1   
And Solomon the sonne of Dauid was strengthned in his kingdome, ^note and the Lord his God was with him, ∧ magnified him exceedingly.

2   
Then Solomon spake vnto all Israel, to the captaines of thousands, and of hundreds, and to the Iudges, and to euery gouernour in all Israel, the chiefe of the fathers.

3   
So Solomon and all the Congregation with him, went to the high place that was at ^note Gibeon, for there was the Tabernacle of the Congregation of God, which Moses the seruant of the Lord had made in the wildernesse.

4   
^noteBut the Arke of God had Dauid brought vp from Kiriath-iearim, to the place which Dauid had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Ierusalem.

5   
Moreouer ^note the brasen Altar that Bezaleel the sonne of Uri, the sonne of Hur, had made, ^note hee put before the Tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the Congregation sought vnto it.

6   
And Solomon went vp thither to the brasen Altar before the Lord, which was at the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings vpon it.

7   
¶ In that night did God appeare vnto Solomon, and saide vnto him; Aske what I shall giue thee.

8   
And Solomon saide vnto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy vnto Dauid my father, and hast made ^note me to reigne in his stead:

9   
Now, O Lord God, let thy promise vnto Dauid my father be established: ^note for thou hast made mee King ouer a people, ^note like the dust of the earth in multitude.

10   
Giue ^note mee now wisedome and knowledge, that I may goe out and come in before this people. For who can iudge this thy people, that is so great?

11   
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast

Preparation for the Temple. asked wisedome and knowledge for thy selfe, that thou mayest iudge my people, ouer whom I haue made thee King:

12   
Wisedome and knowledge is granted vnto thee, and I will giue thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as ^note none of the kings haue had, that haue beene before thee, neither shall there any after thee haue the like.

13   
¶ Then Solomon came from his iourney to the high place that was at Gibeon, to Ierusalem, from before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and reigned ouer Israel.

14   
^noteAnd Solomon gathered charets and horsemen: and hee had a thousand and foure hundred charets, and twelue thousand horsemen, which he placed in the charet-cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.

15   
^noteAnd the King ^note made siluer and gold at Ierusalem as plenteous as stones, and Cedar trees made hee as the Sycomore trees, that are in the vale for abundance.

16   
^noteAnd ^note Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarne: the Kings merchants receiued the linnen yarne at a price.

17   
And they fetcht vp and brought foorth out of Egypt, a charet for sixe hundred shekels of siluer, and an horse for an hundred and fiftie: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, ^note by their meanes. 369 CHAP. II. 1 and 17 Solomons labourers for the building of the Temple. 3 His embassage to Huram for workemen and prouision of stuffe. 11 Huram sendeth him a kinde answere.

1   
And Solomon determined to build an house for the Name of the Lord, and an house for his kingdome.

2   
And Solomon told out threescore and tenne thousand men to beare burdens, and fourescore thousand to hewe in the mountaine, and three thousand and sixe hundred to ouersee them.

3   
¶ And Solomon sent to ^note Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou diddest deale with Dauid my father, and diddest send him Cedars to builde him an house to dwell therein, euen so deale with me. Preparation for the Temple.

4   
Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burne before him ^note sweet incense, and for the continuall shew-bread, and for the burnt offrings morning and euening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new Moones, and on the solemne feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for euer to Israel.

5   
And the house which I build, is great: for great is our God aboue all gods.

6   
^noteBut who ^note is able to build him an house, seeing the heauen, and heauen of heauens cannot conteine him? who am I then that I should build him an house? saue onely to burne sacrifice before him?

7   
Send me now therefore a man, cunning to worke in gold and in siluer, and in brasse, and in yron, and in purple and crimson, and blew, and that can skil to ^note graue, with the cunning men that are with me in Iudah, and in Ierusalem, whome Dauid my father did prouide.

8   
Send me also Cedar trees, firre trees, and ^note Algume trees, out of Lebanon: (for I know that thy seruants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon) and behold, my seruants shalbe with thy seruants,

9   
Euen to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build, shalbe ^note wonderfull great.

10   
And behold, I will giue to thy seruants the hewers that cut timber, twentie thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twentie thousand measures of barley, and twentie thousand baths of wine, and twentie thousand baths of oyle.

11   
¶ Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which hee sent to Solomon: Because the Lord hath loued his people, hee hath made thee King ouer them.

12   
Huram said moreouer, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heauen and earth, who hath giuen to Dauid the King a wise sonne, ^note indued with prudence and vnderstanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdome.

13   
And now I haue sent a cunning man (indued with vnderstanding) of Huram my fathers:

14   
The sonne of a woman of the

The building of the Temple. daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilfull to worke in golde and in siluer, in brasse, in yron, in stone and in timber, in purple, in blew, and in fine linen, and in crimson: also to graue any maner of grauing, and to find out euery deuice which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord Dauid thy father.

15   
Now therefore the wheate and the barley, the oyle and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send vnto his seruants:

16   
And wee will cut wood out of Lebanon, ^note as much as thou shalt need, and wee will bring it to thee in flotes by sea to ^note Ioppa, and thou shalt carie it vp to Ierusalem.

17   
¶ ^note And Solomon numbred all ^note the strangers that were in the lande of Israel, after the numbring wherewith Dauid his father had numbred them: and they were found an hundred and fiftie thousand, and three thousand and sixe hundred.

18   
And he set ^note threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourescore thousand to be hewers in the mountaine, and three thousand and sixe hundred ouerseers to set the people a worke. 370 CHAP. III. 1 The place, and time of building the Temple. 3 The measure and ornaments of the house. 11 The Cherubims. 14 The vaile and pillars.

1   
Then ^note Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Ierusalem in Mount Moriah, ^note where the Lord appeared vnto Dauid his father, in the place that Dauid had prepared in the threshing floore of ^note Ornan the Iebusite.

2   
And he began to build in the second day of the second moneth, in the fourth yeere of his reigne.

3   
¶ Now these are the things ^note wherein Solomon was ^note instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubites after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twentie cubites.

4   
And the ^note porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was atcording to the breadth of the house, twentie cubites, and the height was an hundred and The building of the Temple. twenty: and he ouerlaid it within, with pure gold.

5   
And the greater house hee sieled with firre tree, which he ouerlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palme trees and chaines.

6   
And he ^note garnished the house with precious stones for beautie, and the gold was gold of Paruaim.

7   
Hee ouerlaid also the house, the beames, the postes and the wals thereof, and the doores thereof with gold, and graued Cherubims on the walles.

8   
And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was, according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twentie cubits: and he ouerlaid it with fine gold amounting to sixe hundred talents.

9   
And the weight of the nailes was fiftie shekels of gold: and he ouerlaide the vpper chambers with gold.

10   
And in the most holy place hee made two Cherubims of ^note image work, and ouerlaid them with gold.

11   
¶ And the wings of the Cherubims were twentie cubites long: one wing of the one Cherub was fiue cubites, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise fiue cubites, reaching to the wing of the other Cherub:

12   
And one wing of the other Cherub was fiue cubites, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was fiue cubites also, ioyning to the wing of the other Cherub.

13   
The wings of these Cherubims spread themselues forth twentie cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were ^note inward.

14   
¶ And he made the ^note vaile of blue and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and ^note wrought Cherubims thereon.

15   
Also hee made before the house, ^note two pillars of thirtie and fiue cubites ^note high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them, was fiue cubites.

16   
And he made chaines, as in the Oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars, and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chaines.

17   
And he ^note reared vp the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left, and called the name of that on the right hand, ^note Iachin, and the name of that on the left, ^note Boaz.

Diuers vessels for the Temple. 371 CHAP. IIII. 1 The Altar of brasse. 2 The molten Sea vpon twelue oxen. 6 The ten lauers, canstlesticks, and tables. 9 The Courts & the instruments of brasse. 19 The instruments of gold.

1   
Moreouer he made an Altar of brasse, twentie cubites the length thereof, and twentie cubites the breadth thereof, and ten cubites the height therof.

2   
¶ ^note Also he made a molten Sea of ten cubites, ^note from brim to brim, round in compasse, and fiue cubites the height thereof, and a line of thirtie cubites did compasse it round about.

3   
^noteAnd vnder it was the similitude of oxen, which did compasse it round about: tenne in a cubite compassing the Sea round about. Two rowes of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

4   
It stood vpon twelue oxen: three looking toward the North, and three looking toward the West, and three looking toward the South, and three looking toward the East: and the Sea was set aboue vpon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5   
And the thicknes of it was an hand breadth, ∧ the brim of it like the worke of the brim of a cup, ^note with flowers of Lillies: and it receiued and held three thousand baths.

6   
¶ He made also ten Lauers, and put fiue on the right hand, and fiue on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the ^note burnt offring, they washed in them, but the Sea was for the Priests to wash in.

7   
And hee made ten candlesticks of gold according to their forme, and set them in the Temple, fiue on the right hand, and fiue on the left.

8   
He made also ten tables, and placed them in the Temple, fiue on the right side, and fiue on the left: and hee made an hundred ^note basens of gold.

9   
¶ Furthermore, hee made the court of the Priests, and the great court, and doores for the court, and ouerlayd the doores of them with brasse.

10   
And he set the Sea on the rightside of the East end, ouer against the South.

11   
And Huram made the pots, and the shouels, and the ^note basens, and Huram ^note finished the worke that he was to make for King Solomon for the house of God: Diuers vessels for the Temple.

12   
To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters, which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreathes to couer the two pommels of the chapiters, which were on the top of the pillars:

13   
And foure hundred Pomegranats on the two wreathes: two rowes of Pomegranats on each wreath, to couer the two pommels of the chapiters, which were ^note vpon the pillars.

14   
He made also bases; and ^note lauers made he vpon the bases.

15   
One Sea, ∧ twelue oxen vnder it.

16   
The pots also, and the shouels, and the fleshhookes, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to King Solomon for the house of the Lord, of ^note bright brasse.

17   
In the plaine of Iordan did the King cast them, in the ^note clay-ground, betweene Succoth and Zeredathah.

18   
Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brasse could not be found out.

19   
¶ And Solomon made all the vessels, that were for the house of God, the golden Altar also, and the tables whereon the Shew-bread was set.

20   
Moreouer the candlesticks with their lampes, that they should burne after the maner, before the Oracle, of pure gold:

21   
And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs made he of golde, and that ^note perfect gold.

22   
And the snuffers, and the ^note basens, and the spoones, and the censers, of pure gold. And the entry of the house, the inner doores thereof for the most Holy place, and the doores of the house of the Temple, were of gold. 372 CHAP. V. 1 The dedicated treasures. 2 The solemne induction of the Arke into the oracle. 11 God being praised, giueth a visible signe of his fauour.

1   
Thus al the worke that Solomon made for the house of the Lord, was finished: ^note ∧ Solomon brought in all the things that Dauid his father had dedicated; and the siluer, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

2   
¶ ^note Then Solomon assembled

Solomon sacrificeth, and praiseth God. the Elders of Israel, and all the heads of the Tribes, the chiefe of the fathers of the children of Israel vnto Ierusalem, to bring vp the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, out of the citie of Dauid, which is Zion.

3   
Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselues vnto the king in the feast, which was in the seuenth moneth.

4   
And all the Elders of Israel came, and the Leuites tooke vp the Arke.

5   
And they brought vp the Arke, and the tabernacle of the Congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the Priests and the Leuites bring vp.

6   
Also king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled vnto him before the Arke, sacrificed sheepe and oxen, which could not be told nor numbred for multitude.

7   
And the priests brought in the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord vnto his place, to the Oracle of the house, into the most holy place, euen vnder the wings of the Cherubims:

8   
For the Cherubims spread foorth their wings ouer the place of the Arke, and the Cherubims couered the Arke and the staues thereof, aboue.

9   
And they drew out the staues of the Arke, that the ends of the staues were seene from the Arke before the Oracle, but they were not seene without. And there ^note it is vnto this day.

10   
There was nothing in the Arke saue the two tables which Moses ^note put therein at Horeb, ^note when the Lord made a couenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11   
¶ And it came to passe when the Priests were come out of the holy place (for all the priests that were ^note present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12   
^noteAlso the Leuites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Ieduthun, with their sonnes and their brethren, being arayed in white linnen hauing cymbals, and psalteries, and harpes, stood at the East end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twentie Priests, sounding with trumpets:)

13   
It came euen to passe, as the trumpetters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising Solomon sacrificeth, and praiseth God. and thanking the Lord: and when they lift vp their voyce with the trumpets, and cymbals, and instruments of musicke, and praised the Lord, saying, ^note For he is good, for his mercie endureth for euer: that then the house was filled with a cloude, euen the house of the Lord.

14   
So that the Priests could not stand to minister, by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. 373 CHAP. VI. 1 Solomon hauing blessed the people, blesseth God. 12 Solomons prayer in the consecration of the Temple, vpon the brasen scaffold.

1   
Then ^note said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the ^note thicke darkenesse.

2   
But I haue built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for euer.

3   
And the King turned his face and blessed the whole Congregation of Israel, (and all the Congregation of Israel stood)

4   
And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his handes fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father Dauid, saying,

5   
Since the day that I brought foorth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no citie among all the tribes of Israel to builde an house in, that my Name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a ruler ouer my people Israel:

6   
But I haue chosen Ierusalem, that my name might be there, and haue chosen Dauid to be ouer my people Israel.

7   
Now ^note it was in the heart of Dauid my father to build an house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

8   
But the Lord said to Dauid my father: Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to builde an house for my Name, thou diddest well in that it was in thine heart.

9   
Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house, but thy sonne which shall come foorth out of thy loynes, he shall build the house for my Name.

10   
The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken:

The prayer of Solomon. for I am risen vp in the roome of Dauid my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and haue built the house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

11   
And in it haue I put the Arke, wherein is the Couenant of the Lord, that hee made with the children of Israel.

12   
¶ And he stood before the Altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his hands:

13   
(For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of fiue cubites ^note long, and fiue cubites broad, and three cubites high, and had set it in the midst of the Court, and vpon it hee stood, and kneeled downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his hands towards heauen.)

14   
And said, O Lord God of Israel, ^note there is no God like thee in the heauen, nor in the earth, which keepest couenant, and shewest mercy vnto thy seruants, that walke before thee with all their hearts,

15   
Thou which hast kept with thy seruant Dauid my father, that which thou hast promised him: and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

16   
Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father, that which thou hast promised him, saying, ^note There shall not ^note faile thee a man in my sight, to sit vpon the throne of Israel: ^note yet so, that thy children take heede to their way, to walke in my Law, as thou hast walked before me.

17   
Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken vnto thy seruant Dauid.

18   
(But wil God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? ^noteBehold, heauen, and the heauen of heauens cannot conteine thee: how much lesse this house which I haue built?)

