, 21:13 but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. 299 You also killed your brothers, members of your father’s family, 300 who were better than you. 21:14 So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict 301 your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. 21:15 And you will get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your intestines to come out.” 302
21:16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines 303 and the Arabs who lived beside the Cushites. 21:17 They attacked Judah and swept through it. 304 They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, 305 including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah. 21:18 After all this happened, the Lord afflicted him with an incurable intestinal disease. 306 21:19 After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. 307 His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. 308
21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; 309 he was buried in the City of David, 310 but not in the royal tombs.
22:1 The residents of Jerusalem 311 made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, for the raiding party that invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. 312 So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two 313 years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter 314 of Omri. 22:3 He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, 315 for his mother gave him evil advice. 316 22:4 He did evil in the sight of 317 the Lord like Ahab’s dynasty because, after his father’s death, they 318 gave him advice that led to his destruction. 22:5 He followed their advice and joined Ahab’s son King Joram 319 of Israel in a battle against King Hazael of Syria 320 at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram. 22:6 Joram 321 returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians 322 in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah 323 son of King Jehoram of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he had been wounded. 324
22:7 God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall through his visit to Joram. 325 When Ahaziah 326 arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had commissioned 327 to wipe out Ahab’s family. 328 22:8 While Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab’s family, he discovered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who were serving Ahaziah and killed them. 22:9 He looked for Ahaziah, who was captured while hiding in Samaria. 329 They brought him to Jehu and then executed him. They did give him a burial, for they reasoned, 330 “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with his whole heart.” There was no one in Ahaziah’s family strong enough to rule in his place. 331
22:10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line 332 of Judah. 333 22:11 So Jehoshabeath, 334 the daughter of King Jehoram, 335 took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked him away 336 from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. So Jehoshabeath the daughter of King Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah so she could not execute him. 22:12 He remained in hiding in God’s temple 337 for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact 338 with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 23:2 They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.
They came to Jerusalem, 339 23:3 and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada 340 said to them, “The king’s son will rule, just as the Lord promised David’s descendants. 23:4 This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors. 23:5 Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others 341 will stand in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. 23:6 No one must enter the Lord’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord. 23:7 The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple 342 must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” 343
23:8 The Levites and all the men of Judah 344 did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. 23:9 Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields 345 that were kept in God’s temple. 23:10 He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 346 23:11 Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. 347 They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. 348 They declared, “Long live the king!”
23:12 When Athaliah heard the royal guard 349 shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd 350 at the Lord’s temple. 23:13 Then she saw 351 the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, “Treason! Treason!” 352 23:14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. 353 Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 354 23:15 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. 355 There they executed her.
23:16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord. 356 23:17 All the people went and demolished 357 the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols. 358 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 23:18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to 359 the law of Moses and the edict of David. 23:19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 23:20 He summoned 360 the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 23:21 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah. 361
24:1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 362 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 24:2 Joash did what the Lord approved 363 throughout the lifetime 364 of Jehoiada the priest. 24:3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.
24:4 Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple. 365 24:5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.
24:6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, 366 and said to him, “Why have you not made 367 the Levites collect 368 from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?” 369 24:7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 24:8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple. 370 24:9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness. 371 24:10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 24:11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.
24:12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen 372 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 24:13 They worked hard and made the repairs. 373 They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it. 374 24:14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.
24:15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 375 24:16 He was buried in the City of David 376 with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.
24:17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. 377 The king listened to their advice. 378 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, 379 and worshiped 380 the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 24:19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. 381 They warned 382 the people, but they would not pay attention. 24:20 God’s Spirit energized 383 Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 24:21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 24:22 King Joash disregarded 384 the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s 385 son. As Zechariah 386 was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!” 387
24:23 At the beginning 388 of the year the Syrian army attacked 389 Joash 390 and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24:24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, 391 for the people of Judah 392 had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians 393 gave Joash what he deserved. 394 24:25 When they withdrew, they left Joash 395 badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to 396 the son 397 of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus 398 he died and was buried in the City of David, 399 but not in the tombs of the kings. 24:26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).
24:27 The list of Joash’s 400 sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings. 401 His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 402 His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 25:2 He did what the Lord approved, 403 but not with wholehearted devotion. 404
25:3 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 405 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 406 25:4 However, he did not execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 407 “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do, 408 and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do. 409 A man must be executed only for his own sin.” 410
25:5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah 411 and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age 412 equipped with spears and shields. 413 25:6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for a hundred talents 414 of silver.
25:7 But a prophet 415 visited him and said: “O king, the Israelite troops must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the Ephraimites. 416 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you 417 before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating.” 418 25:9 Amaziah asked the prophet: 419 “But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?” The prophet 420 replied, “The Lord is capable of giving you more than that.” 25:10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. 421 They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 25:11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt, 422 where he defeated 423 10,000 Edomites. 424 25:12 The men 425 of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. 426 All the captives 427 fell to their death. 428 25:13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle 429 raided 430 the cities of Judah from Samaria 431 to Beth Horon. They killed 432 3,000 people and carried off a large amount of plunder.
25:14 When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people 433 of Seir and made them his personal gods. 434 He bowed down before them and offered them sacrifices. 25:15 The Lord was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why are you following 435 these gods 436 that could not deliver their own people from your power?” 437 25:16 While he was speaking, Amaziah 438 said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” 439 So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided 440 to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”
25:17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers, 441 he sent this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, “Come, face me on the battlefield.” 442 25:18 King Joash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn bush. 443 25:19 You defeated Edom 444 and it has gone to your head. 445 Gloat over your success, 446 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 447
25:20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning, 448 for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom. 449 25:21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield 450 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 25:22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 451 25:23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. 452 25:24 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God’s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.
25:25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 25:26 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 453 25:27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 454 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 455 and they killed him there. 25:28 His body was carried back by horses, 456 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors 457 in the City of David. 458
26:1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, 459 who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 26:2 Uzziah 460 built up Elat and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah 461 had passed away. 462
26:3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. 463 His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. 26:4 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done. 464 26:5 He followed 465 God during the lifetime of 466 Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed 467 the Lord, God caused him to succeed. 468
26:6 Uzziah attacked 469 the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and throughout Philistine territory. 470 26:7 God helped him in his campaigns 471 against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. 26:8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached 472 the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.
26:9 Uzziah built and fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, Valley Gate, and at the Angle. 473 26:10 He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, for he owned many herds in the lowlands 474 and on the plain. He had workers in the fields and vineyards in the hills and in Carmel, 475 for he loved agriculture. 476
26:11 Uzziah had an army of skilled warriors trained for battle. They were organized by divisions according to the muster rolls made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, a royal official. 26:12 The total number of family leaders who led warriors was 2,600. 26:13 They commanded an army of 307,500 skilled and able warriors who were ready to defend 477 the king against his enemies. 26:14 Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the entire army. 26:15 In Jerusalem he made war machines carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous support and became powerful. 478
26:16 But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. 479 He disobeyed 480 the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar. 26:17 Azariah the priest and eighty other brave priests of the Lord followed him in. 26:18 They confronted 481 King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyed 482 and the Lord God will not honor you!” 26:19 Uzziah, who had an incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and raving 483 at the priests, a skin disease 484 appeared on his forehead right there in front of the priests in the Lord’s temple near the incense altar. 26:20 When Azariah the high priest and the other priests looked at 485 him, there was a skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out of there; even the king 486 himself wanted to leave quickly because the Lord had afflicted him. 26:21 King Uzziah suffered from a skin disease until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters, 487 afflicted by a skin disease and banned from the Lord’s temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.
26:22 The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from start to finish, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 488 26:23 Uzziah passed away 489 and was buried near his ancestors 490 in a cemetery 491 belonging to the kings. (This was because he had a skin disease.) 492 His son Jotham replaced him as king.
27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 493 His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 27:2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done. 494 (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter the temple.) 495 Yet the people were still sinning.
27:3 He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple and did a lot of work on the wall in the area known as Ophel. 496 27:4 He built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.
27:5 He launched a military campaign 497 against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him 100 talents 498 of silver, 10,000 kors 499 of wheat, and 10,000 kors 500 of barley. The Ammonites also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years. 501
27:6 Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God. 502 27:7 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah. 503 27:8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 27:9 Jotham passed away 504 and was buried in the City of David. 505 His son Ahaz replaced him as king.
28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 506 He did not do what pleased the Lord, in contrast to his ancestor David. 507 28:2 He followed in the footsteps of 508 the kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals. 28:3 He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and passed his sons through the fire, 509 a horrible sin practiced by the nations 510 whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 28:4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
28:5 The Lord his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians 511 defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus. 512 He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him. 513 28:6 In one day King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel killed 120,000 warriors in Judah, because they had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. 514 28:7 Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command. 28:8 The Israelites seized from their brothers 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a huge amount of plunder and took it 515 back to Samaria. 516
28:9 Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: “Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice. 517 28:10 And now you are planning 518 to enslave 519 the people 520 of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the Lord your God? 28:11 Now listen to me! Send back those you have seized from your brothers, for the Lord is very angry at you!” 521 28:12 So some of 522 the Ephraimite family leaders, Azariah son of Jehochanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jechizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai confronted 523 those returning from the battle. 28:13 They said to them, “Don’t bring those captives here! Are you planning on making us even more sinful and guilty before the Lord? 524 Our guilt is already great and the Lord is very angry at Israel.” 525 28:14 So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder before the officials and the entire assembly. 28:15 Men were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked. 526 So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin. 527 They put the ones who couldn’t walk on donkeys. 528 They brought them back to their brothers at Jericho, 529 the city of the date palm trees, and then returned to Samaria.
28:16 At that time King Ahaz asked the king 530 of Assyria for help. 28:17 The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried off captives. 28:18 The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the lowlands 531 and the Negev. They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages. 28:19 The Lord humiliated 532 Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel, 533 for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very 534 unfaithful to the Lord. 28:20 King Tiglath-pileser 535 of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than support. 536 28:21 Ahaz gathered riches 537 from the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help.
