palace, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table of 19 shewbread, with all the vessels thereof. Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD. 20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the 21 city, and went up to the house of the LORD. And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar 22 of the LORD. So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: and they killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and 23 sprinkled the blood upon the altar. And they brought near the he-goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; 24 and they laid their hands upon them: and the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood upon the altar, to make atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt 25 offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for the commandment was 26 of the LORD by his prophets. And the Levites stood with the instru27 ments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also, and the 28 trumpets, together with the instruments of David king of Israel. all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that 30 were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads 31 and worshipped. Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have 1consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a 32 willing heart brought burnt offerings. And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were 33 for a burnt offering to the LORD. And the consecrated things were six 34 hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright 35 in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. And also the burnt 1 Heb. filled your hand. And offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the 36 house of the LORD was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly. The Passover kept. 30 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congrega3 tion in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people 4 gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And the thing was right 5 in the eyes of the king and of all the congregation. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it 'in 6 great numbers in such sort as it is written. So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that are escaped of you out 7 of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD, the God of 8 their fathers, so that he gave them up 'to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn 9 away from you. For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that led them captive, and shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return 10 unto him. So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them II to scorn, and mocked them. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh 12 and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also in Judah was the hand of God to give them one heart, to do the command13 ment of the king and of the princes by the word of the LORD. And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook 15 Kidron. Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and 14 1 Or, of a long time 2 Or, to be an astonishment 3 Heb. give the hand. sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of the 16 LORD. And they stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which 17 they received of the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the congregation that had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of killing the passovers for every one that was not clean, 18 to sanctify them unto the LORD. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it ✓ is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good 19 LORD pardon 'every one that setteth his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purifi20 cation of the sanctuary. And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and 21 healed the people. And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by 22 day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD. And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that were well skilled in the service of the LORD. So they did eat throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to 23 the LORD, the God of their fathers. And the whole congregation took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with 24 gladness. For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thou25 sand sheep and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came 26 out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of 27 David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even unto heaven. 31 Hezekiah's destruction of the High Places and local Altars. Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the 3pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and brake down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man 2 to his possession, into their own cities. And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and 3 to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD. He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the 1 Or, him that setteth his whole heart 2 Or, giving thanks 3 Or, obelisks 4 morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD. Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, 5 that they might give themselves to the law of the LORD. And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in 6 abundantly. And the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated unto the LORD 7 their God, and laid them by heaps. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they 9 blessed the LORD, and his people Israel. Then Hezekiah questioned Io with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the oblations into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty for the LORD hath II blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store. Then : Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; 12 and they prepared them. And they brought in the oblations and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: and over them Conaniah the 13 Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was second. And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of 14 Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, 15 and the most holy things. And under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their 'set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well 16 to the great as to the small: beside them that were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even every one that entered into the house of the LORD, as the duty of every day required, 17 for their service in their charges according to their courses; and them that were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers' houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by 18 their courses; and them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their 'set office they sanctified themselves in 19 holiness: also for the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, there were men that were expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogy among the Levites. 1 Heb. be strong in. 3 Or, for his daily portion 20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and 'faithful before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. 9 2 Kings 18. 9. The Fall of Samaria [second notice, v. p. 80]. And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser 10 king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 And the king of Assyria carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the 12 Medes: because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it. 13 Invasion of Sennacherib, King of Assyria. 2 Kings 18. 13. Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did 'Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of 14 Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and 15 thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures 16 of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the 1 Heb. faithfulness. 2 Heb. Sanherib. 32 2 Chronicles 32. I. After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought 2 1to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against 3 Jerusalem, he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the 4 city; and they helped him. So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the fountains, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find 5 much water? And he took 1 Heb. to break them up. |