19   
Haue respect therfore to the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken vnto the cry, and the prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee:

20   
That thine eyes may bee open vpon this house day and night, vpon the place whereof thou hast saide, that thou wouldest put thy Name there, to The prayer of Solomon. hearken vnto the prayer, which thy seruant prayeth ^note towards this place.

21   
Hearken therefore vnto the supplications of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall ^note make towards this place: heare thou from thy dwelling place, euen from heauen; and when thou hearest, forgiue.

22   
¶ If a man sinne against his neighbour, ^note and an oath be layd vpon him, to make him sweare, and the oath come before thine Altar in this house:

23   
Then heare thou from heauen, and doe, and iudge thy seruants by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way vpon his owne head, and by iustifying the righteous, by giuing him according to his righteousnesse.

24   
¶ And if thy people Israel ^note be put to the worse before the enemy, because they haue sinned against thee, and shall returne and confesse thy Name, and pray and make supplication before thee ^note in this house:

25   
Then heare thou from the heauens, and forgiue the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the land which thou gauest to them, and to their fathers.

26   
¶ When the ^note heauen is shut vp, and there is no raine, because they haue sinned against thee: yet if they pray towards this place, and confesse thy Name, and turne from their sinne, when thou doest afflict them:

27   
Then heare thou from heauen, and forgiue the sinne of thy seruants, and of thy people Israel; when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walke, and send raine vpon the land, which thou hast giuen vnto thy people for an inheritance.

28   
¶ If there ^note be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mil-dew, locusts or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the ^note cities of their land: whatsoeuer sore, or whatsoeuer sicknesse there be:

29   
Then what prayer, or what supplication soeuer shall bee made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when euery one shal know his owne sore and his owne griefe, and shall spread foorth his hands ^note in this house:

30   
Then heare thou from heauen thy dwelling place, and forgiue, and render vnto euery man according vnto all his wayes, whose heart thou knowest (for thou onely ^note knowest the hearts

Solomon prayeth, and offreth sacrifices. of the children of men:)

31   
That they may feare thee, to walke in thy waies ^note so long as they liue ^note in the land which thou gauest vnto our fathers.

32   
¶ Moreouer concerning the stranger ^note which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a farre countrey for thy great Names sake, ∧ thy mightie hand, and thy stretched out arme: if they come and pray in this house:

33   
Then heare thou from the heauens, euen from thy dwelling place, and doe according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy Name, and feare thee, as doeth thy people Israel, and may know that ^note this house which I haue built, is called by thy Name.

34   
If thy people goe out to warre against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray vnto thee toward this citie which thou hast chosen, and the house which I haue built for thy Name:

35   
Then heare thou from the heauens their prayer and their supplication, and maintaine their ^note cause.

36   
If they sinne against thee (for there is ^note no man which sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliuer them ouer before their enemies, and ^note they cary them away captiues vnto a land far off or neere:

37   
Yet if they ^note bethinke themselues in the land whither they are caried captiue, and turne and pray vnto thee in the land of their captiuitie, saying, Wee haue sinned, we haue done amisse, and haue dealt wickedly:

38   
If they returne to thee with all their heart, and with all their soule, in the land of their captiuitie, whither they haue caried them captiues, and pray toward their land which thou gauest vnto their fathers, and toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I haue built for thy Name:

39   
Then heare thou from the heauens, euen from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintaine their ^note cause, and forgiue thy people, which haue sinned against thee.

40   
Now, my God, let (I beseech thee) thine eyes bee open, and let thine eares be attent ^note vnto the prayer that is made in this place. Solomon prayeth, and offreth sacrifices.

41   
Now ^note therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the Arke of thy strength: Let thy Priests, O Lord God, be clothed with saluation, and let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse.

42   
O Lord God, turne not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of Dauid thy seruant. 374 CHAP. VII. 1 God hauing giuen testimonie to Solomons prayer by fire from heauen, and glory in the Temple, the people worship him. 4 Solomons solemne sacrifice. 8 Solomon hauing kept the feast of Tabernacles and the feast of the Dedication of the Altar, dismisseth the people. 12 God appearing to Solomon, giueth him promises vpon condition.

1   
Now when Solomon had made an ende of praying, the ^note fire came downe from heauen, and consumed the burnt offering, and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

2   
And the Priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lords house.

3   
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came downe, and the glory of the Lord vpon the house, they bowed themselues with their faces to the ground vpon the pauement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For hee is good, for his mercy endureth for euer.

4   
¶ Then the King and all the people, offered sacrifices before the Lord.

5   
And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twentie and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twentie thousand sheepe. So the King and all the people, dedicated the house of God.

6   
^noteAnd the Priests waited on their offices: the Leuites also with instruments of musicke of the Lord, which Dauid the King had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for euer, when Dauid praised ^note by their ministerie: and the Priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

7   
Moreouer, Solomon hallowed the middle of the Court, that was before the house of the Lord: for there hee offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen

Gods promises. Altar which Solomon had made, was not able to receiue the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

8   
¶ Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seuen dayes, and all Israel with him, a very great Congregation, from the entring in of Hamath, vnto the ^note Riuer of Egypt.

9   
And in the eight day they made ^note a solemne assembly: for they kept the dedication of the Altar seuen dayes, and the feast seuen dayes.

10   
And on the three and twentieth day of the seuenth moneth, he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodnesse that the Lord had shewed vnto Dauid, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11   
Thus ^note Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the Kings house: and all that came into Solomons heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his owne house, hee prosperously effected.

12   
¶ And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said vnto him, I haue heard thy prayer, ^note and haue chosen this place to my selfe for an house of sacrifice.

13   
If I shut vp heauen that there bee no raine, or if I command the locusts to deuoure the land, or if I send pestilence among my people:

14   
If my people ^note which are called by my Name, shall humble themselues and pray, and seeke my face, and turne from their wicked wayes: then will I heare from heauen, and will forgiue their sinne, and will heale their land.

15   
Now mine eyes shalbe open, and mine ^note eares attent ^note vnto the prayer that is made in this place.

16   
For now haue ^note I chosen, ∧ sanctified this house, that my Name may be there for euer: and mine eyes and mine heart shalbe there perpetually.

17   
And as for thee, if thou wilt walke before me, as Dauid thy father walked, and doe according to all that I haue commanded thee, and shalt obserue my Statutes, and my Iudgements:

18   
Then wil I stablish the throne of thy kingdome, according as I haue couenanted with Dauid thy father, saying, ^{note note} There shall not faile thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

19   
^noteBut if yee turne away and forsake Solomons buildings. my Statutes and my Commandements which I haue set before you, and shall goe and serue other gods, and worship them:

20   
Then will I plucke them vp by the roots out of my land which I haue giuen them, and this house which I haue sanctified for my Name, wil I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a prouerbe, and a by-word among all nations.

21   
And this house which is high, shall be an astonishment to euery one that passeth by it; so that hee shall say; ^note Why hath the Lord done thus vnto this land, and vnto this house?

22   
And it shalbe answered, Because they forsooke the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and layd hold on others gods, and worshipped them, aud serued them: Therefore hath hee brought all this euil vpon them. 375 CHAP. VIII. 1 Solomons buildings. 7 The Gentiles which were left, Solomon made tributaries, but the Israelites, rulers. 11 Pharaohs daughter remoueth to her house. 12 Solomons yeerely solemne sacrifices. 14 Hee appointeth the Priests and Leuites to their places. 17 The Nauie fetcheth gold from Ophir.

1   
And ^note it came to passe (at the end of twentie yeeres, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, ∧ his own house)

2   
That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3   
And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and preuailed against it.

4   
And he built Tadmor in the wildernesse, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.

5   
Also he built Beth-horon the vpper, and Beth-horon the nether, fensed cities with walles, gates and barres:

6   
And Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the charet-cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and ^note all that Solomon desired to build in Ierusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7   
¶ As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites,

Solomons offrings: His wisedome. and the Perizzites, and the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, which were not of Israel:

8   
But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not; them did Solomon make to pay tribute, vntill this day.

9   
But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no seruants for his worke: but they were men of warre, and chiefe of his captains, and captains of his charets and horsemen.

10   
And these were the chiefe of king Solomons officers, euen two hundred and fifty, that bare rule ouer the people.

11   
¶ And Solomon ^note brought vp the daughter of Pharaoh out of the citie of Dauid, vnto the house that he had built for her: for hee said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of Dauid king of Israel, because the places are ^note holy, whereunto the Arke of the Lord hath come.

12   
¶ Then Solomon offered burnt offerings vnto the Lord on the Altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch:

13   
Euen after a certaine rate euery ^note day, offering according to the commandement of Moses, on the Sabbaths, and on the new Moones, and on the solemne Feasts ^note three times in the yeere, euen in the feast of Unleauened bread, and in the feast of Weekes, and in the feast of Tabernacles.

14   
¶ And he appointed, according to the order of Dauid his father, the ^note courses of the Priests to their seruice, and the Leuites to their charges, to praise and minister before the Priests, as the duety of euery day required: the ^note porters also by their courses, at euery gate: for ^note so had Dauid the man of God commanded.

15   
And they departed not from the commandement of the King vnto the Priests and Leuites, concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16   
Now all the worke of Solomon was prepared vnto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and vntill it was finished: so the house of God was perfected.

17   
¶ Then went Solomon to Ezion Geber, and to ^note Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18   
And Huram sent him by the hands of his seruants, shippes, and seruants Solomons offrings: His wisedome. that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the seruants of Solomon to Ophir, and tooke thence foure hundred and fiftie talents of golde, and brought them to king Solomon. 376 CHAP. IX. 1 The Queene of Sheba admireth the wisedome of Solomon. 13 Solomons golde, 15 His Targets. 17 The throne of Iuory. 20 His vessels. 23 His presents. 25 His chariots and horse. 26 His tributes. 29 His reigne and death.

1   
And ^note when the Queene of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, shee came to prooue Solomon with hard questions at Ierusalem, with a very great companie, and camels that bare spices, and golde in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, shee communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2   
And Solomon tolde her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon, which he told her not.

3   
And when the Queene of Sheba had seene the wisedome of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4   
And the meate of his table, and the sitting of his seruants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparell, his ^note cup-bearers also, and their apparell, and his ascent, by which hee went vp into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

5   
And she said to the King, It was a true ^note report which I heard in mine owne land, of thine ^note actes, and of thy wisedome:

6   
Howbeit, I beleeued not their wordes, vntill I came, and mine eyes had seene it: and behold, the one halfe of the greatnesse of thy wisedome was not tolde mee: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

7   
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy seruants, which stand continually before thee, and heare thy wisedome.

8   
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be King for the Lord thy God: because thy God loued Israel, to establish them for euer, therefore made hee thee King ouer them, to doe iudgement and iustice.

Solomon riches: His death.

9   
And she gaue the king an hundred and twentie talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, ∧ precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the Queene of Sheba gaue King Solomon.

10   
And the seruants also of Huram, and the seruants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought Algume trees and, precious stones.

11   
And the king made of the Algume trees, ^note terrises to the house of the Lord, and to the kings palace, and harpes and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seene before in the laud of Iudah.

12   
And King Solomon gaue to the Queene of Sheba, all her desire, whatsoeuer she asked, besides that which she had brought vnto the king: So she turned, and went away to her owne land, she, and her seruants.

13   
¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one yeere, was sixe hundred and threescore and sixe talents of gold:

14   
Besides that which chapmen and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia, and ^note gouernours of the countrie, brought gold and siluer to Solomon.

15   
¶ And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: sixe hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.

16   
And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forrest of Lebanon.

17   
Moreouer the king made a great throne of yuorie, and ouerlaid it with pure gold.

18   
And there were sixe steps to the throne, with a footstoole of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and ^note stayes on each side of the sitting place, and two lyons standing by the stayes.

19   
And twelue lyons stood there on the one side and on the other, vpon the sixe steps. There was not the like made in any kingdome.

20   
¶ And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forrest of Lebanon were of ^note pure gold: ^note none were of siluer; it was not any thing accounted of in the dayes of Solomon.

21   
For the kings ships went to Tarshish Solomons riches: His death. with the seruants of Huram: euerie three yeeres once came the ships of Tarshish bringing golde, and siluer, ^note yuorie, and apes, and peacocks.

22   
And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisedome.

23   
¶ And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to heare his wisedome, that God had put in his heart.

24   
And they brought euery man his present, vessels of siluer, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harnesse, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate yeere by yeere.

25   
¶ And Solomon ^note had foure thousand stalles for horses, and charets, and twelue thousand horsemen, whom hee bestowed in the charet cities, and with the king at Ierusalem.

26   
¶ And hee reigned ouer all the kings, ^note from the ^note riuer, euen vnto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27   
And the king ^note made siluer in Ierusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the Sycomore trees, that are in the low plaines, in abundance.

28   
^noteAnd they brought vnto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29   
¶ Now the rest of the ^note actes of Solomon first and last, are they not written in the ^note booke of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophesie of Ahiiah the Shilonite, and in the visions of ^note Iddo the Seer, against Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat?

30   
And Solomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, fourtie yeeres.

31   
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and hee was buried in the citie of Dauid his father, and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his stead. 377 CHAP. X. 1 The Israelites assembled at Shechem to crowne Rehoboam, by Ieroboam make a suite of relaxation vnto him. 6 Rehoboam, refusing the old mens counsell, by the aduice of yong men, answereth them roughly. 16 Tenne Tribes reuolting, kill Hadoram, and make Rehoboam to flie.

1   
And ^note Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.

2   
And it came to passe when Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat

Rehoboams yoke. (who was in Egypt, whither hee had fled from the presence of Solomon the king) heard it, that Ieroboam returned out of Egypt.

3   
And they sent and called him. So Ieroboam and all Israel came, and spake to Rehoboam, saying,

4   
Thy father made our yoke grieuous, nowe therefore ease thou somewhat the grieuous seruitude of thy father, and his heauy yoke that he put vpon vs, and we will serue thee.

5   
And hee said vnto them, Come againe vnto me after three dayes. And the people departed.

6   
¶ And king Rehoboam tooke counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father, while hee yet liued, saying, What counsell giue ye me, to returne answere to this people?

7   
And they spake vnto him, saying, If thou bee kinde to this people, and please them, and speake good words to them, they will be thy seruants for euer.

8   
But he forsooke the counsel which the old men gaue him, and tooke counsell with the yong men, that were brought vp with him, that stood before him.

9   
And he said vnto them, What aduice giue ye, that wee may returne answere to this people, which haue spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put vpon vs?

10   
And the yong men that were brought vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answere the people that spake vnto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heauy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for vs: thus shalt thou say vnto them, My litle finger shall be thicker then my fathers loynes.

11   
For where as my father ^note put a heauy yoke vpon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12   
So Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the King bade, saying, Come againe to me on the third day.