28:22 During his time of trouble King Ahaz was even more unfaithful to the Lord. 28:23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him. 538 He reasoned, 539 “Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they caused him and all Israel to stumble. 28:24 Ahaz gathered the items in God’s temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. 28:25 In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the Lord God of his ancestors.
28:26 The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, including his accomplishments from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 540 28:27 Ahaz passed away 541 and was buried in the City of David; 542 they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king.
29:1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 543 His mother was Abijah, 544 the daughter of Zechariah. 29:2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done. 545
29:3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the Lord’s temple and repaired them. 29:4 He brought in the priests and Levites and assembled them in the square on the east side. 29:5 He said to them: “Listen to me, you Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, so you can consecrate the temple of the Lord God of your ancestors! 546 Remove from the sanctuary what is ceremonially unclean! 29:6 For our fathers were unfaithful; they did what is evil in the sight of 547 the Lord our God and abandoned him! They turned 548 away from the Lord’s dwelling place and rejected him. 549 29:7 They closed the doors of the temple porch and put out the lamps; they did not offer incense or burnt sacrifices in the sanctuary of the God of Israel. 29:8 The Lord was angry at Judah and Jerusalem and made them an appalling object of horror at which people hiss out their scorn, 550 as you can see with your own eyes. 29:9 Look, our fathers died violently 551 and our sons, daughters, and wives were carried off 552 because of this. 29:10 Now I intend 553 to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging anger. 554 29:11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices.” 555
29:12 The following Levites prepared to carry out the king’s orders: 556
From the Kohathites: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;
from the Merarites: Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;
from the Gershonites: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;
29:13 from the descendants of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel;
from the descendants of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah;
29:14 from the descendants of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei;
from the descendants of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel.
29:15 They assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves. Then they went in to purify the Lord’s temple, just as the king had ordered, in accordance with the word 557 of the Lord. 29:16 The priests then entered the Lord’s temple to purify it; they brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’s temple every ceremonially unclean thing they discovered inside. 558 The Levites took them out to the Kidron Valley. 29:17 On the first day of the first month they began consecrating; by the eighth day of the month they reached the porch of the Lord’s temple. 559 For eight more days they consecrated the Lord’s temple. On the sixteenth day of the first month they were finished. 29:18 They went to King Hezekiah and said: “We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, including the altar of burnt sacrifice and all its equipment, and the table for the Bread of the Presence and all its equipment. 29:19 We have prepared and consecrated all the items that King Ahaz removed during his reign when he acted unfaithfully. They are in front of the altar of the Lord.”
29:20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah assembled the city officials and went up to the Lord’s temple. 29:21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. 560 The king 561 told the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer burnt sacrifices on the altar of the Lord. 29:22 They slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood on the altar; next they slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood on the altar. 29:23 Finally they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they placed their hands on them. 29:24 Then the priests slaughtered them. They offered their blood as a sin offering on the altar to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had decreed 562 that the burnt sacrifice and sin offering were for all Israel.
29:25 King Hezekiah 563 stationed the Levites in the Lord’s temple with cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the king’s prophet, 564 and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.) 29:26 The Levites had 565 David’s musical instruments and the priests had trumpets. 29:27 Hezekiah ordered the burnt sacrifice to be offered on the altar. As they began to offer the sacrifice, they also began to sing to the Lord, accompanied by the trumpets and the musical instruments of King David of Israel. 29:28 The entire assembly worshiped, as the singers sang and the trumpeters played. They continued until the burnt sacrifice was completed.
29:29 When the sacrifices were completed, the king and all who were with him bowed down and worshiped. 29:30 King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to praise the Lord, using the psalms 566 of David and Asaph the prophet. 567 So they joyfully offered praise and bowed down and worshiped. 29:31 Hezekiah said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves 568 to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings 569 to the Lord’s temple.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and whoever desired to do so 570 brought burnt sacrifices.
29:32 The assembly brought a total of 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs as burnt sacrifices to the Lord, 571 29:33 and 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep 572 were consecrated. 29:34 But there were not enough priests to skin all the animals, 573 so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.) 574 29:35 There was a large number of burnt sacrifices, as well as fat from the peace offerings and drink offerings that accompanied the burnt sacrifices. So the service of the Lord’s temple was reinstituted. 575 29:36 Hezekiah and all the people were happy about what God had done 576 for them, 577 for it had been done quickly. 578
30:1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem 579 and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. 30:2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 30:3 They were unable to observe it at the regular 580 time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 30:4 The proposal seemed appropriate to 581 the king and the entire assembly. 30:5 So they sent an edict 582 throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people 583 to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law. 584 30:6 Messengers 585 delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.
This royal edict read: 586 “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return 587 to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria. 588 30:7 Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, 589 provoking him to destroy them, 590 as you can see. 30:8 Now, don’t be stubborn 591 like your fathers! Submit 592 to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger. 593 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you 594 if you return to him.”
30:10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them. 595 30:11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 30:12 In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the Lord’s command. 596 30:13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 597 30:14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. 598
30:15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. 30:16 They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them. 599 30:17 Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered 600 the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord. 601 30:18 The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. 602 For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive 603 30:19 everyone who has determined to follow God, 604 the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.” 605 30:20 The Lord responded favorably 606 to Hezekiah and forgave 607 the people.
30:21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might. 608 30:22 Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites, 609 who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord. 610 They feasted for the seven days of the festival, 611 and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.
30:23 The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. 30:24 King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep 612 for the assembly, while the officials supplied them 613 with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. 30:25 The celebration included 614 the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and the residents of Judah. 30:26 There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel. 615 30:27 The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them 616 as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.
31:1 When all this was over, the Israelites 617 who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished 618 all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. 619 Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities. 620
31:2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks 621 – to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary. 622
31:3 The king contributed 623 some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed times prescribed 624 in the law of the Lord. 31:4 He ordered 625 the people living in Jerusalem 626 to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient 627 to the law of the Lord. 31:5 When the edict was issued, 628 the Israelites freely contributed 629 the initial portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a huge amount. 31:6 The Israelites and people of Judah 630 who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps. 631 31:7 In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps 632 and finished in the seventh month. 31:8 When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel. 633
31:9 When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, 31:10 Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions began arriving in the Lord’s temple, we have had plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has blessed his people, and this large amount remains.” 31:11 Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord’s temple. When this was done, 634 31:12 they brought in the contributions, tithes, 635 and consecrated items that had been offered. 636 Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all this, assisted by his brother Shimei. 31:13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God’s temple.
31:14 Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. 31:15 In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests 637 according to their divisions, regardless of age. 638 31:16 They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were listed in the genealogical records – to all who would enter the Lord’s temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to their divisions. 639 31:17 They made disbursements to the priests listed in the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their divisions, 31:18 and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves. 31:19 As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities, 640 men were assigned 641 to disburse portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.
31:20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord his God considered good and right and faithful. 31:21 He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God. 642
32:1 After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them. 643 32:2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem, 644 32:3 he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springs 645 outside the city, and they supported him. 32:4 A large number of people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the district. 646 They reasoned, 647 “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” 32:5 Hezekiah 648 energetically rebuilt 649 every broken wall. He erected towers and an outer wall, 650 and fortified the terrace of the City of David. 651 He made many weapons and shields.
32:6 He appointed military officers over the army 652 and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them, 653 saying, 32:7 “Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic 654 because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him. 655 32:8 He has with him mere human strength, 656 but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!” The army 657 was encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.
32:9 Afterward King Sennacherib of Assyria, while attacking Lachish with all his military might, sent his messengers 658 to Jerusalem. The message was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of 659 Judah who were in Jerusalem. It read: 32:10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘Why are you so confident that you remain in Jerusalem while it is under siege? 660 32:11 Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will rescue us from the power 661 of the king of Assyria.” But he is misleading you and you will die of hunger and thirst! 662 32:12 Hezekiah is the one who eliminated 663 the Lord’s 664 high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem, “At one altar you must worship and offer sacrifices.” 32:13 Are you not aware of what I and my predecessors 665 have done to all the nations of the surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been able to rescue their lands from my power? 666 32:14 Who among all the gods of these nations whom my predecessors annihilated was able to rescue his people from my power? 667 32:15 Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how 668 can your gods rescue 669 you from my power?’”
32:16 Sennacherib’s 670 servants further insulted 671 the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 32:17 He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words: 672 “The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah’s god rescue his people from my power.” 673 32:18 They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city. 32:19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods of the nations of the earth.
32:20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven. 32:21 The Lord sent a messenger 674 and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib 675 returned home humiliated. 676 When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons 677 struck him down with the sword. 32:22 The Lord delivered Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the other nations. 678 He made them secure on every side. 679 32:23 Many were bringing presents 680 to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by 681 all the nations.
32:24 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. 682 He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed. 683 32:25 But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem. 684 32:26 But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah’s reign. 685
32:27 Hezekiah was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made storehouses for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, and all his other valuable possessions. 686 32:28 He made storerooms for the harvest of grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of livestock and his flocks. 687 32:29 He built royal cities 688 and owned a large number of sheep and cattle, for God gave him a huge amount of possessions.
32:30 Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the City of David. 689 Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did. 32:31 So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land, 690 God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives. 691
32:32 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign, including his faithful deeds, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, included in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 692 32:33 Hezekiah passed away 693 and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried him with great honor. 694 His son Manasseh replaced him as king.
33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 695 33:2 He did evil in the sight of 696 the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations 697 whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites. 33:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky 698 and worshiped 699 them. 33:4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my permanent home.” 700 33:5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. 33:6 He passed his sons through the fire 701 in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and sorcery. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it. 702 He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered him. 703 33:7 He put an idolatrous image he had made in God’s temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home. 704 33:8 I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors, 705 provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations given to Moses.” 33:9 But Manasseh misled the people of 706 Judah and the residents of Jerusalem so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.