13   
And the king answered them roughly, and king Rehoboam forsooke the counsell of the old men,

14   
And answered them after the aduice of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke heauy, but I will adde thereto: my father chastised you Israel reuolteth. with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15   
So the king hearkened not vnto the people, for the cause was of God, that the Lord might performe his word, which he spake by the ^note hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

16   
¶ And when all Israel sawe that the king would not hearken vnto them, the people answered the king saying, What portion haue wee in Dauid? and wee haue none inheritance in the sonne of Iesse: Euery man to your tents, O Israel: and now Dauid, see to thine owne house. So all Israel went to their tents.

17   
But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Iudah, Rehoboam reigned ouer them.

18   
Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was ouer the tribute, and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died: but king Rehoboam ^note made speed to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem.

19   
And Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid vnto this day. 378 CHAP. XI. 1 Rehoboam raising an armie to subdue Israel, is forbidden by Shemaiah. 5 He strengtheneth his kingdome with forts and prouision. 13 The Priests and Leuites, and such as feared God, forsaken by Ieroboam, strengthen the kingdome of Iudah. 18 The wiues and children of Rehoboam.

1   
And ^note when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathered of the house of Iudah and Beniamin, an hundred and fourescore thousand chosen men, which were warriers, to fight against Israel, that hee might bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam.

2   
But the worde of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

3   
Speake vnto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Iudah, and to all Israel in Iudah ∧ Beniamin, saying,

4   
Thus saith the Lord; Ye shall not goe vp, nor fight against your brethren: returne euery man to his house, for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Ieroboam.

Rehoboams wiues:

5   
¶ And Rehoboam dwelt in Ierusalem, and built cities for defence in Iudah.

6   
He built euen Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7   
And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8   
And Gath, and Maresha, and Ziph,

9   
And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10   
And Zorah, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Iudah and in Beniamin, fenced cities.

11   
And he fortified the strong holds, and put captaines in them, and store of vitaile, and of oyle and wine.

12   
And in euery seuerall citie he put shields and speares, and made them exceeding strong, hauing Iudah and Beniamin on his side.

13   
¶ And the Priests and the Leuites that were in all Israel, ^note resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14   
For the Leuites left their suburbs, and their possession, and came to Iudah and Ierusalem: for Ieroboam ^note and his sonnes had cast them off from executing the Priests office vnto the Lord.

15   
And hee ordeined him priests for the high places, and for the deuils, and for the calues which he had made.

16   
And after them out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seeke the Lord God of Israel, came to Ierusalem, to sacrifice vnto the Lord God of their fathers.

17   
So they strengthened the kingdome of Iudah, and made Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon strong, three yeeres: for three yeeres they walked in the way of Dauid and Solomon.

18   
¶ And Rehoboam tooke him Mahalath the daughter of Ierimoth the sonne of Dauid to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Iesse:

19   
Which bare him children, Ieush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20   
And after her, hee tooke ^note Maacah the daughter of Absalom, which bare him Abiiah, and Atthai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21   
And Rehoboam loued Maacah the daughter of Absalom, aboue all his wiues and his concubines: for he tooke eighteene wiues, and threescore concubines, and begate twentie and eight sonnes, and threescore daughters. Rehoboams wiues: His sinne,

22   
And Rehoboam made Abiiah the sonne of Maacah the chiefe, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

23   
And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Iudah and Beniamin, vnto euery fenced citie: and he gaue them vitaile in abundance: and hee desired ^note many wiues. 379 CHAP. XII. 1 Rehoboam forsaking the Lord, is punished by Shishak. 5 He and the Princes repenting at the preaching of Shemaiah, are deliuered from destruction, but not from spoile. 13 The reigne and death of Rehoboam.

1   
And it came to passe when Rehoboam had established the kingdome, and had strengthened himselfe, hee forsooke the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

2   
And it came to passe, that in the fifth yere of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem, ( ^note because they had transgressed against the Lord)

3   
With twelue hundred charets, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubims, the Sukkiims, ∧ the Ethiopians.

4   
And hee tooke the fenced cities which perteined to Iudah, and came to Ierusalem.

5   
¶ Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the Princes of Iudah that were gathered together to Ierusalem because of Shishak, and said vnto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye haue forsaken me, and therfore haue I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

6   
Whereupon, the Princes of Israel, and the king humbled themselues and they saide, The Lord is righteous.

7   
And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselues, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They haue humbled themselues, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them ^note some deliuerance, and my wrath shall not bee powred out vpon Ierusalem, by the hand of Shishak.

8   
Neuerthelesse they shalbe his seruants,

His death, and successour. that they may know my seruice, and the seruice of the kingdomes of the countreys.

9   
So Shishak king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem, and tooke away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the kings house, hee tooke all: he caried away also the shields of gold, which Solomon had ^note made.

10   
In stead of which, king Rehoboam made shields of brasse, and committed them to the hands of the chiefe of the guard, that kept the entrance of the Kings house.

11   
And when the king entred into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fet them, and brought them againe into the guard-chamber.

12   
And when he humbled himselfe, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that hee would not destroy him altogether: ^note and also in Iudah things went well.

13   
¶ So king ^note Rehoboam strengthened himselfe in Ierusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and fourty yeeres olde when hee began to reigne, and he reigned seuenteen yeeres in Ierusalem, the citie which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his Name there: and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitesse.

14   
And hee did euill, because hee ^note prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord.

15   
Now the acts of Rehoboam first and last, are they not written in the ^note booke of Shemaiah the Prophet, and of Iddo the Seer, concerning genealogies? and there were warres betweene Rehoboam ∧ Ieroboam continually.

16   
And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid, and Abiiah his sonne reigned in his stead. 380 CHAP. XIII. 1 Abiiah succeeding, maketh warre against Ieroboam. 4 Hee declareth the right of his cause. 13 Trusting in God, hee ouercommeth Ieroboam. 21 The wiues and children of Abiiah.

1   
Nowe ^note in the eighteenth yeere of king Ieroboam, began Abiiah to reigne ouer Iudah.

2   
He reigned three yeres His death, and successour. in Ierusalem: (his mothers name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibea:) and there was warre between Abiiah and Ieroboam.

3   
And Abiiah ^note set the battel in aray with an army of valiant men of warre, euen foure hundred thousand chosen men: Ieroboam also set the battell in aray against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mightie men of valour.

4   
¶ And Abiiah stood vp vpon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and sayde, Heare mee thou Ieroboam, and all Israel:

5   
Ought you not to know, that the Lord God of Israel gaue the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes by a couenant of salt?

6   
Yet Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, the seruant of Solomon the sonne of Dauid, is risen vp, and hath ^note rebelled against his Lord.

7   
And there are gathered vnto him vaine men the children of Belial, and haue strengthened themselues against Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young, ∧ tender hearted, and could not withstand them.

8   
And now ye thinke to withstand the kingdome of the Lord, in the hand of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calues, which Ieroboam ^note made you for gods.

9   
^noteHaue yee not cast out the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron, and the Leuites, and haue made you priests after the maner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoeuer commeth to ^note consecrate himselfe with a young bullocke and seuen rammes, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

10   
But as for vs, the Lord is our God, and wee haue not forsaken him, and the Priests which minister vnto the Lord, are the sonnes of Aaron, and the Leuites waite vpon their businesse.

11   
^noteAnd they burne vnto the Lord euery morning, and euery euening, burnt sacrifices and sweete incense: the ^note shew-bread also set they in order vpon the pure table, and the Candlesticke of golde with the lampes therof, to burne euery euening: for we keepe the charge of the Lord our God, but yee haue forsaken him.

Ieroboam dieth.

12   
And behold, God himselfe is with vs for our captaine, and his Priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarme against you: O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper.

13   
¶ But Ieroboam caused an ambushment to come about behinde them: so they were before Iudah, and the ambushment was behind them.

14   
And when Iudah looked backe, behold, the battel was before and behind; and they cried vnto the Lord, and the Priests sounded with the trumpets.

15   
Then the men of Iudah gaue a shout: and as the men of Iudah shouted, it came to passe that God smote Ieroboam and all Israel, before Abiiah and Iudah.

16   
And the children of Israel fled before Iudah: and God deliuered them into their hand.

17   
And Abiiah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fel downe slaine of Israel, fiue hundred thousand chosen men.

18   
Thus the children of Israel were brought vnder at that time, and the children of Iudah preuailed, because they relied vpon the Lord God of their fathers.

19   
And Abiiah pursued after Ieroboam, ∧ tooke cities from him, Beth-el with the townes thereof, and Ieshanah with the townes thereof, and Ephrain with the townes thereof.

20   
Neither did Ieroboam recouer strength againe in the dayes of Abiiah: and the Lord strooke him, ∧ he died.

21   
¶ But Abiiah waxed mighty, and married fourteene wiues, and begate twentie and two sonnes, and sixteene daughters.

22   
And the rest of the acts of Abiiah, and his waies, and his sayings, are written in the ^note story of the Prophet ^note Iddo. 381 CHAP. XIIII. 1 Asa succeeding destroieth idolatry. 6 Hauing peace, he strengtheneth his kingdome with forts and armies. 9 Calling on God, he ouerthroweth Zerah, and spoileth the Ethiopians.

1   
So Abiiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie of Dauid, and ^note Asa his sonne reigned in his stead: in his dayes the land was quiet ten yeeres.

2   
And Asa did that which was good Asa his victory. and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

3   
For hee tooke away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake downe the ^note images, and cut downe the groues:

4   
And commanded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the Law, and the Commandement.

5   
Also he tooke away out of all the cities of Iudah, the high places and the ^note images: and the kingdome was quiet before him.

6   
¶ And hee built fenced cities in Iudah; for the land had rest, and hee had no warre in those yeeres; because the Lord had giuen him rest.

7   
Therefore hee said vnto Iudah, Let vs build these cities, ∧ make about them walles, and towers, gates and barres, while the land is yet before vs: because wee haue sought the Lord our God, wee haue sought him, and hee hath giuen vs rest on euery side: so they built, and prospered.

8   
And Asa had an armie of men that bare targets and speares, out of Iudah three hundred thousand, and out of Beniamin, that bare shields and drew bowes, two hundred and fourescore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.

9   
¶ ^note And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian, with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred charets, and came vnto Mareshah.

10   
Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battel in aray in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

11   
And Asa cried vnto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is ^note nothing with thee to helpe, whether with many, or with them that haue no power. Helpe vs, O Lord our God, for we rest on thee, and in thy Name wee goe against this multitude: O Lord thou art our God, let not ^note man preuaile against thee.

12   
So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Iudah, and the Ethiopians fled.

13   
And Asa and the people that were with him, pursued them vnto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were ouerthrown, that they could not recouer themselues, for they were ^note destroyed before the Lord, and before his hoste, and they caried away very much spoile.

14   
And they smote all the cities

Israels couenant with God. round about Gerar, for the feare of the Lord came vpon them: and they spoiled all the cities, for there was exceeding much spoile in them.

15   
They smote also the tents of cattell, and caried away sheepe and camels inabundance, and returned to Ierusalem. 382 CHAP. XV. 1 Asa with Iudah and many of Israel, moued by the prophesie of Azariah the sonne of Oded, make a solemne couenant with God. 16 He putteth downe Maachah his mother, for her idolatry. 18 He bringeth dedicate things into the house of God, and enioyeth a long peace.

1   
And the Spirit of God came vpon Azariah the sonne of Oded.

2   
And he went out ^note to meet Asa, and said vnto him, Heare ye me, Asa, and all Iudah, and Beniamin, The Lord is with you, while yee be with him: and if yee seeke him, he will be found of you: but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

3   
Now for a long season Israel hath bene without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

4   
But when they in their trouble did turne vnto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, hee was found of them.

5   
And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were vpon all the inhabitants of the countreys.

6   
And nation was ^note destroyed of nation, and citie of citie: for God did vexe them with all aduersitie.

7   
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands bee weake: for your worke shall be rewarded.

8   
And when Asa heard these words, and the prophesie of Oded the prophet, he tooke courage, and put away the ^note abominable idoles out of all the lande of Iudah and Beniamin, and out of the cities which hee had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the Altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.

9   
And he gathered all Iudah and Beniamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: (for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance when they Israels couenant with God. saw that the Lord his God was with him.)

10   
So they gathered themselues together at Ierusalem, in the third moneth, in the fifteenth yeere of the reigne of Asa.

11   
And they offered vnto the Lord ^note the same time, of the spoile which they had brought, seuen hundred oxen, and seuen thousand sheepe.

12   
And they entred into a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soule:

13   
That whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel, ^note should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

14   
And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15   
And all Iudah reioyced at the oath: for they had sworne with all their heart, ∧ sought him with their whole desire, and he was found of them: and the Lord gaue them rest round about.

16   
¶ And also concerning ^note Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he remooued her from beeing Queene, because she had made an ^note idole in a groue: and Asa cut downe her idole, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brooke Kidron.

17   
But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: neuerthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes.

18   
¶ And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himselfe had dedicated, siluer, and gold, and vessels.

19   
And there was no more warre vnto the fiue and thirtieth yeere of the reigne of Asa. 383 CHAP. XVI. 1 Asa, by the aide of the Syrians, diuerteth Baasha from building of Ramah. 7 Being reproued thereof by Hanani, he putteth him in prison. 11 Among his other actes in his disease he seeketh not to God, but to the Physitians. 13 His death and buriall.

1   
In ^note the sixe and thirtieth yeere of the reigne of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came vp against Iudah, and built Ramah, to the intent that hee might let none goe out or come in to Asa king of Iudah.

Asa his death, and buriall.

2   
Then Asa brought out siluer and golde out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the kings house, and sent to Benhadad King of Syria that dwelt at ^note Damascus, saying;

3   
There is a league betweene me and thee, as there was betweene my father and thy father: beholde, I haue sent thee siluer and golde, goe, breake thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

4   
And Benhadad hearkened vnto king Asa, and sent the captaines of ^note his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Iion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, ∧ all the store-cities of Naphtali.

5   
And it came to passe, when Baasha heard it, that hee left off building of Ramah, and let his worke cease.

6   
Then Asa the king tooke all Iudah, and they caried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was a building, and hee built there with Geba and Mizpah.

7   
¶ And at that time Hanani the Seer came to Asa king of Iudah, and said vnto him, Because thou hast relyed on the king of Syria, and not relyed on the Lord thy God, therefore is the hoste of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

8   
Were ^note not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a ^note huge hoste, with very many charets and horsemen? Yet because thou diddest relie on the Lord, he deliuered them into thine hand.

9   
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, ^note to shewe himselfe strong in the behalfe of them, whose heart is perfite towards him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; therefore, from hencefoorth thou shalt haue warres.

10   
Then Asa was wroth with the Seer, and put him in a prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa ^note oppressed some of the people the same time.

11   
¶ And behold, the actes of Asa first and last, lo, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Iudah and Israel.

12   
And Asa in the thirtie and ninth yeere of his reigne, was diseased in his feete, vntill his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease hee sought not to the Lord, but to the Physicians.

13   
¶ And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fourtieth yeere of his reigne. Asa his death, and buriall. Iehoshaphat.

14   
And they buried him in his owne sepulchres which he had ^note made for himselfe in the citie of Dauid, and laide him in the bed, which was filled with sweet odours, and diuers kindes of spices prepared by the Apothecaries arte: ∧ they made a very great burning for him. 384 CHAP. XVII. 1 Iehoshaphat succeeding Asa, reigneth well, and prospereth. 7 He sendeth Leuites with the Princes to teach Iudah. 10 His enemies being terrified by God, some of them bring him presents and tribute. 12 His greatnesse, captaines and armies.

1   
And ^note Iehoshaphat his sonne reigned in his stead, and strengthened himselfe against Israel.

2   
And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Iudah, and set garisons in the land of Iudah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

3   
And the Lord was with Iehoshaphat, because hee walked in the first wayes of his father Dauid, and sought not vnto Baalim:

4   
But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandements, and not after the doings of Israel:

5   
Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdome in his hand, and all Iudah ^note brought to Iehoshaphat presents, and he had riches and honour in abundance.

6   
And his heart was ^note lift vp in the wayes of the Lord: moreouer hee tooke away the high places and groues out of Iudah.

7   
¶ Also in the third yeere of his reigne, hee sent to his princes, euen to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Iudah:

8   
And with them hee sent Leuites, euen Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehonathan, and Adoniiah, and Tobiiah, and Tob-adoniiah, Leuites: and with them, Elishama and Iehoram, Priests.

9   
And they taught in Iudah, and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Iudah, and taught the people.

His captaines.

10   
¶ And the feare of the Lord ^note fell vpon all the kingdomes of the lands that were round about Iudah, so that they made no warre against Iehoshaphat.

11   
Also some of the Philistines brought Iehoshaphat presents, and tribute siluer, and the Arabians brought him flocks, seuen thousand and seuen hundred rammes, and seuen thousand and seuen hundred he goats.

12   
¶ And Iehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly, and he built in Iudah ^note castles, and cities of store.

13   
And he had much businesse in the cities of Iudah: and the men of warre, mightie men of valour, were in Ierusalem.

14   
And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Iudah, the captaines of thousands, Adnah the chiefe, and with him mighty men of valour, three hundred thousand.

15   
And ^note next to him was Iehohanan the captaine, and with him two hundred and fourescore thousand.

16   
And next him was Amasiah the sonne of Zichri, who willingly offered himselfe vnto the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand mightie men of valour.

17   
And of Beniamin, Eliada a mightie man of valour, and with him, armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand.

18   
And next him was Iehoshabad, and with him an hundred and foure score thousand, ready prepared for the warre.

19   
These waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Iudah. 385 CHAP. XVIII. 1 Iehoshaphat ioyned in affinitie with Ahab, is perswaded to goe with him against Ramoth Gilead. 4 Ahab seduced by false prophets, according to the worde of Micaiah is slaine there.

1   
Now Iehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and ioyned affinitie with Ahab.

2   
^noteAnd ^note after certaine yeeres, he went downe to Ahab to Samaria: and Ahab killed sheepe and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and perswaded Ahabs prophets. him to goe vp with him to Ramoth Gilead.

3   
And Ahab king of Israel said vnto Iehoshaphat king of Iudah, Wilt thou goe with me to Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the warre.

4   
¶ And Iehoshaphat saide vnto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.

5   
Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets foure hundred men, and said vnto them, Shal we goe to Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shal I forbeare? And they said, Goe vp, for God will deliuer it into the kings hand.

6   
But Iehoshaphat saide, Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord ^note besides, that we might enquire of him?

7   
And the king of Israel said vnto Iehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him, for he neuer prophesied good vnto me, but alwayes euill: the same is Micaiah the sonne of Iimla. And Iehoshaphat saide, Let not the king say so.

8   
And the king of Israel called for one of his ^note officers, and saide, ^note Fetch quickly Micaiah the sonne of Iimla.

9   
And the king of Israel and Iehoshaphat king of Iudah sate, either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sate in a ^note voide place at the entring in of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10   
And Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah, had made him hornes of yron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria, vntil ^note they be consumed.

11   
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Goe vp to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the king.

12   
And the messenger that went to call Micaiah, spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king ^note with one assent: let thy word therefore, I pray thee be like one of theirs, and speake thou good.

13   
And Micaiah said, As the Lord liueth, euen what my God saith, that will I speake.

14   
And when hee was come to the king, the king sayd vnto him, Micaiah, shall we goe to Ramoth Gilead to battell,

Micaiahs prophecie. or shall I fobreare? and he sayd, Goe yee vp, and prosper, and they shall be deliuered into your hand.

15   
And the king sayd to him, Howe many times shall I adiure thee, that thou say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord?

16   
Then he sayd, I did see all Israel scattered vpon the mountaines, as sheepe that haue no shepheard: and the Lord sayd, These haue no master, let them returne therefore, euery man to his house in peace.

17   
(And the king of Israel sayd to Iehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that hee would not prophesie good vnto mee, ^note but euill?)

18   
Againe he sayd; Therefore heare the word of the Lord: I sawe the Lord sitting vpon his throne, and all the hoste of heauen standing on his right hand, and on his left.

19   
And the Lord sayd, Who shall entise Ahab king of Israel, that hee may goe vp and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spake, saying after this maner, and another saying after that maner.

20   
Then there came out a ^note spirit, and stood before the Lord, and sayd, I will entise him. And the Lord sayd vnto him, Wherewith?

21   
And hee sayd, I will goe out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord sayd, Thou shalt entise him, and thou shalt also preuaile: goe out, and doe euen so.

22   
Nowe therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken euill against thee.

23   
Then Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah, came neere, and smote Micaiah vpon the cheeke, and sayd, Which way went the spirit of the Lord from mee, to speake vnto thee?

24   
And Micaiah sayd, Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt goe ^note into an inner chamber to hide thy selfe.

25   
Then the king of Israel sayd, Take yee Micaiah, and carie him backe to Amon the gouernour of the citie, and to Ioash the kings sonne:

26   
And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feede him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, vntill I returne in peace. Ahab slaine.

27   
And Micaiah sayd, If thou certainly returne in peace, then hath not the Lord spoken by mee. And hee sayd, Hearken all yee people.

28   
So the king of Israel, and Iehoshaphat the king of Iudah, went vp to Ramoth Gilead.

29   
And the king of Israel sayd vnto Iehoshaphat, I will disguise my selfe, and will goe to the battell, but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himselfe, and they went to the battell.

30   
Now the king of Syria had commaunded the captaines of the charets that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, saue onely with the king of Israel.

31   
And it came to passe when the captaines of the charets saw Iehoshaphat, that they sayd, It is the king of Israel: therefore they compassed about him to fight. But Iehoshaphat cryed out, and the Lord helped him, and God moued them to depart from him.

32   
For it came to passe, that when the captaines of the charets perceiued that it was not the king of Israel, they turned backe againe ^note from pursuing him.

33   
And a certaine man drew a bowe ^note at a venture, and smote the king of Israel ^note betweene the ioints of the harnesse: therefore hee sayd to his charetman, Turne thine hand, that thou mayest carie me out of the hoste, for I am ^note wounded.

34   
And the battell increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himselfe vp in his charet against the Syrians, vntill the Euen: and about the time of the sunne going downe, hee dyed. 386 CHAP. XIX. 1 Iehoshaphat, reproued by Iehu, visiteth his kingdome. 5 His instructions to the Iudges, 8 To the Priests and Leuites.

1   
And Iehoshaphat the king of Iudah returned to his house in peace to Ierusalem.

2   
And Iehu the sonne of Hanani the seer, went out to meete him, and sayd to king Iehoshaphat, Shouldest thou helpe the vngodly, and loue them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath vpon thee from before the Lord.

Iehoshaphat: His fast, and prayer.

3   
Neuerthelesse, there ^note are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groues out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seeke God.

4   
And Iehoshaphat dwelt at Ierusalem: and ^note hee went out againe through the people, from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them backe vnto the Lord God of their fathers.

5   
¶ And he set Iudges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Iudah, city by city,

6   
And said to the Iudges, Take heed what ye doe: for yee iudge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you ^note in the iudgement.

7   
Wherefore now, let the feare of the Lord be vpon you, take heed and doe it: for there is no ^note iniquitie with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

8   
¶ Moreouer in Ierusalem did Iehoshaphat set of the Leuites, and of the Priests, and of the chiefe of the fathers of Israel, for the iudgement of the Lord, and for controuersies, when they returned to Ierusalem.

9   
And hee charged them, saying, Thus shall yee doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

10   
And what cause soeuer shal come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, betweene blood and blood, betweene Law and Commandement, Statutes and Iudgements, yee shall euen warne them that they trespasse not against the Lord, and so wrath come vpon you, and vpon your brethren: this doe, ∧ ye shall not trespasse.

11   
And behold, Amariah the chiefe Priest is ouer you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah the sonne of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Iudah, for all the Kings matters: Also the Leuites shall be officers before you. ^noteDeale couragiously, and the Lord shalbe with the good. 387 CHAP. XX. 1 Iehoshaphat, in his feare proclaimeth a fast. 5 His prayer. 14 The prophesie of Iahaziel. 20 Iehoshaphat exhorteth the people, and setteth singers to praise the Lord. 22 The great ouerthrow of the enemies. 26 The people hauing blessed God at Berachah, returne Iehoshaphat: His fast, and prayer. in triumph. 31 Iehoshaphats reigne. 35 His conuoy of ships, which he made with Ahaziah, according to the prophesie of Eliezer, vnhappily perished.

1   
It came to passe after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them, other beside the Ammonites, came against Iehoshaphat to battell.

2   
Then there came some that tolde Iehoshaphat, saying, There commeth a great multitude against thee from beyond the Sea on this side Syria, and behold, they bee in Hazazon-Tamar, which is En-gedi.

3   
And Iehoshaphat feared, and set ^note himselfe to seeke the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah.

4   
And Iudah gathered themselues together, to aske helpe of the Lord: euen out of all the cities of Iudah they came to seeke the Lord.

5   
¶ And Iehoshaphat stood in the Congregation of Iudah and Ierusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new Court,

6   
And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heauen? and rulest not thou ouer all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

7   
Art not thou our God, ^note who didst driue out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gauest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for euer?

8   
And they dwelt therein, and haue built thee a Sanctuarie therein for thy Name, saying,

9   
^noteIf, when euill commeth vpon vs, as the sword, iudgement, or pestilence, or famine, wee stand before this house, and in thy presence (for thy Name is in this house) and cry vnto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt heare ∧ helpe.

10   
And now behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, whom thou ^note wouldest not let Israel inuade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not:

11   
Beholde, I say, how they reward vs, to come to cast vs out of thy possession, which thou hast giuen vs to inherit.

12   
O our God, wilt thou not iudge them? for wee haue no might against

God fighteth for Iudah. this great company that commeth against vs? neither know wee what to doe; but our eyes are vpon thee.

13   
And all Iudah stood before the Lord, with their litle ones, their wiues and their children.

14   
¶ Then vpon Iahaziel the sonne of Zechariah, the sonne of Benaiah, the sonne of Iehiel, the sonne of Mattaniah, a Leuite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the Congregation:

15   
And he said, Hearken yee, all Iudah, and ye inhabitants of Ierusalem, and thou king Iehoshaphat, Thus sayth the Lord vnto you; Be not afraid, nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battell is not yours, but Gods.

16   
To morrow goe ye downe against them: behold, they come vp by the ^note cliffe of Ziz, and ye shall finde them at the end of the ^note brooke, before the wildernesse of Ieruel.

17   
Yee shall not neede to fight in this battell; set your selues, stand yee still, and see the saluation of the Lord with you, O Iudah and Ierusalem: feare not, nor be dismayed; to morow goe out against them, for the Lord will bee with you.

18   
And Iehoshaphat bowed his head, with his face to the ground: and all Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

19   
And the Leuites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood vp to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a loude voice on high.

20   
¶ And they rose early in the morning, and went foorth into the wildernesse of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Iehoshaphat stood and said, Heare me, O Iudah, and yee inhabitants of Ierusalem; ^note Beleeue in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; beleeue his Prophets, so shall yee prosper.

21   
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed Singers vnto the Lord, and ^note that should praise the beautie of holinesse, as they went out before the armie; and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for euer.

22   
¶ ^note And when they beganne ^note to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which God fighteth for Iudah. were come against Iudah, and ^note they were smitten.

23   
For the children of Ammon and Moab, stood vp against the inhabitants of mount Seir, vtterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, euery one helped ^note to destroy another.

24   
And when Iudah came toward the watch-tower in the wildernesse, they looked vnto the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and ^note none escaped.

25   
And when Iehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoile of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious iewels (which they stript off for themselues) more then they could cary away: and they were three dayes in gathering of the spoile, it was so much.

26   
¶ And on the fourth day they assembled themselues in the valley of ^note Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therfore the name of the same place was called the valley of Berachah vnto this day.

27   
Then they returned, euery man of Iudah and Ierusalem, and Iehoshaphat in the ^note forefront of them, to go againe to Ierusalem with ioy: for the Lord had made them to reioyce ouer their enemies.

28   
And they came to Ierusalem with Psalteries, and harpes, and trumpets, vnto the house of the Lord.

29   
And the feare of God was on all the kingdoms of those countreys, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

30   
So the Realme of Iehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gaue him rest round about.

31   
¶ ^note And Iehoshaphat reigned ouer Iudah: Hee was thirtie and fiue yeeres olde when hee began to reigne, and he reigned twentie and fiue yeeres in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

32   
And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

33   
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts vnto the God of their fathers.

34   
Now the rest of the actes of Iehoshaphat

Iehorams crueltie: His great plague. first and last, behold, they are written in the ^note booke of Iehu the sonne of Hanani; ^note who ^note is mentioned in the booke of the Kings of Israel.

35   
¶ And after this did Iehoshaphat king of Iudah ioine himselfe with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

36   
And he ioyned himselfe with him to make ships to goe to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-Geber.

37   
Then Eliezer the sonne of Dodanah of Mareshah, prophesied against Iehoshaphat, saying; Because thou hast ioyned thy selfe with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy workes: and the ships were broken, that they were not able to goe to Tarshish. 388 CHAP. XXI. 1 Iehoram succeeding Iehoshaphat, slayeth his brethren. 5 His wicked reigne. 8 Edom and Libnah reuolt. 12 The prophecie of Eliiah against him in writing. 16 Philistines and Arabians oppresse him. 18 His incurable disease, infamous death, and buriall.