33:10 The Lord confronted 707 Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 33:11 So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose, 708 bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 33:12 In his pain 709 Manasseh 710 asked the Lord his God for mercy 711 and truly 712 humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 713 33:13 When he prayed to the Lord, 714 the Lord 715 responded to him 716 and answered favorably 717 his cry for mercy. The Lord 718 brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.
33:14 After this Manasseh 719 built up the outer wall of the City of David 720 on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.
33:15 He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city. 33:16 He erected the altar of the Lord and offered on it peace offerings and thank offerings. He told the people of 721 Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 33:17 The people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
33:18 The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the prophets 722 spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are recorded 723 in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 33:19 The Annals of the Prophets include his prayer, give an account of how the Lord responded to it, record all his sins and unfaithful acts, and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself. 724 33:20 Manasseh passed away 725 and was buried in his palace. His son Amon replaced him as king.
33:21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. 726 33:22 He did evil in the sight of 727 the Lord, just like his father Manasseh had done. He offered sacrifices to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped 728 them. 33:23 He did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done. 729 Amon was guilty of great sin. 730 33:24 His servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace. 33:25 The people of the land executed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they 731 made his son Josiah king in his place.
34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 732 34:2 He did what the Lord approved 733 and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps; 734 he did not deviate to the right or the left.
34:3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor 735 David. In his twelfth year he began ridding 736 Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images. 34:4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, 737 and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. 34:5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests 738 on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem. 34:6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins 739 around them, 34:7 he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
34:8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, he continued his policy of purifying the land and the temple. 740 He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city official, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to repair the temple of the Lord his God. 34:9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God’s temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the people of 741 Manasseh and Ephraim and from all who were left in Israel, as well as from all the people of 742 Judah and Benjamin and the residents of 743 Jerusalem. 34:10 They handed it over to the construction foremen 744 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They in turn paid the temple workers to restore and repair it. 745 34:11 They gave money to the craftsmen and builders to buy chiseled stone and wood for the braces and rafters of the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into disrepair. 746 34:12 The men worked faithfully. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah (Levites descended from Merari), as well as Zechariah and Meshullam (descendants of Kohath). The Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians, 34:13 supervised the laborers and all the foremen on their various jobs. 747 Some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and guards.
34:14 When they took out the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the law scroll the Lord had given to Moses. 34:15 Hilkiah informed Shaphan the scribe, “I found the law scroll in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. 34:16 Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and reported, 748 “Your servants are doing everything assigned to them. 34:17 They melted down the silver in the Lord’s temple 749 and handed it over to the supervisors of the construction foremen.” 34:18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 34:19 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 34:20 The king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, 750 Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 34:21 “Go, seek an oracle from 751 the Lord for me and those who remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about 752 the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s fury has been ignited against us, 753 because our ancestors 754 have not obeyed the word of the Lord by doing all that this scroll instructs!” 755
34:22 So Hilkiah and the others sent by the king 756 went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, 757 the supervisor of the wardrobe. 758 (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh 759 district.) They stated their business, 760 34:23 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 34:24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, the details of which are recorded in the scroll which they read before the king of Judah. 34:25 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices 761 to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. 762 My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 34:26 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard: 34:27 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit 763 and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words concerning this place and its residents. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 34:28 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. 764 You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.
34:29 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 765 34:30 The king went up to the Lord’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites. All the people were there, from the oldest to the youngest. He read aloud all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the Lord’s temple. 34:31 The king stood by his pillar 766 and renewed 767 the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow 768 the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, 769 by carrying out the terms 770 of this covenant recorded on this scroll. 34:32 He made all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. 771 The residents of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 34:33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged 772 all who were in Israel to worship the Lord their God. Throughout the rest of his reign 773 they did not turn aside from following the Lord God of their ancestors.
35:1 Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. 774 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 35:2 He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged them to carry out their service in the Lord’s temple. 35:3 He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the Lord, “Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don’t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel! 35:4 Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed 775 by King David of Israel and his son Solomon. 35:5 Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen. 776 35:6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to do what the Lord commanded through Moses.” 777
35:7 From his own royal flocks and herds, Josiah supplied the people with 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as 3,000 cattle. 778 35:8 His officials also willingly contributed to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of God’s temple, supplied 2,600 Passover sacrifices and 300 cattle. 35:9 Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the officials of the Levites, supplied the Levites with 5,000 Passover sacrifices and 500 cattle. 35:10 Preparations were made, 779 and the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions as prescribed by the king. 35:11 They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood, 780 while the Levites skinned the animals. 35:12 They reserved the burnt offerings and the cattle for the family divisions of the people to present to the Lord, as prescribed in the scroll of Moses. 781 35:13 They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people. 35:14 Afterward they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering burnt sacrifices and fat portions until evening. The Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 35:15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s prophet. 782 The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them. 35:16 So all the preparations for the Lord’s service were made that day, as the Passover was observed and the burnt sacrifices were offered on the altar of the Lord, as prescribed by King Josiah. 35:17 So the Israelites who were present observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 35:18 A Passover like this had not been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, and the residents of Jerusalem. 35:19 This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
35:20 After Josiah had done all this for the temple, 783 King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. 784 Josiah marched out to oppose him. 35:21 Necho 785 sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? 786 I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war. 787 God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you.” 788 35:22 But Josiah did not turn back from him; 789 he disguised himself for battle. He did not take seriously 790 the words of Necho which he had received from God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo. 791 35:23 Archers shot King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, “Take me out of this chariot, 792 for I am seriously wounded.” 35:24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, put him in another chariot that he owned, and brought him to Jerusalem, 793 where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors; 794 all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah. 35:25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.
35:26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, including the faithful acts he did in obedience to what is written in the law of the Lord 795 35:27 and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded 796 in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
36:1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 797 36:2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 36:3 The king of Egypt prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem and imposed on the land a special tax 798 of one hundred talents 799 of silver and a talent of gold. 36:4 The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s 800 brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho seized his brother Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt.
36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. 801 He did evil in the sight of 802 the Lord his God. 36:6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him, 803 bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away 804 to Babylon. 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar took some of the items in the Lord’s temple to Babylon and put them in his palace 805 there. 806
36:8 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, including the horrible sins he committed and his shortcomings, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 807 His son Jehoiachin replaced him as king.
36:9 Jehoiachin was eighteen 808 years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. 809 He did evil in the sight of 810 the Lord. 36:10 At the beginning of the year King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him to be brought 811 to Babylon, along with the valuable items in the Lord’s temple. In his place he made his relative 812 Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
36:11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. 813 36:12 He did evil in the sight of 814 the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord’s spokesman.
[11:1] 1 tn Heb “he summoned the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men, accomplished in war.”
[11:2] 2 tn Heb “and the word of the
[11:4] 3 tn Heb “for his thing is from me.”
[11:4] 4 tn Heb “and they heard the words of the
[11:5] 5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:6] 6 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[11:12] 7 tn Heb “he strengthened them greatly, very much.”
[11:13] 8 tn Heb “and the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel supported him from all their territory.”
[11:15] 9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:15] 10 tn Heb “for the high places.”
[11:15] 11 tn Heb “and for the goats and for the calves he had made.”
[11:16] 12 tn Heb “and after them from all the tribes of Israel, the ones giving their heart[s] to seek the
[11:17] 14 tn Or “strengthened.”
[11:17] 15 tn Or “strengthened.”
[11:17] 16 tn Heb “they walked in the way of.”
[11:18] 17 tn Heb “took for himself a wife.”
[11:18] 18 tn The words “and of” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[11:21] 19 sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
[11:22] 20 tn Heb “and Rehoboam appointed for a head Abijah son of Maacah for ruler among his brothers, indeed to make him king.”
[11:23] 21 tn Heb “and he was discerning and broke up from all his sons to all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities.”
[11:23] 22 tn “and he asked for a multitude of wives.”
[12:5] 23 tn Heb “also I have rejected you into the hand of Shishak.”
[12:6] 24 tn Or “fair,” meaning the
[12:7] 25 tn Heb “the word of the
[12:7] 26 tn Heb “and I will give to them soon deliverance.”
[12:7] 27 tn Or “gush forth upon.”
[12:7] 28 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
[12:8] 29 tn Heb “so they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.”
[12:10] 30 tn Heb “runners” (also in v. 11).
[12:11] 31 tn Heb “to the chamber of the runners.”
[12:12] 32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:12] 33 tn Heb “the anger of the
[12:12] 34 tn Heb “and also in Judah there were good things.”
[12:13] 35 tn Heb “and the king, Rehoboam, strengthened himself in Jerusalem and ruled.”
[12:13] 36 tn Heb “Rehoboam.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
[12:13] 37 tn Heb “the city where the
[12:13] 38 tn Heb “his”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:14] 39 tn Heb “because he did not set his heart to seek the
[12:15] 40 tn Heb “As for the events of Rehoboam, the former and the latter, are they not written?”
[12:16] 41 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[12:16] 42 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[13:2] 43 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[13:2] 44 tn The parallel text in 1 Kgs 15:1 identifies his mother as “Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom” [=Absalom, 2 Chr 11:20). Although most English versions identify the mother’s father as Uriel of Gibeah, a number of English versions substitute the name “Maacah” here for the mother (e.g., NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT).
[13:3] 45 tn Heb “and Abijah bound [i.e., began] the battle with a force of warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men.”
[13:3] 46 tn Heb “and Jeroboam arranged with him [for] battle with eight hundred thousand chosen men, strong warrior[s].”
[13:5] 47 tn Heb “Do you not know that the
[13:5] sn For other references to a “covenant of salt,” see Lev 2:13 and Num 18:19.
[13:7] 48 tn Heb “empty men, sons of wickedness.”