1   
Now ^note Iehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid: and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his stead.

2   
And he had brethren the sonnes of Iehoshaphat, Azariah, and Iehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: All these were the sonnes of Iehoshaphat king of Israel.

3   
And their father gaue them great giftes of siluer and of golde, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Iudah: but the kingdome gaue hee to Iehoram, because he was the first borne.

4   
Now ^note when Iehoram was risen vp to the kingdome of his father, he strengthened himselfe, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and diuers also of the Princes of Israel.

5   
¶ Iehoram was thirtie and two yeeres olde when hee began to reigne, and hee reigned eight yeeres in Ierusalem.

6   
And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for hee had the daughter of ^note Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was euill in the eyes of the Lord.

7   
Howbeit the Lord would not Iehorams crueltie: His great plague. destroy the house of Dauid, because of the couenant that hee had made with Dauid, and as hee promised, to giue a ^note light to him and to his ^note sons for euer.

8   
¶ In his dayes the Edomites reuolted from vnder the ^note dominion of Iudah, and made themselues a king.

9   
Then Iehoram ^note went forth with his Princes, and all his charets with him: and he rose vp by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captaines of the charets.

10   
So the Edomites reuolted from vnder the hand of Iudah vnto this day. The same time also did Libnah reuolt from vnder his hand, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.

11   
Moreouer, he made high places in the mountaines of Iudah, and caused the inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Iudah thereto.

12   
¶ And there came a writing to him from Eliiah the Prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iehoshaphat thy father, nor in the wayes of Asa king of Iudah:

13   
But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to goe a whoring, like to the whoredomes of the house of Ahab, and also hast slaine thy brethren of thy fathers house, which were better then thy selfe:

14   
Behold, with a ^note great plague wil the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wiues, and all thy goods.

15   
And thou shalt haue great sicknesse by disease of thy bowels, vntil thy bowels fall out, by reason of the sickenesse day by day.

16   
¶ Moreouer, the Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were neere the Ethiopians.

17   
And they came vp into Iudah, and brake into it, and ^note caried away all the substance that was found in the kings house, and his sonnes also and his wiues; so that there was neuer a sonne left him, saue ^note Iehoahaz, the yongest of his sonnes.

18   
¶ And after all this, the Lord smote him in his bowels, with an incurable disease.

Ahaziah wicked: He is slaine.

19   
And it came to passe, that in processe of time, after the end of two yeres, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickenesse: so hee dyed of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

20   
Thirtie and two yeeres old was he when he began to reigne, and he reigned in Ierusalem eight yeeres, and departed ^note without being desired: howbeit, they buried him in the citie of Dauid, but not in the sepulchres of the kings. 389 CHAP. XXII. 1 Ahaziah succeeding, reigneth wickedly. 5 In his confederacie with Ioram the sonne of Ahab, he is slaine by Iehu. 10 Athaliah destroying all the seed royall, saue Ioash, wh&obar; Iehoshabeath his aunt hid, vsurpeth the kingdom.

1   
And ^note the inhabitants of Ierusalem made Ahaziah his yongest sonne, king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the campe, had slaine all the ^note eldest. So Ahaziah the sonne of Iehoram king of Iudah reigned.

2   
Fourtie and two yeeres old was Ahaziah, when he began to reigne, and he reigned one yeere in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was ^note Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

3   
Hee also walked in the wayes of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counseller to doe wickedly.

4   
Wherefore he did euill in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

5   
¶ He walked also after their counsell, and went with Iehoram the sonne of Ahab king of Israel, to warre against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians smote Ioram.

6   
And he returned to bee healed in Iezreel, because of the wounds ^note which were giuen him at Ramah when hee fought with Hazael king of Syria. And ^note Azariah the sonne of Iehoram king of Iudah, went downe to see Iehoram the sonne of Ahab at Iezreel, because he was sicke.

7   
And ^note the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by comming to Ioram: For when he was come, hee went out with Iehoram against Iehu the sonne of Nimshi, ^note whome the Lord had Ahaziah wicked: He is slaine. anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

8   
And it came to passe, that when Iehu was executing iudgement vpon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Iudah, and the sonnes of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministred to Ahaziah, he slew them.

9   
^noteAnd he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him (for he was hid in Samaria) and brought him to Iehu: and when they had slaine him, they buried him: because, said they, hee is the sonne of Iehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keepe still the kingdome.

10   
¶ ^note But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah, sawe that her sonne was dead, shee arose, and destroyed all the seed royall of the house of Iudah.

11   
But Iehoshabeath the daughter of the king, tooke Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the kings sonnes, that were slaine, and put him and his nurse in a bed chamber. So Iehoshabeath the daughter of king Iehoram, the wife of Iehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

12   
And he was with them hid in the house of God sixe yeeres, and Athaliah reigned ouer the land. 390 CHAP. XXIII. 1 Iehoiada hauing set things in order, maketh Ioash king. 12 Athaliah is slaine. 16 Iehoiada restoreth the worship of God.

1   
And ^note in the seuenth yeere Iehoiada strengthened himselfe, and tooke the captaines of hundreds, Azariah the sonne of Ieroham, and Ishmael the sonne of Iehohanan, and Azariah the sonne of Obed, and Maasiah the sonne of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the sonne of Zichri, into couenant with him.

2   
And they went about in Iudah, and gathered the Leuites out of all the cities of Iudah, and the chiefe of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Ierusalem.

3   
And all the Congregation made a couenant with the king in the house of God: and he said vnto them, Beholde, the kings sonne shall reigne, as the Lord hath ^note said of the sonnes of Dauid.

Ioash made king.

4   
This is the thing that yee shall doe, A third part of you entring on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Leuites, shalbe porters of the ^note doores.

5   
And a thirde part shall bee at the kings house, and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the Courts of the house of the Lord.

6   
But let none come into the house of the Lord, saue the Priests, ∧ they that minister of the Leuites, they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keepe the watch of the Lord.

7   
And the Leuites shall compasse the king round about, euery man with his weapons in his hand, and whosoeuer else commeth into the house, hee shalbe put to death: but be you with the King when he commeth in, and when he goeth out.

8   
So the Leuites and all Iudah did according to all things that Iehoiada the Priest had commanded: and tooke euery man his men that were to come in on the Sabbath, with them that were to goe out on the Sabbath: for Iehoiada the Priest dismissed not the courses.

9   
Moreouer, Iehoiada the Priest deliuered to the captaines of hundreds, speares and bucklers, and shields, that had bene King Dauids, which were in the house of God.

10   
And hee set all the people (euery man hauing his weapon in his hand) from the right ^note side of the ^note Temple, to the left side of the Temple, along by the Altar and the Temple, by the King, round about.

11   
Then they brought out the kings sonne, and put vpon him the Crowne, and ^note gaue him the Testimony, and made him King: and Iehoiada and his sonnes anointed him, and said, ^note God saue the King.

12   
¶ Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the King; she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

13   
And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar, at the entring in, and the Princes, and the trumpets by the King: and all the people of the land reioyced, and sounded with trumpets; also the singers with instruments of musicke; and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, ^note Treason, treason. Athaliah slaine.

14   
Then Iehoiada the Priest brought out the captaines of hundreds, that were set ouer the host, and said vnto them, Haue her foorth of the ranges: and who so followeth her, let him bee slaine with the sword. For the Priest said; Slay her not in the house of the Lord.

15   
So they layd handes on her, and when shee was come to the entring of the horse gate, by the kings house, they slew her there.

16   
¶ And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene him, and betweene all the people, and betweene the king, that they should be the Lords people.

17   
Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it downe, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew ^note Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18   
Also Iehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the Priests the Leuites, whom Dauid had ^note distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offrings of the Lord, as it is written in the ^note Law of Moses, with reioycing and with singing, as it was ordeined ^note by Dauid.

19   
And he set the ^note porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was vncleane in any thing, should enter in.

20   
And hee tooke the captaines of hundreds, and the nobles, and the gouernours of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought downe the king from the house of the Lord: and they came through the high gate into the kings house, and set the king vpon the throne of the kingdome.

21   
And all the people of the land reioyced, and the city was quiet, after that they had slaine Athaliah &wt; the sword. 391 CHAP. XXIIII. 1 Ioash reigneth well, all the dayes of Iehoiada. 4 Hee giueth order for the repaire of the Temple. 15 Iehoiada, his death and honourable buriall. 17 Ioash falling to idolatrie, slaieth Zechariah the sonne of Iehoiada. 23 Ioash is spoiled by the Syrians, and slaine by Zabad and Iehozabad. 27 Amaziah succeedeth him.

1   
Ioash ^note was seuen yeeres old when he beganne to reigne; and he reigned fortie yeeres in Ierusalem: his mothers name also

Ioash his zeale. was Zibiah, of Beer-sheba.

2   
And Ioash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, all the dayes of Iehoiada the Priest.

3   
And Iehoiada tooke for him two wiues, and he begat sonnes and daughters.

4   
¶ And it came to passe after this that Ioash was minded ^note to repaire the house of the Lord.

5   
And hee gathered together the priests and the Leuites, and saide to them, Go out vnto the cities of Iudah, and gather of all Israel money to repaire the house of your God from yeere to yere, and see that ye haste the matter: howbeit the Leuites hastened it not.

6   
And the king called for Iehoiada the chiefe, and saide vnto him, Why hast thou not required of the Leuites to bring in out of Iudah and out of Ierusalem, the collection, according to the commandement of ^note Moses the seruant of the Lord, and of the Congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of Witnesse?

7   
For the sonnes of Athaliah that wicked woman, had broken vp the house of God, and also all the dedicate things of the house of the Lord, did they bestow vpon Baalim.

8   
And at the kings commandement they made a chest, and set it without, at the gate of the house of the Lord.

9   
And they made ^note a proclamation through Iudah ∧ Ierusalem, to bring in to the Lord, the collection that Moses the seruant of God laid vpon Israel in the wildernesse.

10   
And all the Princes and all the people reioyced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, vntill they had made an ende.

11   
Now it came to passe that at what time the chest was brought vnto the kings office, by the hand of the Leuites: and when they sawe that there was much money: the kings Scribe, and the high priests officer, came and emptied the chest, and tooke it, and caried it to his place againe. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

12   
And the king and Iehoiada gaue it to such as did the worke of the seruice of the house of the Lord, and hired Masons and carpenters to repaire the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought yron and brasse to mend the house of the Lord.

13   
So the workemen wrought, and Iehoiada dieth. ^note the worke was perfected by them: and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.

14   
And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Iehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, euen vessels to minister and to ^note offer withall, and spoones, and vessels of golde and siluer: and they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually, all the dayes of Iehoiada.

15   
¶ But Iehoiada waxed old, and was full of dayes when hee died: an hundred and thirtie yeeres olde was hee when hee died.

16   
And they buried him in the citie of Dauid among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both towards God, and towards his house.

17   
Now after the death of Iehoiada, came the Princes of Iudah, and made obeysance to the king: then the king hearkened vnto them.

18   
And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and serued groues and idols: and wrath came vpon Iudah and Ierusalem for this their trespasse.

19   
Yet hee sent prophets to them to bring them againe vnto the Lord, and they testified against them: but they would not giue eare.

20   
And the spirit of God ^note came vpon Zechariah the sonne of Iehoiada the priest, which stood aboue the people, and said vnto them: Thus saith God, Why transgresse yee the commandements of the Lord, that yee cannot prosper? because yee haue forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.

21   
And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandement of the king, in the court of the house of the Lord.

22   
Thus Ioash the king remembred not the kindnesse which Iehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his sonne: and when he died, he said, The Lord looke vpon it, and require it.

23   
¶ And it came to passe ^note at the end of the yeere, that the hoste of Syria came vp against him: and they came to Iudah and Ierusalem, and destroyed all the Princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoile of them vnto the king of ^note Damascus.

24   
For the armie of the Syrians

Ioash slaine. came with a small companie of men, and the Lord deliuered a very great hoste into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers: so they executed iudgement against Ioash.

25   
And when they were departed from him (for they left him in great diseases) his owne seruants conspired against him, for the blood of the sonnes of Iehoiada the Priest, and slewe him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the citie of Dauid, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the Kings.

26   
And these are they that conspired against him; ^note Zabad the sonne of Shimeah an Ammonitesse, and Iehozabad the sonne of ^note Shimrith a Moabitesse.

27   
¶ Now concerning his sonnes, and the greatnesse of the burdens laide vpon him, and the ^note repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the ^note story of the booke of the Kings. And Amaziah his sonne reigned in his stead. 392 CHAP. XXV. 1 Amaziah beginneth to reigne well. 3 Hee executeth iustice on the traitours. 5 Hauing hired an armie of Israelites against the Edomites, at the word of a Prophet, he loseth the hundred talents, and dismisseth them. 11 He ouerthroweth the Edomites. 10. 13 The Israelites discontented with their dismission, spoile as they returne home. 14 Amaziah proud of his victory, serueth the gods of Edom, and despiseth the admonitions of the Prophet. 17 Hee prouoketh Ioash to his ouerthrow. 25 His reigne. 27 Hee is slaine by conspiracie.

1   
Amaziah ^note was twentie and fiue yeeres olde when hee began to reigne, and hee reigned twentie and nine yeeres in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Iehoadan of Ierusalem.

2   
And hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfite heart.

3   
¶ Now it came to passe when the kingdome was ^note established to him, that he slew his seruants, that had killed the king his father.

4   
But hee slewe not their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the booke of Moses, where the Lord Amaziah king. commanded, saying, ^note The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but euery man shall die for his owne sinne.

5   
¶ Moreouer, Amaziah gathered Iudah together, and made them Captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Iudah and Beniamin: And he numbred them from twentie yeeres olde and aboue, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to goe foorth to warre, that could handle speare and shield.

6   
Hee hired also an hundred thousand mightie men of valour, out of Israel, for an hundred talents of siluer.

7   
But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the armie of Israel goe with thee: for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.

8   
But if thou wilt goe, doe it, bee strong for the battell: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to helpe, and to cast downe.

9   
And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall wee doe for the hundred talents which I haue giuen to the ^note armie of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to giue thee much more then this.

10   
Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the armie that was come to him out of Ephraim, to goe ^note home againe. Wherfore their anger was greatly kindled against Iudah, and they returned home in ^note great anger.

11   
¶ And Amaziah strengthened himselfe, and ledde foorth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir, ten thousand.

12   
And other ten thousand left aliue, did the children of Iudah cary away captiue, and brought them vnto the top of the rocke, and cast them downe from the top of the rocke, that they all were broken in pieces.

13   
¶ But the ^note souldiers of the army which Amaziah sent backe, that they should not goe with him to battell, fell vpon the cities of Iudah, from Samaria euen vnto Beth-horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoile.

14   
¶ Now it came to passe, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that hee

Amaziah taken. brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them vp to be his gods, and bowed down himselfe before them, and burned incense vnto them.

15   
Wherfore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah, and hee sent vnto him a Prophet, which said vnto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliuer their owne people out of thine hand?

16   
And it came to passe as hee talked with him, that the king said vnto him, Art thou made of the Kings counsell? forbeare; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the Prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath ^note determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened vnto my counsell.

17   
¶ Then Amaziah king of Iudah tooke aduice, and sent to Ioash the sonne of Iehoahaz the sonne of Iehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let vs see one another in the face.

18   
^noteAnd Ioash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Iudah, saying, The ^note thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Giue thy daughter to my sonne to wife: and there passed by a ^note wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode downe the thistle.

19   
Thou sayest, Loe, thou hast smitten the Edomites, and thine heart lifteth thee vp to boast. Abide now at home, why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, euen thou, and Iudah with thee?

20   
But Amaziah would not heare: for it came of God, that he might deliuer them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

21   
So Ioash the King of Israel went vp, and they saw one another in the face, both hee and Amaziah King of Iudah at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Iudah.

22   
And Iudah was ^note put to the worse before Israel, and they fled euery man to his tent.

23   
And Ioash the king of Israel tooke Amaziah king of Iudah the son of Ioash, the son of Ioahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Ierusalem, and brake downe the wall of Ierusalem, from the gate of Ephraim to ^note the corner gate, foure hundred cubits. He is slaine.

24   
And hee tooke all the gold and the siluer, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the kings house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

25   
¶ And Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah liued after the death of Ioash sonne of Iehoahaz king of Israel, fifteene yeeres.

26   
Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the booke of the Kings of Iudah and Israel?

27   
¶ Now after the time that Amaziah did turne away ^note from following the Lord, they ^note made a conspiracie against him in Ierusalem, and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.

28   
And they brought him vpon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the citie of ^note Iudah. 393 CHAP. XXVI. 1 Vzziah succeeding, and reigning well in the dayes of Zechariah, prospereth. 16 Waxing proud, he inuadeth the Priests office, and is smitten with leprosie. 22 Hee dieth, and Iotham succeedeth him.

1   
Then all the people of Iudah ^note tooke ^note Uzziah, who was sixteene yeeres old, and made him King in the roome of his father Amaziah.

2   
He built Eloth, and restored it to Iudah: after that the King slept with his fathers.

3   
Sixteene yeeres old was Uzziah, when he began to reigne, and he reigned fiftie and two yeeres in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was Iecoliah of Ierusalem.

4   
And hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

5   
And hee sought God in the dayes of Zechariah, who had vnderstanding ^note in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

6   
And hee went foorth and warred against the Philistines, ∧ brake downe the wall of Gath, and the wall of Iabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities ^note about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

Vzziahs strength: He is leprous.

7   
And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians, that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.

8   
And the Ammonites gaue gifts to Uzziah, and his name ^note spread abroad euen to the entring in of Egypt: for hee strengthened himselfe exceedingly.

9   
Moreouer Uzziah built towers in Ierusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and ^note fortified them.

10   
Also he built towers in the desert, and ^note digged many welles, for hee had much cattell, both in the low countrey, and in the plaines: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountaines, and in ^note Carmel: for hee loued ^note husbandrie.

11   
Moreouer, Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to warre by bands, according to the number of their account, by the hand of Ieiel the Scribe, and Maasiah the ruler, vnder the hand of Hananiah, one of the kings captaines.

12   
The whole number of the chiefe of the fathers of the mightie men of valour, were two thousand and sixe hundred.

13   
And vnder their hand was ^note an armie, three hundred thousand, and seuen thousand, and fiue hundred, that made warre with mightie power, to helpe the king against the enemie.

14   
And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the hoste, shields, and speares, and helmets, and habergions, and bowes, and ^note slings to cast stones.

15   
And hee made in Ierusalem engines inuented by cunning men, to bee on the towers, ∧ vpon the bulwarks, to shoote arrowes and great stones withall: and his name ^note spread farre abroad, for he was marueilously helped, till he was strong.

16   
¶ But when he was strong, his heart was lifted vp to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord, to burne incense vpon the altar of incense.

17   
And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourescore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men.

18   
And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said vnto him, It ^note perteineth not vnto thee, Uzziah, to burne incense Vzziahs strength: He is leprous. vnto the Lord, but to the ^note priestes the sonnes of Aaron, that are consecrated to burne incense. Goe out of the Sanctuarie; for thou hast trespassed, neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.

19   
Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand, to burne incense, and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosie euen rose vp in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.

20   
And Azariah the chiefe priest, and all the priests looked vpon him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence, yea himselfe ^note hasted also to goe out, because the Lord had smitten him.

21   
^noteAnd Uzziah the king was a leper vnto the day of his death, and dwelt in a ^note seuerall house being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Iotham his sonne was ouer the kings house, iudging the people of the land. ^note

22   
¶ Now the rest of the actes of Uzziah first and last, did Isaiah the prophet the sonne of Amoz write.

23   
So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the buriall which belonged to the kings: for they saide, He is a leper: And Iotham his sonne reigned in his stead. 394 CHAP. XXVII. 1 Iotham reigning well, prospereth. 5 He subdueth the Ammonites. 7 His reigne. 9 Ahaz succeedeth him.

1   
Iotham ^note was twenty and fiue yeeres olde, when hee began to reigne, and hee reigned sixteene yeeres in Ierusalem: his mothers name also was Ierushah, the daughter of Zadok.

2   
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit hee entred not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly.

3   
He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of ^note Ophel, he built much.

4   
Moreouer hee built cities in the mountaines of Iudah, and in the forrests he built castles and towers.

Iotham. Ahaz.

5   
¶ He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and preuailed against them. And the children of Ammon gaue him the same yeere an hundred talents of siluer, and ten thousand measures of wheate, and tenne thousand of barley. ^noteSo much did the children of Ammon pay vnto him, both the second yeere, and the third.

6   
So Iotham became mightie, because he ^note prepared his wayes before the Lord his God.

7   
¶ Now the rest of the actes of Iotham and all his warres, and his wayes, lo, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah.

8   
Hee was fiue and twentie yeeres olde when he began to reigne, and reigned sixteene yeeres in Ierusalem.

9   
¶ And Iotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Dauid: and Ahaz his sonne reigned in his stead. 395 CHAP. XXVIII. 1 Ahaz reigning very wickedly, is greatly afflicted by the Syrians. 6 Iudah being captiuated by the Israelites, is sent home by the counsell of Oded the Prophet. 16 Ahaz sending for aide to Assyria, is not helped thereby. 22 In his distresse, he groweth more idolatrous. 26 He dying, Hezekiah succeedeth him.

1   
Ahaz ^note was twentie yeeres olde when hee beganne to reigne, and he reigned sixteene yeres in Ierusalem: but hee did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like Dauid his father.

2   
For he walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

3   
Moreouer, he ^note burnt incense in the valley of the sonne of Hinnom, ∧ burnt ^note his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen, whome the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

4   
Hee sacrificed also, and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hils, and vnder euery greene tree.

5   
Wherefore the Lord his God deliuered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and caried away a great multitude of them captiues, and brought them to ^note Damascus: And he was also deliuered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote Israels crueltie. him wich a great slaughter.

6   
¶ For Pekah the sonne of Remaliah slew in Iudah an hundred ∧ twentie thousand in one day, which were all ^note valiant men: because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.

7   
And Zichri a mightie man of Ephraim, slue Maaseiah the kings sonne, and Azrikam the gouernour of the house, and Elkanah that was ^note next to the King.

8   
And the children of Israel caried away captiue of their brethren, two hundred thousand, women, sonnes and daughters, and tooke also away much spoile from them, and brought the spoile to Samaria.

9   
But a Prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and hee went out before the hoste that came to Samaria, and said vnto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Iudah, he hath deliuered them into your hand, and yee haue slaine them in a rage that reacheth vp vnto heauen.

10   
And now ye purpose to keepe vnder the children of Iudah and Ierusalem for bondmen, and bondwomen vnto you: But are there not with you, euen with you, sinnes against the Lord your God?

11   
Now heare me therefore, and deliuer the captiues againe, which ye haue taken captiue of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of God is vpon you.

12   
Then certeine of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the sonne of Iohanan, Berechiah the sonne of Meshillemoth, and Iehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the sonne of Hadlai, stood vp against them that came from the warre,

13   
And said vnto them, Ye shall not bring in the captiues hither: for whereas wee haue offended against the Lord already, ye intend to adde more to our sinnes and to our trespasse: for our trespasse is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.

14   
So the armed men left the captiues, and the spoile before the Princes, and all the congregation.

15   
And the men which were expressed by name, rose vp and tooke the captiues, and with the spoile clothed all that were naked among them, and arayed them, and shod them, and gaue them to eate and to drinke, and anointed

Ahaz an idolater. them, and caried all the feeble of them vpon asses, and brought them to Iericho, ^note the city of palme-trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

16   
¶ At that time did king Ahaz send vnto the kings of Assyria to helpe him.

17   
For againe the Edomites had come and smitten Iudah, and caried away ^note captiues.

18   
The Philistines also had inuaded the cities of the low-countrey, and of the South of Iudah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aialon, and Gedetoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also, and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

19   
For the Lord brought Iudah low, because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Iudah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.

20   
And Tilgath-Pilneser king of Assyria came vnto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

21   
For Ahaz tooke away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the King, and of the Princes, and gaue it vnto the King of Assyria: but he helped him not.

22   
¶ And in the time of this distresse did hee trespasse yet more against the Lord: This is that king Ahaz.

23   
For he sacrificed vnto the gods of ^note Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helpe them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may helpe me: but they were the ruine of him, and of all Israel.

24   
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut vp the doores of the house of the Lord, and hee made him altars in euery corner of Ierusalem.

25   
And in euery seuerall city of Iudah hee made high places to ^note burne incense vnto other gods, and prouoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.

26   
¶ Now the rest of his acts, and of all his wayes, first and last, behold, they are written in the booke of the kings of Iudah and Israel.

27   
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie, euen in Ierusalem: but they brought Hezekiah king. him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his sonne reigned in his stead. 396 CHAP. XXIX. 1 Hezekiah his good reigne. 3 He restoreth Religion. 5 He exhorteth the Leuites. 12 They sanctifie themselues, and cleanse the house of God. 20 Hezekiah offereth solemne sacrifices, wherein the Leuites were more forward then the Priests.

1   
Hezekiah ^note began to reigne when hee was fiue and twentie yeeres old, and he reigned nine and twentie yeeres in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Abiiah the daughter of Zechariah.

2   
And hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Dauid his father had done.

3   
¶ He, in the first yere of his reigne, in the first moneth, opened the doores of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.

4   
And hee brought in the Priests, and the Leuites, and gathered them together into the East street,

5   
And said vnto them, Heare me, ye Leuites, sanctifie now your selues, and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and cary foorth the filthinesse out of the holy place.

6   
For our fathers haue trespassed, and done that which was euill in the eyes of the Lord our God, and haue forsaken him, and haue turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and ^note turned their backs.

7   
Also they haue shut vp the doores of the Porch, and put out the lampes, and haue not burnt incense, nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place, vnto the God of Israel.

8   
Wherfore the wrath of the Lord was vpon Iudah and Ierusalem, and he hath deliuered them to ^note trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as yee see with your eyes.

9   
For loe, our fathers haue fallen by the sword, and our sonnes and our daughters, and our wiues, are in captiuitie for this.

10   
Now it is in mine heart to make a couenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turne away from vs.

11   
My sonnes, ^note bee not now negligent:

The clensing of the Temple. for the Lord hath ^note chosen you to stand before him, to serue him, and that you should minister vnto him, and ^note burne incense.

12   
¶ Then the Leuites arose, Mahath the sonne of Amashai, and Ioel the sonne of Azariah, of the sonnes of the Kohathites: and of the sonnes of Merari, Kish the sonne of Abdi, and Azariah the sonne of Iahalelel: and of the Gershonites Ioah, the sonne of Zimmah, and Eden the sonne of Ioah:

13   
And of the sonnes of Elizaphan, Shimri, and Iehiel: and of the sonnes of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah:

14   
And of the sonnes of Heman, Iehiel, and Shimei: and of the sonnes of Ieduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15   
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselues, and came according to the commandement of the king, ^note by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.

16   
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it, and brought out all the vncleannes that they found in the temple of the Lord, into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Leuites tooke it, to carie it out abroad into the brooke Kidron.

17   
Now they began on the first day of the first moneth to sanctifie, and on the eight day of the moneth, came they to the porch of the Lord. So they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight dayes, and in the sixteenth day of the first moneth, they made an end.

18   
Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We haue cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shew-bread table, with all the vessels thereof.

19   
Moreouer all the vessels which king Ahaz in his reigne did cast away in his transgression, haue we prepared and sanctified, and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.

20   
¶ Then Hezekiah the king rose earely, and gathered the rulers of the citie, and went vp to the house of the Lord.

21   
And they brought seuen bullocks and seuen rammes, and seuen lambes, and seuen hee goats for a ^note sinne offring for the kingdome, and for the Sanctuarie, and for Iudah: and he commaunded the priests the sonnes of Aaron to The clensing of the Temple. offer them on the Altar of the Lord.

22   
So they killed the bullockes, and the priestes receiued the blood, and ^note sprinkled it on the altar: like wise when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood vpon the altar: they killed also the lambes, and they sprinkled the blood vpon the altar.

23   
And they brought ^note foorth the hee goats for the sinne offering, before the king and the congregation, and laide their ^note hands vpon them:

24   
And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood vpon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offring and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25   
^noteAnd hee set the Leuites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harpes, according to the commandement of Dauid, and of Gad the kings Seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandement ^note of the Lord ^note by his prophets.

26   
And the Leuites stood with the instruments of Dauid, and the priestes with the trumpets.

27   
And Hezekiah commaunded to offer the burnt offering vpon the altar: and ^note when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the ^note instruments ordeined by Dauid king of Israel.

28   
And all the congregation worshipped, and the ^note singers sang, and the trumpetters sounded: and all this continued vntill the burnt offering was finished.

29   
And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were ^note present with him, bowed themselues and worshipped.

30   
Moreouer Hezekiah the king and the Princes, commanded the Leuites to sing praise vnto the Lord, with the words of Dauid, and of Asaph the Seer: and they sang praises with gladnes, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31   
Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye haue ^note consecrated your selues vnto the Lord: come neere and bring sacrifices, and thanke-offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought in sacrifices, and thank-offrings, and as many as were of a free heart, burnt offerings.