[13:7] 49 tn Heb “strengthened themselves.”
[13:7] 50 tn Heb “a young man and tender of heart.”
[13:8] 51 tn Heb “the kingdom of the
[13:8] 52 tn Or “horde”; or “multitude.”
[13:9] 53 tn In the Hebrew text this is phrased as a rhetorical question, “Did you not banish?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you did,” the force of which is reflected in the translation “But you banished.”
[13:9] 54 tn Heb “whoever comes to fill his hand with a bull of a son of cattle, and seven rams, and he is a priest to no-gods.”
[13:10] 55 tn Heb “and priests serving the
[13:12] 57 tn Heb “and his priests and the trumpets of the war alarm [are ready] to sound out against you.”
[13:12] 58 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 18).
[13:13] 59 tn Heb “and Jeroboam had caused to circle around an ambush to come from behind them.”
[13:14] 61 tn Heb “and Judah turned, and, look, to them [was] the battle in front and behind.”
[13:15] 62 tn Heb “shouted out.”
[13:16] 64 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 65 tn Heb “struck them down with a great striking down.”
[13:17] 66 tn Heb “and [the] slain from Israel fell, five hundred thousand chosen men.”
[13:18] 67 tn Heb “at that time.”
[13:19] 68 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[13:20] 69 tn Heb “and the strength of Jeroboam was not retained again in the days of Abijah.”
[13:21] 70 tn Heb “lifted up for himself.”
[13:22] 71 tn Heb “and his ways and his words.”
[14:1] 72 sn Beginning with 14:1, the verse numbers through 14:15 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 14:1 ET = 13:23 HT, 14:2 ET = 14:1 HT, 14:3 ET = 14:2 HT, etc., through 14:15 ET = 14:14 HT. Beginning with 15:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[14:1] 73 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[14:1] 74 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[14:1] 75 tn Heb “in his days.”
[14:2] 76 tn Heb “and Asa did the good and the right in the eyes of the
[14:3] 77 tn Heb “the altars of the foreigner.”
[14:3] 78 sn Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [’asherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
[14:4] 80 tn Heb “the law and the command.”
[14:5] 81 tn Heb “before him.”
[14:7] 82 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[14:7] 83 tn Heb “and we will surround [them] with wall[s] and towers, doors, and bars.”
[14:7] 85 tn Heb “and he has given us rest all around.”
[14:7] 86 tn The words “the cities” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[14:9] 87 tn Heb “a thousand thousands.”
[14:11] 88 tn Heb “called out.”
[14:11] 89 tn Heb “there is not with you to help between many with regard to [the one] without strength.”
[14:11] 90 tn Heb “and in your name we have come against this multitude.”
[14:11] 91 tn Heb “let not man retain [strength] with you.”
[14:13] 92 tn Heb “and there fell from the Cushites so that there was not to them preservation of life.”
[14:13] 93 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:14] 94 tn Heb “for the terror of the
[14:14] 95 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:14] 96 tn Heb “for great plunder was in them.”
[14:15] 97 tn Heb “and also they struck down the tents of the livestock.”
[14:15] 98 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:2] 99 tn Heb “went out before.”
[15:2] 100 tn Heb “when you are with him.”
[15:2] 101 tn Heb “he will allow himself to be found by you.”
[15:3] 102 tn Heb “Many days.”
[15:4] 103 tn Heb “and he allowed himself to be found by them.”
[15:5] 105 tn Heb “there was peace for the one going out or the one coming in.”
[15:5] 106 tn Heb “for great confusion was upon all the inhabitants of the lands.”
[15:6] 107 tn Heb “threw them into confusion with all distress.”
[15:7] 108 tn Heb “and let not your hands drop.”
[15:7] 109 tn Heb “for there is payment for your work.”
[15:8] 110 tn Heb “strengthened himself.”
[15:8] 111 tn Heb “the porch of the
[15:9] 112 tn Or “resident aliens.”
[15:9] 113 tn Heb “had fallen upon him.”
[15:11] 114 tn Or “In that day.”
[15:11] 115 tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (tso’n) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but their is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
[15:12] 116 tn Heb “entered into a covenant.”
[15:13] 118 tn Heb “whether small or great.”
[15:14] 119 tn Heb “with a loud voice and with a shout and with trumpets and with horns.”
[15:15] 120 tn Heb “and with all their desire they sought him and he allowed himself to be found by them.”
[15:15] 121 tn Heb “and the
[15:16] 122 tn Heb “mother,” but Hebrew often uses “father” and “mother” for grandparents and even more remote ancestors.
[15:16] 123 tn The Hebrew term גְּבִירָה (gÿvirah) can denote “queen” or “queen mother” depending on the context. Here the latter is indicated, since Maacah was the wife of Rehoboam and mother of Abijah.
[15:17] 124 tn Heb “yet the heart of Asa was complete all his days.”
[15:18] 125 tn Heb “and he brought the holy things of his father and his holy things [into] the house of God, silver, gold, and items.”
[16:1] 126 tn Heb “and he built up Ramah so as to not permit going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.”
[16:3] 127 tn Heb “[May there be] a covenant between me and you [as there was] between my father and your father.”
[16:3] 128 tn Heb “so he will go up from upon me.”
[16:4] 129 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.”
[16:4] 130 tn Heb “They struck down.”
[16:4] 131 sn In the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 15:20, this city’s name appears as Abel Beth Maacah. These appear to be variant names for the same place.
[16:5] 133 tn Heb “and he caused his work to cease.”
[16:6] 134 tn Heb “and King Asa took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its wood which Baasha had built.”
[16:6] 135 tn Heb “and he built with them.”
[16:9] 138 tn Heb “the eyes of the
[16:9] 139 tn Heb “to strengthen himself with their heart, [the one] complete toward him.”
[16:10] 140 tn Heb “and Asa was angry at the seer, and he put him [in] the house of stocks, because of his rage with him over this.”
[16:11] 141 tn Heb “Look, the events of Asa, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
[16:12] 142 tn Heb “became sick in his feet.”
[16:12] 143 tn Heb “unto upwards [i.e., very severe [was] his sickness, and even in his sickness he did not seek the
[16:13] 144 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers, and he died.”
[16:14] 145 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[16:14] 146 tn Heb “and they burned for him a large fire, very great.”
[17:1] 147 tn Heb “and strengthened himself over Israel.”
[17:2] 148 tn Or perhaps, “governors.”
[17:3] 150 tn Heb “for he walked in the ways of David his father [in] the beginning [times].”
[17:4] 152 tn Heb “walked in.”
[17:4] 153 tn Heb “and not like the behavior of Israel.”
[17:5] 154 tn Heb “established the kingdom in his hand.”
[17:5] 155 tn Heb “and he had wealth and honor in abundance.”
[17:6] 156 tn Heb “and his heart was high in the ways of the
[17:10] 157 tn Heb “and the terror of the
[17:13] 158 tn Heb “and many supplies were his in the cities of Judah, and men of war, warriors of skill in Jerusalem.”
[17:13] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[17:14] 159 tn Or perhaps “from Judah, commanders of the thousands.”
[18:2] 160 tn Heb “at the end of years.”
[18:2] 161 tn The word “visit” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[18:2] 162 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[18:2] 163 tn Heb “and Ahab slaughtered for him sheep and cattle in abundance, and for the people who were with him.”
[18:3] 165 tn Heb “Like me, like you; and like your people, my people; and with you in battle.”
[18:4] 166 tn Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”
[18:4] 167 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:5] 168 tn Heb “Should we go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
[18:5] 169 tn Though Jehoshaphat had requested an oracle from “the
[18:7] 170 tn Heb “to seek the
[18:7] 172 tn Heb “all his days.”
[18:7] 173 tn The words “his name is” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:9] 174 tn Heb “at,” which in this case probably means “near.”
[18:12] 175 tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”
[18:12] 176 tn Heb “let your words be like one of them and speak good.”
[18:14] 177 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[18:14] 178 sn One does not expect Micaiah, having just vowed to speak only what the
[18:15] 179 tn Or “swear an oath by.”
[18:16] 180 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:18] 181 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:20] 182 tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of verse 23. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 23 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the
[18:21] 183 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[18:21] 184 tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the
[18:26] 185 tn Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”
[18:29] 187 tn The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately following context. The forms are better interpreted as infinitives absolute functioning as cohortatives (see IBHS 594 §35.5.2a). Some prefer to emend the forms to imperfects.
[18:30] 188 tn Heb “small or great.”
[18:33] 189 tn Heb “now a man drew a bow in his innocence” (i.e., with no specific target in mind, or at least without realizing his target was the king of Israel).
[18:33] 190 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:1] 192 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:2] 194 tn Heb “went out to his face.”
[19:2] 195 tn Heb “and love those who hate the
[19:2] 196 tn Heb “and because of this upon you is anger from before the
[19:3] 197 tn Heb “nevertheless good things are found with you.”
[19:3] 198 tn Here בָּעַר (ba’ar) is not the well attested verb “burn,” but the less common homonym meaning “devastate, sweep away, remove.” See HALOT 146 s.v. II בער.
[19:3] 199 tn Heb “and you set your heart to seek the
[19:4] 200 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:4] 201 tn Heb “and turned them back to.”
[19:5] 203 tn Heb “in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.”
[19:6] 204 tn Heb “see what you are doing.”
[19:7] 205 tn Heb “and now let the terror of the
[19:8] 206 tn Heb “for the judgment of the
[19:8] 207 tc Heb “and to conduct a case [or “for controversy”], and they returned [to] Jerusalem.” Some emend וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (vayyashuvu, “and they returned”) to וַיֵּשְׁבוּ (vayyeshÿvu, “and they lived [in]”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יֹשְׁבֵי (yoshÿvey, “residents of”).
[19:9] 208 tn Heb “This you must do with the fear of the
[19:10] 209 tn Heb “and every case which comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities.”
[19:10] 210 tn Heb “between blood pertaining to blood.”