The Passeouer is proclaimed.

32   
And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullockes, an hundred rammes, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offring to the Lord.

33   
And the consecrated things were, sixe hundred oxen, and three thousand sheepe.

34   
But the Priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Leuites ^note did helpe them, till the worke was ended, and vntill the other Priestes had sanctified themselues: for the Leuites were more vpright in heart, to sanctifie themselues, then the Priests.

35   
And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, ∧ the drinke offrings, for euery burnt offering. So the seruice of the house of the Lord was set in order.

36   
And Hezekiah reioyced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly. 397 CHAP. XXX. 1 Hezekiah proclaimeth a solemne Passeouer on the second moneth, for Iudah and Israel. 13 The assembly hauing destroyed the altars of idolatry, keepe the feast fourteene dayes. 27 The Priests and Leuites blesse the people.

1   
And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Iudah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem, to keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lord God of Israel.

2   
For the king had taken counsell, and his Princes, and all the congregation in Ierusalem, to keepe the Passeouer in the second ^note moneth.

3   
For they could not keepe it at that time, because the Priests had not sanctified themselues sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselues together to Ierusalem.

4   
And the thing ^note pleased the king, and all the Congregation.

5   
So they established a decree, to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba euen to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passeouer vnto the Lord God of Israel at Ierusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort, as it was written. The Passeouer is proclaimed.

6   
So the Postes went with the letters ^note from the King and his Princes, throughout all Israel and Iudah, and according to the commandement of the king, saying; Yee children of Israel, turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and hee wil returne to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

7   
And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gaue them vp to desolation, as ye see.

8   
Now ^note be yee not stiffe-necked as your fathers were, but ^note yeeld your selues vnto the Lord, and enter into his Sanctuarie, which he hath sanctified for euer: and serue the Lord your God, that the fiercenesse of his wrath may turne away from you.

9   
For if yee turne againe vnto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall finde compassion before them that leade them captiue, so that they shall come againe into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and ^note mercifull, and will not turne away his face from you, if ye returne vnto him.

10   
So the Posts passed from citie to citie, through the countrey of Ephraim and Manasseh, euen vnto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorne, and mocked them.

11   
Neuerthelesse, diuers of Asher, and Manasseh, and of Zebulun, humbled themselues, and came to Ierusalem.

12   
Also in Iudah, the hand of God was to giue them one heart to doe the commandement of the king and of the Princes, by the word of the Lord.

13   
¶ And there assembled at Ierusalem much people, to keepe the feast of vnleauened bread in the second moneth, a very great congregation.

14   
And they arose and tooke away the ^note altars that were in Ierusalem, and all the altars for incense tooke they away, and cast them into the brooke Kidron.

15   
Then they killed the Passeouer on the fourteenth day of the second moneth: and the Priests and the Leuites were ashamed, and sanctified themselues, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.

16   
And they stood in ^note their place after

The Passeouer. their maner, according to the Law of Moses the man of God: The priests sprinckled the blood, which they receiued of the hand of the Leuites.

17   
For there were many in the Congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Leuites had the charge of the killing of the Passeouers for euery one that was not cleane, to sanctifie them vnto the Lord.

18   
For a multitude of the people, euen many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselues: yet did they eate the Passeouer otherwise then it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying; The good Lord pardon euery one,

19   
That prepareth his heart to seeke God, the Lord God of his fathers, though hee be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary.

20   
And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

21   
And the children of Israel that were ^note present at Ierusalem, kept the feast of vnleauened bread seuen dayes with great gladnesse: and the Leuites and the Priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with ^note lowd instruments vnto the Lord.

22   
And Hezekiah spake ^note comfortably vnto all the Leuites, that taught the good knowledge of the Lord: and they did eate throughout the feast, seuen dayes, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.

23   
And the whole assembly tooke counsel to keepe other seuen dayes: and they kept other seuen dayes with gladnesse.

24   
For Hezekiah king of Iudah ^note did giue to the Congregation, a thousand bullockes, and seuen thousand sheep: and the Princes gaue to the Congregation a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheepe, and a great number of Priests sanctified themselues.

25   
And all the Congregation of Iudah, with the Priests and the Leuites, and all the Congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Iudah, reioyced.

26   
So there was great ioy in Ierusalem: for since the time of Solomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel, there was not the like in Ierusalem.

27   
¶ Then the Priests the Leuites Idolatry destroyed. arose, and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came vp to ^note his holy dwelling place, euen vnto heauen. 398 CHAP. XXXI. 1 The people is forward in destroying idolatry. 2 Hezekiah ordereth the courses of the priests and Leuites, and prouideth for their worke and maintenance. 5 The peoples forwardnesse in offerings and tithes. 11 Hezekiah appointeth officers to dispose of the tithes. 20 The sinceritie of Hezekiah.

1   
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were ^note present, went out to the cities of Iudah, and ^note brake the ^note images in pieces, and cut downe the groues, and threw downe the high places and the altars out of all Iudah and Beniamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, ^note vntill they had vtterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned euery man to his possession into their owne cities.

2   
¶ And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the Priests and the Leuites after their courses, euery man according to his seruice, the Priests and Leuites for burnt offerings, and for peace offerings, to minister and to giue thankes, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord.

3   
He appointed also the kings portion of his substance, for the burnt offrings, to wit, for the morning and euening burnt offrings; and the burnt offrings for the Sabbaths, and for the Newmoones, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the Law ^note of the Lord.

4   
Moreouer, he commaunded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem, to giue the portion of the Priests, and the Leuites, that they might be incouraged in the Law of the Lord.

5   
¶ And assoone as the commaundement ^note came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of corne, wine and oile, ∧ ^note hony, and of all the increase of the field, and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.

6   
And concerning the children of Israel and Iudah, that dwelt in the cities of Iudah, they also brought in the tithes of oxen and sheepe, and the tithe of holy ^note things, which were consecrated

Prouision for the priests. vnto the Lord their God, and layd them ^note by heapes.

7   
In the third moneth they began to lay the foundation of the heapes, and finished them in the seuenth moneth.

8   
And when Hezekiah and the princes came, and saw the heapes, they blessed the Lord, and his people Israel.

9   
Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Leuites concerning the heapes.

10   
And Azariah the chiefe priest of the house of Zadok, answered him ∧ said: Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, wee haue had enough to eate, and haue left plentie: for the Lord hath blessed his people; and that which is left, is this great store.

11   
¶ Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare ^note chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them,

12   
And brought in the offerings and the tithes, and the dedicate things, faithfully: ouer which Cononiah the Leuite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.

13   
And Iehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Ierimoth, and Iozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah were ouerseers ^note vnder the hande of Cononiah, and Shimei his brother, at the commandement of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.

14   
And Kore the sonne of Immah the Leuite the porter toward the East, was ouer the free will offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the Lord, and the most holy things.

15   
And ^note next him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Ieshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shechaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their ^note set office, to giue to their brethren by courses, as wel to the great as to the small:

16   
Beside their genealogie of males, from three yeeres old and vpward, euen vnto euery one that entreth into the house of the Lord, his dayly portion for their seruice in their charges, according to their courses:

17   
Both to the genealogie of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Leuites from twenty yeeres olde and vpward, in their charges by their courses:

18   
And to the genealogie of all their Prouision for the priests. litle ones, their wiues, and their sonnes, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their ^note set office they sanctified themselues in holinesse.

19   
Also of the sonnes of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in euery seuerall citie, the men that were expressed by name, to giue portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies, among the Leuites.

20   
¶ And thus did Hezekiah throughout al Iudah, and wrought that which was good and right, and trueth before the Lord his God.

21   
And in euery worke that he began in the seruice of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandements to seeke his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. 399 CHAP. XXXII. 1 Sennacherib inuading Iudah, Hezekiah fortifieth himselfe and encourageth his people. 9 Against the blasphemies of Sennacherib by message and letters, Hezekiah & Isaiah pray. 21 An Angel destroyeth the hoste of the Assyrians, to the glory of Hezekiah. 24 Hezekiah praying in his sickenes, God giueth him a signe of recouerie. 25 He waxing proud, is humbled by God. 27 His wealth and works. 31 His errour in the embassage of Babylon. 32 He dying, Manasseh succeedeth him.

1   
After ^note these things and the establishment therof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entred into Iudah, ∧ encamped against the fenced cities, and thought ^note to winne them for himselfe.

2   
And when Hezekiah sawe that Sennacherib was come, and that ^note hee was purposed to fight against Ierusalem,

3   
He tooke counsel with his princes, and his mightie men, to stop the waters of the fountaines, which were without the citie: and they did helpe him.

4   
So there was gathered much people together, who stopt all the fountaines, and the brooke that ^note ranne through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and finde much water?

5   
Also he strengthened himselfe, and built vp all the wall that was broken, and raised it vp to the towers, and another

Sennacheribs blasphemie. wall without, and prepared Millo in the citie of Dauid, and made ^note darts and shields in abundance.

6   
And hee set captaines of warre ouer the people, and gathered them together to him in the streete of the gate of the city, and spake ^note comfortably to them, saying;

7   
Be strong and couragious, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there bee moe with vs, then with him.

8   
^noteWith him is an arme of flesh, but with vs is the Lord our God to helpe vs, and to fight our battels. And the people ^note rested themselues vpon the words of Hezekiah king of Iudah.

9   
¶ ^note After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his seruants to Ierusalem (but he himselfe laide siege against Lachish, and all his ^note power with him) vnto Hezekiah king of Iudah, and vnto all Iudah that were at Ierusalem, saying;

10   
Thus sayth Semacherib king of Assyria, Whereon doe ye trust, that yee abide ^note in the siege in Ierusalem?

11   
Doeth not Hezekiah perswade you to giue ouer your selues to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliuer vs out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

12   
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places, and his altars, and commanded Iudah and Ierusalem, saying; Yee shall worship before one altar, ∧ burne incense vpon it?

13   
Know ye not what I and my fathers haue done vnto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those landes any wayes able to deliuer their lands out of mine hand?

14   
Who was there among all the gods of those nations, that my fathers vtterly destroyed, that could deliuer his people out of mine hand, that your God should bee able to deliuer you out of mine hand?

15   
Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceiue you, nor perswade you on this manner, neither yet beleeue him: for no god of any nation or kingdome was able to deliuer his people out of mine hand, ∧ out of the hand of my fathers: how much lesse shall your God deliuer you out of mine hand?

16   
And his seruants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against Sennacheribs blasphemie. his seruant Hezekiah.

17   
Hee wrote also letters to raile on the Lord God of Israel, ∧ to speake against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands haue not deliuered their people out of mine hand: so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliuer his people out of mine hand.

18   
Then they cryed with a loude voice in the Iewes speech vnto the people of Ierusalem that were on the wal, to affright them, and to trouble them, that they might take the city.

19   
And they spake against the God of Ierusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth which were the worke of the hands of man.

20   
For this cause Hezekiah the king, and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amoz, prayed and cryed to heauen.

21   
¶ ^note And the Lord sent an Angel, which cut off all the mightie men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the campe of the king of Assyria: so hee returned with shame of face to his owne land. And when hee was come into the house of his god, they that came foorth of his owne bowels, ^note slew him there with the sword.

22   
Thus the Lord saued Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on euery side.

23   
And many brought gifts vnto the Lord to Ierusalem, and ^note presents to Hezekiah king of Iudah: so that hee was magnified in the sight of all nations, from thenceforth.

24   
¶ ^note In those dayes Hezekiah was sicke to the death, and prayed vnto the Lord: and he spake vnto him, and he ^note gaue him a signe.

25   
But Hezekiah rendred not againe, according to the benefit done vnto him: for his heart was lifted vp, therefore there was wrath vpon him, and vpon Iudah and Ierusalem.

26   
Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himselfe for ^note the pride of his heart, (both hee and the inhabitants of Ierusalem) so that the wrath of the Lord came not vpon them in the dayes of Hezekiah.

27   
¶ And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches, and honour: and he made himselfe treasuries for siluer, and for golde, and for precious stones, and for

Hezekiah dieth: spices, and for shields, and for all maner of ^note pleasant iewels;

28   
Store-houses also for the increase of corne, and wine and oile; and stalles for all maner of beasts, and coates for flocks.

29   
Moreouer, hee prouided him cities, and possessions of flockes ∧ heards in abundance: for God had giuen him substance very much.

30   
This same Hezekiah also stopped the vpper water-course of Gihon, and brought it straight downe to the Westside of the City of Dauid. And Hezekiah prospered in all his workes.

31   
¶ Howbeit, in the businesse of the ^note Embassadours of the Princes of Babylon, who ^note sent vnto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

32   
¶ Now, the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his ^note goodnesse, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the Prophet, the sonne of Amoz, and in the booke of the kings of Iudah and Israel.

33   
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ^note chiefest of the Sepulchres of the sonnes of Dauid: and all Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did him honour at his death: and Manasseh his sonne reigned in his stead. 400 CHAP. XXXIII. 1 Manasseh his wicked reigne. 3 Hee setteth vp idolatry, and would not be admonished. 11 He is caried into Babylon. 12 Vpon his prayer to God hee is released, and putteth downe idolatry. 18 His acts. 20 Hee dying, Amon succeedeth him. 21 Amon reigning wickedly is slaine by his seruants. 25 The murtherers beeing slaine, Iosiah succeedeth him.

1   
Manasseh ^note was twelue yeeres old when he began to reigne, and he reigned fiftie and fiue yeres in Ierusalem:

2   
But did that which was euil in the sight of the Lord, like vnto the abominations of the heathen, ^note whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

3   
¶ For ^note hee built againe the high places, which Hezekiah his father had ^note broken downe, and he reared vp altars for Baalim, and made groues, and Manasseh wicked. worshipped all the host of heauen, and serued them.

4   
Also hee built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had saide, ^note In Ierusalem shall my Name be for euer.

5   
And he built altars for all the host of heauen, in the two Courts of the house of the Lord.

6   
And he caused his children to passe through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he obserued times, and vsed inchantments, and vsed witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much euill in the sight of the Lord, to prouoke him to anger.

7   
And hee set a carued image (the idole which he had made) in the house of God, of which God had said to Dauid, and to Solomon his sonne: In ^note this house, and in Ierusalem which I haue chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for euer.

8   
Neither will I any more remoue the foot ^note of Israel from out of the land which I haue appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to doe all that I haue commanded them, according to the whole Law, and the statutes, and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

9   
So Manasseh made Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to erre, and to doe worse then the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

10   
And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

11   
¶ Wherfore the Lord brought vpon them the captaines of the host ^note of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thornes, ∧ bound him with ^note setters, ∧ caried him to Babylon.

12   
And when hee was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers,

13   
And prayed vnto him, and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord hee was God.

14   
Now after this, hee built a wall without the citie of Dauid, on the Westside of Gihon, in the valley, euen to the entring in at the fish-gate, and compassed

Manasseh dieth. about ^note Ophel, and raised it vp a very great height, and put captaines of warre in all the fenced cities of Iudah.

15   
And hee tooke away the strange gods and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Ierusalem, and cast them out of the citie.

16   
And hee repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings, and thanke offerings, and commaunded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel.

17   
Neuerthelesse, the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet vnto the Lord their God only.

18   
¶ Nowe the rest of the actes of Manasseh, ∧ his prayer vnto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the booke of the kings of Israel:

19   
His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sinne, and his trespasse, and the places wherein he built high places, and set vp groues and grauen images before hee was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of ^note the Seers.

20   
¶ So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his owne house: and Amon his sonne reigned in his stead.

21   
¶ ^note Amon was two and twentie yeeres old, when he beganne to reigne, and reigned two yeares in Ierusalem.

22   
But he did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed vnto all the carued images, which Manasseh his father had made, and serued them;

23   
And humbled not himselfe before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himselfe: but Amon ^note trespassed more and more.

24   
And his seruants conspired against him, and slew him in his owne house.

25   
¶ But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon, and the people of the land made Iosiah his sonne, king in his stead. 401 CHAP. XXXIIII. 1 Iosiah his good reigne. 3 He destroyeth Idolatry. 8 Hee taketh order for the repaire Iosiahs zeale. of the Temple. 14 Hilkiah hauing found a booke of the Law, Iosiah sendeth to Huldah to inquire of the Lord. 23 Huldah prophecieth destruction of Ierusalem, but respit therof in Iosiahs time. 29 Iosiah causing it to be read in a solemne assembly, reneweth the couenant with God.

1   
^noteIosiah was eight yeeres old when hee beganne to reigne, and he reigned in Ierusalem one and thirty yeeres.

2   
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the wayes of Dauid his father, and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left.

3   
¶ For in the eight yeare of his reigne, while he was yet young, hee beganne to seeke after the God of Dauid his father: and in the twelfth yeere hee beganne to ^note purge Iudah and Ierusalem from the high places and the groues, and the carued images, and the molten images.

4   
^noteAnd they brake downe the altars of Baalim in his presence, and ^note the images that were on high aboue them, he cut downe, and the groues, and the carued images, and the molten images he brake in peeces, and made dust of them, and strowed it vpon the ^note graues of them, that had sacrificed vnto them.

5   
And hee burnt the bones of the priests vpon their altars, and cleansed Iudah and Ierusalem.

6   
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, euen vnto Naphtali, with their ^note mattockes, round about.

7   
And when he had broken downe the altars and the groues, and had beaten the grauen images ^note into pouder, and cut downe all the idoles throughout all the land of Israel, hee returned to Ierusalem.

8   
¶ Now in the eighteenth yeere of his reigne, when hee had purged the land, and the house; he sent Shaphan the sonne of Azaliah, and Maasiah the gouernour of the citie, and Ioah the sonne of Ioahaz the recorder, to repaire the house of the Lord his God.

9   
And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they deliuered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Leuites that kept the

The Law found. doores, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Iudah, and Beniamin, and they returned to Ierusalem.

10   
And they put it in the hand of the workemen that had the ouersight of the house of the Lord, and they gaue it to the workemen that wrought in the house of the Lord, to repaire and mend the house.

11   
Euen to the artificers and builders gaue they it, to buy hewen stone, and timber for couplings, and ^note to floore the houses, which the kings of Iudah had destroyed.

12   
And the men did the worke faithfully, and the ouerseers of them were Iahath, and Obadiah, the Leuites, of the sonnes of Merari, and Sechariah, and Meshullam, of the sonnes of the Kohathites, to set it forward: and other of the Leuites, all that could skill of instruments of musicke.

13   
Also they were ouer the bearers of burdens, and were ouerseers of all that wrought the worke in any manner of seruice: and of the Leuites there were Scribes, and officers, and porters.

14   
¶ And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest ^note found a booke of the lawe of the Lord, giuen ^note by Moses.

15   
And Hilkiah answered and saide to Shaphan the scribe: I haue found the booke of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah deliuered the booke to Shaphan:

16   
And Shaphan caried the booke to the king, and brought the king word backe againe, saying, All that was committed ^note to thy seruants, they doe it.

17   
And they haue ^note gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and haue deliuered it into the hand of the ouerseers, and to the hand of the workemen.

18   
Then Shaphan the scribe tolde the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath giuen me a booke. And Shaphan read ^note it before the king.

19   
And it came to passe when the king had heard the words of the lawe, that he rent his clothes.

20   
And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, and ^note Abdon the sonne of Mirah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a Huldahs prophesie. seruant of the kings, saying,

21   
Goe, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Iudah, concerning the wordes of the booke that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is powred out vpon vs, because our fathers haue not kept the word of the Lord, to doe after all that is written in this booke.

22   
And Hilkiah and they that the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetesse, the wife of Shallum the sonne of Tikuath, the sonne of ^note Hasrah, keeper of the ^note wardrobe (now she dwelt in Ierusalem in the ^note colledge,) and they spake to her to that effect.

23   
¶ And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you to me,

24   
Thus saith the Lord, behold, I will bring euill vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitants thereof, euen all the curses that are written in the booke which they haue read before the king of Iudah:

25   
Because they haue forsaken mee, and haue burned incense vnto other gods, that they might prouoke mee to anger with all the workes of their hands, therefore my wrath shall bee powred out vpon this place, and shall not be quenched.

26   
And as for the king of Iudah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shal ye say vnto him: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, concerning the words which thou hast heard:

27   
Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thy selfe before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thy selfe before me, and diddest rend thy clothes, and weepe before me, I haue euen heard thee also, saith the Lord.

28   
Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt bee gathered to thy graue in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the euill that I will bring vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word againe.

29   
¶ ^note Then the king sent, and gathered together all the Elders of Iudah and Ierusalem.

30   
And the king went vp into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem,

Iosiah keepeth the Passeouer. and the priests and the Leuites, and all the people ^note great and small: and he read in their eares all the words of the booke of the couenant, that was found in the house of the Lord.

31   
And the King stood in his place, ∧ made a Couenant before the Lord, to walke after the Lord, and to keep his Commandements, and his Testimonies, and his Statutes, with all his heart, ∧ with all his soule, to performe the words of the Couenant which are written in this booke.

32   
And he caused all that were ^note present in Ierusalem and Beniamin, to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Ierusalem did according to the couenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33   
And Iosiah tooke away all the abominations out of all the countreys that perteined to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serue, euen to serue the Lord their God. And all his dayes they departed not ^note from folowing the Lord the God of their fathers. 402 CHAP. XXXV. 1 Iosiah keepeth a most solemne Passeouer. 20 Hee prouoking Pharaoh Nechoh, is slaine at Megiddo. 25 Lamentations for Iosiah.

1   
Moreouer ^note Iosiah kept a Passeouer vnto þe; Lord in Ierusalem: and they killed the Passeouer on the fourteenth ^note day of the first moneth.

2   
And hee set the Priestes in their charges, and encouraged them to the seruice of the house of the Lord,

3   
And said vnto the Leuites, that taught all Israel, which were holy vnto the Lord, Put the holy Arke in the house, which Solomon the sonne of Dauid king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden vpon your shoulders: serue now the Lord your God, and his people Israel.

4   
And prepare your selues by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the ^note writing of Dauid king of Israel, and according to the ^note writing of Solomon his sonne.

5   
And stand in the holy place according to the diuisions of the ^note families of the fathers of your ^note brethren the people, and after the diuision of the families of the Leuites. Iosiah keepeth the Passeouer.

6   
So kill the Passeouer, and sanctifie your selues, and prepare your brethren, that they may doe according to the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

7   
And Iosiah ^note gaue to the people, of the flocke, lambes and kiddes, all for the Passeouer-offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirtie thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the kings substance.

8   
And his Princes ^note gaue willingly vnto the people, to the Priests and to the Leuites: Hilkiah, and Zachariah, and Iehiel, rulers of the house of God, gaue vnto the Priests for the Passeouer-offerings, two thousand and sixe hundred small cattell, and three hundred oxen.

9   
Conaniah also, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel, his brethren, ∧ Hashabiah, and Iehiel, and Ioshabad chiefe of the Leuites, ^note gaue vnto the Leuites for Passeouer-offerings, fiue thousand small cattell, and fiue hundred oxen.

10   
So the seruice was prepared, and the Priests stood in their place, and the Leuites in their courses, according to the kings commandement.

11   
And they killed the Passeouer, and the Priestes sprinckled the blood from their handes, and the Leuites ^note flayed them.

12   
And they remooued the burnt offerings, that they might giue according to the diuisions of the families of the people, to offer vnto the Lord, as it is written in the booke of Moses: and so did they with the oxen.

13   
And they ^note rosted the Passeouer with fire, according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in cauldrons, and in pannes, and ^note diuided them speedily among all the people.

14   
And afterward they made ready for themselues, and for the Priests: because the Priests the sonnes of Aaron were busied in offring of burnt offrings, and the fat vntill night: therefore the Leuites prepared for themselues, and for the Priests the sonnes of Aaron.

15   
And the singers the sonnes of Asaph, were in their ^note place according to the ^note commandement of Dauid, and Asaph, and Heman, and Ieduthun the kings Seer: and the Porters ^note waited at euery gate: they might not depart from their seruice; for their brethren the Leuites prepared for them.

Iosiah slaine.

16   
So all the seruice of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keepe the Passeouer, and to offer burnt offerings vpon the altar of the Lord, according to the commaundement of king Iosiah.

17   
And the children of Israel that were ^note present, kept the Passeouer at that time, and the feast of vnleauened bread seuen dayes.

18   
And there was no Passeouer like to that, kept in Israel, from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet: neither did all the Kings of Israel keepe such a Passeouer, as Iosiah kept, and the Priests and the Leuites, and all Iudah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem.

19   
In the eighteenth yeere of the reigne of Iosiah, was this Passeouer kept.

20   
¶ ^note After all this, when Iosiah had prepared the ^note Temple, Necho king of Egypt came vp to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Iosiah went out against him.

21   
But hee sent Embassadours to him, saying, What haue I to doe with thee, thou king of Iudah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house, ^note wherewith I haue warre: for God commaunded mee to make haste: forbeare thee from medling with God, who is with mee, that hee destroy thee not.

22   
Neuerthelesse Iosiah would not turne his face from him, but disguised himselfe that he might fight with him, and hearkened not vnto the wordes of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

23   
And the archers shot at king Iosiah: and the King saide to his seruants, Haue mee away, for I am ^note sore wounded.

24   
His seruants therefore tooke him out of that charet, and put him in the second charet that hee had: and they brought him to Ierusalem, and hee died, and was buried ^note in one of the Sepulchres of his fathers. And ^note all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah.

25   
¶ And Ieremiah lamented for Iosiah, and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel; and beholde, they are written in the Lamentations. Iehoahaz king.

26   
Now the rest of the acts of Iosiah, and his ^note goodnes, according to that which was written in the Law of the Lord,

72   
And his deedes first and last; behold, they are written in the booke of the kings of Israel and Iudah. 403 CHAP. XXXVI. 1 Iehoahaz succeeding, is deposed by Pharaoh, and caried into Egypt. 5 Iehoiakim raigning ill, is caried bound into Babylon. 9 Iehoiachin succeeding reigneth ill, and is brought into Babylon. 11 Zedekiah succeeding reigneth ill, and despiseth the Prophets, and rebelleth against Nebuchadnezzar. 14 Ierusalem for the sinnes of the Priests and people, is wholely destroyed. 22 The proclamation of Cyrus.

1   
Then ^note the people of the land tooke Iehoahaz the son of Iosiah, and made him King in his fathers stead in Ierusalem.

2   
Iehoahaz was twentie and three yeeres old, when hee began to reigne, and hee reigned three moneths in Ierusalem.

3   
And the king of Egypt ^note put him downe at Ierusalem, and ^note condemned the land in an hundred talents of siluer, and a talent of gold.

4   
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother, king ouer Iudah and Ierusalem, and turned his name to Iehoiakim. And Necho tooke Iehoahaz his brother, and caried him to Egypt.

5   
¶ Iehoiakim was twentie and fiue yeres old when he began to reigne, and he reigned eleuen yeeres in Ierusalem: and hee did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord his God.

6   
Against him came vp Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, and bound him in ^note fetters to cary him to Babylon.

7   
^noteNebuchadnezzar also caried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

8   
Now the rest of the acts of Iehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah: and ^note Iehoiachin his sonne reigned in his stead.

9   
¶ ^note Iehoiachin was eight yeeres old when hee began to reigne, and hee

Israel caried into captiuitie. reigned three moneths and ten dayes in Ierusalem, and hee did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord.

10   
And ^note when the yeere was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the ^note goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made ^note Zedekiah his brother, king ouer Iudah and Ierusalem.

11   
¶ ^note Zedekiah was one and twentie yeres old, when he began to reigne, and reigned eleuen yeeres in Ierusalem.

12   
And hee did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himselfe before Ieremiah the Prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord.

13   
And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him sweare by God: but he stiffened his necke, and hardened his heart from turning vnto the Lord God of Israel.

14   
¶ Moreouer all the chiefe of the priests, and the people transgressed very much, after all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the Lord which hee had hallowed in Ierusalem.

15   
^noteAnd the Lord God of their fathers sent to them ^note by his messengers, rising vp ^note betimes, and sending: because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

16   
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his wordes, and misused his prophets, vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no ^note remedie.

17   
^noteTherefore hee brought vpon them the king of the Caldees, who Israel caried into captiuitie. slew their yong men with the sword, in the house of their sanctuarie, and had no compassion vpon yong man or maiden, olde man, or him that stouped for age: he gaue them all into his hand.

18   
And all the vessels of the house of God great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes: all these he brought to Babylon.

19   
And they burnt the house of God, and brake downe the wall of Ierusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

20   
And ^note them that had escaped from the sword, caried he away to Babylon: where they were seruants to him and his sonnes, vntil the reigne of the kingdome of Persia:

21   
To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of ^note Ieremiah, vntill the land ^note had enioyed her Sabbaths: for as long as shee lay desolate, shee kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and tenne yeeres.

22   
¶ ^note Now in the first yeere of Cyrus king of Persia (that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of ^note Ieremiah, might bee accomplished) the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that hee made a proclamation throughout all his kingdome, and put it also in writing, saying,

23   
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord God of heauen giuen mee, and he hath charged me to build him an house in Ierusalem, which is in Iudah: Who is there among you of all his people? the Lord his God be with him, and let him goe vp.

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