[19:10] 211 tn Heb “and anger will be upon you and your brothers; do this and you will not be guilty.”
[19:11] 212 tn Heb “and look, Amariah the chief priest is over you with respect to every matter of the
[19:11] 213 tn Heb “Be strong and act!”
[20:1] 214 tc The Hebrew text has “Ammonites,” but they are mentioned just before this. Most translations, following some
[20:2] 215 tn Heb “they”; the implied referent (messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 216 tn Heb “the Sea”; in context (“from the direction of Edom”) this must refer to the Dead Sea, which has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NEB, NLT).
[20:2] 217 tc Most Hebrew
[20:3] 218 tn Heb “and he set his face to seek the
[20:4] 219 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[20:4] 220 tn Heb “to seek from the
[20:4] 221 tn Heb “to seek the
[20:5] 222 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:6] 223 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 33).
[20:6] 224 tn Heb “are you not God in heaven?” The rhetorical question expects the answer “yes,” resulting in the positive statement “you are the God who lives in heaven” employed in the translation.
[20:7] 225 tn Heb “did you not drive out?” This is another rhetorical question which expects a positive response; see the note on the word “heaven” in the previous verse.
[20:7] 226 tn Heb “permanently.”
[20:7] 227 tn Or perhaps “your covenantal partner.” See Isa 41:8.
[20:8] 229 tn Heb “for your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor you
[20:9] 231 tn Heb “for your name is in this house.” The “name” of the
[20:9] 232 tn Or “so that you may.”
[20:10] 233 tn Heb “now, look, the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir.”
[20:10] 234 tn Heb “whom you did not allow Israel to enter when they came from the land of Egypt.”
[20:12] 235 tn Heb “for [or “indeed”] upon you are our eyes.”
[20:13] 236 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[20:15] 237 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah. Unlike the previous instance in v. 13 where infants, wives, and children are mentioned separately, this reference appears to include them all.
[20:15] 238 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
[20:17] 240 tn Heb “the deliverance of the
[20:17] 241 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
[20:18] 242 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “Judah” in v. 15.
[20:18] 243 tn Heb “to worship the
[20:19] 244 tn Heb “arose to praise the
[20:20] 245 tn Heb “O Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “Judah” in v. 15.
[20:20] 246 tn There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The Hiphil verb form הַאֲמִינוּ (ha’aminu, “trust”) and the Niphal form תֵאָמֵנוּ (te’amenu, “you will be safe”) come from the same verbal root (אָמַן, ’aman).
[20:21] 247 tn Or “consulted.”
[20:21] 248 tn Or “is eternal.”
[20:22] 249 tn Heb “set ambushers against.” This is probably idiomatic here for launching a surprise attack.
[20:22] 250 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.”
[20:23] 251 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the residents of Mount Seir.”
[20:23] 252 tn Heb “to annihilate and to destroy.”
[20:23] 253 tn Heb “residents.”
[20:23] 254 tn Heb “they helped, each one his fellow, for destruction.” The verb עָזַר (’azar), traditionally understood as the well-attested verb meaning “to help,” is an odd fit in this context. It is possible that it is from a homonymic root, perhaps meaning to “attack.” This root is attested in Ugaritic in a nominal form meaning “young man, warrior, hero.” For a discussion of the proposed root, see HALOT 811 s.v. II עזר.
[20:24] 255 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[20:24] 256 tn Heb “turned toward.”
[20:25] 258 tc The MT reads פְגָרִים (fÿgarim, “corpses”), but this seems odd among a list of plunder. A few medieval Hebrew
[20:25] 259 tn Heb “and they snatched away for themselves so that there was no carrying away.”
[20:25] 260 tn Heb “and they were three days looting the plunder for it was great.”
[20:26] 261 tn Heb “for there.”
[20:26] 262 sn The name Berachah, which means “blessing” in Hebrew, is derived from the verbal root “to praise [or “to bless”],” which appears earlier in the verse.
[20:29] 263 tn Heb “and the terror of God [or “a great terror”] was upon all the kingdoms of the lands.” It is uncertain if אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) should be understood as a proper name here (“God”), or taken in an idiomatic superlative sense.
[20:30] 264 tn Heb “and his God gave him rest all around.”
[20:31] 265 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:32] 266 tn Heb “he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn from it, doing what is right in the eyes of the
[20:33] 267 tn Heb “and still the people did not set their heart[s] on the God of their fathers.”
[20:34] 268 tn Heb “the rest of the events of Jehoshaphat, the former and the latter, look, they are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are taken up in the scroll of the kings of Israel.”
[20:35] 269 tn Heb “he.” The pronoun has been translated as a relative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[20:36] 270 tn Heb “he made an alliance with him.”
[20:36] 271 tn Heb “make ships to go to Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish; a “Tarshish-ship” was essentially a large seagoing merchant ship.
[20:37] 273 tn Heb “to go to Tarshish.”
[21:1] 274 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[21:1] 275 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 10, 12, 19).
[21:1] 276 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[21:1] 277 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 8:16-24 has the variant spelling “Jehoram.”
[21:2] 278 sn A number of times in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is used instead of the more specific “Judah”; see 2 Chr 12:6; 23:2). In the interest of consistency some translations (e.g., NAB, NRSV) substitute “Judah” for “Israel” here.
[21:4] 279 tn Heb “and Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself.”
[21:4] 280 tn Heb “and he killed all his brothers with the sword.”
[21:5] 281 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[21:6] 282 tn Heb “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.”
[21:6] 283 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[21:7] 286 tn Heb “which he made to David, just as he had promised to give him and his sons a lamp all the days.” Here “lamp” is metaphorical, symbolizing the Davidic dynasty.
[21:8] 287 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:8] 288 tn Heb “in his days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and enthroned a king over them.”
[21:9] 289 tc Heb “and he arose at night and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him, and the chariot officers.” The Hebrew text as it stands gives the impression that Jehoram was surrounded and launched a victorious nighttime counterattack. Yet v. 10 goes on to state that the Edomite revolt was successful. The translation above assumes an emendation of the Hebrew text. Adding a third masculine singular pronominal suffix to the accusative sign before Edom (reading אֹתוֹ [’oto, “him”] instead of just אֶת [’et]) and taking Edom as the subject of verbs allows one to translate the verse in a way that is more consistent with the context, which depicts an Israelite defeat, not victory. See also 2 Kgs 8:21.
[21:10] 290 tn Heb “and Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah until this day.”
[21:10] 291 tn Or “from Jehoram’s control”; Heb “from under his hand.” The pronominal suffix may refer to Judah in general or, more specifically, to Jehoram.
[21:10] 292 tn Heb “he.” This pronoun could refer to Judah, but the context focuses on Jehoram’s misdeeds. See especially v. 11.
[21:11] 293 tn Heb “and he caused the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery.” In this context spiritual unfaithfulness to the
[21:11] 294 tn Heb “and drove Judah away.”
[21:12] 295 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:12] 296 tn Heb “Because you…” In the Hebrew text this lengthy sentence is completed in vv. 14-15. Because of its length and complexity (and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences), the translation has divided it up into several English sentences.
[21:12] 297 tn Heb “walked in the ways.”
[21:12] 298 tn Heb “in the ways of.”
[21:13] 299 tn Heb “and you walked in the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery, like the house of Ahab causes to commit adultery.”
[21:13] 300 tn Heb “the house of your father.”
[21:14] 301 tn Heb “to strike with a great striking.”
[21:15] 302 tn Heb “and you [will have] a serious illness, an illness of the intestines until your intestines come out because of the illness days upon days.”
[21:16] 303 tn Heb “the spirit of the Philistines.”
[21:17] 304 tn Heb “broke it up.”
[21:17] 305 tn Heb “all the property which was found in the house of the king.”
[21:18] 306 tn Heb “in his intestines with an illness [for which] there was no healer.”
[21:19] 307 tn Heb “and it was to days from days, and about the time of the going out of the end for the days, two, his intestines came out with his illness and he died in severe illness.”
[21:19] 308 tn Heb “and his people did not make for him a fire, like the fire of his fathers.”
[21:20] 309 tn Heb “and he went without desire.”
[21:20] 310 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[22:1] 311 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:1] 312 tn Heb “for all the older [ones] the raiding party that came with the Arabs to the camp had killed.”
[22:2] 313 tc Heb “forty-two,” but the parallel passage in 2 Kgs 8:26 reads “twenty-two” along with some
[22:2] 314 tn The Hebrew term בַּת (bat, “daughter”) can refer, as here, to a granddaughter. See HALOT 165-66 s.v. I בַּת 1.
[22:3] 315 tn Heb “and also he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab.”
[22:3] 316 tn Heb “for his mother was his adviser to do evil.”
[22:4] 317 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[22:4] 318 tn That is, the members of Ahab’s royal house.
[22:5] 319 sn Jehoram and Joram are alternate spellings of the Israelite king’s name (also in vv. 6-7). The shorter form is used in these verse to avoid confusion with King Jehoram of Judah, father of Azariah.
[22:5] 320 tn Heb “Aram” (also in v. 6).
[22:6] 321 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:6] 322 tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
[22:6] 323 tc Most Hebrew
[22:6] 324 tn Heb “because he was sick,” presumably referring to the wounds he received in the battle with the Syrians.
[22:7] 325 tn Heb “From God was the downfall of Ahaziah by going to Joram.”
[22:7] 326 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:7] 328 tn Heb “to cut off the house of Ahab.”
[22:9] 329 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[22:9] 330 tn Heb “they said.”
[22:9] 331 tn Heb “and there was no one belonging to the house of Ahaziah to retain strength for kingship.”
[22:10] 332 tn Heb “she arose and she destroyed all the royal offspring.” The verb קוּם (qum, “arise”) is here used in an auxiliary sense to indicate that she embarked on a campaign to destroy the royal offspring. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 125.
[22:10] 333 tn Heb “house of Judah.”
[22:11] 334 sn Jehoshabeath is a variant spelling of the name Jehosheba (2 Kgs 11:2).
[22:11] 335 tn Heb “the king”; the referent (King Jehoram, see later in this verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:12] 337 tn Heb “and he was with them in the house of God hiding.”
[23:2] 339 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[23:3] 340 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoiada the priest, cf. v. 8) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:5] 341 tn Heb “all the people.”
[23:7] 343 tn Heb “and be with the king in his coming out and in his going out.”
[23:8] 344 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[23:9] 345 tn The Hebrew text lists two different types of shields here. Most translations render “the large and small shields” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV; NEB “King David’s spears, shields, and bucklers”).
[23:10] 346 tn Heb “and he stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the south shoulder of the house to the north shoulder of the house, at the altar and at the house, near the king all around.”
[23:11] 347 tn The Hebrew word עֵדוּת (’edut) normally means “witness” or “testimony.” Here it probably refers to some tangible symbol of kingship, perhaps a piece of jewelry such as an amulet or neck chain (see the discussion in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings [AB], 128). Some suggest that a document is in view, perhaps a copy of the royal protocol or of the stipulations of the Davidic covenant (see HALOT 790-91 s.v.).
[23:11] 348 tn Or “they made him king and anointed him.”
[23:12] 349 tn Heb “and Athaliah heard the sound of the people, the runners.”
[23:12] 350 tn Heb “she came to the people.”
[23:13] 351 tn Heb “and she saw, and behold.”
[23:13] 352 tn Or “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
[23:14] 354 tn Heb “for the priest had said, ‘Do not put her to death in the house of the
[23:15] 355 tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went through the entrance of the gate of the horses [into] the house of the king.” Some English versions treat the phrase “gate of the horses” as the name of the gate (“the Horse Gate”; e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[23:16] 356 tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and [between] all the people and [between] the king, to become a people for the
[23:17] 357 tn Or “tore down.”
[23:18] 359 tn Heb “as it is written in.”
[23:21] 361 tn Heb “killed Athaliah with the sword.”
[24:1] 362 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:2] 363 tn Heb “and Joash did what was proper in the eyes of the
[24:2] 364 tn Heb “all the days of.”
[24:4] 365 tn Heb “and it was, later, there was with the heart of Joash to repair the house of the
[24:6] 366 tn Heb “Jehoiada the head”; the word “priest” not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
[24:6] 369 tn Heb “the tent of testimony.”
[24:8] 370 tn Heb “and the king said [it] and they made a chest and placed it in the gate of the house of the
[24:9] 371 tn Heb “and they gave voice in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the
[24:12] 372 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
[24:13] 373 tn Heb “and the doers of the work worked, and the repairs went up for the work by their hand.”
[24:13] 374 tn Heb “and they caused the house of God to stand according to its measurements and they strengthened it.”
[24:15] 375 tn Heb “and Jehoiada grew old and was full of days and died; [he was] one hundred thirty years old when he died.”
[24:16] 376 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[24:17] 377 tn Heb “came and bowed down to the king.”
[24:18] 379 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 24).
[24:19] 381 tn Heb “and he sent among them prophets to bring them back to the
[24:19] 382 tn Heb “testified among.”
[24:22] 384 tn Heb “did not remember.”
[24:22] 385 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:22] 386 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:22] 387 tn Heb “and seek [ – ].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification.
[24:23] 389 tn Heb “went up against.”
[24:23] 390 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 391 tn Heb “though with a small amount of men the army of Aram came, the
[24:24] 392 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 393 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 394 tn Heb “executed judgments [on] Joash.”
[24:25] 395 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 396 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of.”
[24:25] 397 tc The MT has the plural בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons”), but the final yod is dittographic. Note the yod that immediately follows.
[24:25] 398 tn Heb “and he died.”
[24:25] 399 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[24:27] 400 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:27] 401 tn Heb “And his sons and the abundance of the oracle[s] against him, and the founding of the house of God, look are they not written on the writing of the scroll of the kings?”
[25:1] 402 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[25:2] 403 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[25:2] 404 tn Heb “a complete heart.”
[25:3] 405 tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure upon him.”
[25:3] 406 tn Heb “he killed his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”
[25:4] 407 tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the
[25:4] 408 tn Heb “on account of sons.”
[25:4] 409 tn Heb “on account of fathers.”
[25:4] 410 sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.
[25:5] 411 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy here for the people of Judah.
[25:5] 412 tn Heb “young men going out to war.”
[25:5] 413 tn Heb “holding a spear and a shield.”
[25:6] 414 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).
[25:7] 415 tn Heb “man of God.”
[25:7] 416 tn Heb “Israel, all the sons of Ephraim.”
[25:8] 417 tn Heb “cause you to stumble.”
[25:8] 418 tn Heb “to cause to stumble.”
[25:9] 419 tn Heb “said to the man of God.”
[25:9] 420 tn Heb “man of God.”
[25:10] 421 tn Heb “and Amaziah separated them, the troops who came to him from Ephraim, to go to their place.”
[25:11] 422 tn Heb “and Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people and went to the Valley of Salt.”
[25:11] 423 tn Or “struck down.”
[25:11] 424 tn Heb “sons of Seir.”
[25:12] 426 tn Heb “and threw them from the top of the cliff.”
[25:12] 427 tn Heb “all of them.”
[25:12] 428 tn Heb “smashed in pieces.”
[25:13] 429 tn Heb “had sent back from going with him to the battle.”
[25:13] 430 tn Heb “stripped.”
[25:13] 431 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[25:13] 432 tn Heb “struck down.”
[25:14] 434 tn Heb “caused them to stand for him as gods.”
[25:15] 435 tn Heb “seeking,” perhaps in the sense of “consulting [an oracle from].”
[25:15] 436 tn Heb “the gods of the people.”
[25:16] 438 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Amaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:16] 439 tn Heb “Stop yourself! Why should they strike you down?”
[25:16] 440 tn The verb יָעַץ (ya’ats, “has decided”) is from the same root as יוֹעֵץ (yo’ets, “counselor”) in v. 16 and עֵצָה (’etsah, “advice”) later in v. 16. The wordplay highlights the appropriate nature of the divine punishment. Amaziah rejected the counsel of God’s prophet; now he would be the victim of God’s “counsel.”
[25:17] 441 tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[25:17] 442 tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here not to a visit but to meeting in battle. See v. 21.
[25:18] 443 sn The thorn bush in the allegory is Judah. Amaziah’s success had deceived him into thinking he was on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he was not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).
[25:19] 444 tn Heb “you say [to yourself], ‘look, you have defeated Edom.’”
[25:19] 445 tn Heb “and your heart is lifted up.”
[25:19] 446 tn Heb “to glorify.”
[25:19] 447 tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”
[25:20] 448 tn Heb “did not listen.”
[25:20] 449 tn Heb “because it was from God in order to give them into the hand because they sought the gods of Edom.”
[25:21] 450 tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.” See the note on the expression “Come on, face me on the battlefield” in v. 17.
[25:22] 451 tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”
[25:23] 452 tn Heb “400 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the distance would have been about 600 feet (180 m).
[25:26] 453 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, the former and the latter, are they not – behold, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
[25:27] 454 tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.”
[25:27] 455 tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.”
[25:28] 456 tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.”
[25:28] 458 tc The Hebrew text has “Judah,” but some medieval
[25:28] sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[26:1] 459 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 15:1-8 has the variant spelling “Azariah.”
[26:2] 460 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Uzziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:2] 461 tn Heb “after the king”; the referent (Amaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:2] 462 tn “slept with his fathers.”
[26:3] 463 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[26:4] 464 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[26:5] 466 tn Heb “in the days of.”
[26:5] 467 tn Heb “in the days of his seeking.”
[26:6] 469 tn Heb “went out and fought.”
[26:6] 470 tn Heb “in Ashdod and among the Philistines.”
[26:7] 471 tn The words “in his campaigns” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons
[26:8] 472 tn Heb “and his name went to.”
[26:9] 473 tn On the meaning of the Hebrew word מִקְצוֹעַ (miqtsoa’), see HALOT 628 s.v. עַ(וֹ)מִקְצֹ. The term probably refers to an “angle” or “corner” somewhere on the eastern wall of Jerusalem.
[26:10] 474 tn Heb “Shephelah.”
[26:10] 475 tn Heb “workers and vinedressers in the hills and in Carmel.” The words “he had” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:10] 476 tn Heb “for a lover of the ground he [was].”
[26:15] 478 tn Heb “and his name went out to a distant place, for he did extraordinarily to be helped until he was strong.”
[26:16] 479 tn Heb “his heart was high [i.e., proud] to destroy.”
[26:16] 480 tn Or “was unfaithful to.”
[26:18] 481 tn Heb “stood against.”
[26:18] 482 tn Or “been unfaithful.”
[26:19] 484 tn Traditionally “leprosy,” but this was probably a skin disorder of some type, not leprosy (technically known today as Hansen’s disease). See 2 Kgs 5:1.
[26:20] 485 tn Heb “turned toward.”
[26:20] 486 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:21] 487 tn The precise meaning of בֵּית הַחָפְשִׁית (bet hakhafshiyt, “house of [?]”) is uncertain. NASB, NIV, NRSV all have “in a separate house”; NEB has “in his own house…relieved of all duties.” For a discussion of various proposals, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 166-67.
[26:22] 488 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Uzziah, the former and the latter, Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, recorded.”
[26:23] 489 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[26:23] 491 tn Heb “a field of burial.”
[26:23] 492 tn Heb “for they said, ‘He had a skin disease.’”
[27:1] 493 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[27:2] 494 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[27:2] 495 tn Heb “except he did not enter the house of the
[27:3] 496 tn Heb “wall of Ophel.” See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
[27:5] 497 tn Heb “he fought with.”
[27:5] 498 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).
[27:5] 499 sn As a unit of dry measure a kor was roughly equivalent to six bushels (about 220 liters).
[27:5] 500 tn Heb “10,000 kors of wheat and 10,000 of barley.” The unit of measure of the barley is omitted in the Hebrew text, but is understood to be “kors,” the same as the measures of wheat.
[27:5] 501 tn Heb “This the sons of Ammon brought to him, and in the second year and the third.”
[27:6] 502 tn Heb “because he established his ways before the
[27:7] 503 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jotham, and his battles and his ways, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah.”
[27:9] 504 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[27:9] 505 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[28:1] 506 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[28:1] 507 tn Heb “and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the
[28:2] 508 tn Heb “he walked in the ways of.”
[28:3] 509 sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB “burnt his sons in the fire”; NASB “burned his sons in the fire”; NIV “sacrificed his sons in the fire”; NRSV “made his sons pass through fire”). For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
[28:3] 510 tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
[28:5] 511 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[28:5] 512 tn Heb “and took captive from him a great captivity and brought [them] to Damascus.”
[28:5] 513 tn Heb “who struck him down with a great striking.”
[28:6] 514 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 25).
[28:8] 515 tn Heb “the loot.” The pronoun (“it”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
[28:8] 516 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[28:9] 517 tn Heb “and you killed them with anger [that] reaches as far as heaven.”
[28:10] 519 tn Heb “to enslave as male servants and female servants.”
[28:11] 521 tn Heb “for the rage of the anger of the
[28:12] 522 tn Heb “men from.”
[28:12] 523 tn Heb “arose against.”
[28:13] 524 tn Heb “for to the guilt of the
[28:13] 525 tn Heb “for great is [the] guilt to us and rage of anger is upon Israel.”
[28:15] 526 tn Heb “and the men who were designated by names arose and took the captives and all their naked ones they clothed from the loot.”
[28:15] 527 tn Heb “and poured oil on them.”
[28:15] 528 tn Heb “and they led them on donkeys, with respect to everyone stumbling.”
[28:15] 529 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[28:16] 530 tc Most Hebrew
[28:18] 531 tn Heb “Shephelah.”
[28:19] 533 sn That is, “of Judah.” Frequently in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is substituted for “Judah.”
[28:19] 534 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the degree of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness.
[28:20] 535 tn Heb “Tilgath-pilneser,” a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser.
[28:20] 536 tn Heb “and he caused him distress and did not strengthen him.”
[28:21] 537 tn Heb “divided up,” but some read חִלֵּץ (khillets, “despoiled”).
[28:23] 538 tn Heb “the gods of Damascus, the ones who had defeated him.” The words “he thought” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The perspective is that of Ahaz, not the narrator! Another option is that “the kings” has been accidentally omitted after “gods of.” See v. 23b.
[28:26] 540 tn Heb “As for the rest of his events, and all his ways, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
[28:27] 541 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[28:27] 542 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[29:1] 543 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[29:1] 544 tn The parallel passage in 2 Kgs 18:2 has “Abi.”
[29:2] 545 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[29:6] 547 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[29:6] 548 tn Heb “turned their faces.”
[29:6] 549 tn Heb “and turned the back.”
[29:8] 550 tn Heb “and he made them [an object] of dread and devastation and hissing.”
[29:9] 551 tn Heb “fell by the sword.”
[29:9] 552 tn Heb “are in captivity.”
[29:10] 553 tn Heb “now it is with my heart.”
[29:10] 554 tn Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from us.” The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding statement of intention.
[29:11] 555 tn Heb “to stand before him to serve him and to be his servants and sacrificers.”
[29:12] 556 tn Heb “and the Levites arose.”
[29:15] 557 tn Heb “words” (plural).
[29:16] 558 tn Heb “in the temple of the
[29:17] 559 tn Heb “porch of the
[29:21] 560 sn Perhaps these terms refer metonymically to the royal court, the priests and Levites, and the people, respectively.
[29:21] 561 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:25] 563 tn Heb “he”; the referent (King Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:26] 565 tn Heb “stood with” (i.e., stood holding).
[29:30] 566 tn Heb “with the words.”
[29:31] 568 tn Heb “filled your hand.”
[29:31] 569 tn Or “tokens of thanks.”
[29:31] 570 tn Heb “and all who were willing of heart.”
[29:32] 571 tn Heb “and the number of burnt sacrifices which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, two hundred lambs; for a burnt sacrifice to the
[29:33] 572 tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (ts’on) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but there is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
[29:34] 573 tn Heb “the burnt sacrifices.”
[29:34] 574 tn Heb “for the Levites were more pure of heart to consecrate themselves than the priests.”
[29:35] 575 tn Or “established.”
[29:36] 576 tn Heb “prepared.”
[29:36] 577 tn Heb “the people.” The pronoun “they” has been used here for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
[29:36] 578 tn Heb “for quickly was the matter.”
[30:1] 579 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[30:3] 580 tn Heb “at that time.”
[30:4] 581 tn Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.”
[30:5] 582 tn Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.”
[30:5] 583 tn The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:5] 584 tn Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.”
[30:6] 585 tn Heb “the runners.”
[30:6] 586 tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”
[30:6] 587 tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[30:6] 588 tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”
[30:7] 589 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 19, 22).
[30:7] 590 tn Heb “and he made them a devastation” (or, perhaps, “an object of horror”).
[30:8] 591 tn Heb “don’t stiffen your neck” (a Hebrew idiom for being stubborn).
[30:8] 592 tn Heb “give a hand.” On the meaning of the idiom here, see HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד 2.
[30:8] 593 tn Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from you.” The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[30:9] 594 tn Heb “turn [his] face from you.”
[30:10] 595 tn Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.”
[30:12] 596 tn Heb “also in Judah the hand of God was to give to them one heart to do the command of the king and the officials by the word of the
[30:13] 597 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “a very large assembly.” This has not been translated to avoid redundancy with the expression “a huge crowd” at the beginning of the verse.
[30:14] 598 tn Heb “and they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they removed and threw into the Kidron Valley.”
[30:16] 599 tn Heb “from the hand of the Levites.”
[30:17] 600 tn Heb “were over the slaughter of.”
[30:17] 601 tn Heb “of everyone not pure to consecrate to the
[30:18] 602 tn Heb “without what is written.”
[30:18] 603 tn Heb “make atonement for.”
[30:19] 604 tn Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.”
[30:19] 605 tn Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.”
[30:20] 606 tn Heb “listened.”
[30:21] 608 tn Heb “and they were praising the
[30:22] 609 tn Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see HALOT 210 s.v. II דבר 8.d.
[30:22] 610 tn Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the
[30:22] 611 tn Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See BDB 417 s.v.
[30:24] 612 tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (ts’on, translated “sheep” twice in this verse) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but their is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
[30:24] 613 tn Heb “the assembly.” The pronoun “them” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
[30:25] 614 tn Heb “they rejoiced.”
[30:26] 615 tn Heb “and there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.”
[30:27] 616 tn Heb “and it was heard with their voice.” BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע Niph.4 interprets this to mean “hearing was granted to their voice.” It is possible that the name יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[31:1] 617 tn Heb “all Israel.”
[31:1] 619 tn Heb “the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and in Manasseh until finished.”
[31:1] 620 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession to their cities.”
[31:2] 621 tn Heb “and Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each in accordance with his service for the priests and for the Levites.”
[31:2] 622 tn Heb “in the gates of the encampments of the
[31:3] 623 tn Heb “the portion of the king [was].”
[31:3] 624 tn Heb “as written.”
[31:4] 626 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:4] 627 tn Heb “might hold firmly.”
[31:5] 628 tn Heb “and when the word spread out.”
[31:5] 629 tn Heb “the sons of Israel multiplied.”
[31:6] 630 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel and Judah.”
[31:6] 631 tn Heb “heaps, heaps.” Repetition of the noun draws attention to the large number of heaps.
[31:7] 632 tn Heb “they began the heaps, to establish.”
[31:8] 633 tn Heb “they blessed the
[31:11] 634 tn Heb “and they prepared.”
[31:12] 636 tn Heb “and holy things in faithfulness.”
[31:15] 637 tn Heb “to their brothers.”
[31:15] 638 tn Heb “like great, like small” (i.e., old and young alike).
[31:16] 639 tn Heb “in addition enrolling them by males from a son of three years and upwards, to everyone who enters the house of the
[31:19] 640 tn Heb “the priests in the fields of the pastureland of their cities in every city and city.”
[31:19] 641 tn Heb “designated by names.”
[31:21] 642 tn Heb “and in all the work which he began with regard to the service of the house of God and with respect to the law and with respect to the commandment, to seek his God; with all his heart he acted and he succeeded.”
[32:1] 643 tn Heb “and he said to break into them for himself.”
[32:2] 644 tn Heb “and his face was for war against Jerusalem.”
[32:2] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[32:3] 645 tn Heb “the waters of the springs.”
[32:4] 646 tn Heb “and they closed up all the springs and the stream that flows in the midst of the land.” Here אָרֶץ (’arets, “land”) does not refer to the entire land, but to a smaller region like a district.
[32:4] 647 tn Heb “land, saying.”
[32:5] 648 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:5] 649 tn Heb “strengthened himself and built.”
[32:5] 650 tn Heb “and outside the wall another one.”
[32:5] 651 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[32:6] 652 tn Heb “and he placed officers of war over the people.”
[32:6] 653 tn Heb “he spoke to their heart[s].”
[32:7] 654 tn Or perhaps, “and don’t be discouraged.”
[32:7] 655 tn Heb “for with us [is] a greater [one] than with him.”
[32:8] 656 tn Heb “With him is an arm of flesh.”
[32:9] 659 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[32:10] 660 tn Heb “On what are you trusting that [you] are living during the siege in Jerusalem.”
[32:11] 662 tn Heb “Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to die by hunger and thirst, saying, ‘The
[32:12] 663 tn Heb “Did not he, Hezekiah, eliminate…?” This rhetorical question presupposes a positive reply (“yes, he did”) and so has been translated here as a positive statement.
[32:12] 664 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the
[32:13] 665 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 14, 15), but in this context the term does not necessarily refer to Sennacherib’s ancestors, but to his predecessors on the Assyrian throne.
[32:15] 668 tn Heb “how much less.”
[32:15] 669 tn The verb is plural, suggesting that the preceding אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (’elohekhem) be translated “your gods,” rather than “your God.”
[32:16] 670 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[32:16] 671 tn Heb “spoke against.”
[32:17] 672 tn Heb “and speaking against him, saying.”
[32:17] 673 tn Heb “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”
[32:21] 675 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:21] 676 tn Heb “and he returned with shame of face to his land.”
[32:21] 677 tn Heb “and some from those who went out from him, from his inward parts.”
[32:22] 678 tn Heb “and from the hand of all.”
[32:22] 679 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he led him from all around.” However, the present translation assumes an emendation to וַיָּנַח לָהֶם מִסָּבִיב (vayyanakh lahem missaviv, “and he gave rest to them from all around”). See 2 Chr 15:15 and 20:30.
[32:23] 680 tn Or perhaps, “offerings.”
[32:23] 681 tn Heb “lifted up in the eyes of.”
[32:24] 682 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying.”
[32:24] 683 tn Heb “and he spoke to him and a sign he gave to him.”
[32:25] 684 tn Heb “but not according to the benefit [given] to him did Hezekiah repay, for his heart was high, and there was anger against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”
[32:25] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[32:26] 685 tn Heb “and Hezekiah humbled himself in the height of his heart, he and the residents of Jerusalem, and the anger of the
[32:27] 686 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and shields and all the desirable items.” The present translation assumes an emendation of מָגִנִּים (maginnim, “shields”) to מִגְדָּנִים (migdanim, “precious items”). See v. 23.
[32:28] 687 tn Heb “and stalls for all beasts and beasts, and flocks for the stalls.” The repetition of בְהֵמָה (bÿhemah, “beast”) here indicates various kinds of livestock.
[32:29] 688 tn Heb “and cities he made for himself.”
[32:30] 689 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[32:31] 690 tn Heb “and when the envoys of the officials of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire concerning the sign which was in the land, [arrived].”
[32:31] 691 tn Heb “to know all [that was] in his heart.”
[32:32] 692 tn Heb “and the rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and his faithful acts, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet upon the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
[32:33] 693 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[32:33] 694 tn Heb “and honor they did to him in his death, all Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.”
[33:1] 695 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:2] 696 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[33:2] 697 tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
[33:3] 698 tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הֲַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsÿva’ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.
[33:4] 700 tn Heb “In Jerusalem my name will be permanently.”
[33:6] 701 tn Or “he sacrificed his sons in the fire.” This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB, NASV “made his sons pass through the fire”; NIV “sacrificed his sons in the fire”; NRSV “made his sons pass through fire”). For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
[33:6] 702 tn Heb “and he set up a ritual pit, along with a conjurer.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a בַּעֲלַת אוֹב (ba’alat ’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
[33:6] 703 tn Heb “and he multiplied doing what is evil in the eyes of the
[33:7] 704 tn Heb “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I chose from all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name permanently” (or perhaps “forever”).
[33:8] 705 tn Heb “I will not again make the feet of Israel wander from the land which I established for their fathers.”
[33:9] 706 tn Heb “misled Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[33:10] 707 tn Heb “spoke to.”
[33:11] 708 tn Heb “and they seized him with hooks.”
[33:12] 710 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:12] 711 tn Heb “appeased the face of the
[33:13] 714 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the
[33:13] 715 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[33:13] 716 tn Heb “was entreated by him,” or “allowed himself to be entreated by him.”
[33:13] 718 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[33:14] 719 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:14] 720 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[33:16] 721 tn Heb “told Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[33:18] 723 tn Heb “look, they are.”
[33:19] 724 tn Heb “and his prayer and being entreated by him, and all his sin and his unfaithfulness and the places where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself – behold, they are written on the words of his seers.”
[33:20] 725 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[33:21] 726 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:22] 727 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[33:23] 729 tn Heb “as Manasseh his father had humbled himself.”
[33:23] 730 tn Heb “for he, Amon, multiplied guilt.”
[33:25] 731 tn Heb “and the people of the land.”
[34:1] 732 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[34:2] 733 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[34:2] 734 tn Heb “and walked in the ways of David his father.”
[34:3] 736 tn Heb “purifying.”
[34:4] 737 tn Heb “and they tore down before him the altars of the Baals.”
[34:5] 738 tn Heb “the priests”; the qualifying adjective “pagan” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:6] 739 tn “In their ruins” is the marginal reading (Qere) of the Hebrew text.
[34:8] 740 tn Heb “to purify the land and the house.”
[34:9] 741 tn Heb “from Manasseh and Ephraim.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the names “Manasseh and Ephraim” here by metonymy for the people of Manasseh and Ephraim.
[34:9] 742 tn Heb “all Judah and Benjamin.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the names “Judah and Benjamin” here by metonymy for the people of Judah and Benjamin.
[34:9] 743 tc The Hebrew consonantal text (Kethib) assumes the reading, “and the residents of.” The marginal reading (Qere) is “and they returned.”
[34:10] 744 tn Heb “doer[s] of the work.”
[34:10] 745 tn Heb “and they gave it to the doers of the work who were working in the house of the
[34:11] 746 tn Heb “of the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed.”
[34:13] 747 tn Heb “[were] over the laborers and were directing every doer of work for work assignment and work assignment.”
[34:16] 748 tn Heb “returned still the king a word, saying.”
[34:17] 749 tn Heb “that was found in the house of the
[34:20] 750 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 22:12 has the variant spelling “Acbor son of Micaiah.”
[34:21] 751 tn Or “inquire of.”
[34:21] 752 tn Heb “concerning.”
[34:21] 753 tn Heb “for great is the anger of the
[34:21] 754 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 32, 33).
[34:21] 755 tn Heb “by doing according to all that is written on this scroll.”
[34:22] 756 tn Heb “and those who [were sent by] the king.”
[34:22] 757 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 22:14 has the variant spelling “son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas.”
[34:22] 758 tn Heb “the keeper of the clothes.”
[34:22] 759 tn Or “second.” For a discussion of the possible location of this district, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 283.
[34:22] 760 tn Heb “and they spoke to her like this.”
[34:25] 761 tn Or “burned incense.”
[34:25] 762 tn Heb “angering me with all the work of their hands.” The present translation assumes this refers to idols they have manufactured (note the preceding reference to “other gods”). However, it is possible that this is a general reference to their sinful practices, in which case one might translate, “angering me by all the things they do.”
[34:27] 763 tn Heb “Because your heart was tender.”
[34:28] 764 tn Heb “Therefore, behold, I am gathering you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your tomb in peace.”
[34:29] 765 tn Heb “and the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.”
[34:31] 766 tc This assumes an emendation to עַמּוּדוֹ (’ammudo), see 23:13. The MT reads “at his place.”
[34:31] 767 tn Heb “cut,” that is, “made” or “agreed to.”
[34:31] 768 tn Heb “walk after.”
[34:32] 771 tn Heb “and he caused to stand everyone who was found in Jerusalem and Benjamin.”
[34:33] 772 tn Or “caused, forced.”
[34:33] 773 tn Heb “all his days.”
[35:1] 774 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[35:5] 776 tn Heb “and stand in the sanctuary by the divisions of the house of the fathers for your brothers, the sons of the people, and a division of the house of a father for the Levites.”
[35:6] 777 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[35:7] 778 tn Heb “and Josiah supplied for the sons of the people sheep, lambs and sons of goats, the whole for the Passover sacrifices for everyone who was found according to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand cattle. These were from the property of the king.”
[35:10] 779 tn Heb “and the service was prepared.”
[35:11] 780 tn Heb “from their hand.”
[35:12] 781 tn Heb “and they put aside the burnt offering[s] to give them to the divisions of the house of the fathers for the sons of the people to bring near to the
[35:20] 783 tn Heb “After all this, [by] which Josiah prepared the temple.”
[35:20] 784 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[35:21] 785 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Neco) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[35:21] 786 tn Heb “What to me and to you, king of Judah?”
[35:21] 787 tn Heb “Not against you, you, today, but against the house of my battle.”
[35:21] 788 tn Heb “Stop yourself from [opposing] God who is with me and let him not destroy you.”
[35:22] 789 tn Heb “and Josiah did not turn his face from him.”
[35:22] 790 tn Heb “listen to.”
[35:22] 791 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[35:23] 792 tn Heb “carry me away.”
[35:24] 793 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[35:26] 795 tn Heb “and his faithful acts according to what is written in the law of the
[35:27] 796 tn Heb “look, they are written.”
[36:1] 797 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[36:3] 799 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).
[36:4] 800 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoahaz) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[36:5] 801 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[36:5] 802 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[36:6] 803 tn Heb “came up against him.”
[36:6] 804 tn Heb “to carry him away.”
[36:7] 806 tn Heb “in Babylon.” Repeating the proper name “Babylon” here would be redundant in contemporary English, so “there” has been used in the translation.
[36:8] 807 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoiakim, and his horrible deeds which he did and that which was found against him, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah.”
[36:9] 808 tc The Hebrew text reads “eight,” but some ancient textual witnesses, as well as the parallel text in 2 Kgs 24:8, have “eighteen.”
[36:9] 809 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[36:9] 810 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[36:10] 811 tn Heb “sent and brought him.”
[36:10] 812 tn Heb “and he made Zedekiah his brother king.” According to the parallel text in 2 Kgs 24:17, Zedekiah was Jehoiachin’s uncle, not his brother. Therefore many interpreters understand אח here in its less specific sense of “relative” (NEB “made his father’s brother Zedekiah king”; NASB “made his kinsman Zedekiah king”; NIV “made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, king”; NRSV “made his brother Zedekiah king”).
[36:11] 813 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
